various | select 12

in my formative indie years, i.e. ca. 1990, i was short of money and long on a thirst for this new music called indie. before then i had never really concerned myself particularly with genres and record labels and all that stuff. no, i was too busy listening to queen, eurythmics and def leppard to care about that. but then the stone roses and ride came along and kicked the shit out of all that. and suddenly i was wide awake, eyes wide open, legs spread, arms outstretched (you get the idea) for more.

so being a skint schoolboy, freebie cover-mounted compilations became a godsend. two in particular really hit the spot, both courtesy of now defunct select magazine. the first came with the launch issue in 1990, and i can still remember the particular shopping trip, or at least the fact that i picked up this magazine with a picture of prince on the cover (or rather an impersonator) and one of my first cds ever: "come home" by james. good times.

anyway, i listened to that tape over and over. i still have it somewhere i think, or hope. but rather than hunt it down i figured it was easier just to recreate it. so here it is. a bit of an odd mix perhaps but some real gems in there.

the house of love obviously come out on top, one of those perfectly produced, perfectly played songs that constantly revolves around my head. almost no one outside australia knows about the hummingbirds, but they really should. 'whoops' provides a snapshot of pre chart-fame james. "talkin' with myself" is a classic. and i'm not really sure what cameo is doing on there.

there's one song missing: ruby blue. if anyone has it i'd love to hear it again.

1. the house of love - se dest
2. james - whoops
3. yello - angel no
4. electribe 101 - talkin' with myself
5. the walker brothers - my ship is coming in
6. the hummingbirds - house taken over
7. ruby blue - quiet mind
8. the lilac time - fields
9. dusty springfield - breakfast in bed
10. tom verlaine - cooleridge
11. the fall - i'm frank
12. cameo - i want it now

released by select magazine in october 1990.

crop rotation in the fourteenth century was considerably more widespread after...