THE él SINGLES
Red Roses and Red Noses (April 1986) - él/Cherry Red GPO16T
A Side: La Pluie Fait Des Claquettes
B Side: Touch of Evil/If You're Missing Someone/Sirens Call.
12"-only release, the first of Louis' 5 él singles; all tracks recorded at the Padded Cell, Chertsey, by Ray Hedges (later to produce Take That and Boyzone!) and produced by Louis. Part of the Appointment With Venus sessions. Original sleevenotes by Momus under the pseudonym of "Sam Hall".
Like Nobody Do/Twangy Twangy -
él/Cherry Red GPO15
7" single, featuring two tracks commissioned by the Societe Generale
Bank for its 1987 Windsurfing Tour de France. Recorded God Knows
Where on a battle-hardened 8-track machine. Subsequently re-issued on
a variety of Richmond compilations (Instrumentally Yours, Bellissimo,
etc.)
You Mary You (March 1987) - él/Cherry Red GPO23 /23T (7" & 12")
A Side: You Mary You
B Side: The Blue Roofs of Isfahan (The él Theme)/With
You And Without You/Little Pad
The 7" (B Side: With You...) was also released as a promo single under the same sleeve by Vogue in France (cat. no 102 204); recorded and produced by Richard Preston at the Padded Cell; was originally refused by Cherry Red; the re-mix (by Mr. Preston) later topped the Japanese import charts and started the él mania in that country. Little Pad is the Brian Wilson song from Smiley Smile.
Anthony Bay/What If a Day (Sept. 1987)
- él/Cherry Red GPO31
A Side: Anthony Bay
B Side: What If a Day
The A Side (Anthony Bay) is an a cappella number featuring Simon Turner, Mary Phillips and Louis and was recorded by Richard Preston at Rooster 2 for a Spanish travel programme. What If a Day was later taped at Elephant Studios with the help of Eyeless In Gaza's Martyn Bates and This Mortal Coil's Deirdre Rutkowski.
Guess I'm Dumb (November 1988) -
él/Cherry Red GPO 40
A Side: Guess I'm Dumb
B Side: Smash Hit Wonder (Creme de Tete)/Cantilena
Louis' last él single, crowned "Single Of The Week" by the NME and the Melody Maker. This cover of an unknown Brian Wilson/Russ Teitleman gem was backed by the original demo to Smash Hit Wonder (written for The King Of Luxemburg's Royal Bastard LP) and Cantilena, an outtake from the Appointment With Venus sessions. Recorded at The Works (the future Chiswick Reach Studio!) with the help of Dean Brodrick, Chris Batchelor and Nick Wesolowski amongst others...
