V/A - Banana Jack - 32 Frisch Geschälte Chartbreaker (Germany, 1991)
EMI Electrola 1C 2 MC 286-797004 4

I'm broadening the scope of this blog today. So far I've featured nearly a hundred Kraftwerk-related cassettes, from the very rare to some that are still fairly easy to find, some beautifully designed ones and some strange or even hilarious - but this various artists compilation must be the least dignified item yet!


1991 was a tumultous time in the record industry. Record buyer loyalty was waning in the wake of the dance music revolution and its anonymous artists, and compilations seemed to be the answer - even more than before, the market was flooded with compilations of recent hits. Soon, record companies had to get creative to find a "concept" for their various artists compilations, in the hope that those who liked volume 1, would follow on to volume 2 in a few months. I feel the Banana Jack series took this principle to its logical conclusion. A sort of cartoon character, simply a drawing of a banana with a big grin, with some gloves for hands (although the gloves are not connected to the body), Banana Jack is pictured across several editions of this compilation series. It seems like he's perpetually going on holidays; we get Banana Jack at the beach, or on a snow board, or even spinning on a vinyl LP in outer space. How this connects to the music, I have absolutely no idea, but presumably people who like dance and pop music are prone to cartoon bananas? There is some good music here though - Camouflage, OMD, The KLF... They also had some fun with the sequencing, where "My Side of the Bed" is followed by first "I'll Be By Your Side" and then "By My Side"!


This stuff had been, if I'm honest, beneath me, and not worthy of my attention, but for one simple fact: This double cassette compilation is a rare if not unique opportunity to have the 7" remix of Kraftwerk's 1991 single Die Roboter on cassette. The song was a cassette single in the USA and the UK, but not at home, and of course, you don't get the German-language dub in English-speaking territories.


The two cassettes were originally held within a slipcase, but my copy doesn't have that so it's just the two cassettes in separate jewelcases. And i didn't post all details of both cassettes, so you only get the shell and J-card for the Kraftwerk-related cassette.









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