News Round-Up
August 2003
 
Welcome to another page that collects together all the europeans and how we live references, that I have come across in the last year or so.  Again, due to long list here (I was saving them up for such a page!) I have put them all together here rather than clog up the News page. 
 
AEIOU Telephone Address Book  
  
AEIOU Address book   A rare Europeans AEIOU Telephone Address Book recently came up for auction on the pages at www.ebay.co.uk.  The item was won by fellow Euros / HWL fan Gina Achord who was kind enough to send me some scans for the website.  The book is adorned with images from the AEIOU 12" cover and characteristic Daevid Western scrawl.  It was apparently given out free as a promotional item.
Click here to see the Front Cover / Back Cover / Inside
 
A&M Records website 
  
The splendidly named Leslie J Pfenninger has set up a website / database containing details about the europeans' label, A&M Records.  The site boasts "mini-biographies of the artist's career history on A&M Records, followed by topics in the database with the number of entries in the database today."  The Europeans' page can be found at : http://www.onamrecords.com/artists/detail/Europeans.  This page lists that there is 1 collectible item in the database, 5 US Discography items, 20 International Discography listings and 1 bibliography reference.  However, to view the actual entries, you have to buy an 'artist report', i.e a downloadable pdf file.  In the interests of completeness, I ordered a full artist report for europeans.  The site asks that I don't distribute the contents for free, but I can report that there really isn't anything in there that hasn't been documented here before... with the exception of a small picture of the one collectible mentioned, a promo poster for the 1983 US Tour, which itself can be viewed at :http://www.onamrecords.com/gallery/view/Europeans.  The site is being updated by the day, and Leslie has told me that there are definitely more europeans items to come.  Watch this space!
 
'Separated Out' book 
  
Marillion biography  

A decent Marillion biography has been long overdue, so Jon Collins' 'Separated Out - The Complete Marillion History 1979-2002' has been very well received.  The book is very readable and contains lots of recollections from band members and fans alike.  Europeans and How We Live are given very good coverage in an appendix on the members' previous projects (3+ pages including a few new comments from Steve and Colin Woore plus quotes from this website, and a full discography).  The book is published by 'Helter Skelter' and is available from most UK Bookshops, and via the band's website at www.marillion.com .  
Visit the 'Separated Out' book website at : http://www.separatedout.com
 
'Separated Out' lyrics inspired by HWL incident 
  
Marillion's last album 'Anoraknophobia' contained a song called 'Separated Out' that appears to have been written about the legendary HWL Edinburgh Playhouse incident!  Steve Hogarth explains:
"It's loosely about a bad dope-eating experience I had with How We Live at Edinburgh Playhouse (16/09/86). We'd had this really long boring drive from Manchester and I'd made the mistake of eating a sizeable chunk of resin at 2.00 in the afternoon. Now the thing about eating that stuff is that nothing happens for two or three hours, so you eat a bit more. By soundcheck I had officially left the planet and by show time at 8.00 that night I had lost my memory completely and didn't know any of the songs. The place was sold out and Colin Woore's mum and dad were in the audience to see him play for the first time in his ten year career - Nightmare, all round really. So the song is based upon that feeling of isolation, terror and generally being at odds with the rest of humanity."  (Read the full interview at: http://www.dprp.vuurwerk.nl/specials/marillion/h.htm)
 
Record Round Up 2003  
  
  Over the past year or so, I have managed to get my hands on yet more Europeans and How We Live records.  It really does surprise me that there is so much out there!  Many, many thanks to Andre Rostek, Simon Buckmaster, Paul Norris & the many traders on ebay for these items:

Europeans - BBC Radio 'In Concert' 1983 CD-R 

BBC In Concert gig

The broadcast date for this performance is listed as 17/09/83, although I presume that it was recorded sometime earlier.  The venue is not stated.  Once again, this performance contains pretty much identical live versions of the Vocabulary tracks that can be found on the Live album, BBC Sight&Sound gig & Rockpalast video.  The only recognizable difference is the intro to AEIOU that starts with an alternate keyboard part (similar to the one featured on the 12" Alphabet Soup mix).  The announcer mentions the success of the 'Animal Song' single in the clubs of Hong Kong & Australia, plus the band's upcoming US & European tour.  He also mentions that this is the 'second time on 'In Concert' for Europeans - so there is still another one to track down!  The CD also features a bonus track of 'Tunnel Vision' from The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1984.

The tracks : Intro / Typical / Spirit of Youth / American People / Going to Work / Falling / AEIOU / Animal Song. 

Europeans - 'Captured on Chrome' Cassette 

Captured on Chrome I hadn't even heard of this one before!  'Captured on Chrome' is a promotional cassette that was available exclusively from HMV shops back in 1983.  'Voice of the Telephone' by Europeans is one of the tracks, alongside artists such as Culture Club, Gary Numan, Musical Youth and Annabel Lamb.  As the title suggests, it seems to be a way of promoting the new range of BASF 'metal' type tapes that took off in the 1980s.  Click here to see larger picture 

Europeans - Recurring Dreams Cassette 

AMC 5034 I can confirm that 'Recurring Dreams' was indeed released on (chrome) cassette in 1984 as AMC5034, having picked up a copy a few months back.  No exclusive pictures this time, but great to hear the songs without vinyl hiss or scratches.  The cover has a close-up of the LP cover statue.  It really is a bad cover, and I do hope that it is changed when the re-issues come out!  I'm still not sure if the europeans Live album was issued on cassette - we will see!

Click here to see the Front Cover / Inside / The cassette

How We Live - Dry Land Test Pressing 

White Label HWL The only writing on this White Label Test Pressing is the title 'How We Live - Dry Land' scrawled in black marker pen on the otherwise white sleeve.  The record itself has unmarked white labels, although I did have to stick it on my turntable to double check that it was what it said it was!  Not sure how many were pressed, but an interesting item nonetheless!

Click here to see the scan of Test Pressing

 

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