Today, I learned by way of Reddit of a very strange story, something that appeals to both the vinyl collector in me as well as the lover of the Alien franchise.
Let’s go back to 1986, to when James Cameron released Aliens. The movie blew away critics, earned over $180 million worldwide, and went on to earn seven Academy Award nominations as well as winning eight Saturn Awards. It has since become a staple of sci-fi/horror and is considered by many to be one of the greatest sequels of all time.
One year later in 1987, another event occurred that wasn’t as heralded. Instead of focusing on the film medium, let’s take a moment to enter the world of music, specifically the kind that hails from Italy. I want to introduce you to Radiorama, an Italian disco group who released nine albums over their near two decade lifespan.
1987 was the year that the group released their sophomore album, which was aptly and pretty much in-your-face titled The Second Album. With such song titles as “Yeti”, “Warrior”, and “Love of my Life”, the album went on to chart somewhat decently in several countries. But that’s not why we’re here. Nope, we’re here to talk about the vinyl single that they released for the album’s second track, “Aliens” (“AH-liens”?).
The record’s design is an undeniable cash grab after the success of Cameron’s film. I mean, just look at it! The “Aliens” is written in the same font and styling as the movie and there are even two xenomorphs on the cover. Admittedly, there are some minor differences (the bottom right alien has these weird tentacle things that aren’t present on the xenomorph while the top left one doesn’t have those back spires that stick out), but it’s impossible to deny that these aren’t based on the infamous H.R. Giger design.
I have to say, I absolutely love the flat out gall in the design. It’s just such a “we honestly don’t fucking care” statement that I can’t help but admire it. And the music isn’t actually all that terrible, considering the decade it was released in. It’s super catchy and the music video is packed to the brim with some of the most awkward dancing you’ve ever seen. You can listen to them both below.
And if you want to pick up a copy of Radiorama’s “Aliens” single, there are tons of copies available over at Discogs starting at $1.69. You’re definitely not going to be breaking the bank with this one.
