The Associates: "Love Hangover". Single-sided, white label. Test pressing? Demo?

	£		41
	$		54

The Associates: Love Hangover

Single-sided white label demo or test pressing

We’re having a bit of a clearout of stuff at home so I’ve put my usual eBay sales of art and ephemera mostly to one side for a couple of months. I’ve got a large personal collection of vinyl, lots of which I don’t play any more, so one of the things we will be selling is records.

I’m not sure whether there has ever been a strong collectors’ market for British records of the 1980s “New Pop” era in the same way that there is for, say, progressive rock, punk rock, bluebeat or sixties soul. Nevertheless this particular record is such a rarity that I have decided to list it here and see what happens.

The Associates formed in Dundee in the late 1970s and have acquired something of a cult reputation as a consequence of the experimental nature of some of their music and their rock’n’roll reputation for fraught relationships and drugs excess. At first there were only two members of the band, Billy MacKenzie and Alan Rankine. These original two were later joined by former Cure members John Murphy and Mike Dempsey, and later again, by additional vocalist, Martha Ladly (formerly of Martha and the Muffins).

In 1982, after really quite a long run of singles that made little commercial impact, the Associates suddenly found themselves on a roll. In the four years after Party Fears Two, which made the Top Twenty in 1982, the band had nine consecutive singles that made at least the UK Top Fifty.  

Love Hangover was released with 18 Carat Love Affair  as a double A-side single in 1982 on the Associates “own label”, which was part of Beggars Banquet Records (ASC3). This is a single-sided white label version of Love Hangover only (the other side has no sound). As you can see, the only information on the label is the band’s name and the song title written by hand. The record has only ever had a plain white sleeve, so no clues there either. The runout on the blank side is etched with the peculiar phrase: “John-Fred The Silent Ones”, an identifiying mark that is not mentioned by Discogs as appearing on the official release.

I don’t think this version of Love Hangover differs greatly from the official release but I can’t be sure – it could be a different mix. It was presumably pressed as a demo or promo, or it may have been a test pressing. of some kind Either way, it is plainly a very rare example. In other record collecting fields it would probably have significant value but I am offering it here at a modest starting price.

The condition is not perfect by the way. The playing surface has a fair number of scuffs and quite a lot of fine lines. There is no damage significant enough to cause any annoyingly loud pops or clicks but the record does have audible crackling.  Please bear in mind therfeore, that the interest here is in the record's oddity or rarity value. If you want good audio quality, you'll be better off playing your existing copy of the standard issue single.

UK Postage and packing:  £2.20

International postage and packing:  Postage charges to international destinations are given below.

All postage prices quoted (UK and international) are maximum charges.  If postage and packing costs less than these estimates, I will refund the difference after posting (subject to the difference being £1.00 or more. Unless otherwise indicated, the postage prices I give in the listing are for a tracked and signed-for service, as required by eBay. If however, winning buyers would prefer cheaper options, I am always happy to help with that if I can. Please contact me for a quote.

I hope this description has given you enough to go on but should you require any further information, or more images, please do e-mail.  Please also look carefully at the hi-res photos – they are part of the description.  Thanks for your interest in this auction and good luck if you decide to bid.

Please note:  I will not respond to requests to close the auction early regardless of the value of the offer made.  Ending early is contrary to both the principle and spirit of an auction. It is also unfair to other eBayers who may be watching the auction intending to bid at a later time.

Synth pop synth rock synthpop synth-pop new wave post-punk post punk, new music demonstration copy promotional copy acetate