This is the seven-inch single sleeve for ‘European Man’ (EDM1), Landscape’s first ever vocal track, recorded on the cusp of the 1980s in December 1979 and released in March 1980.
‘European Man’ is undoubtedly one of the first pop records to be made using a computer-driven backing track – the drums and many of the synthesizer parts were programmed by Richard and John on a Micro-Composer computer, the Roland MC-8, which ‘played’ Richard’s still incomplete SDS V electronic drum kit and an array of Roland System 100M modular synths.
There are three versions of ‘European Man’ – this 7-inch; the Tea-Rooms album cut (1981); and an extended 12-inch version released in a plain black sleeve.
The record company encouraged us to choose a special catalogue number, EDM 1, and we added a tongue-in-cheek blurb on the back of the 7-inch sleeve: ‘Electronic Dance Music … EDM; computer programmed to perfection for your listening pleasure.’
For the 7-inch cover, designer / artist John Warwicker-Le Breton (later a member of #Freur and co-founder of influential art-design collective Tomato) pictured Richard as a Futurist Vitruvian man, wearing a jumpsuit designed and made by designer Anne Docherty’s Smartino Superbo.
It was re-released in a different picture sleeve in autumn 1981, which was when we made a jokey video for the track with writer Richard Curtis.
In addition to the computer ‘strings’ (John) and percussion (Richard), there are plenty of played parts: Andy’s bass guitar, horns, an electric trombone solo (Peter) and mighty grand piano and other keys by Chris. Lead vocals by Richard (with Andy on the ‘European Man’ refrain) and backing vocals by everyone. The track was co-produced by the genial (if slighly bewildered) Colin Thurston (1947-2007) whose track record at the time included engineering for Tony Visconti, Bowie and Eno.