SIRIUS III MARK II

In 1978, the year after the release of his second full length album Score, Duncan Mackay released a non-album single called Sirius III. A few years later a revamped version of this track subtitled "Mark II" appeared on a single again, following the release of his 1980 album Visa. For those familiar with Mackay's albums from around this time, it must be said that the Disco stylings of Sirius III is totally different from both the Rock of Score and the laidback electronica of Visa.

Neither version of Sirius III has ever been re-issued on CD, but both are available on YouTube for comparison. The "Mark II" version is longer and the music is overlaid with some snippets of dialogue. Personally, I prefer the shorter 1978 version.

The B-side of the 1981 single is In The Pink, a selection taken from Visa. This album has not seen a CD release, but is likewise available on YouTube. The B-side on the original 1978 single, a track entitled "The Serious Side Of Sirius III" has however proved elusive.

While fun for fans to hear, this music has hardly a connection to progressive Rock or to Mackay's album output.