Echo & the Bunnymen “Bring on the Dancing Horses” 1985. 12″ single (extended mix). It appeared on the 1985 best-of Songs to Learn & Sing; it was the only new track that appeared on the compilation album and was recorded for Pretty in Pink (1986) film by John Hughes. It reached #21 on the UK charts (and did not, as far as I know, chart in the US though I certainly was a huge fan at the time). The 12″ extended mix is pretty similar to the shorter, original single mix, just longer with more shimmering and swoops. They played “Bring on the Dancing Horses” when we saw Echo play at the Pabst Theater this past May when we pissed off one guy so badly for, gasp, dancing and standing during this song (and others), that he leapt over a row of seats to yell at us. (I’m not sure why but people just won’t stand up at the Pabst. Ian McCulloch finally griped about this and the first few rows on the first floor eventually got off their asses but the balcony, except for us and a couple of other people, kept their butts down. Lame.)

Echo & the Bunnymen, Milwaukee 2024

Side B has the big-drummed, post punk/pop “Bedbugs & Ballyhoo.” They re-recorded it for the ’87 album Echo & the Bunnymen and released it as a single. Side B also has the industrial-psyched song “Over Your Shoulder.” That song, along with the other two tracks on this 12″ would appear as bonus tracks on the 2003 re-release version of Echo & the Bunnymen.