The Christmas Post

Cocteau Twins - Snow

Ripped from a compact disc single released on Fontana Records (COCCD 1) in 1993 to high quality lossless flac audio. It may not be snowing where you are this year, however Grangemouth's finest do their very best to get us in a seasonal spirit.

1 Winter Wonderland
2 Frosty The Snowman

Paul Haig / Durutti Column - Scottish Christmas

Originally released as a 7" vinyl single on Les Disques Du Crépuscule / Factory Benelux (XM 1) in 1985. Recreated here from lossless flac digital audio files.

A1 Paul Haig - Scottish Christmas
B1 Durutti Column - Christmas For Pauline
B2 Durutti Column - Snowflakes

The Roy Budd Trio - Have A Jazzy Christmas

Ripped from a vinyl released on Master Mix Records CHELP 9) in 1988 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio. With thanks to Steve, here is a seasonal rarity unusually released on a British dance/hip-hop label in the late eighties. Roy Budd was a British jazz pianist most famous for his soundtrack to Get Carter. Enjoy!


A1 We Three Kings
A2 Winter Wonderland
A3 Ding Dong Merrily On High
A4 Christmas Song
A5 Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
A6 Lieutenant Kije
B1 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
B2 While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks By NIght
B3 Jingle Bells
B4 When You Wish Upon A Star
B5 White Christmas
B6 We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Paul Haig Day

Paul Haig - Heaven Sent

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Les Disques du Crepescule/Island Records (12 IS 111) in 1983 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Heaven Sent
B1 Running Away / Back Home

Who Are Be Music / ROL Eighty-Four

Ripped from a white label 12" vinyl single released on Island Records (12 IS 198) in 1984 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio. Both sides included just in case anybody whinges again.

A1 The Only Truth
AA The Only Truth

Paul Haig - Heaven Help You Now

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Operation Afterglow (12 OPA 002) in 1985 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Heaven Help You Now
B1 World Raw
B2 Heaven Help You Now
B3 Chance

Bloggers of old will remember Paul Haig Day. This was when music blog writers were encouraged to rip and post Paul's music. We haven't had one for a while so here is my Paul Haig Day as a healthy alternative to all the Black Friday bullshit filling our inboxes, televisions and retailers. The white label was a crude attempt by Island Records to interest record shops and DJs in the forthcoming release by Paul recorded with Bernard Sumner and Donald Johnson. To this day, I still think this record sounds like three great musicians locked in a studio trying to turn out a pop song rather than a great pop song, on the other hand, Heaven Help You Know is just a truly great pop song.

Sense Of Fun

Paul Haig - Mini Album

We haven't had any Paul Haig for a while. Historically there has been a blogger's tradition of an annual Paul Haig Day but that seems to have been forgotten for a couple of years. We need no excuses here to dig into the great man's back catelogue, so here's is the fine five track mini LP of classic Haig remixed by New York disco legend Bruce Forest for the US market, in 24-bit depth of course (complimented with a very tacky sleeve). Please excuse a bit of fuzz on Heaven Sent and a few pops on Justice - this is a well played record.

Ripped from a vinyl album released on Les Disques Du Crepescule (TWI 240) in 1984 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Heaven Sent
A2 Blue For You
B1 Never Give Up (Party, Party)
B2 Justice
B3 Stolen Love

Something Very Good

Paul Haig - Chain

A couple of quick and easy cd rips on the back of the Alan Rankine album. Paul Haig teamed up with Rankine for the stellar Chain. Haig had been repolishing his pop chops with Bernard Sumner for the Operation Afterglow releases, which in turn led to a deal with Circa/Virgin and the subsequent Something Good single.

I was lucky to see Haig perform a rare one off show to promote the album at the ICA,  where he was joined by Malcolm Ross on guitar and Alan Rankine on keyboards. Chain is a timeless piece of work which deserves greater recognition and reward than it ever got at the time.

Ripped from a compact disc album released on Circa Records (CIRCD 7) in 1989 to high quality lossless flac audio.

1. Something Good
2. True Blue
3. Communication
4. Swinging For You
5. Time Of Her Time
6. Faithless
7. Times Can Change
8. Turn The Vision
9. Sooner Or Later
10. Chained
11. Ideal Of Living

Swing Time!

Paul Haig - Swing In '82

Re-Ripped at Hi-Res! Here's the rather special and long deleted Swing In '82. Paul Haig performing five swing numbers in his own unique style. Scotland's true king of jangly guitars, synth-pop and former haircut of the year croons away over piano, double bass and drums - truly superb!

Ripped from a 12" mini-album released on Les Disques Du Crepescule (TWI 094) in 1985 to high resolution 24-bit FLAC audio

A1. The Song Is You
A2. All For You
A3. Lets Face The Music And Dance
B1. Love Me Tender
B2. The Way You Look Tonight

Paul Haig Day Too

Happy Paul Haig Day!

Now that we've finished munching on chocolate eggs and Spring seems to be springing (at last), I thank fellow blogger JC over at The Vinyl Villain for organising this year's blogger tribute to Scotland's true king of pop, Paul Haig.

On these very pages, I have featured much of Haig's work, concentrating on rare and deleted recordings. For Paul Haig Day, I'm featuring his most commercial & catchiest number and one of the best pop moments from the 80s, Heaven Help You Now.

Heaven Help You Now : Originally released on a 12" single on Operation Afterglow (12 OPA 002) in 1985.

A1. Heaven Help You Now (Long Version)

B1. World Raw

B2. Heaven Help You Now

B3. Chance

Hear

Paul is also a great supporter of music bloggers and has donated a special remix of the opening track to his latest LP Relive. We are waiting to find out who collaborated on this new version, but for now, point your browser here to download.

