What's the best free flexi you've ever heard?

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I've only personally owned the R.E.M. "Dark Globe" flexi that came with Sassy magazine some time in 1991 and a Pavement or Stephen Malkmus (can't remember) flexi that Matador gave away a few years ago.

I know they were somewhat of a phenomenon for a while, so what good ones were produced?

― paul cox (paul cox), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Billy and the Boingers, "I'm A Boinger" b/w "U Stink (But I Love U)"

― hstencil, Tuesday, 8 April 2003 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

the Mad magazine one where the song had multiple different grooves so it was different every time you played it. I wish I still had that.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Joy Division's "Komakino."

― mike a (mike a), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

"Motherbanger", the Pixies "tribute" from Chris Morris's Select flexi, back in the day. "My mother gummed my weapon...".

Oh and the Vistors, of course.

― Tag (Tag), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

My Bloody Valentine's "Sugar" flexi given away with Underground magazine in about 1989.

― flowersdie (flowersdie), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Frodus, "The Misaligned Men of Flomation" given away with some fanzine or another.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 15:31 (twenty-two years ago)

i only have it on mp3,but that chris morris pixies thing is amazing

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 17:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Flexi that came with The Bob ,early 80's- 'twas Endorphins - 4 song flexi - very Max's Kansas City sounding.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 17:34 (twenty-two years ago)

hstencil is OTM

Way-o way-o way-o...

― Jonathan, Tuesday, 8 April 2003 17:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I've only personally owned the R.E.M. "Dark Globe" flexi that came with Sassy magazine some time in 1991

This is the only free flexi I ever remember owning. I'm sure there must have been a couple of others, but they have faded from my memory so R.E.M. wins by default.

― Nicole (Nicole), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 17:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Flaming Lips - Thank You/Death Valley '69, given away with The Bob magazine. I also had one from Mad magazine that was a parody of All In the Family called Gall In the Family Fare. It was really funny.

― John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I got me one from a fanzine that had Flipper & the Dead Kennedys on it. It was good. Best, I dunno. I have a Joy Division one I like too, a live version of "Transmission".

― matt riedl (veal), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 19:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Very fond of Brighter's "Next Summer."

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 20:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Hstencil definitely OTM with his selection. I had almost forgotten that I had that!

― Jeff Sumner (Jeff Sumner), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

blueboy 'cloud babies' or the christine's cat 'your love is...' flexi on sarah. they're only free if i look at it as if i paid the $10 for the fanzine rather than the flexi

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 22:27 (twenty-two years ago)

The Poppyheads ep (either Sarah or Shalala) & St James Infirmary's The Boy Who Crossed the Street (Woosh)

― Jez (Jez), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

i have a tranparent flexi 7" from '82 or so -- i always assumed it was that crass song banned by m thatcher 'mother of 1000 dead', the faukland war commemorative single

i have no way of id-ing it except to listen to it, and it sounds like street riots with public address and band(but not easily recognisable as y'oi punk band) in the background -- a messy sounding collage seemingly deliberately hard to hear word for word

(they gave it to me at the record store, told me to play it to the whole family -- i was wearing 'establishment' school uniform at the time)

― george gosset (gegoss), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 11:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Crass = Sheep Farming In The Falklands (if that wasn't the flexi, then it was t'other one, "How Does It Feel", both mighty, and both relevant now)

Razorcuts = Sad Kaleidoscope (b/w Wolfhounds)
TVPs = Biff! Bang! Pow!
The Jam = Boy About Town

I'll second the vote for the Joy Division flexi

― Jerry (Jerry), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 12:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Temple of Bon Matin/Truman's Water

― j breitling (BlastsofStatic), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 13:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a couple, both pretty ok, the Clean 'Ludwig'/some other song, Slowdive demos. I SO miss my National Geographic whalesong one... put it on 45 and they sound EXACTLY LIKE BIRDS! My mind was blown.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 13:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I may have asked you before: Is Clean Bridges a reference to The G!st?

