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Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Lost B-sides Week: Culture Club

Did you know this is the first time in this humble blog's two and a half-year history that we've featured Culture Club? That's a bit of a travesty which needs correcting, isn't it?

"I'll Tumble 4 Ya" was a 1982 U.S./Canada-only single release that became their third Top Ten hit off their debut, Kissing To Be Clever. For the b-side, the band chose "Mystery Boy", which was actually a Japan-only a-side (its full title is "Mystery Boy [Suntori Hot Whiskey Song]", which leads me to believe it was probably used in a television commercial there.). It's all so very confusing, isn't it?

"Mystery Boy" languished in obscurity for a couple of years...a say "a couple" because I'll be darned if their 1984 hit "Miss Me Blind" isn't a more fully fleshed out rewrite of "Mystery Boy". Listen and judge for yourself.

"Mystery Boy" finally made it to CD when Colour By Numbers was re-mastered with bonus tracks in 2003. Why they placed it on their second album and not the first is one of those weird record company things, I suppose.

"Mystery Boy" was the b-side for "I'll Tumble 4 Ya".

Get Culture Club music at Amazon or on Culture Club.

Thanks to Baby Chutney for the vinyl!

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posted by John, 10:53 AM
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