ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter A, Part 6)

Counting this one, I have four more bands from the letter A that I plan to transfer to a digital format this round, and three of them called Scotland home. Says a lot about that fertile ground, doesn't it? It seems silly to go into too much detail about Altered Images when JC at The (new) Vinyl Villain recently concluded such a fine series on the band's entire singles discography. As you can see, I have much of the band's work too, but I'm not in JC's league. I don't have the singles "Song Sung Blue," "Love To Stay" or "Change of Heart." For more than 30 years I have kept half an eye out for them, and I have always imagined finding the trio at once when some old fan sells off his entire vinyl collection at my local mom-and-pop shop. Hey, it could happen.

Like many of you, my love affair with Altered Images began and ended with guitarirst Tony McDaid. I kid. Of course it was Clare! It was always Clare. Dorothy was fine, but we all knew Gregory got the right girl. In my youth, 'Pinky Blue' was the album for me, and I still enjoy it, but now the more polished 'Bite' is the one I'll usually grab. Here is the eight-and-a-half minute version of the band's finest moment. Even my kids like it. This one, along with "I Could be Happy," often become family sing-alongs on car trips. Hearing my youngest mimic Clare, proclaiming "all of these things I do to get away from you," is a real hoot.

"Don't Talk to Me About Love" (Long Version)