Bachelor Kisses

"Bachelor Kisses"
Single by The Go-Betweens
from the album Spring Hill Fair
A-side "Bachelor Kisses"
B-side "Rare Breed"
Released August, 1984
Format 7" vinyl
Recorded Miraval Studios in Le Val, France
Genre Rock
Length 3:33
Label Sire Records
Writer(s) Grant McLennan, Robert Forster
Producer Colin Fairley
Robert Andrews
The Go-Betweens singles chronology
"Man O'Sand to Girl O'Sea"
(1982)		 "Bachelor Kisses"
(1984)		 "Part Company"
(1984)

"Bachelor Kisses" was the second single released by The Go-Betweens from their third album, Spring Hill Fair. It was released in August 1984 by Sire Records.[1] In the UK a 12" single was also released on Sire.[2] "Bachelor Kisses" was the Go-Betweens' first real attempt at a commercial single.[3]

We came back from Christmas in New York having lost our record company [Rough Trade] somewhere along the way. I wrote this in immigration having been refused entry to the United Kingdom. The first person who heard the song was my sister. She said that Marianne Faithful should sing it.
—Grant McLennan[4]

In a review of the song on Allmusic, Ned Raggett, comments that such a comparison is both worthwhile and not misplaced.[5] He goes on to state that the song "has the rich, world-weary beauty one might expect from that singer in her 1980s work, but the song is very much a Go-Betweens song through and through. There's the same gentle but clear tension in the rhythm section, the crystalline but never overbearing guitar, the sense of deeper roots but a clearly modern performance"[5] In Mat Snow's review in the October, 1984 edition of NME he states "Only when we're confronted with a song so perfectly turned, lines so finely balanced and a melody so achingly sweet as Bachelor Kisses are we forced to notice how hollow most contemporary pop rings."[6]

The single and the album failed to chart in the UK or Australia[7] resulting in the band being dropped by Sire Records.

Swedish band, The Radio Dept., recorded an exclusive cover of "Bachelor Kisses", for the August 2007 issue of the Swedish fanzine I Godan Ro. Only 10 copies of that issue were printed.

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Bachelor Kisses" (McLennan, Forster[8]) - 3:33
  2. "Rare Breed" (McLennan, Forster) - 2:53
  3. "Uncare and Unwise" (instrumental) (UK 12" release) (McLennan, Forster) - 3:02

Personnel

Go-Betweens

Additional musicians

Releases

Format Country Label Catalogue No. Year
7" single UK Sire Records W 9156 1984
12" single UK Sire Records W 9156 T 1984
7" single AUS Sire Records 7-29156
 1984

References

  1. ^ "The Go-Betweens: Bachelor Kisses". Go-Betweens.org.uk. http://www.go-betweens.org.uk/discography/1984bachelorkisses/1984bachelorkisses.htm. Retrieved 4 May 2010. 
  2. ^ "Go-Betweens, The - Bachelor Kisses". Discogs. http://www.discogs.com/Go-Betweens-Bachelor-Kisses/release/937898. Retrieved 4 May 2010. 
  3. ^ Nichols, David (1997). The Go-Betweens. Portland, Oregon: Verse Chorus Press. ISBN 1891241168. 
  4. ^ McLennan, Grant, from the liner notes for the 1990 compilation album 1978–1990
  5. ^ a b Raggett, Ned. "Bachelor Kisses - The Go-Betweens". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/song/t1089829. Retrieved 4 May 2010. 
  6. ^ Snow, Mat (13 October 1984). "Money Can't Buy You Love". NME. http://members.ol.com.au/rgriffin/GoBetweens/198410NME.html. Retrieved 4 May 2010. 
  7. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0646119176. 
  8. ^ ""Bachelor Kisses" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=Bachelor%20Kisses. Retrieved 4 May 2010. 
The Go-Betweens
Other members
Lissa Ross • Tim Mustapha • Lindy Morrison • Robert Vickers • Amanda Brown • John Willsteed • Glenn Thompson • Adele Pickvance • Janet Weiss • Sam Coomes
Studio albums
Live albums
Live in London • That Striped Sunlight Sound
Compilations
Metal and Shells • The Able Label Singles • 1978-1990 • Bellavista Terrace: Best of The Go-Betweens • 78 'til 79 the Lost Album
EPs
The Peel Sessions EP • Worlds Apart EP
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