We've wished for it, hoped for it, prayed for it, even
talked about it here, and now it seems to be really happening.
EMI is remastering and re-releasing Thomas Dolby's first two, completely essential albums,
The Golden Age of Wireless and
The Flat Earth next year.
Of course, the reissuing of
Wireless brings with it an instant debate...which version? The original, UK release without "She Blinded Me With Science" and the rock version of "Radio Silence," or the later American version with "Science," the more ambient "Silence," and all the remixed versions of the other tunes?
Well, Thomas is debating that himself over on
his blog and he wants your input. Here's your chance. I'm pretty happy with the playlist he suggests, actually.
And yes, "Wreck of the Fairchild," the single most requested song via e-mail in the history of this blog (I get about one a week, even when I HAVE IT UP ON THE MAIN PAGE HERE, people) is included.
Labels: thomas dolby
posted by John, 8:30 AM
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One of Thomas Dolby’s earliest singles (even before THAT song, I believe) was the incredible “Airwaves,” a song I think was tough for him to equal – it’s mellow and epic all at once, with mysterious lyrics and a fantastic bridge with great lines:
Control has enabled
the abandoned wires again, but
the copper cables
all rust in the acid rain
that flood the subways with
elements of our corrosion
cable them to me.Of course, when “Airwaves” was released as a single, the bridge was completely excised. Sigh.
“Airwaves” didn’t exactly burn up the charts – it was never even released as a single in the States. That ramps up the scarcity factor of today’s b-side, “The Wreck of the Fairchild,” a mostly instrumental funk/reggae/new wave stew with a pretty cool finish that segues directly back to its a-side. “Fairchild” sounds like a song in progress, something just waiting for a melody line to be written over it, but ultimately scrapped to an obscure b-side, never to appear on any other compilation or collection. Too bad – it would have been interesting to see it fleshed out, since it fits the vibe of Dolby’s first (and completely essential) album,
"Golden Age of Wireless"
, which is in dire need of a deluxe re-mastering (complete with original mixes of “Radio Silence” and b-sides – c’mon, EMI). It was featured on the initial UK pressing of the LP, but quickly deleted and replaced by “One of Our Submarines” and a little-known song called “She Blinded Me With Science”.
Download
“The Wreck of the Fairchild”.And just because, here is the full version of
“Airwaves”.”The Wreck of the Fairchild” was the b-side to “Airwaves,” released in 1982, and on the first UK pressing of “The Golden Age of Wireless”.Labels: lost b-sides, thomas dolby
posted by John, 9:38 AM
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