Trio – “Da Da Da” (I Don’t Love You You Don’t Love Me Aha Aha Aha) (12″ Version)…

Artist: Trio
Title: Da Da Da (I Don’t Love You You Don’t Love Me Aha Aha Aha) (12″ Version)
Year: 1982
Label: Mercury Records

Trio – “Da Da Da” (I Don’t Love You You Don’t Love Me Aha Aha Aha) (12″ Version) (mp3)

Tears For Fears – “Change” (Extended Version)…

Artist: Tears For Fears
Title: Change (Extended Version)
Year: 1983
Label: Mercury Records

Tears For Fears – “Change” (Extended Version) (mp3)

Tears For Fears – “Pale Shelter” (Extended Version)…

Artist: Tears For Fears
Title: Pale Shelter (Extended Version)
Year: 1982, 1983
Label: Mercury Records, Phonogram Records

Tears For Fears – “Pale Shelter” (Extended Version) (mp3)

There’s no measure as to how much I love the Stella album by YELLO. Released in 1985, Stella is still one of the most original albums ever to come out, and still standing the test of time. Oh Yeah is probably one of the most recognized tracks ever since being featured in the soundtracks of two 1985 block-buster movies: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Secret Of My Success ….. and subsequently later being featured in countless other movies. But Oh Yeah is not my only favorite track on Stella album. My favorite tracks are all the other ones, such as Dessert Inn, Koladi-Ola, Domingo, Sometimes — practically all the tracks on that album. Stella must be listened to from start to finish. The tracks tell a story in their consecutive order. Boris Blank’s wizardry on the synths, drum machines and the Fairlight sampler is pure sound-design bliss. Every sound and element heard on each track is sublime. Engineered beautifully. Lyrical poetry from the vocals of Dieter Meier. Those two Swiss guys –Bros Blank and Dieter Meier– are masters of their own craft. They are always (as always have been) in total control over everything they do, including producing and directing all their music videos. They simply stand on their plateau through and through.

Play YELLO “Stella” Album…

YELLO- “Vicious Games” (12″ Mix)…

Artist: YELLO
Title: Vicious Games (12″ Mix)
Year: 1985
Label: Mercury Records

YELLO – “Vicious Games” (12″ Mix) (mp3)

YELLO- “Desire” (12″ Mix)…

Artist: YELLO
Title: Desire (12″ Mix)
Year: 1985
Label: Mercury Records

YELLO – “Desire” (12″ Mix) (mp3)

YELLO- “Oh Yeah” (Dance Mix)…

Artist: YELLO
Title: Oh Yeah (Dance Mix)
Year: 1985
Label: Mercury Records

YELLO – “Oh Yeah” (Dance Mix) (mp3)

YELLO- “Oh Yeah” (Indian Summer Version)…

Artist: YELLO
Title: Oh Yeah (Indian Summer Version)
Year: 1985
Label: Mercury Records

YELLO – “Oh Yeah” (Indian Summer Version) (mp3)

YELLO- “Let Me Cry” (Extended)…

Artist: YELLO
Title: Let Me Cry (Extended)
Year: 1985
Label: Mercury Records

YELLO – “Let Me Cry” (Extended) (mp3)

YELLO- “Blue Nabou” (Bonus Track)…

Artist: YELLO
Title: Blue Nabou (Bonus Track)
Year: 1984
Label: Mercury Records

YELLO – “Blue Nabou” (Bonus Track) (mp3)

Some of my YELLO collection…

Click each image to enlarge.

Another great Tears For Fears 12″ single. This track was recorded and released in the UK charts in 1984, well before the release  of their 1985 LP/album release Songs From The Big Chair. It showcased the group’s edgier sound, intricate production and, most importantly, the creative use of sampling. Beat Of The Drum Mix was clearly one of the earliest remix tracks with sampled vocals, loops and snippets as well as loops, that were sequenced and arranged together on top of all other synths and multi-tracked layers of instrument/vocal performances recorded by the band. For example, the string-hits at the beginning Beat Of The Drum Mix were sampled from a Barry Manilow track; James Brown vocal snippets near the end; and the other samples were real ambient noises, drum shots/rolls, orchestral and horn stabs, ambient and weird noises, guitar strums/chords, and Tears For Fears’ own vocals.

All the sampling were done with the Fairlight CMi-2 which was, at that time, the most sophisticated and highly advanced sampling/sequencing/digital-editing workstation.  It featured a mainframe computer, large keyboard-instrument controller, computer monitor and a light-pen.  Watch this video demonstration of the Fairlight. Also watch this other video of the Fairlight being demonstrated by Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran.

The meaning of Mothers Talk stems from two ideas:

1. Something that mothers say to their children about pulling faces; they say the child will stay like that when the wind changes; and
2. The inspiration by the anti-nuclear cartoon book When The Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs.

Tears For Fears – “Mothers Talk” (Beat Of The Drum Mix)…

Artist: Tears For Fears
Title: Mothers Talk (Beat Of The Drum Mix)
Year: 1984, 1985, 1986
Label: Mercury Records; Polygram; Phonogram; Vertigo
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

Tears For Fears – “Mothers Talk” (Beat Of The Drum Mix) (mp3)

Tears For Fears – “Mothers Talk” (US Remix)…

Artist: Tears For Fears
Title: Mothers Talk (US Remix)
Year: 1984, 1985, 1986
Label: Mercury Records; Polygram; Phonogram; Vertigo

Tears For Fears – “Mothers Talk” (US Remix) (mp3)

Fairlight CMi demonstration by Greg Sneddon…

Fairlight Cmi demonstration by Nick Rhodes & other artists…

When The Wind Blows…

I love this version of Head Over Heels (Preacher Mix) by Tears For Fears. It’s nice and long with outstanding edits and arrangements that takes you on a long journey. Layers and layers of real music instruments and electronic synthesizers. Intricate production. A work of art!  I wish that I wrote this song. I recorded this track off of an imported 12-inch record (pressed in Germany) which I’ve had in my collection since the mid 80′s. The Preacher Mix is comprised of three parts: (1) intro Broken, (2) the main song Head Over Heels, and (3) outro Broken —- with all three playing in consecutive order. The intro and outro versions of Broken sound different from each other. However, the Broken-outro part in the album version of Head Over Heels is completely a different version/mix than the one in Preacher Mix; it sounds like a live performance than a studio-production (although I am not sure if it is really “live” or just made to sound that way).

The Preacher Mix was available only on 12-inch record for a long time.  It wasn’t even available on Tears For Fears’ 1985 album Songs From The Big Chair, nor was it available on their 1999 remastered release of Songs From The Big Chair which included all the original tracks from the album plus several bonus B-sides tracks/remixes. But in 2006, The Preacher Mix was included in yet another remastered, 2-disc deluxe edition release of Songs From The Big Chair on CD

Tears For Fears – “Broken / Head Over Heels / Broken” (Preacher Mix)…

Artist: Tears For Fears
Title: Broken / Head Over Heels / Broken (Preacher Mix)
Year: 1985
Label: Mercury Records
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

Tears For Fears – “Broken / Head Over Heels / Broken” (Preacher Mix) (mp3)

Tears For Fears – “Head Over Heels/Broken” (Album Version)…

Artist: Tears For Fears
Title: Head Over Heels/Broken (Album Version)
Year: 1985
Label: Mercury Records

Tears For Fears – “Head Over Heels/Broken” (Album Version) (mp3)