After last month’s rippingly great Men Without Hats show, I’ve been on a MWH jag, understandably! I only have the first three albums, and have penciled in the others into the endless want list®, but the fact remains, that I have been buying any MWH 12″ singles that I’ve come across during the last 30 years…or let’s just say, half of my lifespan [so far]. In the weekends since the July 13th show, I have struggled to record these to the NAS volumes for de-noising and eventual listening owing to a lack of free time.
I’ve gotten curious about the MWH canon as it exists outside of my Record Cell, and I was shocked to find that there aren’t a plethora of non-LP B-sides and remixes out there. Indeed, I have most of them already, which makes the idea of cleaning up any remaining loose ends endlessly fascinating to my curative side. Why not round up the rest and get that unnamed Men Without Hats Rarity Project™? What would that entail?
Folk of the 80s EP – US – EP
- Modern[e] Dancing
- Utter Space
- Antarctica
- Security [Everybody Feels Better With]
This was my entrée to the world of MWH in late 1980 but I am shamed to admit that it was an early victim of the Great Vinyl Purge® as I expected these to be bonus tracks to a CD somewhere. They were. The first UK pressing on Statik Records of “The Rhythm Of Youth” album from 1983 [which I have never seen] has them. And $240 from AmoebaSF will make these tunes yours on the silver disc! Obviously, this is one of those cases where we’ll “make do” with analog copies! And even those are [deservedly] rising in value. It’s been on my want list for ages now. I do have “Antarctica” on CD on this disc. I’ll revel in such tender mercies.
I Got The Message – UK – 12″
- I Got The Message [special extended remix]
- Freeways [euromix]
- Utter Space
This I bought in 1984-5 and kept! The 12″ mix of my favorite MWH song, and their one non-LP B-side was a corker!
Safety Dance – US – 12″
- The Safety Dance [extended club mix]
- Antarctica
This 12″ version was ubiquitous. US radio stations played this more than the 7″ version, back in the day. I never got one but I have the track on another compilation of 12″ mixes, so I’m covered.
Where Do The Boys Go? – US – 12″
- Where Do The Boys Go? [extended version]
- Where Do The Boys Go?
- Eurotheme
I swear I thought I had this, but I don’t! Easy enough to source – and cheaper than a download!
Pop Goes The World – US – 12″
- Pop Goes The World [dance mix]
- Pop Goes The World [extended dance mix]
- Pop Goes The World [dub mix]
- Pop Goes The World [album version]
Another one I grabbed in the 90s.
Moonbeam – US – 12″
- Moonbeam, Beam Me Up (Extended Vocal Version)
- Moonbeam, Beam Me Up (radio edit)
- Dub Beam
- Home On The Beam [House Is A Home Mix]
- Moonbeam [Bacc-a-pella/vocal]
I never saw this one more than once, but once was all I needed.
Safety Dance Bio-Mix – US – 12″
- The Safety Dance [Biomix Radio edit]
- The Safety Dance [Biomix Extended]
- The Safety Dance [original version]
Oh dear. This is out there. From the hated Pauly Shore movie “Bio-Dome” OST. It’s a Post-Modern mix by Mr. Ralph Sall. I never heard of him either. My thought is to skip this, even though it’s cheap.
My Hat Collection – CAN – CD
- The Safety Dance
- Living In China
- Antarctica
- I Got The Message
- I Like
- Where Do the Boys Go?
- Freeways [euromix]
- Editions Of You
- Pop Goes The World
- HEAVEN 17 – Tomorrow Today
- Gravity Is My Enemy
- Heaven
- The Safety Dance [extended version]
- Where Do the Boys Go? [extended version]
This Canuck CD from 2006 has a few doozies! Yes that is the Roxy Music classic. Ivan’s pre-MWH band Heaven 17 also manifest. Gravity Is My Enemy” is only here, and “Heaven” is a track on their 2022 album but this song was released in 2008. I’m guessing an earlier recording?
The Silver Collection – CAN – CD+DVD
- The Safety Dance
- Living In China
- Antarctica
- I Got The Message
- I Like
- Where Do the Boys Go?
