Showing posts with label New Musik. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Musik. Show all posts

Sunday 16 November 2014

They all run after the carving knife (See how they run) - New Musik

Although They all run after the carving knife has already been featured on this blog once before, it returns here because of this rare alternative version. The tracks are identical, but this sleeve seems to be rather rare. It isn't even listed on Discogs.com! Both versions share the same catalogue number and disc, it is just the front sleeve that is totally different.

I wrote before that all I am looking for now is a copy of the band's final single 'Warp', but if more alternative sleeves come up, I may have to expand my New Musik collection even further.

My collection: 7" single no. 5457
Found: unknown
Tracks: 'They all run after the carving knife' / 'This world of Walter'

Monday 9 November 2009

The planet doesn't mind - New Musik

You know a single is rare when it is offered on eBay for enormous amounts of money. It is even more rare when it isn't offered on eBay at all. Ever since I knew about the existance of New Musik's single 'The planet doesn't mind' (which really isn't that long ago) I have been searching for this single to no avail. A copy recently popped up on discogs.com, offered on sale for the amount of 20 euros.

How lucky I was to find this copy of the single for one tenth of that amount. It means that I am very close to completing my collection of New Musik singles. The only one I am looking for now is the title track of their third album, 'Warp'. For a reasonable price, of course. After all, all these singles flopped.

My collection: 7" single no. 4151
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'The planet doesn't mind' / '24 hours from culture (part 2)'

Sunday 20 September 2009

Straight lines - New Musik

In 1980, CBS Records released the 'NU Disk' series of records on the Epic label. While they were similar to EP's, since both formats contained more than two tracks. EPs were usually on 7″ vinyl, and played at 45rpm. NU Disks were on 10″ vinyl, and they played at 33 1/3 rpm! For the most part, NU Disks were by New Wave synth-pop bands.

'Straight lines' by New Musik is a good example of that. Their NU Disk contained three album tracks (from their album 'From A to B', also released in 1980) plus the 'B-side' track 'Sad films'.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: unknown
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Straight lines', 'On islands' / 'Living by numbers', 'Sad films'

Sunday 24 May 2009

On islands - New Musik

When I started collecting New Musik singles, I didn't know that the three albums they made brought forth so many different singles. I'm a lot wiser now than I was in the days before the Internet. I was aware of this French release for some time, but never thought I would actually find it - and so cheaply, too!

'On islands' is a track from New Musik's debut album 'From A to B'. The B-side 'Straight lines' was actually released as a single in the UK and was their first (minor) hit there. Now all I have to do is find the group's last single, 'The planet doesn't mind'...

My collection: 7" single no. 3730
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 23, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'On islands' / 'Straight lines'

Saturday 2 May 2009

Living by numbers - New Musik

'Living by numbers' is New Musik's biggest hit. Released in January 1980, it peaked at number 13 in the UK singles chart. It was the second single taken from their debut album 'From A to B', and a great synthpop track.

I bought the single after I bought the album. Since the single never charted in the Netherlands, I hadn't heard the track before that. Several different sleeves exist for this single; this is the UK edition, which I bought in London.

My collection: 7" single no. 2656
Found: London, June 29, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Living by numbers' / 'Sad films'

Wednesday 29 April 2009

While you wait - New Musik

At some point, every New Musik single I found was a nice surprise. I had the albums 'From A to B', 'Anywhere' and 'Warp', and I knew that all the tracks were great. So all I had to look for next were the B-sides. And there were B-side aplenty: 'While you wait', this single, even had two.

I never understood the lack of commercial success New Musik had though. Out of a dozen singles, only four made the UK singles chart - and even less abroad. It's a shame: when you listen to these tracks now they still sound fresh.

My collection: 7" single no. 2915
Found: November 1, 1997
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'While you wait' / 'From the village', 'Guitars'


Friday 24 April 2009

They all run after the carving knife - New Musik

The single 'Churches' featured 'They all run after the carving knife' on the B-side. On this single, that track is the A-side - but it's an edited version, clocking in at 3'19 it's more than a minute shorter than the album version. It's a great dynamic track with lots of synths, which immediately explains its attraction to me.

