M+M – “Only You” b/w “Watching the Boys Fall Down” (WAKE 18)
“Only You” b/w “Watching the Boys Fall Down” Current/RCA Records WAKE 18 (Canada) Released in March or 1987 Produced by David Lord, Mark Gane and Martha Johnson Confession: I haven’t heard this on its 7″ recording format, unlike all the other singles I’ve written about in this series. But the time lengths on the labels...
M+M – “Song In My Head” b/w “Riverine” (WAKE 14)
“Song In My Head” b/w “Riverine” Current/RCA Records WAKE 14 (Canada) Released in spring or summer 1986 Produced by David Lord, Mark Gane and Martha Johnson For their sixth album, M+M’s The World Is A Ball, Mark Gane and Martha Johnson brought in their widest array of musicians yet that included key contributors to their...
M+M – “Cooling the Medium” b/w “Big Trees” (WAKE 8)
“Cooling the Medium” b/w “Big Trees” Current/RCA Records WAKE 8 (Canada) Released in summer 1984 Produced by Daniel Lanois, Mark Gane and Martha Johnson All album versions for this single… although apparently there’s also an alternate Canadian 7″ of “Cooling the Medium,” even with the same WAKE 8 catalogue number, that swaps out the album...
M+M – “Black Stations/White Stations” b/w “Xoa Oho” (WAKE 7)
“Black Stations/White Stations” b/w “Xoa Oho” Current/RCA Records WAKE 7 (Canada) Released in February 1984 Produced by Daniel Lanois, Mark Gane and Martha Johnson Exhausted by keeping a group of full-time members together, Martha Johnson and Mark Gane informed Jocelyne Lanois and Nick Kent after the final concert of the Danseparc tour (at Toronto’s Ontario...
Martha and the Muffins – “Several Styles of Blonde Girls Dancing” b/w “I’m No Good at Conversation” (WAKE 4)
“Several Styles of Blonde Girls Dancing (Edited)” b/w “I’m No Good at Conversation” Current/RCA Records WAKE 4 (Canada) Released probably in spring or summer 1983 Produced by Daniel Lanois with Mark Gane and Martha Johnson Were you maybe disappointed by Martha and the Muffins’ use of album cuts for both sides of their previous two...
Martha and the Muffins – “World Without Borders” b/w “Boys in the Bushes” (WAKE 2)
“World Without Borders” b/w “Boys in the Bushes” Current/RCA Records WAKE 2 (Canada) Released probably in winter or spring 1983 Produced by Daniel Lanois with Mark Gane and Martha Johnson Martha and the Muffins released two more album tracks for the second single to promote Danseparc. Opening with two thumps on the drums, “World Without...
Martha and the Muffins – “Danseparc (Everyday It’s Tomorrow)” b/w “Whatever Happened to Radio Valve Road” (WAKE 1)
“Danseparc (Everyday It’s Tomorrow)” b/w “Whatever Happened to Radio Valve Road” Current/RCA Records WAKE 1 (Canada) Released in January 1983 Produced by Daniel Lanois with Mark Gane and Martha Johnson In 1982, Martha and the Muffins were freed from Virgin Records (though not yet Virgin Music, the publishing division) and handed back control of their...
Martha and the Muffins – “Swimming” b/w “Little Sounds (Excerpts)” (VS 1136)
“Swimming” b/w “Little Sounds (Excerpts)” Virgin Records VS 1136 (Canada) Released probably in January 1982 Produced by Martha and the Muffins and Daniel Lanois The DinDisc imprimatur is gone: Virgin’s boutique indie label had folded by this time, and all its artists under contract were transferred to the parent company. Meanwhile, Canada’s Polygram division was...
Martha and the Muffins – “One Day in Paris” b/w “Women Around the World at Work” (104.209)
Licensing this single to Germany’s Ariola label must have been a quick matter for DinDisc/Virgin, if the cheap design reproduced on both sides of the sleeve cover is any indication. Superimposed over a generic photo of the Eiffel Tower is a promo portrait of the defunct Martha and the Muffins line-up — Martha Ladly, Carl...
Martha and the Muffins – “Women Around The World at Work” b/w “Twenty-Two in Cincinnati” (DIN 34)
“Women Around The World at Work” b/w “Twenty-Two in Cincinnati” DinDisc Records DIN 34 (UK) Released on August 28, 1981 Produced by Martha and the Muffins and Daniel Lanois In 1981, Martha and the Muffins were back in Canada for good; they wouldn’t have known it at this time, but they would only tour one...
Martha and the Muffins – “Was Ezo” b/w “Trance And Dance” (DIN 27)
“Was Ezo” b/w “Trance And Dance” DinDisc Records DIN 27 (UK) Released on October 30, 1980 Produced by Mike Howlett More than any other Martha and the Muffins single, this feels like the one that got away. Like every single they released in 1980 after “Echo Beach,” this made no impact on the British charts....
Martha and the Muffins – “Suburban Dream” b/w “Girl Fat” (DIN 21)
“Suburban Dream” b/w “Girl Fat” DinDisc Records DIN 21 (UK) Released August 29, 1980 Produced by Mike Howlett This is the second single that Martha and the Muffins issues in advance of their second album Trance and Dance. Upon its release, the lineup it features had already begun disintegrating with the departure of Martha Ladly...