"Rare Birds - 'A Flock Of Seagulls' B-Sides, Edits and Alternate Mixes" (2023 Record Store Day LP)
For Record Store Day 2023, the BMG label is issuing a B-sides and rarities compilation LP from A Flock Of Seagulls, in a limited edition of 1,025 copies. Rare Birds - 'A Flock Of Seagulls' B-Sides, Edits and Alternate Mixes will be pressed on transparent vinyl, with a reworking of the original cover art from the English new wave band's self-titled 1982 debut album A Flock Of Seagulls, one of the true landmark recordings of the early-'80's new wave genre.
The tracks on this LP are not as "rare" now as they were before 2023, because all twelve of the tracks were reissued on the 2023 U.K. Deluxe Edition of the debut album, which is available digitally. To be exact, the first 12 tracks on the second CD of the Deluxe Edition are the ones included on this limited edition vinyl release.
The LP mainly consists of B-sides and single edits from the singles which were released to promote the debut album, as well as the band's non-album debut single "(It's Not Me) Talking".
The LP's first side is interesting for the obscure tracks it contains, but those tracks are mainly for the band's and/or album's biggest admirers. The record opens with three synth-pop instrumentals; the first of those, "Factory Music", was the underproduced B-side from the band's 1981 debut single "(It's Not Me) Talking". The next two instrumentals are much better slices of the Seagulls' mesmerizing space age sounds: "Tanglimara" was the B-side from the Seagulls' second '81 single "Telecommunication"; the other track "Intro" was an additional instrumental found on 12-inch versions of that same single. The B-sides to the singles "I Ran" (namely "Pick Me Up") and "Modern Love Is Automatic" (namely "Windows") -- both of which do feature Mike Score's vocals -- are listenable but negligible tracks which the debut album was better off without. The side ends with the A-side of the aforementioned "Talking" single, and the version here is supposedly the single edit -- but this version seems to have a more refined, less in-your-face mix than the original single, and not necessarily for the better.
The second side is the one with more immediate appeal, featuring the pleasing and popular radio edits of the Top 40 singles "I Ran" and "Space Age Love Song", as well as the single edit for the album's lead-off track "Modern Love Is Automatic". This side's remixed version of "(It's Not Me) Talking" is superior to the mix on the first side, though its quirky sound is still noticeably different from the more gleaming production of the debut album. (The same goes for the instrumental version of the track, which ironically has some lyric lines left in). The LP ends with the five-minute, 12-inch mix of "I Ran", which sounds the same as the album version to my ears.
So, this LP has a few tracks that casual fans may want to acquire, and several for the die-hards. Not a bad concept for a limited edition Record Store Day item.
A Flock Of Seagulls "Rare Birds - 'A Flock Of Seagulls' B-Sides, Edits and Alternate Mixes" (BMG) 2023
Track Listing:
Side A
1. Factory Music (b-side to "(It’s Not Me) Talking")
2. Tanglimara (b-side to "Telecommunication")
3. Intro (b-side to "Telecommunication")
4. Pick Me Up (b-side to "I Ran")
5. Windows (b-side to "Modern Love Is Automatic")
6. (It's Not Me) Talking (single)
Side B
1. Modern Love Is Automatic (Single Edit)
2. I Ran (Single Edit)
3. Space Age Love Song (Single Edit)
4. (It's Not Me) Talking (Remix)
5. (It's Not Me) Talking (Instrumental)
6. I Ran (12" Mix)
The tracks on this LP are not as "rare" now as they were before 2023, because all twelve of the tracks were reissued on the 2023 U.K. Deluxe Edition of the debut album, which is available digitally. To be exact, the first 12 tracks on the second CD of the Deluxe Edition are the ones included on this limited edition vinyl release.
The LP mainly consists of B-sides and single edits from the singles which were released to promote the debut album, as well as the band's non-album debut single "(It's Not Me) Talking".
The LP's first side is interesting for the obscure tracks it contains, but those tracks are mainly for the band's and/or album's biggest admirers. The record opens with three synth-pop instrumentals; the first of those, "Factory Music", was the underproduced B-side from the band's 1981 debut single "(It's Not Me) Talking". The next two instrumentals are much better slices of the Seagulls' mesmerizing space age sounds: "Tanglimara" was the B-side from the Seagulls' second '81 single "Telecommunication"; the other track "Intro" was an additional instrumental found on 12-inch versions of that same single. The B-sides to the singles "I Ran" (namely "Pick Me Up") and "Modern Love Is Automatic" (namely "Windows") -- both of which do feature Mike Score's vocals -- are listenable but negligible tracks which the debut album was better off without. The side ends with the A-side of the aforementioned "Talking" single, and the version here is supposedly the single edit -- but this version seems to have a more refined, less in-your-face mix than the original single, and not necessarily for the better.
The second side is the one with more immediate appeal, featuring the pleasing and popular radio edits of the Top 40 singles "I Ran" and "Space Age Love Song", as well as the single edit for the album's lead-off track "Modern Love Is Automatic". This side's remixed version of "(It's Not Me) Talking" is superior to the mix on the first side, though its quirky sound is still noticeably different from the more gleaming production of the debut album. (The same goes for the instrumental version of the track, which ironically has some lyric lines left in). The LP ends with the five-minute, 12-inch mix of "I Ran", which sounds the same as the album version to my ears.
So, this LP has a few tracks that casual fans may want to acquire, and several for the die-hards. Not a bad concept for a limited edition Record Store Day item.
A Flock Of Seagulls "Rare Birds - 'A Flock Of Seagulls' B-Sides, Edits and Alternate Mixes" (BMG) 2023
Track Listing:
Side A
1. Factory Music (b-side to "(It’s Not Me) Talking")
2. Tanglimara (b-side to "Telecommunication")
3. Intro (b-side to "Telecommunication")
4. Pick Me Up (b-side to "I Ran")
5. Windows (b-side to "Modern Love Is Automatic")
6. (It's Not Me) Talking (single)
Side B
1. Modern Love Is Automatic (Single Edit)
2. I Ran (Single Edit)
3. Space Age Love Song (Single Edit)
4. (It's Not Me) Talking (Remix)
5. (It's Not Me) Talking (Instrumental)
6. I Ran (12" Mix)
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