The track also sounds a lot like A-ha's early work, which is not so strange considering New Musik's Tony Mansfield produced them in the beginning. Worth a listen if you don't know this.

My collection: 7" single no. 2919
Found: Record fair, November 9, 1997
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'They all run after the carving knife [edit]' / 'This world of Walter'


Tuesday 21 April 2009

Churches - New Musik

This single by New Musik was released in France only. 'Churches' is a track from New Musik's second album 'Anywhere'. The photograph on this sleeve also appeared on an American album called 'Sanctuary', which collected tracks from New Musik's debut album 'From A to B' and 'Anywhere'.

'Churches' is one of the standout tracks from 'Anywhere'. I don't know if the single charted in France.

My collection: 7" single no. 3639
Found: 7" single no. 3639
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Churches' / 'They all run after the carving knife'

Thursday 5 March 2009

All you need is love - New Musik

Taken from New Musik's third and last album 'Warp', 'All you need is love' is a daring cover of a Beatles classic. On the album, it appeared as track six, just after track five which was also named 'All you need is love', but in that case was a new composition by New Musik.

Their version of the Beatles song was a very mechanic synthesized track, which removed a lot of the spirit and soul of the original track and replaced it with a kindof technological efficiency which would appeal, well, basically to New Musik fans alone. It's no wonder that this single failed to make any chart impact. Personally I think it's one of 'Warp's more interesting tracks, and what's more... the single includes a new track not on the album!

My collection: 7" single no. 2918
Found: Record fair, November 9, 1997
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'All you need is love' / 'Twelfth house'

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Straight lines - New Musik

'Straight lines' was actually New Musik's debut single, released in October 1979. It led to their first TV performance on the BBC's programme 'Top of the pops' (see it here), despite the fact that the single only made number 53 in the UK Singles chart. The song appeared on New Musik's debut album 'From A to B', released in 1980.

I bought the single in 1995, when I'd come to the point that I wanted to have all of the band's singles. It took me years to find them all.

My collection: 7" single no. 2531
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, November 1, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Straight lines' / 'On islands'
Download: Album 'From A to B', including both tracks (part 1, part 2)

Thursday 5 February 2009

Luxury - New Musik

Why New Musik never achieved commercial success is a mystery to me. 'Luxury' is one of many singles that never reached a chart anywhere. And 'Anywhere' is the title of the album this single was taken from. 'Luxury' was the first of three singles taken from the album. It was backed with a non-album track, 'The office'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2674
Found: London, July 2, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Luxury' / 'The office'
Download: here

Monday 26 January 2009

Sanctuary - New Musik

'Sanctuary' is, in my opinion, one of the best synthpop songs ever. Created by New Musik, it fitted perfectly in the sound they had created for themselves. It was the second single to be taken from their album 'From A to B', and the last single to reach the UK singles chart. Just like 'This world of water' a few months earlier, it reached number 31.

Notable also is the B-side of this single: it features a new track 'She's a magazine', as well as two short instrumentals. 'Chik Musik' is a wonderful pastiche of the signature sound of that famous disco/soul group Chic.

My collection: 7" single no. 1535
Found: Brussels, October 11, 1991
Cost: 30 Belgian Francs
Tracks: 'Sanctuary' / 'She's a magazine', 'Chik Musik', 'Magazine Musik'
Download: here

Sunday 11 January 2009

This world of water - New Musik

New Musik was an English synthpop group, formed in 1979 in London by Tony Mansfield, Clive Gates and Cliff Venner. Their debut album 'From A to B' contained four hit singles, of which 'This world of water' was the only one to reach the Dutch Top 40, peaking at no. 30 in the summer of 1980. This is also how I found out about the band. Now, decades later, I can say that I own all of their singles. But this one was the first that I bought!

My collection: 7" single no. 911
Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 25, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'This world of water' / 'Missing persons', 'Tell me something new'
Download: here
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