Fatal Charm - Images of Fire

Reposted by request:

Fatal Charm - Images of Fire

Matt Fretton - Dance It Up (1983)

Matt Fretton - Dance It Up (7" Single, 1983)

For a poignant tale, today we turn our attention to Matt Fretton. Until I started collecting rare 80's singles, I had never heard of him. He is probably best known for near-hit "It's So High", he is certainly not well known and I have never seen this single, for example, posted on blogs anywhere else. [UPDATE: The brilliant Simon AKA Torchomatic has posted all his singles, mixes and B-Sides here, here and here.]

I discovered a little more when I found this article from an old NO1 magazine from 1983, in which a bright eyed boy lays out his dreams of stardom. I particularly liked the bit where he mentioned he was signed to produce 8 albums in 4 years, but really expected just to make one a year. Obviously, dreams can come true, but not on this occasion.



A closing thought: I'm not sure which is more startling - the rather desperate for success cover shot for this single (especially compared to the buttoned-down image in the article) or the knowledge that in 1983 this was relatively subdued.

Can anyone else shed more light on what ever happened to our young friend?

East of Java - Different World (1985)

East of Java - Different World (7" Single, 1985)

It took a while to track this single down, but it was worth it.

Rumors of My Death, etc.

So, I have been on a mental vacation.

I recently had an ultrasound on my heart, which revealed that there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, for the time being. That is good news. I've always had the suspicion that if I had a heart attack, it would probably be in a record store, and that my dying thoughts would probably revolve around which letters of the alphabet I had not yet visited that day. Hey, if you're going to be obsessive, you might as well be honest about it.

More than that, however, I would say that while I have not changed in any discernible physical way over the last few months, mentally I have undergone some major changes. All for the good, I should think. Rather than go into a very long winded discussion, I have called some of these mental concepts "aberrations" (with my tongue in my cheek, you understand) and I shall discuss them as time permits alongside some more usual musical posts.

Love and Money - Candybar Express (1986)

Love and Money - Candybar Express (New York Mix) (12" Single, 1986)

Record Mirror Singles Review September 7, 1985

Felt - Primitive Painters
Life - Optimism
King Kurt - Road to Rack and Ruin
Erasure - Who Needs Love Like That (Love That Mix)
Glenn Gregory and Claudia Brucken - When Your Heart Runs Out of Time (12" Mix)
Shriekback - Fish Below The Ice
Kaja - Shouldn't Do That
Blancmange - What's The Problem
Womack and Womack - No Relief
Vaughan Toulouse - Cruisin' The Serpentine (12" Mix)
Toyah - World In Action
Midge Ure - If I Was (Extended Mix)
Strawberry Switchblade - Jolene (Extended Mix)

I couldn't find the Great Outdoors single, so if anyone has that, feel free to send it in.

Erasure may not be my favorite band ever, but they are at least top ten. Wonderland is a massively underrated album, and their early singles deserved much better.

Here's a couple of extra B-Sides, while I'm in a generous mood:
Life - Better
Midge Ure - Piano

Eight Point Five - Mary (1987)

7" Single, released in 1987

Eight Point Five - Mary (A-Side)
Eight Point Five - I Can't Get You Out of My Head (B-Side)