Common Ground (Compilation CD)

Common Ground was the very first compilation album to feature Kate's version of "Mná na h-Éireann". It was released in 1996 and it features some well known artists. The downside to this CD is that the entire thing is disappointing. I only bought it at the time because it featured Kate, and this was really the only way to get the song at that time, but for a compilation of "Irish" music it really is a letdown. I would suggest for anyone that is a Kate fan to just steal this song off the net, instead of seeking out this CD.

The Man With The Child In His Eyes - Polish 7" Single

The Polish 7" single for The Man With The Child In His Eyes features a unique picture cover. The photography is by Gered Mankowitz and the same photo has also been used for the Yugoslavian pressing of The Kick Inside.

The lettering style used on the Kick Inside LP has also been used on the front and back of this picture sleeve. It's also interesting to note the misspelling of 'Bush' twice on the back of the picture sleeve. Also, "The" seems to be missing from the song title - both on the sleeve and the record itself.

Wuthering Heights - Polish 7" Single

Polish 7" for Wuthering Heights. The photo used on this single is a reverse shot of the same photo that's used on the U.S. vinyl version of the Kick Inside album. The photography comes from another of Gered Mankowitz's photo sessions.

The vinyl has a large cut out centre hole, which is commonly found on U.S. and Canadian singles, and if you haven't spotted it yet, note the spelling error on the vinyl label.

The back of the sleeve isn't spectacular, but I do like how the lettering from the UK version of The Kick Inside is carried over onto the front and back of this single.

Never Forever - Box Set

This box set seemed to follow quickly after the release of A Lioness At Heart. I also bought this one brand new back in 1992, which was another unofficial UK produced box set that was released through UFO Books. But unlike the Lioness Box, this one had a limited edition number of 1,500 copies and came with a certificate thing.

The box for this set has the same dimensions as the Lioness Box, 12" x 12" with a 1" depth. There is one difference between the boxes. The NFE box has a built-in hinge on the left-hand side so the cover swings open, whereas the Lioness box doesn't have this so the cover comes off completely. The other difference between the boxes is that the NFE one lists all the contents on the front of the box, whereas on the Lioness box only some of the contents are listed. The title of the box set can also be found on either side of the cover. The back of the box is completely blank, so I never bothered with that. The full contents of this box set include:

Item 1: Never For Ever CD. I stupidly opened my copy at the time. Since I never opened the Lionheart one in the other box set, I decided to open this one just to see if it differed in any way. Needless to say I wasn't smart enough to look on the back first to see that it wasn't.

What's really interesting is that they used a U.S. copy of the CD in this box set and not a standard UK copy, which is what you would expect. Why this was done is beyond me, but I can guess. The actual reissue of the CD might be a clue. This was reissued by EMI Manhattan, which was a sub-label of Capital Records at the time. If I remember correctly, EMI Manhattan was formed around the mid '80s and folded around 1992. It's quite possible that the people responsible for this box set got a bulk number of these CDs for a discount, which was more cost effective than buying domestically at the time. Of course this is just a guess, but it would all fit.

Item 2: T-Shirt. Like with the Lioness Box, this one also comes with a T-Shirt. Again, I have never worn this in all the years that I've had it. This one simply has the album title and Kate's name printed onto the left breast area using the same font. Personally, I think it would have been nicer if they had done a little more with both of the shirts.

Item 3: Postcard of Kate which was exclusive to this set only and was never sold separately.

Item 4: Certificate of Authentication. I absolutely love unofficial stuff with their special limited edition numbers and special certificates because it means nothing. Unless something is an official release, these things mean nothing.

Item 5: Never Forever book. This is another large format softcover book featuring loads of photographs. Most of them come from that tacky Amsterdam shoot with photographer Claude Vanheye. I know Kate wasn't a fan of the end result and got more selective about her photographers after that. There are some good photos in the book despite that, but I do feel overall this book could have been so much more. It's exclusive to this box set only and was never available separately. Unfortunately, this is another book I can't scan in as I would destroy the spine in the process. However, I did take photos of each page a while back, which you can check out in my blog page right HERE.

Item 6: Poster. This is a nice poster and it measures the same size as the one from the Lioness Box, nearly 17" x 24". Unfortunately, this one is noticeably wonky - so apologies for my less than perfect scans. I was trying to be careful and not damage it.

This box set was the second, and last one produced and distributed by UFO Books. Why they stopped making them is anyone's guess. They seemed to disappear as quickly as they first appeared, so it's unknown if there were any further plans to make any others. I always thought it was a shame no more were made as I would have liked to have seen one done for The Dreaming or Hounds of Love.