Kiss

Work is afoot on the Kiss vinyl collection since it got trimmed in the late 80's and early 90's although I've always loved the band and have many of their albums on compact disc. The combination of the album art, sound and nostalgia of the moments when you got the new album and put it on your phonograph all point to a reason to tackle this part of my vinyl project this year.

The core left was:

Alive II -  US Original with the Evolution of Kiss booklet and thick gatefold cover featuring a stage shot.

Double Platinum - US Original in foil jacket and full inserts.

Dynasty - Italian LP

This was replaced by an US original with the poster, original inner sleeve and Kiss Army mechandising leaflet.

The original colour inner design.

Original mechandise leaflet and full colour poster with no pinholes or blu-tack marks.

Unmasked - Italian lp (no poster)

In 2014 the whole Kiss Catalogue was re-issued in remastered form on vinyl and I got a new copy of Unmasked. This included the poster!

Music from The Elder (UK) 

A concept album that introduced us to the late Eric Carr on drums and saw a new Fox make up scheme for him devised for concerts and promotional material and home to the singles I and A World Without Heroes.

Kiss Killers UK (stone mint)

Creatures Of The Night UK CANL 4.

Replacements for ether lost originals or cassette editions:

Dressed To Kill 1975 UK original with some wear to sleeve but Excellent condition vinyl with "Bogart" label

Destroyer US with Kiss Army inner sleeve

Although only VG+ graded apart from a few crackles through Beth this plays really well and sounds much better than any European lp issue I've ever heard.

Rock and Roll Over US copy has stickers and insert but is a bit noisy. 

Love Gun (no gun or merchandise leaflet) US copy.

My copy is a regular Casablanca pressing but for the Columbia Record Club which was a mail order discount club very popular at the time.

It has the same STERLING stamper as the regular shop sale version coming out the same press but has this stamp to denote ist is a "Club Issue".

For some reason the 1982 UK PolyGram re-issue and the first cd issue have a grainy sound with poor high frequency extension but the US original doesn't.

Such measures are common on "Club issues" to ensure discount copies were not being put in regular sales and also to make it easy for them to not be taken as part exchange.

My original copy was bought around March of 1983 although it was a good few years older being a sealed deleted stock item with a small corner triangular cut but sealed,

It has this original merchandising leaflet for Kiss Army products and membership included.

ln addition it had a comic style Love Gun you could push out the card insert, fold and produce your own that would make a loud Bang!

While it is frustrating not have a copy with everything your original did, many of these bits were lost y owners at the time being used as intended and so copies with them are a lot more expensive and in the end it is the music and the inner with the bands logo written on green marble that matters more.

A model with a difference

 

One person whose gotten the eye of many fashion commentators at this years London Fashion Show is Andrej Pejic a 19 year old model originating from Serbia, Europe and raised in Australia.

He's modelled wedding dresses for Jean Paul Gaultier as well as many others.

What I find interesting about him is he identifies with the male social gender but is very happy to model both male and female clothing unlike others who were what the Americans call Cross dressers or those who were born biologically male but who transitioned.

It just shows how different ways of expression can co-exist.

The journey of exploration you need

You spent the formative years of your life battling between not showing your sissy identity least that cause you any humiliation, rejection or even been beaten up and trying to find acceptance not just within you but with others that you are.

You wanted your mother, aunts and female siblings to at least acknowledge the fact rather pass you off as some second rate boy role playing act, allowing you to explore yourself.

Apart from that pronoun gaff - were are not girls nor want to be girls but lovely to dress in a more feminine girl way, letting out our interests and mannerism really that's what sissy gurls like me really needed - a space to be a gurl.

It may be more regular girls fashion rather than party dresses at home outdoors with a jacket as indoors but you always wanted it and why shouldn't a gurl wear it?

This may come from the adult wear side but you cold wear it with  socks or tights in a more teen way, go with a more "grown woman" look or even something a bit hotter when you felt like it.