― Jez (Jez), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Someone did, I can't remember. Yeah, it is, I love that record. Also I was running out of ideas for addresses.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Once upon a time there was a comic called Oink.
About Pigs. Maybe three of them, but I forget now.

The first issue came with a flexi with a version of 'The Message'
(Original by Grandmaster Flash etc.) done by pigs.
Well, people pretending to be pigs if I'm honest.

The lyric:
"Don't push me, cause I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to loose my head"

Was replaced by:
"Don't eat me, cause I'm made of ham
Eat that nasty buther man"

YYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― mei (mei), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 15:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"Whatcha Gonna Do About It" by the Pretenders.

― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Smash Hits used to do flexis back in the early-ish days. The two I have are utterly classic - one is a titanic live version of OMD "Pretending To See The Future" at some university or other backed by that other contender of 1980, um, Nash The Slash and "Swing Shift", complete with chorus "Swing shift, soixante neuf/Tied to a tree with a skipping rope/Swing shift, soixante neuf/Keep on praying, you haven't got a hope." Aaah. Took me years to understand what he was on about, as you can imagine. Now let's see Gareth and Will cover THAT, Smash Hits readers !

The other was a Xmas flexi from 1982, with loads of pop starts pretending to be at a top seasonal shindig. I haven't heard it for years, but recall that 'actress' Toyah feigning being drunk, Madness singing carols in silly voices, and Adam Ant being very saucy.

Anyone else remember those ?

― darren (darren), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

does anyone remember the Mad magazine one, I'm beginning to think I imagined it?

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 17:29 (twenty-two years ago)

it was called "a super spectacular day"

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 17:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I had a Mad Magazine one called "Makin Out" - "everybody's makin out but me" - it's the best because I learned what "makin out" meant (my mother explained it)

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't remember if this was actually flexible or not, but I got a free single with (I think) an issue of the Bob, with the Dream Syndicate doing Bob Dylan's "Blind Willie McTell", which is a fine version, indeed.

― pauls00, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"Crass = Sheep Farming In The Falklands (if that wasn't the flexi, then it was t'other one, "How Does It Feel", both mighty, and both relevant now)"

It was "Sheep Farming" - "How Does It Feel" was a proper single. Crass also released "Rival Tribal Rebel Revel" (which was given away with the fanzine Toxic Graffity) and "Merry Crassmas" as flexis but their best one was a deliberate piece of maudlin drivel called "Our Wedding" which they produced as "Creative Recording And Sound Services" and managed to trick "Loving" magazine to market for them! http://www.southern.com/southern/label/CRC/09410.html

On the subject of anarchist punk bands 'though, how come no-one's mentioned the flexi Live In A Dream / Chaos In The USSR by Sub-Active yet?

Oh yeah, that's right - it's because we were total shit and everyone's forgotten about us.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:43 (twenty-two years ago)

biz markie's 'benny and the jets', came with an issue of grand royal...

― heywood jablomi, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

My brother had the Mad song with burping in it. Pissed off my parents to no end.

― nickn (nickn), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:52 (twenty-two years ago)

the Razorcuts track mentioned upthread was backed with Talulah Gosh, not Wolfhounds. get it right!!

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 23:59 (twenty-two years ago)

thanks you for the help with the crass mystery

i had a friend with the Mad flexi

a very 'straight' sounding American sets off for a fishing trip (the first 1/8th of the record) then the needle jumps and lands somewhere in the rest of the record for one of the promised 100 different endings

(both mighty and relevant now)

― george gosset (gegoss), Thursday, 10 April 2003 02:17 (twenty-two years ago)

"the Razorcuts track mentioned upthread was backed with Talulah Gosh, not Wolfhounds."

Actually you're both right. It pains me that I remember this but Sad Kaleidoscope came out on two different flexis, one of which was The Legend!

― Tag (Tag), Thursday, 10 April 2003 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Does anyone here remember Flexipop from the early 80s?

