Mine was Bowie’s “This Is Not America”, in 1985. I heard it on the radio in the morning and went out and bought it later that day. It was a relief to hear a good new Bowie song! I loved the chord progression, Bowie’s vocal of course and just the whole atmosphere if it. It was from a film “The Falcon and the Snowman” which I’ve never seen.
The collaboration with Pat Metheney seemed, and still seems incongruous, but it was one of those one-off collaborations that just worked. (See also “Under Pressure” and probably a million others I can’t think of immediately)
This from Wikipedia – “Despite Metheny being known as a jazz musician, the song was described by Bowie biographer Chris O’Leary as “hardly a jazz piece”, as Metheny plays a simple rhythm guitar throughout the song, with no solos or improvisations.[5] Metheny later noted that Bowie’s lyrics were “profound and meaningful—and absolutely perfect for the film.”
This is a rather wonderful version from the Pat Metheny Group live in Japan, with a couple of excellent singers who I’ve never heard of. Starts about 45 secs in
I have no idea, but the last physical single I bought (on CD) was The Magic Numbers’ Love Me Like You. I had to check Wiki to find out that was in 2005.
December will be Magic Again by Kate Bush in Bingley in November
’24 Hour Deflowerer’ by My Life Story … jeez, it was 8 years ago
It was probably Elton’s Lady Di Candle In The Wind CD single or Band Aid2 on cassette.
What year was Band Aid Mk2, anyone remember?
Band Aid 2, helmed by Stock Aitken and Dennis Waterman was 1989.
Not sure when Band Aid 20 was released
Actually Podicle has just jogged my memory, my last Single purchase was the fiftieth anniversary release of Love Me Do in October 2012
With the gift of mathematics, I’d suggest 2004? 😉
Something like that …
One of The Beatles reissue singles from the early in the green and white covers, probably in 1983 or so. I bought all/most of them at the time. I think it was All You Need is Love/Baby You’re a Rich Man.
I have a few White Stripes singles on 7″ as well as some Franz Ferdinand singles from around the same time. Early 2000s singles sound pretty good, certainly better than a lot of the things, brittle things I remember from the 80s with their moulded labels. Anyway, to answer the question, I think the latest one was Conquest, from the Icky Thump album. That came out in 2007.
I bought This is Not America on 7” as well. Had to.
I have had a good think and I believe it was in 1987 – Wonderful Life by Black. I saw the video again recently and it is still er, wonderful.
It is, of course, blissfully wonderful with the melancholic wistful undertones characteristic of true beauty – reflecting the unhappy circumstances of its writing and his sad early demise.
Unfortunately, it also fits on the shite albums with one decent song thread – nothing else on the ‘Wonderful Life’ album was anywhere near as good.
Hmmm, not with you there, it has some that very nearly attain that peak. Especially this one:
Yes, a good song also. Only slightly hindered by the line :
“The sweetest smile that ever did
Melt the pat on the butter dish”
Sorry, I haven’t been back to this thread since I commented. All I can say is – glad you like it, but it doesn’t do very much for me, nor does hearing it again change my view of the album. Thanks for trying though.
Clockwork Orange by A Certain Ratio, released 25th July 2024, in a limited run of 500.
Get me, I’m contemporary! Albeit by a band formed in 1977…
It was either Gretchen Peters The Last Day of the Year, which was a limited run of 500 on white vinyl or Green Gartside Tangled Man / Wishing Well (Songs of Anne Briggs), sometime in 2019.
2014, I think, two 7″ EPs by The Great Albatross, at a gig at The Union Chapel that I can’t remember anything about.
I must have been impressed to have forked out however much they were.
One of them is a picture disc. Not sure if I’ve ever played them.
Prior to those, nothing since about ’83.
“Ring out Solstice Bells” by the Tull a few RSDs ago.
