Twelve Drummers Drumming – We’ll Be the First Ones 12”
If you’ve ever heard me DJ over the last 15 years, you’ve most certainly heard this song, no matter if I’m doing a guitar night, a synth night, or a dance night. The title track of this 12” single is an all time favorite, and it seems to catch fire with friends and club patrons alike. I digitized this single today because it occurred to me, after all these years of playing the 12” and the album, that the recordings are different – this particular version being a touch faster and more primal. Ultimately, it’s the same arrangement, with slightly different production. Love when bands did that…
Twelve Drummers Drumming were a German quintet, originally called Volkswagen. They quickly changed their name, plucking it from the famous Christmas song that we’ve all heard a million times in a million variations. They quickly released two singles in 1983 (this one, and “Lonely”) alongside their self-titled debut record, which was released the same year. Their sound is very reminiscent of the new wave/synth pop changing of the guard that was happening around this time, but the band still has a bit of that post-punk edge buried deep within. Touchstones for those who need this sort of thing could include Ultravox, Fiat Lux, Popular History of Signs, A Drop In the Grey, Silent Running, Zerra One, and maybe even a bit of Bauhaus’ guitar-glam edge or The Chameleons’ romanticism (without that stunning twin guitar attack, of course).
The band would release three more LPs after their underrated debut, sometimes using 12 instead of Twelve in their name, and changing a few members along the way. Their 1990 album Loveless (not to be confused with that other album that came out a year later) was produced by David M. Allen (The Chameleons, The Cure, Richard Strange, Sisters of Mercy, Wire, etc.). They’ve also released two best of compilations, one from 1992 and one from 2001, both which do a nice job collecting the band’s work on CD.
This particular 12” also features a live version of the track with an extended outro. The mix of “Wasting Time” seems nearly identical to the album counterpart, but your mileage may vary. Otherwise, there’s a video for this killer tune, but it’s the album mix that kicks off with an animated version of the LP cover.
Hope y’all enjoy this track as much as I do!
Twelve Drummers Drumming – We’ll Be the First Ones 12”
1. We’ll Be the First Ones
2. Wasting Time
3. We’ll Be the First Ones (Live)
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