You'll never get far without encountering full petticoats, a maids dress and heels even though personally I can't walk well in anything but flat shoes and a good listening mother type figure or dominant should explore other presentations with you as part of uncovering the buried gurl.

Given the pressure many are put under in their late teens to "grow up" never mind "be a MAN" reverting more to dressing more like a little girl either in casual clothes, school uniform or frilly party dresses in pastel shades to let all that out and be a Little Gurl with "Mummy" doing all the adult looking out while you regress can be a brilliant move.

Of course that puts them very much in charge of Little Sissy Gurl you.

One thing that can't be dodged is they will be encouraging you to explore the ideas and fantasies within you - maybe being a maid some of the time - and during that period your lingerie will be discussed.

You'll find yourself feeling all a flutter as they flip the back of your skirt up inspecting them, maybe delivering a playful twang of your suspenders.

You find yourself being spanked which may be a playful slap or two on your bottom, one for breaking some Little Gurl crime like you did as a young child or not doing your maids chores right.

•We want you to go at least slightly further than what we ask for

•We’re hardcore

•Though we’re hardcore, we want to be coddled (but we’ll very rarely ask for it because “please coddle me” usually doesn’t go with “I’m hardcore”)

•Everything is hotter when you demand it (“you” meaning someone special, not random people online)

•We’re not lazy

•We are lazy when not given strict guidelines

It doesn't matter what side it comes from your submissive side will find you enjoying being held down accepting it for what it means.

xxx

The Bay City Rollers and I Pt.II

Part one was more reflective looking at what being that Rollers fan was to me and some of those records we bought while this looks at the four core albums and their reception.

The first album had a good start with Saturday Night, the first single since September 1971 to actually go top 30 in late 1973 and Remember from early 1974 recorded with Nobby Clarke on lead vocals before Les joined the band.

The success of Shang-a-lang in the Spring made recording an album by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter easy and those first two songs were re-recorded together with Summerlove Sensation which meant by release in October it didn't just come out as the bans popularity was on the march, it had four hit singles.

The album sold extremely well.

Ain't It Strange is a favourite of mine from it.

All Of Me Loves All Of You, a non album single had done well in October and so they were the poster child of a new brand of hysteria in pop.

In March of 1975 Once Upon a Star, the second album had been released recorded with them playing most of the instruments following criticism of the use of session players which was very common place back then.

The packaging of this album was something special for it had five posters that form part of the front cover with pictures of each Roller.

This album had a high proportion of self composed songs too.

Timed for the Christmas market, Wouldn't You Like It was released December 1975 featuring Give A Little Love which had been a Number 1 single but interestingly missed out Money Honey their newest.

Again apart from being a gatefold, initial copies also had a tartan bag that contained pictures of the individuals .

As you would expect, it was highly promoted in the music press.

The following review shows just how much respect reviewers had for their maturing musical and lyrical talent, something the band has over the years been unfairly ridiculed for.

By September 1976 things were changing in the UK as North America experienced Rollermania and this lead to the fourth album being recorded in Toronto, Canada which captured their maturing sound and was the only album Ian Mitchell who had replaced Alan at the end of 1975 played on before he too left.

Interesting the UK edition did feature 1975's Money Honey but ignored both Love Me Like I Love You and the cover of I Only Wanna Be With You, the latter did make the Canadian and U.S. versions of this album.

To me this is easily their best album.

In many ways things would never be the same, the music scene was changing with popularity of funk based "disco" music and the Punk/New Wave scene as we, the fans got that bit older but we never forgot what the band and these four albums meant to us.

It is telling I still own my original vinyl editions.

The Bay City Rollers and I

Sometimes I talk about things that almost sum up an era for me and the period 1974 through 1977 has this one.

I had this craze for a pop group that was more than just a liking, it was a obsession at the time where I had to have, watch and generally speaking experience everything connected with them taking chunks of my time and dare I say it, my allowance.

It also had a certain social cache helping me make friends as we exchange gossip, played their records and worked on our scrapbooks together during the day and in the Dorm.

The Rollers at London Heathrow airport back in'75.

Talking about my love for their music was the ice breaker at my high school which was a boarding school

Now the thing is I've still got those records the very ones I had back then when I had my very first stereo phonograph that also had a built in AM radio to hear the pop shows featuring singles chart countdowns on Tuesdays and the new records played by the DJ's.

This is the massive selling cover of the Four Season's song Bye Bye Baby that was released on February 28 1975 and had a six week run at the #1 slot.

Although compared to my current stereo that phonograph was primitive and the record deck played the discs with a bit more playing force than you'd use today, those discs by the Bay City Rollers play extremely well which I suppose has something to do with the care I took of them back then.

I got today a new to me copy of original hit single from late 1973 called Saturday Night in a picture sleeve that was made in what was West Germany.

In North America a re-recorded version was issued in late 1975 and this became the no.1 hit  in the States in January 1976 this featured on later copies of the Dedication lp from 1976.

The version I got didn't have Leslie on Vocals which the version on the UK Rollin' and North American self titled album did but the original vocalist Nobby Clarke together with it's UK b side Hey! C.B.

Here's the cover:

Here's the 1976 and 1977 Annuals from the UK I had back then that needless to say got read from cover to cover hundreds of times including at school.

They had a TV show that started on Tuesday April 22nd 1975 called Shang-A-Lang that featured other artists and had a bit about looking after bikes and cars that I watched on our new colour telly straight after Junior school.

Another vivid recollection of that time was tuning in at 10 am on New Years Day 1976  to the The Bay City Rollers' 1976 New Year's Day Special which lasted for two hours.

Here Eric Faulkner, Les McKeown, Stuart 'Woody' Wood, Alan Longmuir, Derek Longmuir and their Manager, Tam Paton presented exclusively for Radio 1 their own show, including all their hits, their new LP Wouldn't You Like It which featured the 1975 summer smash Give A Little Love and their own choice of records, with David Hamilton in the chair.

I taped the show on cassette but that recording is no longer with me.

The April 1976 single that reach the #4 position, Love Me Like I Love You was a song we sang along to on the school bus on trips.

Leave It To Jennings

Today I'm writing about another of my Jennings books.

Leave it To Jennings is the thirteenth book in the Jennings series and was written in 1963.

The plot revolves around Madame Olivera from the Inscrutable East (otherwise known as Miss Tubbs of the Linbury Post Office bacon counter) telling Jennings's fortune and predicting a journey over land and sea, an unexpected legacy and that he will succeed in an ambition close to his heart. 

However no one foresees the chaos during the term as the three predictions come true.

My copy is from 1964 with the original dust jacket in good condition.

The Police and Supergrass on vinyl

 Here we go starting off the month when I didn't move much making for the lowest key start to the new year for decades.

Anyway another phase of the vinyl project is almost complete where if you recall I mentioned this incomplete state of it after two decades of cd buying and yes rebuying cds.

Phase two was about a group whose albums I've always loved and whose music - power reggae - appealed to a very wide audience in much the same way as Abba did.

That's right we're talking about The Police, three white guys one of which as an an American who sold this sound across the world and can be seen in hindsight as one of the starting points behind the popularity of 'World' music.

As with the Stones my collection had been deplete to just two albums on vinyl.

Outlandos d' amour 1978 UK A&M

One of the survivors my copy had a fair bit of wear, a deep scratch on the second and the cover had been damaged by the cat!

Recorded in a village hall near Leatherhead, Surrey and home to the singles Roxanne, Can't Stand Losing You and So Lonely, this on never was a good sounding recording so I got a regular copy in better physical shape to replace my old one with.

