7" single Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

Arcadia “The Promise”

sfilzen — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:24:31 +0000

Arcadia “The Promise” 1986. Today is Simon LeBon’s birthday (b. 1958)! “The Promise” was the third single from the Duran side project Arcadia’s 1985 album So Red the Rose. It went to #37 in the UK – I don’t think it charted in the US (though I loved it, and the entire record which I bought pretty much on its release date, November 18th 1985). “The Promise” features guitar work from Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and uncredited, but obvious, backing vocals by Sting. From wiki: “Sometime during the band’s stay in Paris to record So Red the Rose, they went to see a Sting concert there, and decided it would be interesting to have him come over and sing on the album, mainly because they liked the combination of Sting’s and lead singer Simon Le Bon’s voices on the “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” single by Band Aid, and wanted to see what would result from putting them together again. Sting was very amicable about the whole idea, and it turned out to be one of the band’s favourite moments on the record.” The b-side to the single is the gothic instrumental “Rose Arcana.”

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Simon LeBon Interview 1982

sfilzen — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:14:09 +0000

Simon LeBon Interview 1982. Today, October 27th, is Simon LeBon’s birthday (b. 1958). This 7″ limited edition picture disc on Talkies (an unofficial UK record label based in the UK) was released in August of 1982 as part of 3 part series (I have 2 of the 3). It’s an 18 minute interview with Simon (I don’t know who the interviewer is) that touches on Simon’s origin story with the band (his girlfriend at the time was working at the Rum Runner club and told him about a band that was looking for a singer – the rest is, obviously, history). At the time of the interview Duran Duran had yet to have a #1 single and Simon sounded nonplussed by that, saying basically it gave the band a goal (which of course they met). Simon also chats about being categorized as a New Romantic band (and trashes the media a bit for pigeon holing them), the band’s songwriting process (democratic and egalitarian) and if traveling to Sri Lanka to film three videos for Rio was “justifiable” (yep, totally was). It sounds like this interview was from a radio show or similar; while there is no music on the disc, the interviewer does introduce several tracks including “Rio,” “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “The Chauffeur” during the course of interview, making it seem like the conversation was interrupted to play to song. I can’t find any visual or audio link online so here’s a different link, Simon and Nick on MTV from their Secon Annual New Year’s Eve Ball, 1982 in New York City.

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Duran Duran “Meet El Presidente”

sfilzen — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 17:52:21 +0000

Duran Duran “Meet El Presidente” 1987. Last week I fulfilled yet another big life wish, spinning a 3 hour set of Duran Duran (plus side projects) vinyl records at Wiggle Room. I had intended to spin this song but it didn’t make the cut as I started to run out of time. “Meet El Presidente” was the third, and final, single from the Nile Rodgers produced Notorious; it hit #24 in the UK but just went to #70 in the US. If I’m being honest, I don’t really even remember it from ’87 (though my daily listens had skewed heavily punk by that point). The single version is a different mix than the album’s with a more pronounced Latin groove (think Miami Sound Machine). And because I don’t remember hearing the single back in the day, the LP version is a bit more familiar. Both are smooth, funky and highly danceable. The b-side, “Vertigo (Do the Demolition),” has a more slow-burn funk with a big 80’s production sound that, apropos its title, has a bit of an industrial flare.

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David Bowie and Mick Jagger “Dancing in the Streets”

sfilzen — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 17:37:18 +0000

David Bowie and Mick Jagger “Dancing in the Streets” released 40 years ago today, August 27th, 1985, though it was played for the world during Live Aid on July 13th, 1985 (the two musicians had originally intended to perform it simultaneously in London and Philadelphia but the delay in sound would have made things awkward). Bowie and Jagger’s version, originally recorded by Martha and the Vandellas in 1964 when it went to #2 on the charts and then was covered about a zillion times, hit #7 in the US and went to #1 in the UK. I love their rendition and I absolutely adore the video – it is so very very 80’s and so very very silly – even though it’s considered one of the worst videos of the 80’s, if not all time by, like, everyone (except me). I find this info from Wiki hilarious so pasting here in its entirety:

