A mix of "Magical Mystery Tour", "All You Need Is Love", "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", "I Should Have Known Better", "A Hard Day's Night", "Ticket to Ride" and "Get Back" is a pretty good way to first hear The Beatles within the confines of a 7" Single.
So, with this single and a copy of 1962-66 (The Red Album) purloined from my parents LP collection, I very quickly became an expert on all things Fab (despite never having heard anything recorded post-'Rubber Soul').
The Beatles Movie Medley was released in March 1982, and was in the tradition of the medley/megamix single which had been doing swift business in the previous year, most notably (to my memory) "Stars On 45" and "Back To The Sixties" ("Back To The Sixties" was another mix of songs that after hearing it, and a bit of background reading I was an instant expert on 60s music)
Even Chas & Dave got in on the act releasing "Stars Over 45" - medley including "When I'm Cleanin' Windows", "Any Old Iron" and "Run Rabbit Run" (to name but three) - in short a pub singalong committed to vinyl.
Two of my favourites from the glut of medley singles were:
Squeeze - "Squabs on Forty Fab" (B-Side to "Labelled With Love"):
Captain Sensible - "Damned On 45" (B-Side to "Glad Its All Over"):
Even The Sex Pistols had entered the fray as early as 1980 by including a medley of their songs in the film The Great Rock n Roll Swindle, performed in a disco/funk type styl-ee by The Black Arabs (I won't post a video link because I think it is truly awful, and the world will remain a better place without me imposing that on people)
And so we reach the high point (low point?) of the medley single.
Jive Bunny first troubled the world in the summer of 89 (sounds like a cue for a Bryan Adams song?) with "Swing The Mood" - a novelty single combining Glen Miller with 1950s Rock n Roll.
A novelty of minor interest, but in 1989 that sodding rabbit wouldn't go away returning in October with another single, and then again in December with another single AND an album.
The album was a DJ's dream - just pop on the record and disappear to the bar for the next 40 minutes.
Job Done!
(That's my excuse for buying the album anyway)
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