Showing posts with label Lenny Kravitz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lenny Kravitz. Show all posts

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Always on the run - Lenny Kravitz

'Always on the run' was the first single released from Lenny Kravitz's 1991 album 'Mama said'. by Lenny Kravitz. It features a contribution from former Guns N' Roses guitarist, Slash. Slash had written the music for the song with the original intention of releasing it on a Guns N' Roses studio album but since former drummer Steven Adler had difficulty playing the song, he saved it for this eventual collaboration with Kravitz.

This limited edition 7" single pack features a hand written lyric sheet (well, Lenny's handwriting printed on a piece of paper, that is), a postcard and a European Tour Map. It didn't help sales in the UK: the single only reached number 41 in the singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5434
Found: unknown
Tracks: 'Always on the run' / 'Always on the run (instrumental)'

Monday 1 September 2014

What goes around comes around - Lenny Kravitz

In 1991, Kravitz produced the self-titled album 'Vanessa Paradis' for French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis. He played most of the instruments and co-wrote most of the songs on the album. He also released his second album, 'Mama Said', which was his first album to reach the Top 40. The songs on the album were about his ex-wife, actress Lisa Bonet and dedicated to her, documenting his depression over their breakup.

'What Goes Around Comes Around' was released as the album's seventh and final single. It failed to chart in all territories, just like the previous single, 'Stop draggin' around'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5435
Found: unknown
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'What goes around comes around' / 'When the morning turns to night'

Thursday 18 November 2010

Are you gonna go my way - Lenny Kravitz

I was not impressed when 'Are you gonna go my way' was released in 1993. It was a reasonable chart hit at the time, but the rocky sound of the track put me off. It was at a time when most chart music was putting me off - I'd already moved into more obscure territory.

It was some time later, when I was in the car with Puck - his first car, if I remember correctly - and he played the track, that the ridiculously catchy guitar riff caught my ear. We were headbanging our way to my home, and I suddenly appreciated this track. I only found the 7" vinyl single now, because vinyl singles were already hard to come by at that time.

My collection: 7" single no. 4956
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 2010
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Are you gonna go my way' / 'My love'

Monday 19 April 2010

Spirit of the forest - Spirit of the forest

After Band Aid, Dance Aid, Ferry Aid and USA for Africa, the Gentlemen without weapons figured they had something to add to the growing amount of charity singles: a rainforest appeal. Together with the animal and rainforest noises which they'd already used for an album, they rounded up lots of famous artists to record 'Spirit of the forest'.

Somehow, the idea didn't quite work. The song sounded a bit naff and people were apparently not so concerned about the destruction of the rain forest as they were about starving children in Africa. The single was a commercial failure, but fans of Afrika Bambaataa, Jon Anderson, B52's, Michael de Barre, Big Country and the few dozen other artists mentioned on the sleeve of this single had another collector's item to get their hands on.

My collection: 7" single no. 900
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, June 23, 1989
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Spirit of the forest' / 'Spirit of the forest'

Sunday 24 January 2010

It ain't over 'til it's over - Lenny Kravitz

I've always ignored Lenny Kravitz singles in the Nineties, mainly because I felt they were quite repetitive: they seemed to be remakes of his debut hit 'Let love rule'. In later years, I discovered a few songs that I still find worthwhile to own. 'It ain't over 'til it's over' is one of them.

The song was released as the second single from Kravitz's second album 'Mama said' (1991). The horn line at the end of the song is performed by the Phenix Horns from Earth, Wind & Fire. 'That song just came out one day, and I knew it had a classic vibe. And I still love that song very much today', Lenny Kravitz commented in 2000. The title of the song is based on a quote from the Baseball player and manager Yogi Berra.

My collection: 7" single no. 4431
Found: Kringloop, Sassenheim, January 23, 2010
Cost: 0,12 euro
Tracks: 'It ain't over 'til it's over' / 'The difference is why'

Sunday 11 October 2009

The Buddha of Suburbia - David Bowie

The song 'The Buddha of Suburbia' was a song by David Bowie, made for the BBC TV series of the same name. It features Lenny Kravitz on guitar, performing quite a great solo. Interestingly, the song caused minor controversies on both sides of the Atlantic, with Radio 1 making an airplay edit to cover up the word 'bullshit' in the lyric, and US networks re-editing the video to remove shots where Bowie was smoking a cigarette.

The single reached number 35 in the UK singles chart and did not chart in other territories.

My collection: 7" single no. 2353
Found: Eastbourne, June 28, 1995
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'The Buddha of Suburbia' / 'Dead against it'

Thursday 12 March 2009

Let love rule - Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz debuted in 1989 with 'Let love rule', a retro track with lots of Sixties influences, evoking images of hippies dancing on the grass. It was the title track of his debut album, which appeared shortly after the release of the single.

Interestingly, Kravitz was married with The Cosby Show's Lisa Bonet at the time. She appeared in the video for the song and also co-wrote two tracks on the album. This would be the only 7" vinyl single I bought from Kravitz: his subsequent singles didn't interest me much until the release of 'If you can't say no', which was released a decade later (and not on vinyl).

My collection: 7" single no. 1113
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, November 17, 1989
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Let love rule' / 'Empty hands'
Download: Album 'Let love rule', including both tracks
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