Showing posts with label Mel and Kim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mel and Kim. Show all posts

Tuesday 5 February 2019

Respectable - Mel & Kim

When I bought the Japanese single of 'Showing out', the same online dealer also offered the Japanese single of 'Respectable'. And these are the only two 7" singles from Mel & Kim ever released in Japan, so that makes a complete collection in this case.

Interesting on this release is the mention of the 'dub mix' on the B-side. It is actually the very same track that is listed as 'instrumental' on the European releases of this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 5988
Found: Ebay.co.uk, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Respectable' / 'Respectable (dub mix)'

Showing out (Get fresh at the weekend) - Mel & Kim

This single has been featured on this blog a few times before, both as a 7" single and as a 12" single (oh, and another 12" single). This Japanese 7" single is an interesting one, because it features the album version of 'Showing out', whereas the European versions had an edited single version.

Japanese singles are always interesting, of course, because the Japanese make a special package of every single: a record company sleeve with the disc in it comes with a special inlay that often features the song lyrics in English and Japanese and sometimes an extra photograph - and then there's the picture front which in this case is different from the European ones. The fact that I got this single for a low price also helped, of course.

My collection: 7" single no. 5987
Found: Ebay.co.uk, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Showing out (Get fresh at the weekend)' / 'System (House mix)'

Sunday 19 August 2018

More than words can say - Mel & Kim

Mel & Kim are best known for their four singles released in 1987 and 1988, from Showing out to That's the way it is. It may come as a surprise that another single saw the light of day in 1989. It was this one, 'More than words can say', a track taken from their debut (and only) album. It was released in Scandinavia to support the release of 'Something Special', an album that was also released in only a few countries. 'Something Special' brought together a selection of remixes, and this single was apparently released to promote that compilation album.

I didn't know all this until a few years ago, but the single, rare as it is, is pretty hard to find. I was pleasantly surprised recently when a copy popped up in the collection of a Danish seller on Discogs.com, so I snapped it up immediately (along with a few other singles).

My collection: 7" single no. 5916
Found: Discogs.com, received August 16, 2018
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'More than words can say' / 'You changed my life'

Sunday 1 October 2017

F.L.M. - Mel & Kim

There are rumours that a new Mel & Kim release is on its way. Although many compilation albums have already seen the light of day, there are still tracks out there that have only been released on vinyl. I'm not sure if any of the tracks on this 12" single are still unreleased on CD, though. Almost every Mel & Kim track has been remixed to death - especially the singles of course.

F.L.M. was the third single from their debut album of the same name, and in Germany it came in a special multicoloured vinyl version.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: 2015
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'F.L.M. (12")' / 'F.L.M. (club mix)', 'F.L.M. (dub mix)'

Friday 9 March 2012

That's the way it is - Mel and Kim

The last single by Mel & Kim was released when Mel was already receiving treatment for cancer, a battle she ultimately lost on January 18, 1990. Her illness was made public at the time of the release of this single.

This 12" was the first of a series and includes the original version of the B-side 'You changed my life' plus an extended version of the title track. The content of this 12" single is identical to the cd-single released at the time, which is why I never bought this one. But at 1 euro, I simply had to snap it up.

My collection: 12" single no. 634
Found: Haarlemmerstraat, Leiden
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'That's the way it is [extended]' / 'I'm the one who really loves you (US remix)', 'You changed my life'

Wednesday 29 February 2012

Respectable - Mel and Kim

'Respectable' was only the second single of the duo Mel & Kim Appleby, but they were quickly becoming a phenomenon. The single reached number 1 in various countries including their native England, and a variety of formats was released to keep the fans buying products.

The 12" single appeared in different sleeves, although it appears that the black & white sleeve (pictured above) was the only one used in the UK - not counting a limited picture disc edition of course. I bought both versions on one day, just last month, realising that I have a lot of Mel & Kim discs already but these were still missing.

Both 12" singles I own feature the same set of remixes, of which the extended version starts in a particularly loud and slightly annoying way. As always with Stock/Aitken/Waterman productions: when you've heard one remix you pretty much have heard them all.

My collection: 12" single no. 622 & 623
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, January 27, 2012
Cost: 3 euros each
Tracks: 'Respectable (extended version)' / 'Respectable (7 inch version)', 'Respectable (Extra beats version)'

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Showing out (Get fresh at the weekend) - Mel & Kim

If you've seen this previous post, you'll think I've written about this 12" single before. While the sleeve is similar, the track listing is different. Also, the country of origin is different: this version was made in Germany, while the previous one was issued in the UK.

The track listing adds one track, i.e. the 'Mortgage mix' of 'Showing out'. Most remixes of 'Showing out' are pretty similar, and this one is just one of them. 'Showing out' was one of the top dance tracks of 1986 and the first of two number one hits in the Netherlands.

My collection: 12" single no. 625
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 1, 2012
Cost: 2,1 euro
Tracks: 'Showing out [extended]' / 'Showing out (The Mortgage mix)', 'System (House mix)'

Tuesday 15 November 2011

I'm the one who really loves you - Mel & Kim

'I'm the one who really loves you' was originally recorded by British singer Austin Howard in 1986. The track was written and produced by Stock/Aitken/Waterman, who also recorded the track with Mel & Kim a year later for their debut album 'F.L.M.'.

Although never released as a single in Europe where the duo celebrated their biggest successes, the track was remixed by Civilles & Cole and released on 7" and 12" in the USA. I bought the import 12" when it was just released.

My collection: 12" single no. 62
Found: LP Top 100, 1987
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'I'm the one who really loves you (Stardom groove club mix)', 'I'm the one who really loves you (Groove dub)' / 'I'm the one who really loves you (Kick 'n live mix)', 'I'm the one who really loves you (Done properly dub)'

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Showing out (Get fresh at the weekend) - Mel & Kim

Mel & Kim Appleby debuted in 1986 with 'Showing out (Get Fresh at the weekend)'. The Stock/Aitken/Waterman production was an immediate success and reached number 1 in various European countries.

This 12" single, released at the time, features an extended remix of the track, as well as a remix of 'System', a track that was originally planned as an A-side, but set aside when 'Showing out' was deemed to be a better track. The sleeve was, as with all Mel & Kim releases, another strong argument for buying this record.

My collection: 12" single no. 591
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 14, 2011
Cost: 30p
Tracks: 'Showing out (Get fresh at the weekend) [extended]' / 'System (House mix)'

Thursday 13 October 2011

That's the way it is - Mel and Kim

The excellent remastered and expanded edition of Mel & Kim's only album, 'F.L.M.' by Cherry Pop, released last year, collected a lot of remixes of their singles, but these 'acid' remixes of their last hit single 'That's the way it is' were omitted.

Stylistically they're very different from most of the remixes on that package, so that could be an explanation for this, but it's also possible that they couldn't be found in the archives. They're probably never going to be released on cd, so enjoy these rare gems while you can.

My collection: 12" single no. 64
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1988
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'That's the way it is (Acid House remix)' / 'That's the way it is (Acid dub)', 'You changed my life'

Sunday 30 May 2010

Megamix:Ninety! - Mel and Kim

The 1990 megamix of Mel & Kim tracks, created by Alan Coulthard, was released as a 12" single and a 7" single. I was lucky enough to find the 12" single a long time ago, but the 7" single has eluded me for a long time. Until recently, when it suddenly popped up on a mailorder website. What's interesting about this single is that both the A-side and the B-side are shorter than its 12" single counterparts.

There is also a cd-single, but that one is even harder to find. I wonder if I'll ever get my hands on that one.

My collection: 7" single no. 4900
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received May 28, 2010
Cost: 1,75 euro
Tracks: 'Megamix:Ninety!' / 'Showing out (Italo House mix)'

Monday 26 April 2010

Megamix:ninety! - Mel and Kim

Mel & Kim was one of the most popular acts in the Stock/Aitken/Waterman stable of artists. While they only released one album and four singles, they were remembered by many as one of the acts to shape the sound of 1987. After the tragic death of Mel Appleby in 1988, Kim Appleby went solo, and Mel & Kim ceased to exist, understandably.

Still, in 1990, Alan Coulthard created a megamix of Mel & Kim's biggest hits. It was released as 'Megamix:ninety!' in Germany. This 12" single offers the full length megamix and an Italo House mix of 'Showing out', the duo's debut hit.

My collection: 12" single no. 364
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 1998
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Megamix:ninety!' / 'Showing out (Italo House mix)'

Saturday 11 July 2009

Give give give - Dance Aid

Everyone remembers Live Aid, Band Aid and USA for Africa, but the stream of charity singles that followed was frankly quite embarrassing. Stock Aitken & Waterman were scraping the barrel in 1987 when they released 'Give give give' by Dance Aid. The proceeds of the single went to Disco Aid, but what that organisation was all about, I can't find out.

The interesting thing about this song is that you can't make out who's singing the lines. None of the voices are recognisable, they all blend together into one anonymous blob. Mel & Kim apparently contributed to this song as well - or so the sleeve claims - but I have yet to recognise them. Needless to say, the single flopped everywhere.

