BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1982
“Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)” is a 1982 song by A Flock of Seagulls, the opening song and only hit single from their second album Listen.
The song exemplifies “synth-pop’s spaced-out loneliness” and yearning for imagined absent lovers, and is noted for its Wall of Sound-styled layer of synthesizer padding – a “multi-layered, hypnotic song”, according to AllMusic.
Unlike the band’s 1982 hit “I Ran (So Far Away)”, largely a United States and Australian hit, “Wishing” performed strongly in the band’s home country, the United Kingdom, and reached the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart; in the US it reached the Top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the middle of 1983. It was popular in South Africa, reaching #8.
SIDE A:
Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) (Long Version) 9:09
SIDE B:
Committed 5:34
Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) (Short Version) 4:58
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #26 |
| 1982 | Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) | U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | #3 |
| 1982 | Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) | U.S. Billboard Hot DanceMusic/Club Play | #26 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Jive – JIVE T 25
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: Nov 1982
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop
CREDITS:
Art Direction – Pete Watson (2)
Lacquer Cut By – BilBo (3)
Photography By – E. Watson*
Producer – Mike Howlett
NOTES:
From the LP “Listen”
Find the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net
THE GEAR:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
DAC: Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
Password: burningtheground
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Hey, would you please reup this file?
Thx for this extreme
I’ve never heard of this.
But, seeing as how it’s Friday and after 5pm, I shall “try” it. Cuz I’m just a wild like that 🙂
Thank you, PaulT.
Have the 12-inch, of course. And now I have it in DJ PaulT quality. I love that song so much. Some would say the long version is boring – for me, it could go on for 20 minutes. And then again, I wouldn´t spend my life just wishing. 😉
Paul, I’ve always loved this song, but for some reason, this nine-minute version hasn’t crossed my path in nearly 40 years. Also, what a bizarre thing to realize.
Thanks a lot for this one.
Heh. It occurs to me, that I most certainly love this song in part because of hearing it in clubs. And most likely, it was the the 9 min version. 🙂
One of the best records of the decade, if you ask me, and only the long version will do. Thank you!
Reading these comments about this song has been great, especially the praises to you in honor of your hard work. This song reminds me so much of my college days. We would always blast the song in the dormitories. What fun.
Love these classics Paul. Again, we owe you so much for bringing songs of comfort to us in these dark times. You really are about so much love and light!
God Bless!
Jeff
Dreamy song.. Thanks, Paul.
You’re welcome, robt 🙂
Thank’s Paul. I don’t know this track, but like the sound of it.
I am so happy you like it, Greg 🙂
Great track Paul. So many bands came out of Liverpool at this time with great pop hits – these guys, Echo & The Bunnymen, OMD, Teardrop Explodes, etc… There’s a great Lambanana sculpture there with them all on: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zawtowers/6713414821
WoW! I love that Jermajesty I would love to see that in person someday. I think if my memory is correct Dead Or Alive are also from Liverpool 🙂
Indeed. Also Frankie, both hit a few years later, but both were going at that time just not successfully. If you make it to the UK I would love to show you some of the lesser known music history sights.
Muchas gracias Paul!!!
De Nada, Omar 🙂
This was always one of my favorite Seagulls tracks. Thanks Paul!!
You’re welcome, Retro Hound 🙂
paul, once again the master of remastering, has done it again. ha ha. how do you keep finding these great titles, that i love. i am in the middle of a gigantic flock of seagulls project. i am remastering all their 7 inch singles, and 12 inch singles. now, my friends only like cd’s. so i’m putting all the 7 inch tracks on CD3. and all the 12 inches separately on regular CD5. there were 2 real boxset compilations just like that, and i’m recreating the tracks and covers. i do own the 7 inch one, and passed on the… Read more »
Nice to know that Mike is still interested in the band and their work. So many bands really don’t care about their back catalog which is a shame. Enjoy and have fun working on your project 🙂
Great track, Paul! Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the song back in they, I grew to like it more decades later. Have a great day!!
I always liked this one better than I Ran which has become played out.
Looking forward to hearing this!
I hope you enjoy it 🙂
One of their best. Thank you, Paul!
I agree 🙂
Fantastic track, Paul! Thank you! I remember finding the soft cover 12-inch single import version of this and overplaying it like crazy in the 80s. I Ran (So Far Away) and most of the tracks from their first self-titled album were really great. Then Listen came along and I wasn’t impressed (at first). Then Wishing really hooked me – and I later found a real liking for Transfer Affection, (It’s Not Me) Talking and a few of the other tracks. But even after all of these years, this 12-inch extended version of Wishing is still one of my favorite tracks… Read more »
You’re welcome, dugn 🙂
Thanks Paul.
You’re welcome, Omar 🙂