Friday, April 27, 2018

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter G, Part 11)

This slice of new wave from 1982 will be like nails on a chalkboard to most of you, but I fell hard for "Images of Heaven" back then, and I enjoyed ripping this 12" single today. I just pulled out my Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits to see where the song peaked. No listing. The mind plays tricks, I guess, but I would have sworn this single was huge. It did see it made the dance club chart. One angle I could use to justify having Godwin on the shelves is that I'm a big fan of David Bowie. Godwin co-wrote "Criminal World" in 1977 with his band Metro, and Bowie covered it on 'Let's Dance'. That would be playing with history, however, since I bought 'Images of Heaven' before I had 'Let's Dance', and most Bowie fans probably aren't all that enamored with "Criminal World" anyway.

If, by chance, you do like Godwin, here's a quick rundown on this four-track 12". This version of "Images of Heaven" is about one-and-a-half minutes longer than the 7", but it's about a minute shorter than the extended version. You'll find the same take on the "Dance Emotions" mini album. The other tracks are not the usual B-side fare. "Torch Song for the Heroine" was Godwin's first solo single, from '81, and is produced by Midge Ure. The flip side has two versions of later single "Emotional Disguise", including an instrumental take. I decided against ripping the instrumental, but if you want to hear it, I'll put it up. Better call security with the clamoring I expect from that offer.

Images of Heaven
Torch Song for the Heroine
Emotional Disguise

One more thing. You know it's the New Romantic period when the clothing designer is listed along with the musicians on the back cover.

7 comments:

Echorich said...

Images of Heaven is # 17 in my Favorite 50 list!

Brian said...

Echorich, I was holding out for you and maybe, just maybe, PPM. I expect crickets after that, but that's just fine. Glad we have this one in common. Do you have your Festive 50 up at your place? I'll dig around.

The Swede said...

This one's not for me Brian, as you might imagine, but it's yet another example from your collection where the cover rings loud bells. It's over 35 years since I must've unpacked this record and put it out on the shop shelves. How is it that I recall ephemeral stuff like old record sleeves, but struggle to remember what tunes I played before I hit the sack last night? Extreme old age is what I'm thinking.

Brian said...

I can empathize, Swede, I really can. We are all getting older.
I think they were going Roxy with this cover.

Echorich said...

Yes Brian PPM and I would run Godwin's fan club/press if he required it. He wrote a song that he submitted to be considered for the theme song for the 007 film Skyfall a few years back that is just gorgeous and much more in line with Bond than Adele.

Howard said...

Hey Brian,

Glad you posted this song as it also one of my absolute faves of the era. It found my ears via WLIR (related, great doc that radio station currently airing on Showtime in NA, maybe you've seen it). The only other Peter Godwin song I knew of is "Baby's In the Mountains", so I was intrigued to hear the other tracks. But "Images" stands heads above the rest IMO, keeping him within the one-hit wonder category, but that song still sounds quite fine today.

--Howard

Brian said...

Godwin! Now that is a big surprise, Howard, but a most pleasant one. We have a couple of big WLIR fans that stop by here, and I'm thinking you might be one too from growing up in that area. There are quite a few WLIR recordings from days of yore that have been released under the series The Last Broadcast. I featured one of Dr. John from 1973 a while back that's just wonderful. I have seen the ad for the documentary, but I have yet to see it. Showtime has done a splendid job airing docs from tele across the pond too. The Jam, Costello and XTC have all been on Showtime in the last year or so. Anyway, I hope you're well. You keep tweeting. I'll keep reading. I check in regularly.