KRAFTWERK INTERNATIONAL RELEASES:
TOUR DE FRANCE


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For exact tracklistings and catalogue numbers, please consult the full discography listing.

Country names are linked to the corresponding section of the discography.




Following the 'Computer World' tour, no new Kraftwerk material was released for 18 months. Then, in 1983, a new single was issued: 'Tour De France'. At first, this release seemed to be a regular single preceeding a new album, but it didn't turn out that way.
'Tour De France' was released in German as well as French language versions - but no English version was available. The German-language versions are available on pressings from Germany only.


German 'Tour De France' single



ORIGINAL VERSION



As 'Tour De France' has never been released on a Kraftwerk album, there is no 'album version' from which to differentiate the 'edited versions'. The closest thing to a 'standard' edit is the 6.30 minute version - the 12" original version. 'Tour De France' has been released in three distinct issues up to now: the original version in the first half of 1983, a remix in late 1983 / early 1984 and the current CD single / 12" reissue, released in 1999. The following edits or mixes are known to have been used on the first issue:


Tour De France german (Edit) 3.05 the 7" version, edited from the long 12" version
Tour De France french (Edit) 3.05 the 7" version, French language
Tour De France instrumental 2.40 instrumental version edited from the 12" version, used as a 7"
B-side outside of Germany
Tour De France 2ieme etape 2.40 instrumental version edited from the 12" version, used as a 12"
B-side outside of Germany, but omitting the rhythm track
Tour De France german 6.30 the 12" version
Tour De France french 6.30 the 12" version, French language



7" SINGLES



The most unusual 7" single from the first issue is the German pressing, using the 3.05 minute version in German language on side A, the French version on side B. There is also a promo stickered version with PR sheet available.
All other international 7" pressings of the first issue use the same coupling: French-language 3.05 minute version on side A, 2.40 minute instrumental on side B. Up to now, pressings are known from England, France, Italy, The Netherlands and Spain. All use the same picture sleeve (shown above). In Portugal, the first-issue single was stickered in 1984 to promote the fact that 'Tour De France' had been used in the 'Breakdance' movie (in other countries, this was tried with the remix). No picture sleeves are available for the pressings from Australia and Ireland.


Portuguese 'Tour De France' 7"



12" AND CASSETTE SINGLES



As with the 7" singles, the German 12" is unique as it has the 6.30 minute German-language version on side A and the French version on side B. There is a 12" with this tracklisting from Australia, but as it lists the remix of 'Tour De France' on the labels, it is likely this is a mispressing and was never intended to be released with this tracklisting.
All other international 12" pressings of the first issue use the same coupling: French-language 6.30 minute version on side A, 3.05 minute French-language edit version and 2.40 minute '2ieme etape' version on side B. Pressings are known from Brazil, England, France, The Netherlandsand Spain. As yet unconfirmed are the track details for the Italian issue.





Spanish 'Tour De France' 12"

English 'Tour De France' cassette

Only the cover of the Spanish pressing has a small difference in a '12" single' logo.
England issued a unique format: a cassette single. This release reproduced the regular 12" track listing, but the cover design was adapted to the cassette inlay format: Florian Schneider was simply cut off. An anomaly is a repressing of the English 12" from South-East_Asia, probably made in the nineties.




REMIX VERSIONS




Ad for 'Techno Pop' album

Matters get a bit more complicated with the late 1983 / early 1984 remix of 'Tour De France'. By then, the promised album 'Techno Pop' hadn't been released, but it hadn't been cancelled either. Remixes of the single were made. Kraftwerk did a remix themselves, clocking in at 6.44 minutes, recorded with German and French lyrics. Francois Kevorkian was commissioned to do a remix of 'Tour De France' also - resulting in a 6.47 version, of which only a French-language recording is known. These mixes were released around the world starting at the end of 1983, though in a very uncoordinated fashion. Then, 7" edits were made from both Franch-language remixes around the world, resulting in a myriad of edit versions:


