[…continued from last post]

As the 90s dawned and all of the Classic Rock was out on CD format, the market expanded to allow the first stirrings of 80s nostalgia, and the budget compilation market exploded by the decade’s mid point. The Blow Monkeys had sufficient hits in that they would not be bypassed. So there came forth a rivulet of Blow Monkeys compilations; the first ones since the full-price official greatest hits album, “Choices?” These were mostly inexpensive, and the Blow Monkeys fan should look into a few of these for their own Record Cell if they don’t want to miss anything.

The Blow Monkeys: Best Selection – JPN – CD [1994]

1		Springtime For The World	3:24
2		In Too Deep	4:34
3		Wait	3:10
4		Choice?	3:24
5		Slaves No More	3:51
6		This Is Your Life	4:31
7		It Pays To Belong	4:40
8		It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way	4:01
9		Some Kind Of Wonderful	3:34
10		(Celebrate) The Day After You	4:02
11		Out With Her	4:25
12		Digging Your Scene	4:15
13		Wicked Ways	4:14
14		Don’t Be Scared Of Me	3:32
15		Superfly	4:24
16		Forbidden Fruit	4:07
17		Man From Russia	3:12
18		Wildflower	3:01
19		It’s Not Unusual	3:12

Japan was first to act with a “Best Selection” compilation with a photo that was a tight crop of the Japanese cover to “Limping For A Generation.” ← The contents were sixteen singles, two B-sides, and a deep cut [literally “In Too Deep”]. At the time, “Superfly” and “It’s Not Unusual [live],” would have been the draws for me, but these have shown up later, in easier to buy releases.

 

The Blow Monkeys: The Best Of The Blow Monkeys – GER – CD [1994]

1		Digging Your Scene	4:06
2		Out With Her	4:25
3		Springtime For The World	3:24
4		Vibe Alive	2:50
5		Professor Supercool	4:01
6		Man From Russia	3:13
7		Wicked Ways	3:36
8		Wait	3:08
9		This Is Your Life	4:18
10		No Woman Is An Island	4:14
11		Aeroplane City Love Song	4:28
12		Atomic Lullaby	3:36
13		He’s Shredding Skin	4:03
14		How Long Can A Bad Thing Last	4:07

BMG [RCA’s owner by that point] in Germany issued this extremely ghastly looking compilation, with eight singles balanced by six deep cuts. Great call by BMG Germany on the should-have-been-a-single “Aeroplane City Love Song” gracing this CD.

The Blow Monkeys: For The Record – UK – CD [1996]

1		Digging Your Scene
2		Springtime For The World
3		Out With Her
4		Wicked Ways [7″ remix]
5		Wait
6		No Woman Is An Island
7		Squaresville
8		Some Kind Of Wonderful
9		It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way
10		Celebrate (The Day After You) [7″remix]
11		It Pays To Belong
12		Atomic Lullaby
13		Choice?
14		This Is The Way It Has To Be (Remix)
15		This Is Your Life (’88 Mix)
16		Digging Your Scene (12″ Mastermind Mix)
17		Celebrate (Paul Weller Mix)

I remember running across this CD in the Atlanta Tower Records [r.i.p.] when visiting that city with my wife. It was on RCA’s budget Camden label and was not costly, even though it was an import. I think I paid $9.00 for it and was glad to since it contained two remixes that first appeared here. “Digging Your Scene [12″ Mastermind Mix]” was a unique remix heavy with dub touches while featuring all of the vocals and some very funky shifts in EQ. This CD remains the only place to find this buried treasure.

The other unique mix [at the time] was “Celebrate [Paul Weller Mix],” which was a downtempo House Dub of the track with only Curtis Mayfield’s ad libs and none of his actual vocals. This track was also on the DLX RM of “She Was Only A Grocer’s Daughter” from 2014 [now ridiculously OOP] and the never easy [or cheap] Japanese “Rare + Unreleased” CD. Otherwise, we had a dozen singles, two deep cuts, and three 12″ remixes [two previously unreleased]. It was worth getting for the collectors. Nice to see the love here for “Squaresville.” Which might have been earmarked early on as a single, due to the long version also on the “Whoops! There Goes The Neighbourhood.”

The Blow Monkeys: The Masters – UK – CD [1996]

1		Digging Your Scene
2		Wicked Ways
3		It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way
4		Out With Her
5		Celebrate (The Day After You)
6		Some Kind Of Wonderful
7		This Is Your Life
8		Choice?
9		Slaves No More
10		La Passionara
11		Superfly
12		Atomic Lullaby
13		It Pays To Belong
14		Man From Russia
15		Wildflower
16		Forbidden Fruit
17		No Woman Is An Island
18		Squaresville

The 90s Eagle Records empire issued “The Masters” which seems to juggle tracks from the other, earlier compilations. Fifteen singles, one B-side, and two deep cuts. Nothing to see here; move along!