- Freeways [euromix]
- Editions Of You
- Pop Goes The World
- HEAVEN 17 – Tomorrow Today
- Ban The Game [full version]
- Treblinka
- Rhythm Of Youth
- Heaven
- The Safety Dance [extended version]
- Where Do the Boys Go? [extended version]
This Canuck CD/DVD from 2008 is almost a redux of the “My Hat Collection” from two years earlier! With a few differences of note. “Ban The Game” was a snippet on the “Rhythm Of Youth” album. It’s 3:50 here. “Treblinka” is only here, and “Rhythm Of Youth” was maybe the title track that never was? It’s irritating that two compilations over two years in Canada would spread the rarities amongst themselves like this. But “The Silver Collection” is on iTunes, meaning very easy access to everything but “Gravity Is My Enemy” for $7.99.
Safety Dance picture disc – UK – 7″
- The Safety Dance
- The Safety Dance [instrumental]
Finally, for RSD 2013, there was a UK pic disc 7″ of “Safety Dance” with an “unreleased instrumental” version on the B-side. This is VERY DIFFICULT to source for under three figures right now. That’s 26 tracks in all, definitely a 2xCD-R set if I can ever get those compilation tracks! And the Picture Disc only cut. Since I almost have everything on disc one, maybe I should separate the volumes according to what I can do now and will have to wait later on?
I thought that there would be more remixed singles from the albums following “Folk Of the 80s Part III] ” that I don’t have, but such things apparently fell off the face of the earth as Men Without Hats no longer had a US label by then. True, there are a few single edits, but we’ll ignore those this time. Join us seven years later for the rundown of how this eventually manifested. Getting “My Hat Collection” and the pic disc won’t be easy matters.
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Post-Punk Monk 
hi mr monk,
great idea. have most of the singles too.
ive been meaning to put together a compilation, but never got around to it.
later
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ne gative 1
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If only I had a bootleg recording of Men Without Hats from our opening gig with them back in ’88, I’d gladly contribute it!
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René – Were they super dynamic back in 1988? The records are polite fun. What I saw live last month was actually thrilling.
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From what I remember, yes: energized – singer, Ivan, was animated. It’s been 36 years, though! The one thing that sticks in my mind from meeting them afterwards to thank them, was that Ivan said to me: “You look like Jeff Goldblum” just out of the blue. I took it politely by saying “That’s a first! I’ll take it as a compliment.” ;)
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René – As a young man, I once got compared to …Tom Hanks??! So I hear you.
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I am pretty sure (but cannot presently verify) that I have the “Folk of the 80s” EP and the “Safety Dance” 12″.
Ivan has previously live here in town, I used to see him around from time to time but never got a chance to chat with him. I’ve haven’t seen him in a while, so I assume he’s longer here.
I’ve always liked the band but didn’t find their output consistent enough to be a serious collector. That said, they are ripe for a re-appraisal, and a BSOG™ at this point, since we’re not likely to get any new material now that they’re a festival act.
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chasinvictoria – You probably had to have the “Safety Dance” 12” as I can recall you playing it on your DJ sets. As far as I know, Ivan is still based in Victoria, but he is probably on the road a lot! Recent interviews seem to point to that. Colin Doroschuk has recently accepted a position with the Victoria Conservatory of Music; hence his replacement in Men Without Hats with his daughter! You can’t write off MWH as retired! Their new material has been coming fast and furiously! A new EP in 2021 followed by a new album in 2022! One of my disappointments in the concert was that they were not for sale at the merch table as I was hoping. I particularly want these since the band I saw live was responsible for them [with Colin in the studio, of course]. MWH have released three albums and an EP since 2003. That puts them ahead of many, many groups we like. Heaven 17 [cough, cough!]… And your comment was also caught in the spam filter…grrrr.
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They were absolutely incredible live at the Totally Tubular show we saw. And, boy did the crowd respond! Reading through this, I’m embarrassed that I never realized how many of Men Without Hats’ b-sides I’m missing. So looking forward to a rarity project!
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Todd Lewis – “Freeways” is the great lost Men Without Hats track! It was issued as an EP with the Euromix of that on the A-side and the original “Folk Of The 80s” EP on the B-side in Canada.
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non album track: The Same Halo from the Pop Goes The World era, is worthy of inclusion on this list.
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Dominick Rothbard – Welcome to the comments! Good info, but it’s not in the Discogs database. Where would I find that song?
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