Listen: One And One (Featuring Maria Nayler) / Robert Miles
One And One (Featuring Maria Nayler) / Robert Miles

From the onset, 12″ dance singles triggered an initially slow, then ever increasing decline in demand for 7′s, as pretty much every other genre gained release on the album sized format too. At it’s peak, club music was almost never issued on a traditional 7″ pressing. The resilience of the mighty 7″ record won out in the end, with 12′s waning drastically at present, and the trusty 45 single having weathered a terrible storm yet healthy once again.

Instinctively, I never passed up a promotional, or retail for that matter, 7″ during the 80′s and especially the 90′s, particularly dance and electronic singles.

Almost in fear of insulting tradition, there were a decent handful of limited run, radio/dj 7′s pressed in the UK by the majors. Sometimes friends at the actual labels would have very hard times finding a copy, but the pest in me never let up. This Robert Miles single being an example. I noticed one propped against the board in the on-air studio at BBC London one day when visiting Jim Lahat. I wanted to steal it, but knew better. Good karma paid off, ended up with a copy only a few days later, unplayed. They were long days, by the way.

Released October 28, 1996, there’s a sticker on the back cover, ‘One And One’ became a serious favorite, and I mean a true serious favorite. A stunning example of how, when you think it can get no better, a key change, here at the 2:57 mark, happily proves you wrong. This record sounded great everywhere, on early morning BBC breakfast shows and at night’s end in clubs. I heard it in both places, so I can vouch. When this shuffles up on my ipod, the repeat command immediately gets triggered.

Now here’s a forgotten treasure some up and coming major label chanteuse should give a go to.