The video was played twice during the Live Aid event: the first before Bowie’s set, where it was introduced via satellite by the comedian Chevy Chase, and the second time as a filler when the Who’s reunion set suffered sound problems. It has been described as “campy”,”cheesy” and “embarrassing”. Radio X’s Martin O’Gorman remarked: “It’s [Bowie and Jagger’s] playful irreverence that causes many people to cringe.” Readers of The Guardian rated it the worst music video of all time in 2014, while NME placed it at No. 12 in their list of the 50 worst music videos ever. In a 2011 episode of Family Guy, Peter Griffin refers to the video as “the gayest music video of all time”, after which it is played in its entirety. After its conclusion, Griffin states: “That happened and we all let it happen.” In the 2010s, a “silent” version of the video was uploaded to YouTube, featuring grunts and shuffles instead of the music. Bowie himself was a fan of the video, with guitarist Ben Monder saying: “He thought it was hilarious and would just have us watch the whole thing [during the Blackstar sessions].

Here are both the “real” and the “no music” versions of the video so you can decide for yourself. I think both are pure gold.

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De Lux/Hanni El Khatib “Rebel Yell + Power Struggle”

sfilzen — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 19:21:48 +0000

De Lux/Hanni El Khatib “Rebel Yell + Power Struggle” 2019. Innovative Leisure records, limited edition 7″ split single and according to Discogs/Bandcamp it was “commissioned by the US bourbon brand Rebel Yell for a free limited edition 2019 Record Store Day release.” De Lux, who I was up until now not at all familiar with, is a post-disco duo from L.A. Hanni El Khatib (also from L.A. and a fantastic rock guitarist) I am definitely familiar with (we have had a few of his releases for a long time now and saw him perform probably about 10 years ago or so). “Rebel Yell” is a cover of the classic Billy Idol song from 1984, synthesized to the nth and whispery vocals, making it almost unrecognizable but still really fun. “Power Struggle” is glossily polished techno-disco, bleep-bloop’d with a hypnotically ass-shaking funk. It’s very fun and helpfully spells out S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E in the chorus.

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GØGGS “She Got Harder”

sfilzen — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 17:28:16 +0000

GØGGS “She Got Harder” 2016. In the Red Records. Garage punk “supergroup” composed of Ty Segall, Chris Shaw (Ex-Cult) and Charles Moothart (Fuzz). Their debut 7″ single is fuzzy, fast and ass-shakey. Ty has had about a million side-projects over the years but according to the band’s Discog bio “This is not a side-project, it is a necessity. GØGGS is three heads, one spine, circling the drain of the wasteland known as mother earth….The three of us have been friends for years at this point, crashing at each others houses and riffling through each others record collections after a night of performing, partying, or both…Ty and I decided we were going to start a band together when Ex-Cult opened for his band on the Slaughterhouse tour in 2013. A couple years later when the plans were solidified, it only made sense that thrash master Charles Moothart should get in on the experience.” (Shaw)

The b-side is an Iggy Pop cover, “Billy is a Runaway.” It’s even fuzzier (with some truly signature Segall buzz) accented with saxophone (played by Zumi Oneiro) and an intentionally off-kilter rhythm section, making it a wonky cacophony of weirdness. It’s pretty great.

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Gob Psychic “(All Week) Rent Payer”

sfilzen — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 17:19:20 +0000

Gob Psychic “(All Week) Rent Payer” 2023. Slovenly Recordings, limited edition yellow vinyl. Danish garage punk, not their first release but looks like their first vinyl release, a 3-song EP 7-inch. Don’t let the swirly pastel cover art fool you, this is energetic and buzzy high octane rock-n-roll. The lead/title track “(All Week) Rent Payer” leads off with a decidedly 70’s UK punk/Damned riff and blasts into stilted and angular rhythms that back angry vocals. “Content Moderator” has a more 80’s US west coast punk flavor: darker, also angry. “Dead Intruder” has a bit of a wacky, new wave sound that leads it off but then it goes into balls-to-the-wall relentless garage punk sound with gasping vocals (literally, at one point the singer says “I can’t breathe”). I don’t know anything about Gob Psychic beyond their bio on Bandcamp (they are Danish and inspired by both Aussie and Midwestern punk – I think that might be a Devo reference based on the wacky new wave sounds I noted above); it looks like the did a small West European tour last fall but they haven’t released anything since 2023.

