BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1982
“18 Carat Love Affair/Love Hangover” was a 1982 double A side single by Scottish post punk/new wave band The Associates released on July 23, 1985. The single was backed with a cover of the Diana Ross hit “Love Hangover”. “18 Carat Love Affair/Love Hangover” debuted on the UK singles chart on August 7, 1982 peaking at #21.
Described by Billy Mackenzie in Smash Hits as a “quasi-Neil Sedaka song”, ’18 Carat Love Affair’ was ASSOCIATES’ most commercial offering and a fine example of their supreme avant pop. Martha Ladly’s girlie shrill went hand-in-hand with the incessant synth riff in this tale about a gay affair that Mackenzie was trying to hide.
“18 Carat Love Affair” and “Love Hangover” were not included on the original UK issue of the album “Sulk” but were included on the US version of the original LP.
SIDE A:
18 Carat Love Affair 3:51
Producer – Associates*, Hedges*
Voluntary Wishes, Swap It Production 3:22
Producer – Associates*, Hedges*
SIDE AA:
Love Hangover 5:55
Producer, Arranged By – Associates*, Mark Arthurworrey
Remix – Mark Arthurworrey
Written-By – Marilyn McLeod, Pam Sawyer
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Associates – ASC3T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 23 Jul 1982
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop
CREDITS:
Design [Sleeve] – Macdonald*, Walsh*, Mackenzie*
Photography By – Alan Macdonald
Written-By – Rankine* (tracks: A1, A2), MacKenzie* (tracks: A1, A2)
NOTES:
Track A2 is written “Swap It” on the label and written as one word “Swapit” on the back cover.
Find the 12″ on DISCOGS
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: 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)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
Thanks. I’ve been looking for that second track.
I think i’m gonna like this one.
Thanks Paul 🙂
Thank you for the Associates uploads.
I have a bootleg Sulk tape, which I think was made for the Israeli market, and they’ve airbrushed the nude Billy out of the photo.
http://s152.photobucket.com/user/bid2winuk/media/18CaratLoveAffairbootlegtape.jpg.html
To those of you who haven’t heard it, check out Billy’s final recording, Pain In Any Language, recorded with Apollo 440.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzj4F6CTybk
Yo Bro you are great Music Lover Like me, 🙂 please upload my favorite Artist Bryan Adams Songs 🙂 i want to say you something about dead links ! when you re-upload any of Dead link please inform Or Notify me , and i want a suggestion for a turntable .. i want to buy a turntable please suggest me which one better for me . and tell me also about these turntable How’s it is :- 1. Audio Technica AT LP60 USB Turntable 2. Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB Turntable 3. Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC) please reply thank you
Hi Paul
I was thinking in if you have some singles of Johnny Hates Jazz. And (I don’t want to race you), if the Blue Monday 12″ post still to be a upload.
Sorry If you have been offend. That was not my propose.
Thanks.
Love seeing everybody dig these tracks as much as I am. Thanks!!! Can’t wait for the rest! Have a great holiday weekend
Thnkx for all The Associations posts.
Very nice, i realy like them.
and offcourse thanks for all your work and that you share them with us.
grtz,
Henk
Thank you Henk 🙂
Just got through listening to this great 12-inch Paul, and I gotta say thanks so very much for all these singles you’re spotlighting over the week. Whoa, Billy’s voice is amazing and gives me chills with his delivery. I rank him high with all my favorite vocalists — Freddie Mercury, George Michael, Meatloaf, Marc Almond, Andy Bell and Adam Lambert!! He is so brilliant in every way. I loved the remake of “Love Hangover” because it is so radically different than Diana’s version. I am blown away! And the art work on the cover is gorgeous. Your rips are exquisite… Read more »
Thank you Jeff have a fatastic weekend xx 🙂
Thank you so much for an Associates-filled week; it’s been wonderful.
You’re welcome VanceMan, I read that Alan Rankine was uncomfortable with the overt poppiness of ’18 Carat Love Affair’ so it was instrumentalised and shortened as ‘nothinginsomethingparticular’ to end the original version of the ‘Sulk’ album. When the song finally came out as a single, it ended up on the US version of ‘Sulk’ with a revised tracklisting.
If this were any other band the woman would be naked and he would be in the trench-coat.
Associates were a band I initially missed and only discovered after Billy Mackenzie was beginning to have a critical re-assessment. As I cannot think of one hit they had in the USA they were often delegated to that fine niche of the record store called the bargain bin, a source of many treasures overlooked by the clueless. I cannot say I have ever seen this one there or anywhere else for that matter. Thanks.
you’re welcome Joey thanks for your comment 🙂
I thought there was a long version for this single, Paul? Nevertheless it’s great to rediscover what a talent Billy Mackenzie was. Thanks again.
Nope all versions of the 12″ have the 3:51 version of “18 Carat Love Affair”.
My old 12″ version was also the radio length one; I wonder if someone put this version together with the Sulk instrumental version called “nothinginsomethingparticular” and made a homebaked extended mix?
Classic!!
What a week Paul. Sounds like you’ve had as much fun as we have. 🙂
It’s been a blast Jermajesty. Luckily it’s a long holiday weekend here in the US Labor Day is on Monday. I am gonna be taking a mini holiday and will not return until Wednesday of next week. I will have more Associate as well 🙂
Have a good (& well deserved) break, hope you find time to unwind. 🙂