Paul Haig's back catelogue can be purchased a very reasonable prices from LTM Records (reissues) and for the latest stuff, head over to ROL Inc.

For newer visitors to this blog, here is a list of the Haig goodies already featured:

Listen To Me (Limited 7")

Crepescule/Factory Benelux Christmas Gift

The Rhythm Of Life 7" Singles

Torchomatic

1986 Demos

Drama

Atmosphere

Paul Haig - Listen To Me

I'm very grateful to blog follower JohnC for contributing this rare 7" single. Released on the specialist Austrian collector's label Syntactic in 1998 Listen To Me is dedicated to his friend, the late Billy Mackenzie. Billy is listed on backing vocals.

Paul Haig has been successfully writing the perfect pop song since his Josef K days and this is typically classic Haig.

The track eventually appeared on 1999's retrospective collaboration album with Mackenzie, Memory Place.

Only 100 copies were pressed of this single, of which this one is numbered 65. It was wrapped in red tissue paper and features a lyric sheet insert. I'm told 15 copies featured a signed lyric sheet and a bag of sweets.

Listen To Me : ripped from a 7" vinyl single released on Syntactic (NICE 49) in 1997
A1. Listen To Me
B1. Looking
B2. Irresponsible

Sweet

Paul Haig & Durutti Column - Les Disques du Crepuscule/Factory Benelux 1985 Christmas Gift

A Very Merry Christmas to all followers and fellow bloggers.

Les Disques du Crepuscule & Factory Benelux 1985 Christmas Gift : originally released on a 7" vinyl single on Factory Benelux (XM 1) in 1985
A1. Paul Haig - Scottish Christmas
B1. Durutti Column - Christmas For Pauline
B2. Durutti Column - Snowflakes

Enjoy!

Rhythm Of Life - Singles

Today's last posting of Paul Haig rarities features the two very rare Rhythm Of Life 7" singles released after Josef K had split and prior to Haig's solo career. Both released on Edingurgh's Rational Records, these are great slabs of jangly power pop, much akin to Josef K product.

Soon b/w Summertime featured Haig and collaborator Stephen Harrison on vocals and guitar. The superb Uncle Sam b/w Portrait of Heart featured a new line up of Haig on guitar, bass and keyboards, Sebastian Horsley on vocals and guitar, with David Graham on drums.

Soon / Summertime : ripped from a 7" single released in 1981 on Rational Records / Rhythm of Life Organisation (RATE 6 / RHYTHM 001)

A1. Soon
B1. Summertime

Uncle Sam : ripped from a 7" single released in 1981 on Rational Records / Rhythm of Life Organisation (RATE 7 / RHYTHM 002)

A1. Uncle Sam
B1. Portrait Of Heart

Listen

Paul Haig - Torchomatic

Another deleted Paul Haig rarity. As a fore runner to Haig's Cinematic spoof movie soundtrack series of albums, he released this gem back in 1988. The A-Side plays as a standard 12" single at 45rpm, whilst the flip side plays as a 33rpm album.
Haig had just signed to Circa/Virgin and continued to use Crepescule for his more non-commercial work. Interestingly, Chase Manhattan is an early recording snippet of Sooner or Later which was to appear on his debut Circa album, Chain. Another Scottish hero, Sean Connery appears on the reverse sleeve as the classic 60s James Bond.

Torchomatic : Ripped from a 1988 Les Disques Du Crepescule mini-LP (TWI 832)

A1. Torchomatic
B1. Beat Programme
B2. Chase Manhattan
B3. White Hotel
B4. Song For

Torch!

Paul Haig - 1986 Demo Tape

I'm not too sure of the original source of this tape but I'm told it is just named 1986 Demos. I've had it sitting on a hard drive for quite some time and must apologise for the low'ish 128kbps bit rate as it is not my rip.

All in all, it's a nice collection of 16 pop demos which fit nicely in between the Crepsescule/Island Records era releases and the upcoming (and short lived) Virgin/Circa Records period of releases. All fans of Haig's work should love this!

1. Beat Cafe
2. Construction
3. Good Thing
4. Hateful
5. However Near or Far
6. Let It Shine
7. Luck
8. Never Enough
9. On and On
10.Part Of Me
11.Rad Guy
12.Reach The Top
13.Silent Wish
14.Sooner Or Later
15.The Common Denominator
16.Time Of Her Time

Enjoy!

Paul Haig / Rhythm of Life - Drama

In between the break up of Josef K and his solo deal with Island Records, Paul Haig released this cassette album in 1981 of homemade recordings. These tracks were highly experimental and not of the same catchy pop vein which most fans of Haig's solo work will be familiar. From Paul's inlay notes on the cassette....

"Drama was recorded in my bedroom during 26/8/81. Some of the backing tapes used are quite old, Feedback Moves was recorded in 1979 and was my first attempt at recording experimental type noise.

The Mouse and A Comment were both written by Franz Kafka, I supplied the voice and background.

The sound quality on this tape, as with most independent cassettes, is not of an exceptionally high quality, but I feel this is secondary. The main objective being to release a recorded detail of sounds and images that might create some interest and appeal to a pitifully small minority. Paul Haig 1981"

Ripped from a cassette released on Rational Records in 1981

A1. Feedback Moves
A2. The Mouse
A3. Drone
A4. A Comment
A5. Drama
A6. Drama Part 2
B1. Soundtrack
B2. Drama Part 3
Listen

Paul Haig - Atmosphere

This was broadcast on the radio in the UK a few years back and is rather wonderful. I think it was from a Factory tribute show and was only a demo version, and so never released. I can also hear a bit of Pete Wylie in there, can you?

Atmosphere (originally by Joy Division) - covered by Paul Haig

Enjoy!