A Flock Of Seagulls - Nightmares '1983

Tracks list

“Nightmares” was the 7th single released by the synth-pop band A
Flock Of Seagulls. The single was taken from the band’s second album
“Listen.” “Nightmares” peaked at #53 on the UK singles
chart on April 16, 1983, and #62 on the US Billboard Dance Chart.

The two B-sides reveal the often-overlooked experimental side of A Flock of
Seagulls. Slightly edited versions of “The Last Flight of Yuri
Gagarin” and “Rosenmontag” appeared on the original cassette
and CD pressings of “Listen.” Both tracks are extended for this
12″ and have never appeared on CD.

Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin was a Russian cosmonaut and the first man in space. He
orbited the earth in April 1961, a humiliating blow to the U.S. spaceflight team
which at the time was in heated competition with its communist counterparts. His
“last flight” took place on March 27, 1968, when the UTI MiG-15 (an
experimental jet he was piloting) crashed. He was 34 years old. The Apollo 15
astronauts put a plaque on the moon naming all of the men who’d died in
the space race. Gagarin was honored among them.

“Rosenmontag” (German for “Rose Monday”) is a festival
that takes place in Cologne, Germany in the days leading up to Lent. Rosenmontag
is the Monday prior to Ash Wednesday. It is likely that the band learned about
this Catholic holiday while in Germany during the recording of
“Listen.” Coincidentally, it is also the title of a 1930 film
directed by Hans Steinhoff.


The 12-inch single (often simply called 12″) is a type of gramophone
record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This
allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in
turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality. This record
type is commonly used in disco and dance music genres, where DJs use them to
play in discos or clubs. They are played at either 33â…“ or 45 rpm.


Tracks:

SIDE A:
Nightmares (12″ Version) 5:02
The Last Flight Of Yuri Gagarin 6:59

SIDE B:
Rosenmontag 8:02

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