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Big Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “Recorded in Person!”

sfilzen — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:50:58 +0000

Big Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “Recorded in Person!” 1992. Clawfist singles club limited edition 7″ single. Rare weird post in celebration of Mr. Judah Bauer’s birthday today (b. June 18th, 1971). The only instance when JSBX used “Big” in the band title. Our copy still has the Clawfist flyer which states that the tracks on the singles club releases are exclusive to the London-based Clawfist label.

According to the always excellent Pop Catastrophe this 3 track 45’s recordings “are all exclusive to this release. “History of Sex” appears to be a live version whereas “Write A Song” and “Smoke Cigarettes” are both very lo-fi demo-style recordings.” Emphasis on the “very lo-fi.” It’s a hot mess of a release, gloriously ugly, full of warts, squeals and dissonance. A “big” blues explosion for sure. Pop Catastrophe goes on to say about this super-early release that “Crypt Style [released in ’93] and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion [released in ’92] included studio recordings of both “History of Sex” and “Write A Song” but A Reverse Willie Horton [1991] only featured “History of Sex.” The front cover [of the] “Recorded in Person” artwork is also used in the booklet of Crypt Style (CD, JAPAN). On 10 August 2010 all songs from this single were released on the compilation Year One.”

I always like to post an old picture of Judah (I don’t have that many) so here’s one our mutual friend Cristian (in the middle, not sure who the kid on the right is) shared with me awhile back, taken when they were around 11 or 12 years old, so ’82-ish. I’ve shared it before but sharing again because it’s just too adorable.

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Frankie and the Witch Fingers “Bonehead/i-Candy”

sfilzen — Wed, 07 May 2025 18:15:28 +0000

Frankie and the Witch Fingers “Bonehead/i-Candy” 2024. Limited edition white vinyl, The Reverberation Appreciation Society records. Hard psychedelic garage rock, double A-side single. Both tracks appear on their Live at KEXP record released in April 2025. “Bonehead” is buzzy and high energy, with shreds galore. The band says about the track (via the Levitation website) “We wanted to capture the chaotic energy of those unfiltered live moments. Recorded the basics in one take, warts and all. Thrashing around with a crowd of free spirits reminds us we can push back against the parasitic noise trying to keep us controlled—this is a little slice of that in recorded form.” “i-Candy” is a sassy bopper, with some Devo-esque synths and a swirly infectious danceable beat. “This was one of the first songs to emerge from the incubator of recent demos. ‘i-Candy’ is a female sex robot, she isn’t programmed for any man’s need; she’s out to clean up the streets and settle the score in blood.” So fun!

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Jack White “A Tip From You to Me”

sfilzen — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 18:28:21 +0000

Jack White “A Tip From You to Me” 2022. Third Man Records, part of the Vault no. 54 package The Supply Chain Issues Tour, on blue glitter vinyl. We had the amazing good fortune to catch Jack White this past Thursday in Madison at High Noon Saloon on his No Name tour. I was alerted via social media at around 11:00 am Thursday morning that tickets for Vault members would be going on sale/have to the show for the concert happening that night at 8:00 pm! I amazingly scored the tickets (and had the night free) so off we went to Madison. It was a fabulous show in a pretty small venue (I think 400 max capacity or so) and we got right up to the stage. I was able to get several great photos and a few video snippets (not enough to put up on YouTube though, I felt weird recording full songs right up in his face). He played a great mix from his latest LP No Name, older solo material and White Stripes songs.

“A Tip From You to Me” appears on White’s 2022 album Entering Heaven Alive. It’s folky, with acoustic guitar and piano, a bit of country jangle and a mix of bright melody/harmony and some darker-edged minor chords. Side B has the demo version of “A Tip From You to Me.” It’s just Jack and an acoustic guitar so inherently more mellow and definitely sadder. I think I like the demo better than the album version.

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