Coloured transparent Flexis every issue....Soft Cell, Police, Depeche Mode, Toyah.... I have every copy back at my Mum's.
I have that Smash Hits Christmas one, too..... flexi discs - how great were they?

― russ t, Thursday, 10 April 2003 10:06 (twenty-two years ago)

...here's the full Flexipop list... some classic rarities there.
http://www.whom.co.uk/html/flexipop.htm

― russ t, Thursday, 10 April 2003 10:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"Komakino"

― Paul (scifisoul), Thursday, 10 April 2003 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll second the My Bloody Valentine "Sugar" flexi given away with The Catalogue mag.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 10 April 2003 16:02 (twenty-two years ago)

heck yes, I remember Flexipop. Still got my Altered Images and Toyah flexidiscs somewhere.

― mike a (mike a), Thursday, 10 April 2003 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

I agree with U-Stink-But-I-Love-You. One of the best parody songs ever. The song sounded great and the lyrics were hilarious. I haven't heard it since 1988, and I can STILL sing the song to anyone who asks!

― Jim Miller, Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

it was called "a super spectacular day"

(from memory, so there could be mistakes. I haven't heard this in years and years.)

It's a great big beautiful
Wonderful incredible
Super spectacular day

And your heart is humming
With good times coming
And you've got the happy feeling things are going your way

All the bells are ringing
And a little bird's singing
As he sits on your windowsill

Saying Yessiree,
I can surely see
It'll plainly be
Most definitely
A super spectacular day

Until.... [multiple possiblities, such as:]

You go out for a spin
But your sun roof caves in
And your steering wheel shakes
So you slam on the brakes
But your gears get all stuck
As you sideswipe a truck
And you run out of gas
As you're trying to pass
So you're stalled on the tracks
And you're trying to relax
But a train's coming through
And it's headed for you
And you have one last flash
As you brace for the crash:

It's not such a super spectacular day.

― dlp9001, Thursday, 19 August 2004 16:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I have a sweet McDonald's flexi that came in a Sunday issue of the Washington Post in, I would guess, 1985... it features a chorus of enthusiastic fast food fans chanting the Big Mac song (the one Homer fantasizes about on a couple of episodes).

― Softly Weeping at the Oki Dog (Ben Boyer), Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"Motherbanger", the Pixies "tribute" from Chris Morris's Select flexi, back in the day. "My mother gummed my weapon...".

HELL, YEAH. The same flexi has Morris prank-calling The Sun's Piers Morgan as Bono:

"Yeah, we're gonna be takin' NWA on the road with us - they'll be joining us on a couple of tunes. One is called 'Find 'Em, Fuck 'Em and Flee', and the other is 'One Less Bitch'. OK, I've got to go, because I'm gettin' me arm twisted as it is..."

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Damn it! I forgot another one from my youth -- a flexi of a recording of underwater whale sounds that came with an issue of National Geographic! They had some cool stunts, that magazine -- between the flexi and the holographic covers...

― Softly Weeping at the Oki Dog (Ben Boyer), Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:23 (twenty-one years ago)

First one : The Faces "Dishevellment blues" well I like(d) it.

Best? Apart from ones mentioned, I'd make a shout for the demo version of "My Generation" by Pete Townsend.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 19 August 2004 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and howzabout "Three is the magic number" De la soul off the front off a Frosties pack!

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 19 August 2004 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

One flexi I had was some Canadian number, done by a group that sort of reminds me of Up with People but with a distinctly nationalist twist. It went: "Bonjour, mon ami/How are you my friend." Ring any bells?

I've got the Billy and the Boingers, a Clean flexi (came with Modern Rock), a Twix flexi and a Depeche Mode/Fad Gadget one as well. Never sure how they've lasted so long.

― Guymauve (Guymauve), Thursday, 19 August 2004 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Jean-Michel Jarre - Moon Machine

― (Jon L), Thursday, 19 August 2004 21:32 (twenty-one years ago)

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