The Magnetic Fields: I Don't Believe You b/w When I'm Not Looking, You're Not There

It's always satisfying — in that vulgar, priggish and anti-social manner of the self-styled alpha-fan — when I buy a 'collectable' release, and then it turns out to be truly collectable. That is, I can't find any online stores that have this single listed for sale. There was a copy in California on eBay that sold yesterday for £7.50, but nothing on eil.com or musicstack.com.

At the time (I bought mine direct from the record label in 2001), neither song on this 7" single was available anywhere else. A re-recorded version of I Don't Believe You later appeared on i, just because it fitted with the conceit of that album. But then it also fitted equally well with the conceit of 69 Love Songs, so… well, so nothing. Just saying.

Both songs on this single get quirky electronic arrangements — different from most of 69LS and very different from i — and it's these that give the release its individual charm. When I'm not Looking, You're Not There is a particularly good example of simple pop song with wilfully twitchy avant-garde accompaniment. It feels like the single could have been a Future Bible Heroes release, but I guess Stephin Merritt made it without Chris Ewen's assistance, which made it a Magnetic Fields record instead.

MusicBrainz entry for this album
Wikipedia entry for this album
Rate Your Music entry for this single
Listen to one of the songs at Last.fm, in the future, maybe

Comments

[Jeremy Diamond]

Are you able to digitize that single? I've been looking everywhere for it. Shoot me an e-mail if you can help me.

[David]

Sorry, I can't. My turntable is 28 years old. The designers forgot to put a USB port on it!