Around the time that Valentina was released (March 2012), The Wedding Present issued a 7″ single on vinyl.
As mentioned last week, this was a time when I wasn’t paying much attention. I’ve now learned that this 7″ single was given out to the members of ‘Club 8’, so called as its members were those who had provided financial support for the recording of Valentina, the band’s eighth studio album.
500 copies were pressed up on clear vinyl, specifically for those loyal fans without whom etc. The folk who got the single are the type who (mostly) wouldn’t dream of parting with it. Just two copies have ever been sold via Discogs, with the last occasion being back in 2016. No copies are presently on offer. And just when I thought there was no chance of tracking anything down, our dear friend The Robster sent across a very helpful email with a couple of digital attachments:-
mp3: The Wedding Present – Metal Men
mp3: The Wedding Present – Unthinking
A couple of songs that are better than quite a few on Valentina??? I certainly think so…..
Next up was a limited edition 10″ single on clear vinyl that was issued for Record Store Day on 21 April 2012.
The 4 Chansons EP involved four songs being sung in French. The original versions of three of the songs had been recorded for Valentina, while the other was of Metal Men, one of the two tracks made available only to the members of Club 8.
This one was a bit more readily available on Discogs, albeit a bit pricey, but given that until The Robster stepped in to help out I thought I was going to miss out on two successive releases for this series, I did send off for it a couple of weeks back.
mp3: The Wedding Present – Deer Caught In The Headlight (French Version)
mp3: The Wedding Present – End Credits (French Version)
mp3: The Wedding Present – Metal Men (French Version)
mp3: The Wedding Present – Mystery Date (French Version)
It’s the Wedding Present, and it’s David Gedge doing his stuff in French. Qu’y a-t-il à ne pas aimer ?
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Metal Men is a lost gem. It probably wasn’t a fit for the overall mood of Valentina, but it’s one of the better tracks from the period, I agree. Such a shame it was only heard by a chosen few, it really deserved more.
Am enjoying reading about these deep cuts. I think you are skilfully navigating this era of limited editions and the like. I do declare that Valentina offered some corking tracks, and that it is a finer LP than the preceding El Rey.
Strangeways