Upside Down (VS 334) : Released May 1980 on 7″
This is a very strange one.
The Correct Use of Soap was released sometime in the first week of May 1980, having being preceded by two singles, both of which could be found on the album. A new single was released on 16 May, and in terms of promoting and marketing the new album, then there would be every expectation that it would be one of its tracks.
A previously unreleased/unavailable song. Fans, having just splashed out on the new album now found themselves having to spend a smaller amount on the new single.
Many years later, in the one book that I believe has been written solely about the band, Magazine – The Biography by Helen Chase (Northumbria Press, 2009), there’s a very slight reference to Upside Down.
In the run-up to the album’s release, Magazine put out three singles within a month of each other : A Song From Under The Floorboards, Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Agin) and Upside Down. Howard explains, “The idea was to release the whole album as singles and to release them at monthly intervals. Right at the end of the process they would all be collected together on an album. That would have been commercially stupid! Virgin made pretensions of going along with it. They were all going to be cardboard sleeves all with a different coloured label.”
But that doesn’t make any sense unless the intention had been for Upside Down to have been on the album, plus it begs the questions of exactly how many singles were planned and where would the b-sides have come from?
Upside Down, IMHO, is a disappointing effort, and I’m glad that for whatever reason, it was never included on The Correct Use of Soap. It’s one of the few unmemorable Magazine songs of the era.
The b-side was something of a surprise, and ultimately to some fans a bit of an abomination.
mp3: Magazine – The Light Pours Out Of Me (version)
One of the band’s oldest and best-loved songs, written back in the day by Howard Devoto, John McGeoch and Pete Shelley, and recorded for debut album Real Life back in 1978 with John Leckie in the producer’s chair. The new version was worked up during the ‘Soap’ sessions with Martin Hannett producing. It’s a full minute shorter than the original. It is also slightly slower, less powerful and has a naff backing vocal. And there’s a middle section with a sax solo that makes them sound like later-era Psychedelic Furs. I don’t know anyone who prefers it.
Given all of the above the next single proved to be a surprise. Tune in next Sunday.
This is the only one of the cardboard sleeve singles that I possess. The A-side is certainly not outstanding, but I have to say I don’t mind the B-side. Ok, ‘prefer’ would probably be a step too far, but I quite like it. Wish I’d bought all the others for the B-sides as well.
It’s… great (sorry…). Easily my favourite 7″ (both A and B sides).
Okay, maybe not the strongest effort on the A side and certainly not a better version on the B side, but I’ll never get tired of that bass sound. An Ovation Magnum cranked through a Boss Chorus Ensemble. Magic.