Yello - Blue Nabou (1988)

Swiss electronic band Yello is led by Dieter Meier (born 4 March 1945 in Zurich, Switzerland), the son of a millionaire banker, sometime professional gambler, performance artist, and member of the Switzerland national golf team, and Boris Blank (born 15 January 1952, Switzerland) who writes the music to Meier's concepts. Previously Meier had been a member of the band Fresh Color and had released two solo singles, but teamed up with Blank and tape manipulator Carlos Peron to form Yello, and in 1979 they released the 'I.T. Splash' single on the Periphery Perfume label, before signing a recording contract with Ralph Records, home of The Residents. The following year they released their debut album 'Solid Pleasure', and in the UK they signed to the Do It label, releasing a couple of singles before moving to Stiff Records and having their first success with 'Bostich', a track which had already become an underground club classic in America. The trio proved popular with the Futurist and New Romantic crowds, but their most lasting influence would be on the nascent dance music scene. In 1983 they released their third album 'You Gotta Say Yes To Another Excess', which was to be their last album to feature Peron, and after a brief spell with Elektra Records they moved to Mercury Records in the mid-80's, where they released their most popular albums 'Stella' and 'One Second', the latter featuring collaborations with Shirley Bassey and Billy MacKenzie of The Associates. 'Oh Yeah' provided the duo with their sole US chart entry, thanks to its inclusion on the soundtrack of the movies 'Ferris Bueller’s Day Off' and 'The Secret Of My Success', while in the UK their biggest hit was 'The Race', hitting the UK Top 10. Next came a move into film, and their soundtrack work includes 'Nuns On The Run', 'The Adventures Of Ford Fairlaine', 'Senseless', and the Polish-filmed 'Snowball', a fairytale whose creative impetus is entirely down to Yello. Although their releases became less frequent in the new century, the duo became even more successful in their homeland, and in 2016 they gave their first live show in front of an audience. The re-issues of their records have featured many bonus tracks, including club mixes of album tracks, but there were also some unique b-sides and some previously unreleased songs, which are all collected here, together with that debut single and a rare limited edition b-side from 1983.  

Track listing

01 I. T. Splash (12" single 1979)
02 Glue Head (b-side of 'I. T. Splash')
03 Thrill Wave (previously unreleased 1980)
04 Smirak's Train (previously unreleased 1980)
05 There Is No Reason (b-side of 'She's Got A Gun' 1981)
06 Tub Dub (previously unreleased 1981)
07 Desire For Desire (b-side of 'You Gotta Say Yes To Another Excess' 1982)
08 Base For Alec (b-side of 'Lost Again' 1983)
09 Haunted House (b-side of 'Let Me Cry' limited edition single 1983)
10 Rubber West (b-side of 'I Love You' 1983)
11 Blue Nabou (b-side of 'Vicious Games' 1985)
12 L'Hotel (b-side of 'Call It Love' 1987)
13 Life Is A Snowball (from a Swiss promo CD 1987)
14 Tool In Rose (b-side of 'The Rhythm Divine' 1987)
15 Wall Street Bongo (b-side of 'Tied Up' 1988)