MY BELOVED GIRL

There's a lot of interest just now in Edwyn Collins, partly because with Losing Sleep he released one of the best albums of 2010 and partly because thanks to the Coals to Newcastle box set the material of his old band Orange Juice is at long last available.

I got a fair number of comments after I posted different versions of Don't Shilly Shally the other week - and a few folk commented on how difficult it was to track down that and a lot of the other early singles from the late 80s. Indeed one passionate plea was made by a visitor from France to post the next single, and I'm delighted to oblige:-

mp3 : Edwyn Collins - My Beloved Girl

It was released on 7", 12" and a limited edition 7" box with postcards. All of the versions had something different to offer.

From the 7" single:-

mp3 : Edwyn Collins - Clouds (Fogging Up My Mind)

From the 12" single:-

mp3 : Edwyn Collins - My (Long Time) Beloved Girl
mp3 : Edwyn Collins - Clouds (Fogging Up My Mind) (Cumulonmibus Version)

From the box set:-

mp3 : Edwyn Collins - 50 Shades Of Blue (acoustic)
mp3 : Edwyn Collins - What's The Big Idea

OK, so I know its been less than six months since I featured all these tracks when I did a short two-day feature on Elevation Records.

For new readers, or those who may have missed the June postings, Elevation Records was set up as a joint venture between Creation and WEA in 1987. It was a short-lived affair, with just six singles and two LPs being released between April and November by The Weather Prophets, Primal Scream as well as Edwyn. None of the releases made the Top 50 and WEA pulled the plug because of the poor sales.

My Beloved Girl has the distinction of being the final Elevation single. Of the b-sides, 50 Shades Of Blue would emerge as a 7". 12" and CD single in its own right some two years later by which time Edwyn was on Demon Records, while What's The Big Idea would be re-recorded and find its way onto the LP Hellbent On Compromise which was released in 1990.
Finally.....raiding through the cupboard I've discovered that I actually have two copies of the 12" version of this single. So how about a wee competition to give it away??

To win, all you have to do is tell me the name of Edwyn's wife....and e-mail your answer to thevinylvillain@hotmail.co.uk

The closing date for entries is Monday 12 December*** after which one lucky name will be chosen at random. But it will probably be after the crazy Xmas rush that I will post out the record......

*** posting was drafted and then held over from original date and 12 December would have made sense if I hadnt done that (even though 12th wasnt a Monday!!).

New closing date for compeition is Wednesday 22 December.

Good Luck