Blancmange - Blind Vision

Thank God for great fans and Music lovers from around the world!!

Article Below Written By Balearic Mike

April 30, 2023

Released late April 1983, so 40 years old and still sounding contemporary … Blancmange – Blind Vision – London Records 1983

Though nowhere near as ubiquitous as their previous hit single “Living On The Ceiling” in late ’82 and lacking a line as memorable as “up the bloody tree”, there’s a good shout for this actually being a far superior dance record.

Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe had made the trip to New York to record this at the legendary Sigma Sound Studios with Boston DJ and produced John Luongo, fresh from the success of his remix of the Visage track “Night Train” for the US club market. Luongo’s credits include a dazzling array of remix work on some of the finest dance records ever made, including Patti Labelle “Music Is My Way Of Life”, Melba Moore’s “You Stepped Into My Life”, Dan Hartman & Loleatta Holloway’s “Vertigo / Relight My Fire”, and The Jacksons “Shake Your Body (Down To the Ground)”, and his influence on the recording can’t be underestimated.

While Blancmange always had a rhythmic, dancefloor friendly quality to their music, under the influence of Luongo they turn in an incredible, epic 12” version of “Blind Vision” which clocks in at just under 10 minutes long and has ‘club classic’ written all over it. An insistent synth bassline is augmented by an even fatter sounding live bass, a thundering drum machine is swarmed by ecstatic hand claps and clattering cowbells, and the incredible synth hooks are given a fuller sound as David Rhodes plays some incredible funky guitar parts and a brass section joins in just to up the fun! Trumpet is played by Bob funk! It doesn’t get much plainer than that. If that wasn’t enough, Jocelyn Brown contributes backing vocals!

The band were so pleased with the results they recorded their next album, “Mange Tout” with John Luongo, telling Smash Hits magazine “He’s virtually one of the group now, and tells the most fantastic jokes”.

The single was rightly a decent size hit, peaking at #10 in the UK charts. Sounds like it was recorded yesterday, and I still play it a lot. Not sure why I have 2 copies though … #recordcollection #recordcollector #balearicbeat #downtotheseaandback