I’ve *released* a couple of 7″ singles in the last few years (nothing any of you would have heard of), but I have to go a bit further back to find one that I actually bought. I think it was this, about six years ago:
https://www.discogs.com/release/12845569-Cory-Wong-The-Koz-Nod
Before that, it was probably five or six years earlier, most likely one of several singles I have by Eli “Paperboy” Reed, this being the most recent:
https://www.discogs.com/master/474132-Eli-Paperboy-Reed-The-True-Loves-If-You-Want-The-Love-Of-A-Man-Come-And-Get-It
I have bought a couple of box sets of 7″ singles: Elvis Costello’s “Look Now” album as several 7″ singles:
https://www.discogs.com/release/13670623-Elvis-Costello-The-Imposters-Look-Now
and Jellyfish’s box set of all their singles too:
https://www.discogs.com/release/25070941-Jellyfish-When-These-Memories-Fade
Do those count?
Fairly recent, in the last year – Home by Teenage Fanclub.
Strictly Hardcore by Gold Blade. Probably 25 years ago I’d reck. I’ll go check..
…, I’m back. 1997 apparently so 28 years. Pink vinyl too.
As far as I can work out (and hopefully my database is not lying) the last 7″ single that I bough “new” over the counter of Our Price was … Thunder “Low Life In High Places” (back in August 1992). I think I bought the CD single too
(why buy 2 copies? No idea, but I do remember buying 4 different formats of Quireboys “Hey You” the year before, so my collector/completist/not married gene was obviously working overtime at that point).
After that, it was CD singles all the way.
I have bought others since then, but not “new” – last 7″ purchase was a 5 quid bundle of 20 Punk singles (mainly because it included Yachts – Yachting Type and Splodgenessabounds – Two Little Boys
I think it was Altered Images- I Could be Happy, without any means of checking.
Think it was this one, last year I think?
Having had a rummage, I seem to have bought a few singles over the last year or two…
Thought I hadn’t bought one in years certainly not since the seventies, checked back and the last one was this “Bonnie Portmore” (2014) Record Store Day limited 7″ single on the pink Island label
Here it is, Hubes. Were you aware of the Bert Jansch version from 1990, titled ‘The Ornament Tree’?
No but will check it out.
Thanks.
My most recent ‘new’ vinyl single was Katie Spencer’s 2024 film music release ‘Stirling Ash’ (7:41) c/w ‘Shuffleboat River Farewell’.
My most recent vinyl single(s) purchase was a couple of weeks ago – impossibly rare test pressings of the two Big Pete Duker [sic] 1964-65 Columbia 45s ‘Wishing Well’ and ‘Goin’ in Training’ from eBay.
My book on Deuchar/Duker ‘Northumbrian Blues: The Lost World of Big Pete Deuchar 1933-59 – Vol.1’ will be out later this year.
I got this one last year, as well. She’s really good!
Anyone remember the band “Eat at Joe’s” and the excellent7″ – “Watch Out Brother”.
IIRC Thomas the Vance played it twice back to back on Radio1.
I have been searching the memory banks on this one, but got there finally. It was Another Close Shave by John Dowie way back in 1977. It contained some ‘memorable’ songs such Naked Noolies in the Moonlight. I seem to remember that on the reverse of the sleeve it sad something like ‘If played on mono equipment it will sound worse than having your head shoved up a dead bear’s bum’.
I have bought a lot of albums since then though and, back in the 80s and 90s a load of 12” singles. Too many in fact, and one day will get round to having a good sort out. Meanwhile, I have no clue what happened to all my 7” singles, which were a mixed bag selection including Jethro Tull, Roxy Music, Family, Badfinger, and, err, Edison Lighthouse.
One of the Wedding Present single a month releases from 1992 – no idea which one (I didn’t collect them all). Possibly the one with the Twin Peaks theme cover version on the B side.
I reckon it was Danny Wilson’s “Mary’s Prayer” in (checks notes) 1987. According to Wiki it belongs to the Sophistipop genre, which seems fair – I see it’s already on Martin’s playlist.
It would have been Chuck Prophet’s Tell Me Anything (Turn To Gold) which was on the merch stall when he was touring in support of his Night Surfer album, which came out in 2014.