ABC – Poison Arrow [12″ Single] (1982)

From the shelves

One nice thing about the 12″ and 7″ singles is they often offer some obscure b-sides, be it previously unreleased tracks, remixes, or alternate versions. Not always interesting, but sometimes you can really hit the jackpot.

One of my favorites is included in the single pictured above. The A-side is ‘Poison Arrow’, which was one of the biggest hits for British new romantic band ABC in 1982. The amazing B-side is called ‘Theme From Mantrap’ and it’s basically a different version of ‘Poison Arrow’, which gets turned (by singer Martin Fry and producer Trevor Horn of Buggles and Yes fame, here on piano), into an impressive vocal jazz number that sounds out of a musical from the 1940’s (it vaguely reminds me of the old standard ‘Why Don’t You Do Right’). I had no idea this existed: I grabbed the single because of the A-side, and I was pleasantly surprised.

If you are wondering why it’s called ‘Theme From Mantrap’, then it’s time for a little digression. ‘Mantrap’ was a funny short movie (or a long music video, if you will) directed by Julien Temple and starring members of ABC as a spoof of 50’s espionage flicks. It wasn’t the first time the director worked with a band, as he had already achieved fame teaming up with Sex Pistols for ‘The Great Rock’n’Roll Swindle by then. And, well, if you feel brave enough, you can watch ‘Biceps Of Steel‘, a very camp short movie he filmed with nwobhm band Samson, featuring a young Bruce Dickinson before his Iron Maiden days. Outstanding in, ahem, its very own way.

Going back on track, here’s to you ‘Theme From Mantrap’: