Silently Sparkling - Reviews 12 Reasons Why

12 Reasons Why I Love Her
12 Reasons Why was My Life Story's first release in over a year. Due for release on August 5th 1996 it was delayed a week due to lack of airplay. It entered the charts at number 32 where it remained for one week only, before dropping out of the top 40 completely, despite receiving good reviews in the music press...

Melody Maker voted it "Single of the week" and had this to say about it
Everett True: Triumphant. Epic. Grandiose. Fantastic. Soaring violins which sound like they'd die for one taste of your love. A voice that sounds like it was forged in the depths of orgasm. Drums that rattle at the very foundations of lust itself. Lyrics that dissect love with such gentle brutality that they nearly start me yearning for female company again. A tune that bears an uncanny resemblance to The Fun Boy Three's lachrymose "Tunnel of Love" - but, what the hell, if you're gonna steal, do it blatantly. "12 Reasons..." has been My Life Story's show-stopping final number for close on two years, and in no way does this dissapoint. Single of the summer.
Kristy Barker: I've always, always loved My Life Story anyway, but they get my undying devotion fo their "Oh Jake, don't get wry" line in "Silently Screaming" - going back to their ABC(remember "Martin, one day you'll find true love" in "The Look of Love"?). "She prefers the night to day...she never calls me when she says..." Jake, I was going to ask you to marry me. But how could I compare?

During the last year the band had seen a significant change in their line up with various members leaving and also a change of record company.

In addition to the main stream releases, some promotional copies of 12 Reasons Why were pressed. The most famous of these is the strictly limited (200) 12" version, 17 Reasons Why. This was only distributed to clubs and DJ's, however it proved so popular that Parlophone decided to put 17 Reasons Why on the next single release, Sparkle.

In keeping with the tradition of their previous releases the vinyl copy has a message etched on each side in the run-out. However this time the messages on the 7" and 12" were different.

12 Reasons Why (7")

A: A shopping list of love
B: Add all the broken dreams -
now stand well back

17 Reasons Why (12")

A: A shopping list of love
B: 5 free reasons with this record

My Life Story on this recording are
Jake Shillingford: Voice Paul Seipel: Bass Danny Turner: Keyboards Simon Wray: Drums Lucy Wilkins: 1st Violin Becki Doe: 2nd Violin	Rob Spriggs: Viola Ollie Kraus: Cello Sarah Willson: Cello Ruth Thomas: 1st Trumpet Roxanna Shirley: 2nd Trumpet

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was created and is maintained by Richard Harrison