My collection: 7" single no. 587
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Give give give' / 'Give give give (Senza voce)'

Thursday 9 July 2009

Amiga Quartett - Mel and Kim

The 'Amiga Quartett' was a series of four track ep's released in the German Democratic Republic, the Eastern part of Germany that existed until the end of the Eighties, featuring tracks from a certain artist or band. In this installment, the ep is filled with four tracks by Mel & Kim. They were enjoying a lot of success in Europe with 'Showing out' and 'Respectable' at the time. The state-controlled record company picked four tracks from their debut album to release them on this ep.

What's remarkable about this ep is the rather butchered version of 'Showing out'. It is edited in a different way than usual, taking rather random passages from the album version of the track and glueing them together, sometimes audibly wrong.

My collection: 7" single no. 2926
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, December 13, 1997
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Respectable', 'From a whisper to a scream' / 'Showing out', 'Who's gonna catch you'

Thursday 21 May 2009

That's the way it is - Mel and Kim

In February 1988, Supreme Records released what would become Mel & Kim's last single, 'That's the way it is'. Mel Appleby had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment in a specialized hospital. Pete Waterman later explained: 'Mel had to check herself out of the cancer hospital in order for her to lay vocals down for that track. The doctors said that it would be at least twelve months before Mel would be able to record material again, so we put the second album on hold and prayed that she'd get better soon. Tragically that never happened.'

'That's the way it is' was promoted with a music video that didn't feature Mel & Kim, just dancers. Still, the single was a success, peaking at number 10 in the UK and number 8 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 588
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 13, 1988
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'That's the way it is' / 'You changed my life'

Saturday 9 May 2009

F.L.M. - Mel and Kim

At the time of release of Mel & Kim's third single, during a promotional visit to Japan in June 1987, Mel Appleby became ill with a suspected spinal disc herniation, after complaining of a back problem for several months. Upon returning to the UK, Mel was diagnosed with secondary cancer of the spine, after previously being treated for liver cancer when she was 18, prior to the duo's rise to fame.

The sisters withdrew from publicity while Mel underwent treatment, and footage from their Montreux Festival performance was used to compile the music video for 'F.L.M.'. While the media speculated that Mel was terminally ill, both sisters categorically denied this, stating that Mel had suffered a debilitating back injury. 'F.L.M.', meanwhile, rose to number 7 in the UK singles chart, and peaked at number 10 in the Netherlands.

The single was released in two different sleeves: the European sleeve (pictured above) being different from the one released in the UK (pictured below).

My collection: 7" single no. 533 (1 & 2)
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987 & HMV, London, October 1987
Cost: 6 guilders & 2 pounds
Tracks: 'F.L.M.' / 'F.L.M. (Instrumental)'

Tuesday 28 April 2009

Showing out - Mel and Kim

'Showing out' was the debut single of the sisters Mel and Kim Appleby. Originally the song was supposed to be the B-side of 'System', but ultimately the sides were flipped, and 'Showing out' became the smash hit single which is still a wellknown track even now. The single reached number 1 in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, and peaked at number 3 in the UK.

The single was released in two different sleeves, both of which I own. The UK sleeve (pictured above) was the first one I bought, during a holiday in London. A few years later I bought the original sleeve, released in Europe (pictured below). This single launched a short, but very successful career.

My collection: 7" single no. 546 (1 & 2)
Found: Tower Records, London, 1987 /All that music, Leiden, February 23, 1989
Cost: 2 pounds / 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Showing out' / 'System (House mix)'

Wednesday 19 November 2008

Respectable - Mel & Kim

The British sisters Mel and Kim Appleby, born to English and Jamaican parents, were noticed while they were dancing in a nightclub in London, signed to Supreme records and put under the guidance and supervision of the production team Stock Aitken & Waterman. It was the start of a short but very successful career, starting in September 1986 with their debut single 'Showing out (Get Fresh at the weekend)'. The second single, 'Respectable', was an even bigger success in the UK, reaching no. 1 in the spring of 1987.

I bought this single twice. The first copy I bought quickly after its release, the second copy six years later. It was a German limited edition in red vinyl, which was a great find. I never saw this item before or since.

My collection: 7" single no. 526 (1) and 1884 (2)
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987 (1) and Record Fair, Amsterdam, April 24, 1993 (2)
Cost: 6 guilders (1) and 4 guilders (2)
Tracks: 'Respectable' / 'Respectable (instrumental)'
Download: here
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