Peppermint Pig

Experimenting with other producers, the Twins worked with fellow Scot and Associates member Alan Rankine on this three song effort, though not to fully successful effect. Guthrie later groused that Rankine didn't appreciate the band's music to begin with and swore never to hand over production duties again, though the single itself was a notable independent chart success. The title track appeared in both 7" and 12" versions; either way, the song was definitely a bit atypical for the Twins even at that stage, with cleaner guitar, light keyboards and a tight arrangement which sounds more like early Associates than anything else. The 12" mix is all the more unexpected, aiming for the dancefloor in a way which they would never really try again. Fraser's vocals mark it as a Twins song and no other, at least. As for the other two tracks, "Laugh Lines" has Heggie's bass brought up very prominently in the mix and extra live tambourine from Fraser, while the pounding "Hazel" does its job well enough. The EP was also notable as being the last release on which Heggie appeared before splitting to form Lowlife.