We’ve all bought magazines with ‘free’ CDs.
Sometimes for the mag, other times for the disc, occasionally for the challenge of removing the latter from the former without destroying the cover… but what about a magazine with an LP attached? Or is it an LP hidden in a magazine?
First published in Germany in October 1983, Debut was successful enough to justify an English version, which duly appeared the following year. Sadly, it did not prove to be the music/publishing megahit the originators might have hoped for; Debut lasted only ten issues.
I stumbled across the debut Debut in a second-hand shop somewhere and was curious enough to grab it, despite the Thompson Twins being on the cover. A selection of recent releases and a bunch of articles looked promising. That Icelandic funk-fusion band Mezzoforte* appeared on paper and on the vinyl sealed the deal. This was a band that both Ms Connection and I enjoyed. Win-Win!
It really is a proper magazine, with over sixty pages of stories, interviews, reviews (albums, of course, but also films and video releases) sprinkled with advertisements relevant to the well-heeled 80s hipster. There’s even a travel segment.
Quite a few of the bands I’ve never heard of—The Tunes? Kudos?—while most of those I recognised were of no particular interest. Never a big fan of Wang Chung.
But one interview stood out.
Looking (and sounding) like the punchline to a dirty joke, the former seven stone weakling (I’m quoting here) formed a heavy metal outfit to combine the sounds of Judas Priest and the theatrical splendour of Alice Cooper (I’m quoting again) and, at the time of Debut #1 going to press, had just released the single “Let the blood run red” (I know it sounds like pure Spinal Tap, but really, I am not making this up).
So thank you Jon ‘Miki’ Thor for brightening our days with your over-muscled torso and sword-wielding side-kick. Who knew you would be the hidden inspiration for Toni Basil’s hit single?**
Oh Miki you’re so fine
You’re so fine you blow my mind
Hey Miki
You really wouldn’t read about it (except in Debut).
SUPPLEMENTARY HEALTH WARNING: SMOKING TURNS YOU INTO AN ANALOG TELEPHONE
Enjoy this utterly compelling video, touted as one of the worst ever made. Turns out his middle name is anger, not Miki. Oh well.
** Unbelievably, Mezzoforte are still around and touring, as revealed at their website.
* OK, I did make that bit up.
vinylconnection.com.au 
Haha I know you didn’t make Thor up cause I’ve got a few of his albums. And they’re pretty awesome! Hate to break it to you but his middle name is actually Mikl, not Miki. Or anger.
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Oh NO. The Interweb has failed me! Still, never let the truth get in the way of a good story, eh?
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Definitely not! I still think Toni probably had him in mind… or was it Tonl?
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THOR HAD MAGAZINE COVERAGE?
I too own a Thor album, Keep the Dogs Away. I reviewed it a few years ago.
I first encountered Thor on TV, bending a steel bar in his mouth.
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Exactly what I’m planning for my first television appearance.
Didn’t Thor have a single called ‘Bitch School’?
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He used to explode rubber gloves with just pure lung power too. You can do that right?
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Rubber? Pah! I destroy welding gloves!
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CB has seen Thor live. He did all those things and more. I think he even blew up a hot water bottle. Memory is a little cloudy. Lets just say i was at the bar for other purposes.
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From what I’ve heard, I’d have been at the bar getting, er, hammered.
Who’d have thought there would be more Thor stories at Vinyl Connection than in Asgard?
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Thor baby was the last thing on my mind. His legend is growing.
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Are there music magazines that include music/downloads now?
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As a matter of principle I would avoid any knowledge of such an abomination.
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LOL
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I forgot where I was for a second!
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You’re absolved.
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That’s a relief 🙂
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I believe I saw Thor, or was at least in the room as he performed, the scary thing is he is still going and there is a movie, I Am Thor on Netflix. I will be watching this, and the website is here https://thorcentral.net Bruce you have brought out of the darkness a magical time in music thank you.
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Sounds like a movie to rival Anvil.
I’m amazed and stunned that there would be so many fans of the Norse god of thunder in the VC community.
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I just noticed I missed his gig in Portland, it was in a strip club though so I may not have got a pass for that. The Thunder God has universal appeal, and I think he had scantily clad young women on stage with him in the 80’s and apparently now as well.