Tour De France french (Remix) (Edit) 3.50 7" version, edited from the French-language Kraftwerk remix,
issued in Canada and the US
Tour De France german (Remix) 6.44 the Kraftwerk remix, German-language version
Tour De France french (Remix) 6.44 the Kraftwerk remix, French-language version
Tour De France (Kevorkian Remix) (Instrumental Edit) 2.00 instrumental edit of the Kevorkian remix, issued on promo
video only
Tour De France (Kevorkian Remix) (Edit) (fadeout) 3.27 7" edit of the Kevorkian remix, issued in Mexico
Tour De France (Kevorkian Remix) (Edit) 3.42 7" edit of the Kevorkian remix, most widely used edit
Tour De France (Kevorkian Remix) (Edit) 3.47 7" edit of the Kevorkian remix, issued in the US
Tour De France (Kevorkian Remix) (Edit) 4.04 same as above, a bit longer, issued in Canada
Tour De France (Kevorkian Remix) (Edit) 5.15 edit of the Kevorkian remix, part of a non-stop mix on the 'Cool
Groove Non Stop Blast Mix' compilation
Tour De France (Kevorkian Remix) 6.47 finally, the Kevorkian remix, long 'standard' form



7" SINGLES



Sleeves of the remix releases are bit more varied, as the sleeves of the remixes had to be differentiated from the original issues. In Germany, the title 'Remix' was simply added on the sleeve, in England, a message was added on the sleeve to promote the fact that 'Tour De France' had been used in the 'Breakdance' movie. There also is a 7" from The_Netherlands with a sleeve variation: the 'Kraftwerk' title is printed on blue, so that there is no white colour bar at the top of the sleeve.
Some other countries released remix singles of 'Tour De France' without picture sleeves: Peru, Mexico (unique edit version on side A), Canada and the US. The last two are promo - only singles with unique edits on side B. This edit is probably the best remix edit version around, the Canadian single using a slightly longer version.


German 'Tour De France Remix' 7"

Dutch 'Tour De France Remix' 7"



12" AND CASSETTE SINGLES




French 'Tour De France Remix' 12"

First Australian
'Tour De France Remix' 12"

Second Australian
'Tour De France Remix' 12"

Mexican 'Tour De France Remix' 12"



For the 12" remix singles, matters are complicated. The German version of the 6.44 minute Kraftwerk remix is rather hard to come by, due to EMI Germany producing a run of mispressed 12"'s: there is one pressing actually featuring this mix, indistinguishable from the original issues, but playing the German and French language versions of the remix. Only a glance at the matrix number in the run-out groove helps: original 6.30 minute issues end with ...A2 on side A, ...B3 on side B. The 6.44 remix issue has A3/B4 respectively. Both come in the same cover detailing the 6.30 minute versions. EMI Germany manufactured a proper remix 12" then, sleeve crediting the German language 6.44 remix on side B, but again it was mispressed. All pressings of this remix 12" have the French language version on side B. Other pressings featuring the 6.44 German language remix come from Australia and France.

In Australia, two pressings were released: one with the catalogue number 'ED 85' playing both 6.44 minute remixes (and with purple instead of red lower right cover edge) and 'ED 90' additionally featuring the 6.47 minute Kevorkian remix. There is also a cassette single version of this release, TC-ED-90.
A nice variation is the Mexican 12" with additional Spanish title. The 6.44 minute French language remix, 6.47 minute Kevorkian remix and original version 3.05 edit are to be found on the pressings from England, New_Zealand and Colombia - the latter without picture sleeve. US and Canadian pressings omit the 3.05 minute edit version.


Australian 'Tour De France Remix' cassette



1999 RE-RELEASE



1999 finally saw a proper Compact Disc release of 'Tour De France'. Just why it took so long or why in 1999 - Kraftwerk remained silent. But at least collectors were satisfied - although the single was re-released in Germany only. EMI issued a CD single (3.05 minute original version edit, 6.44 minute French language remix, 6.47 minute Kevorkian remix and a computer playable video of the original 3.05 minute edit), a 12" single with picture sleeve (6.44 minute French language remix and 6.47 minute Kevorkian remix) and a very nice promo CD single in a 7" colour folder with promo text and CD mounted on the inside. This promo CD does not feature the video track. Interestingly, Kraftwerk chose to remove the heads of now-departed members Karl Bartos and Wolfgang Flür and replace them with 'anonymous' heads (maybe they are meant to depict Henning Schmitz and Fritz Hilpert, now regarded as members of Kraftwerk).


German 'Tour De France' CD single




German 'Tour De France' promo CD single, outer side of folder

German 'Tour De France' promo CD single, inner side of folder



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