The Blow Monkeys: Atomic Lullabies – Very Best Of The Blow Monkeys – UK – 2xCD [1999]

1-1		Atomic Lullaby
1-2		He’s Shedding Skin
1-3		Wildflower
1-4		Forbidden Fruit
1-5		Digging Your Scene
1-6		Wicked Ways [7″ remix]
1-7		Heaven Is A Place
1-8		It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way
1-9		Out With Her
1-10		Celebrate (The Day After You)
1-11		Wait
1-12		This Is Your Life
1-13		Choice?
1-14		Slaves No More
1-15		Springtime For The World
1-16		La Passionara
2-1		I’m So Glad
2-2		The Higher Ground
2-3		Rub-A-Dub Shanka
2-4		Resurrection Love
2-5		Slither
2-6		My Twisty Jewel
2-7		Kill The Pig
2-8		It’s Not Unusual (Live)
2-9		My America
2-10		The Optimist
2-11		I Backed A Winner (In You)
2-12		Walking The Bluebeat
2-13		Beautiful Child [with Curtis Mayfield]
2-14		This Day Today
2-15		The Love Of Which I Dare Not Speak
2-16		The Other Side Of You

Now this was a must-have! I immediately bought “Atomic Lullabies” since it was a budget compilation with a second CD of the band’s great B-sides! Along with fifteen singles and two deep cuts, it’s the Blow Monkey’s album to have if you’re only having one. Best of all, two previously unreleased tracks figured here: “I’m So Glad” and “Higher Ground.” The latter, not a Stevie Wonder cover. Though it was also a Camden issue, it was Camden Deluxe. No pennies were pinched form the design to the content. The liner notes by Dr. Robert were best-of-breed. This marked the first times that tracks 2-3 to 2-10 were ever on CD. Some of the latter B-sides were on CD-5 singles, of course.

The Blow Monkeys: Digging Your Scene – UK – CD [2000]

1		Digging Your Scene
2		Wicked Ways
3		It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way
4		Out With Her
5		Celebrate (The Day After You)
6		Some Kind Of Wonderful
7		This Is Your Life
8		Choice?
9		Slaves No More
10		La Passionara
11		Superfly
12		Atomic Lullaby
13		It Pays To Belong
14		Man From Russia
15		Wildflower
16		Forbidden Fruit
17		No Woman Is An Island
18		Squaresville

Eagle also had the Armoury sublabel, and they re-issued the completely superfluous “The Masters” four years later with an even worse cover and a new name in the hopes of bulking the rubes. Scandalous.

The Blow Monkeys: The Complete Singles – JPN – CD [2000]

1		Go Public
2		Man From Russia
3		Atomic Lullaby
4		Wildflower
5		Forbidden Fruit
6		Digging Your Scene
7		Wicked Ways
8		Don’t Be Scared Of Me
9		It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way
10		Out With Her
11		Celebrate (The Day After You)
12		Some Kind Of Wonderful
13		This Is Your Life : Version 1
14		It Pays To Belong
15		Wait (Short)
16		This Is Your Life : Version 2
17		Choice?
18		Slaves No More
19		Springtime For The World
20		La Passionara

BMG Japan chose not to issue the “Atomic Lullabies” collection, but they did something differently. They issued two separate Blow Monkeys CDs in 2000. The first was the authoritative “The Complete Singles.” Which was just that; all 20 singles the band issued [on RCA]. Of course, the first indie single was no there. This is the only compilation where “Go Public,” the first RCA single ever appeared.

The Blow Monkeys: Rare + Unreleased – JPN – CD [2000]

1		I’m So Glad
2		The Higher Ground
3		Digging Your Scene [Long]
4		Superfly [Long]
5		It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way [Long]
6		Celebrate (The Day After You) [Paul Weller Mix]
7		Beautiful Child [w/Curtis Mayfield]
8		You Don’t Own Me
9		It Pays To Be Twelve
10		This Is Your Life [N-Ten-City Mix]
11		Wait! [Long]
12		Choice? [Long]
13		Slaves No More [Long]

The companion CD to the singles was 12″ remixes instead of the B-sides. And the cover photo here was the back cover to “Atomic Lullabies.” “I’m So Glad” and “Higher Ground” also appeared here along with a selection of 12″ mixes…and in a first for any compilation, the non-LP cover of Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me!” The legal issue surrounding that song are semi-legendary and it seems like BMG Japan may have tried to get away with compiling that which cannot be compiled. I don’t technically need this compilation, but it’s been in my want list for a decade, anyway. On principle.

With the two most significant compilations here safely in my Record Cell from the time of their issue, those were the only “new” Blow Monkeys CDs that entered into my collection after the band’s dissolution. Which by 2007 had lasted a generation. But that silence was disrupted by and unexpected email in the fall of 2007 that I could not have expected.

Next: …Devil’s Advocate