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I couldn’t help noticing the impressive weaponry of his accomplice in the magazine photo.
Is it possible the Hot Nuts and Lollypops post has had some kind of knock-on effect? Very odd.
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I am a little disconcerted by the fact Thor’s chick appears to have a series of black tentacles instead of legs. Call me narrow-minded but I’m a bit of a fuddy duddy old traditionalist when it comes to octo-ladies.
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Is it possible that a couple of said appendages are his?
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No.
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OK. Noting Boppin’s comment, how do you feel about arachnoladies?
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They’re the ones who devour the male after the act of mating? Bring it on.
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LOL-thingee.
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No Thor on the vinyl. For shame.
I wonder if he pillaged and looted the magazine office after.
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Let’s hope so.
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Although perhaps the wild animals on the Thompson Twins heads would guard the magazine office.
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Hard to understand why something like this would last only 10 issues. I mean, it appears to have everything, huh?
Features on, eh, bodybuilding sword wielding heavy metalist? Check. Vinyl? Check. Bizarre cigarette phone ad? Check.
… and my word! That video is incredibly bad!
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Thought it suitable to tag ‘Curiosity corner’ but could equally have been ‘Approach with caution’. Still, if I saw further issues at the right price…
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Couldn’t resist posting this. Must have taken swedemason a long time to put this all together. So well done.
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Hi Peterk. I agree and thanks for the thought. As this blog is a Trump-free zone, I’ve substituted the actual video for a link.
Here is the link Peter posted. It’s very clever.
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I remember seeing Thor on ‘The Tube’ TV show here in the UK circa 1985 trying to ‘blow up’ a hot water bottle. It was shite but memorable. Thank you YouTube:
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Extraordinary. Yet I found myself moving my chair back from the computer screen as the hot water bottle became more and more engorged. Can’t beat cheap theatre!
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She actually is from Greek mythology.
Bottom portion spider, head and arms human, middle portion jersey cow.
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I loved this article, and I loved the comments section! Well done all!
My go-to mag (w. CD) was CMJ New Music Monthly. Always tons of great stuff there, in the 90s.
Me, I like the Thompson Twins. Nostalgia.
Thor looks AMAZING. What an act.
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My god this is an interesting little crack between the floorboards of the internet. I’m glad to pick around here with the other blind, multi-appendaged “things.”
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Specks of mythological lint between the sofa cushions, eh?
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It’s a laugh a minute on Vinyl Connection. But I bet Thor would have no answer to Maxwell’s silver hammer.
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Heh he. There’s a Marvel movie in that somewhere!
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This is the first I’ve heard of Thor. Given the response I’ll have to see if he’s touring around.
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Astoundingly, reports are that he is. Not sure I’d be brave enough to go, mind.
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There are a few tour dates for 2018, maybe more to come?
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I may have to take up smoking if it somehow leads to rotary phones!
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I think that’s a wrong number, Geoff.
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Perhaps that was the wrong take-away message from the advert!
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(Ring ring)
Hello?
Hi. It’s your lungs. Stop smoking dummy
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I think we should be open to the idea of letting blood run red. If that is what it wants.
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Agreed. Would not want to have to defend charges of being corpusclist.
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If it is still there, the I am Thor documentary on Netflix really is cringe-inducing fun. Before seeing it, I only remembered Jon Mikl for his iron bar bending and hot water bottle exploding appearance on U.S. TV in the mid-70s. The most endearing thing about the guy, besides his Asgard-fueled metal of course (of which the video you chose to embed is sadly among the lesser offerings), is his gentle(!) optimism about good things to come in the face of decades of evidence to the contrary. No Anvil-like denouement for him though, at least not to date.
LP magazine inserts? Wow! I did have a few of those flimsy flexi discs from cereal boxes as a kid, but had not heard before of this. Does your current collection allow for any flexis?
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No, I managed to avoid that particular rabbit hole. Of course, flexi-discs are ‘collectible’ now. But I don’t need another coat of tar.
Don’t have any Thor records either. Would you be at the front of the queue for a Thor concert ticket, Vic?
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I’m afraid I’d pass… but I’d still wish him a good crowd without me.
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