Thursday, February 22, 2007

24 Years Gathering Dust



News Flash: to commemorate what I understand is the 25th anniversary of their pioneering label, the groovy people at 4AD have exclusively licensed 5 rare tracks from their archive to the iTunes Music Store.

Most excitement - not least in this quarter - has been generated by the inclusion amongst these tracks of the anthemic 9 minute 'Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust' by This Mortal Coil (1983).

This originally occupied a whole side of the 12" vinyl 'Song To The Siren' EP (not to mention the beginning of Side 2 of a seminal mix tape I compiled in 1986 and am attempting to replicate on CD, but let's not go there right now) and has, rather shamefully, never been available digitally before.

The new 4AD/iTunes 'compilation' is called 'Full Of Dust And Guitars' and also features tracks by The Wolfgang Press, Rachel Goswell (ex-Slowdive - aaah! Slowdive!), His Name Is Alive and MARRS (yes, that one).

Remember, as they used to say on TV ads for dodgy Richard Clayderman box sets, This Item Is Not Available In The Shops.

It would seem to me therefore that acquiring 'Sixteen Days', should you not already possess it and a USB turntable to upload it, would be an excellent use of 79p (Digital Rights Management fascist bloody 'protection' software notwithstanding).
This has been a public service announcement.

8 comments:

  1. And a wonderfully welcome one at that.

    I'm off to spend 79p

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  2. This will just be me rambling, but that cover has disturbed me for quite awhile, to the extent that there's a house in my neighborhood that has a green porch light that I shudder everytime I pass.

    Am now going to see if I can find it on poster anywhere and confront my inner demons. Thanks, Davy!

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  3. You go confront 'em Elizabeth.

    Though do please bear in mind that sometimes, as Dr Freud was fond of saying, a spookily green-lit house is just a spookily green-lit house...

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  4. It sounds really well too!
    Thank you for posting this information.

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  5. You're welcome spaewaif - thanks for stopping by.

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  6. I was 22 when "16 Days/Gathering Dust" came out - I was working at the Cafe Flore in San Francisco - the barista in those days also acted as the DJ, we had a turntable near the espresso machine and a big shelf nearby that house our favorite vinyl for play in the cafe. This EP was played OVER and OVER - and not to undermine Elizabeth's fear of the cover, I LOVED the cover and have, since, always thought it to be one of the coolest covers ever created. This release on iTunes makes me so happy - I've been waiting and waiting for years for this EP to be released digitally.

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  7. Victor - a world where baristas were also DJs, coffee bars had racks for vinyl and 'Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust' played while one sipped one's latte is a world I am sad we have lost. Thanks for your memories mi amigo - and please come again.

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