Wishful Thinking (Propaganda album)

Wishful Thinking is a 1985 remix album by the synthpop band Propaganda.

Wishful Thinking
Remix album by
Propaganda
ReleasedNovember 1985
GenreSynthpop
Length41:22
LabelZTT
ProducerTrevor Horn, Stephen Lipson
Propaganda chronology
A Secret Wish
(1985)
Wishful Thinking
(1985)
1234
(1990)

Overview edit

Originally released November 1985, Wishful Thinking was initially put together as a promo for the American club market, composed of remixes of tracks from the album A Secret Wish. It was compiled by Paul Morley and tape operator Bob Kraushaar[1] without input from the group themselves, who objected to its release in Europe.

"Abuse" (in two parts) are remixes of "Dr. Mabuse", "Machined" is a remix of "P:Machinery", "Laughed!" is a remix of "Sorry for Laughing", "Loving" and "Loved" are remixes of "The Murder of Love", "Jewelled" is a hybrid remix of "Duel" and "Jewel", and "Thought" is a short instrumental remix of the group's unreleased cover of Throbbing Gristle's "Discipline".

The painting on the cover was created by the group's singer, Claudia Brücken.[1]

The album's liner notes contain a quote by the German writer and philosopher Goethe: "Und umzuschaffen das Geschaffene, Dass sich's nicht zum Starren waffne, Wirkt ewiges lebendiges Thun."[citation needed] Which translates as follows: "And refashioning the fashioned, lest it stiffen into iron, is work of endless vital activity."

"Abuse" (in a slightly edited form) was used as the opening titles theme for the 1987 John Hughes film Some Kind of Wonderful. The track is not on the film's soundtrack album.[citation needed]

"Jewelled" was used for many years as the theme music for the BBC's Lombard/RAC Rally coverage.[citation needed] The Seven Network in Australia also used the piece as the theme music for all of their motor sports coverage in the late 1980s.[citation needed]

Releases edit

"Wishful Thinking" was not released on CD in the UK until 1994, when ZTT were reissuing their 1980s back-catalogue to celebrate their 10th anniversary as a label. However, the CD originally made a brief, unpromoted appearance at UK retail in limited quantities in the summer of 1988. Distributed by Island Records, they were marked "For Export Only" and carried the catalogue number ZCIDQ20.[2]

The CD was reissued on the German Repertoire label in 2000 (catalogue number REP 4901), and contained an expanded 6 page booklet featuring an essay by Jerry Ewing on the history of the band.

A remastered CD of Wishful Thinking was released on 4 June 2012, as part of ZTT/Salvo's Element series. It contains six bonus tracks, five of which appear to be "previously unreleased".[3] After the reissue, Superdeluxeedition.com described the original release as "something of a lost synth-pop classic."[4]

Professional ratings
Review scores
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Track listing edit

Original track listing edit

A - HERE
  1. "Abuse" – 3:26
  2. "Machined" – 6:45
  3. "Laughed!" – 8:42
  4. "Loving" – 0:47
B - THERE
  1. "Jewelled" – 7:44
  2. "Loved" – 6:42
  3. "Abuse" – 4:17
  4. "Thought" – 2:39

2012 reissue edit

  1. "Abuse"
  2. "Machined"
  3. "Laughed"
  4. "Loving"
  5. "Jewelled"
  6. "Loved"
  7. "Abuse"
  8. "Thought"
  9. "Strength to Dream (Outtake 04.02.84)"
  10. "p:Machinery (The Beta Wraparound)"
  11. "The Murder of Love (Murderous Instrumental)"
  12. "Dr Mabuse (Outtake 24.04.85)"
  13. "Frozen Faces (A Secret Sense of Rhythm)"
  14. "p:Machinery (The Voiceless Beta Wraparound Edit)"

References edit

  1. ^ a b Album sleeve notes
  2. ^ "Wishful thinking | Discography | Zang Tuum Tumb and all that". zttaat.com.
  3. ^ "Wishful Thinking". June 4, 2012 – via Amazon.
  4. ^ "Propaganda / Wishful Thinking expanded deluxe reissue | SuperDeluxeEdition".