Showing posts with label Shakespear's sister. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shakespear's sister. Show all posts

Friday 28 April 2023

Goodbye cruel world - Shakespears sister

The single 'Goodbye cruel word' was actually released twice. I didn't know that before, but I bought this single and then discovered the other one that was already in my collection. And so the blurb I wrote before actually refers to this single from 1991, while the one I wrote about in 2009 was actually a re-release from 1992.

This would explain the different B-side: this single has the non-album track 'Black sky' on the flipside, whereas the re-release features an album track instead. I found out about all this thanks to purchasing this single, which proves yet again that record buying is a learning experience. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6974
Found: Record fair, Den Bosch, 22 April 2023
Tracks: 'Goodbye cruel world' / 'Black sky'

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Break my heart - Shakespears sister

When Siobhan Fahey left Bananarama some might have thought she would disappear into nothingness, but nothing was further from the truth: within months she set up Shakespear's sister together with Marcella Detroit and the duo released a couple of very successful and artistically interestig albums.

Their debut single, released in 1988, was 'Break my heart', a track that would also appear on their debut album in 1989. Siobhan Fahey wanted 'Heroine' to be the group's debut single, but her label was not convinced it was a strong enough single, and instead opted for 'Break my heart'. It didn't matter much: the single flopped anyway. Thankfully, later singles would be more successful.

My collection: 7" single no. 5055
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Break my heart' / 'Heroine'

Saturday 29 January 2011

My 16th apology - Shakespears sister

Shakespears Sister, the duo consisting of Marcella Detroit and Siobhan Fahey, had a few hits in the UK and Europe, but this was not one of them. 'My 16th apology' entered the UK singles chart at February 27, 1993 at number 61, then disappeared the next week.

Still, it was an attractive proposition: a single containing the title track plus no less than three live tracks as a bonus. The cover version of 'Hot love', originally performed by T-Rex and Marc Bolan, is quite a good one.

My collection: 7" single no. 4991
Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, January 15, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'My 16th apology', 'Catwoman (live)' / 'Hot love (live)', 'Dirty mind (live)'

Wednesday 21 October 2009

Hello (Turn your radio on) - Shakespears sister

'Hello (Turn your radio on)' was written by Marcella Detroit, Manu Guiot and Siobhan Fahey. The latter commented: 'Hello is the furthest I've come as a writer, because it's intense and emotional and it sounds like it could have been done by a man'.

The track was released as fourth single from Shakespears sister's 1992 album 'Hormonally yours'. The single peaked at number 14 in the UK singles chart and number 35 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1791
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, November 14, 1992
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Hello (Turn your radio on)' / 'Stay (Andre Betts remix)'

Monday 12 October 2009

Stay - Shakespears sister

Shakespear's sister released 'Stay' as the second single from their second album 'Hormonally yours' in early 1992. It became the duo's biggest hit, reaching number 1 in the UK singles chart for eight weeks, making it one of the longest running UK number ones in chart history.

This single was the only Shakespears Sister song that featured Marcella Detroit more prominently on vocals than Siobhan Fahey, with Detroit singing the verses and lead chorus and Fahey singing the song's bridge.

My collection: 7" single no. 1591
Found: Melody Maker, March 14, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Stay' / 'The trouble with Andre'

Tuesday 11 August 2009

Goodbye cruel world - Shakespear's sister

In 1990, both Siobhan Fahey and Marcella Detroit became pregnant. Their band Shakespear's sister was put on hold for a year. They returned in late 1991 with the release of the single 'Goodbye cruel world', which peaked at number 59 in the UK singles chart.

The single would be included on their second album 'Hormonally yours', which would also include their biggest success, 'Stay'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3984
Found: Sister Ray, London, August 5, 2009
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Goodbye cruel world' / 'Moonchild'

Sunday 14 June 2009

Dirty mind - Shakespear's sister

When a band decides to make a remix for a single, they have to think long and hard whether the new version is actually better than the original one. In the case of Shakespear's sister's 'Dirty mind', they didn't think long and hard enough. The 1990 version of 'Dirty mind' takes all the life and soul out of the song and makes it into a lump of sounds that crashes under its own weight.

The record-buying audience duly rewarded this effort: the single only spent one week in the UK singles chart, at number 71. And that was probably because the original version was on the B-side, which is why I bought it.

My collection: 7" single no. 1198
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, March 30, 1990
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Dirty mind (1990 version)' / 'Dirty mind'


Saturday 30 May 2009

Run silent - Shakespear's sister

The debut album by Shakespear's sister, 'Sacred heart', featured a track 'Run silent, run deep'. It was released as a single with the shorter title 'Run silent'. The single was released in a limited edition gatefold sleeve, with a booklet in the middle.

It did not help the chart placing of the single: it only made number 54 in the UK singles chart. To me, it's still one of the better tracks from the album.

My collection: 7" single no. 991
Found: Tower Records, London, October 16, 1989
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Run silent' / 'Mr. Wrong'

Sunday 10 May 2009

You're history - Shakespear's sister

'You're history' was released as the second single by Shakespear's Sister after the double A-side 'Heroine/Break my heart', which failed to chart in 1988. In the summer of 1989, 'You're history' became their first UK hit peaking at number 7 on the UK singles chart.

The single was released as a limited edition box set featuring the single, a full colour poster and a lyric sheet.

My collection: 7" single no. 2751
Found: October 28, 1996
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'You're history' / 'Dirty mind (Live in Leningrad)'

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