Regatta de blanc 1979 UK A&M

This album issued October '79 was extremely popular housing the singles Walking On The Moon and Message In a Bottle but I've been missing a vinyl copy for twenty years.

I got hold of a copy last week in decent shape although there's a slight tear on the rear cover but may try the current 'Back to black' re-issue lp.

Zenyatta Mondatta 1980 UK A&M

The last album with the funny naming thing, this one issued October 1980 was responsible for the thought provoking single Don't Stand So Close To Me that touched on illicit affairs between teachers and school children and De, Doo, Doo, Doo, De,Da, Da, Da.The instrumental "Behind My Camel," written by Andy Summers, won the band a Grammy for the best instrumental performance and as some one who just loves the track I can see why.

My copy was mint but one of my cats knocked down a unit I used to store the discs in back then it crushed the top right hand side of lp jacket badly so although the actual record is almost as new the jacket is a mess. I'll get a cheap copy for the jacket and swap them over!

Ghost In The Machine UK A&M 1981 (sterling)

Issued in 1981, it was the most political album by the police to date referencing "The Troubles" - a move that led to a television ban on the video to Invisible Sun in the UK, fascism (Rehumanize Yourself) and Geopolitics (One world (not Three). It also featured the singles Everything She Does Is Magic and Spirits In The Material World. This one went from my collection in 1992 but as able to get a EX grade copy recently with the original Sterling mastering that sounds extremely good.

Synchronicity UK A&M (sterling)

The last studio album featuring the hits King Of Pain, Synchronicity II, Every Breathe You Take and Wrapped Around Your Finger released in June 1983.

Today I received my mint used first pressing of this album made here in the UK using the mastering engineers own cutting

 It's been a revelation with the quieter tracks such as Walking In Your Footsteps expanding beautifully after the brash opener with great soundstages and to my ears subjectively better than my mid 90's cd issue (I really dislike the 2003 cds) enhancing my experience of hearing this album having gone through 8 track, 'audiophile' Chrome cassette and cd versions.

I honestly feel until today I've never really heard everything it had to offer, it's that good.

It's the one I'd recommend.

Supergrass:

Here at the Blog Team (tm), we like Supergrass and I'm putting together a little list for the vinyl project.

It may surprise some but actually every single Supergrass album and single has actually had a vinyl release but most have been ahem... limited and are not on catalogue as new although you may come by the odd one in a store left from a few years back.

Throw in the 'in demand' cult status of this recently disbanded group and expect to to do some serious hunting to build your collection as they are scarce as well as getting expensive.

I Should Co-Co 1995 UK

The home of Strange Ones and Alright, mine has a bonus 45 thrown in which I brought new and goes for a minimum of £30 these days when you see it.

In It For The Money 1997

A ground breaking album with such gems as Late in the Day and Sun Hits The sky but while the cd is very loud sounding, the vinyl I believe was mastered separately and not so loud.

I was very fortunate after several failed bids to spot a copy just come in at Vinyltap while at work - this that was very naughty of me to be scanning the bay when i was meant to be working but I spotted this copy in said to be Ex cond for the textured sleeve and the actual vinyl on sale at a fixed price not to far removed from the last auction prices so i snagged it and paid on the spot. luckily my boss didn't spot me logging into Paypal!

It arrived today and was more like Near mint!!!

Supergrass 1999 album with Pumping On Your Stereo. I have the cd and minidisc versions but was able to get the vinyl with the limited edition poster from dealer in Japan and it was mailed 1 hours after the devastating earthquake.

It sounds much more dynamic compared to the cd version.

Life On Other Planets 2002

Includes Grace was able to get used in Excellent condition without breaking the bank

Road to Rouen 2005

Musically adventurous album from the jazz inspired Coffee In The Pot through hard rock it's a highly enjoyable album. I have a copy but it's condition bought used wasn't anything like the vendor said it was.

Diamond Hoo Haa 2008

Have brand new copy as it was still in stock at a number of specialist retailers.