Before The Future: 1984-1989 is a 4 CD box-set from Then Jerico, covering their London Records output, 1987’s First (The Sound of Music) and Big Area (Outside) from 1989, plus a selection of single/ extended cuts and eleven previously unreleased tracks, that includes seven demos recorded prior to the band’s debut album. The collection is released on 23 August 2024.
This collection is a great way to listen to the first two albums and their associated extra tracks. First (The Sound of Music) is the sound of a band finding its identity, which was a cross between rock/pop and funk elements, and contains one of their finest singles in The Motive, which has aged particularly well.
The Roxy Music Prairie Rose cover version is delivered with respect to the original, especially the extended 7″ version, which has a clearer mix to the album cut.
The second disc in this 4 CD collection contains further remixes but it is Disc 3 where my interest really kicks in, with the second Then Jerico studio album, The Big Area. The title track (my favourite Then Jerico song), plus What Does It Take? (featuring Belinda Carlisle) and the final single, Sugar Box still sound powerful all those years later.
The extended What Does It Take?, with its ambient, extended outro and Big Area (Lost Mix) make this an essential collection for fans of the band and 80s music in general.
Of the extra tracks, b-side The Happening has a refreshing pace and features soulful backing vocals from Richard Derbyshire (Living in a Box), giving out strong Michael McDonald vibes.
Disc four features further remixes as well as seven pre-debut album demos, which show that the arrangements were already fully formed prior to the first albums final recording sessions.
Let Her Fall Blessed Days Laughter Party Stable Boy The Motive Muscle Deep A Quiet Place (Apathy & Sympathy) Play Dead The Hitcher Prairie Rose
Bonus Tracks
Blessed Days (Tokyo Mix) Fault (Dub) The Big Sweep Fault (7” Version) * Muscle Deep (7” Version – Julian Mendelsohn Remix) Prairie Rose (Extended 7” Version) The Motive (7” Version)
Disc Two
Extended Mixes & B-Sides
The Big Sweep (Club Mix) The Rack * Fault (Club Mix) * Muscle Deep (Extended Version) * Clank (Countdown To Oblivion) Distant Homes Let Her Fall (The Absolute Version) * Searching Prairie Rose (12” Version) * Electric One Life The Motive (Extended Version) * The Word (Live) The Motive (Midnight Mix) The Motive (USA Mix) Let Her Fall (12” Remix) *
Disc Three
Big Area (Outside)
Big Area What Does It Take? You Ought To Know Song For The Brokenhearted Darkest Hour Reeling Where You Lie Sugar Box Helpless Under Fire
Bonus Tracks
Trampled Underfoot The Happening What Does It Take? (Extended) Jungle Big Area (Lost Mix) Sugar Box (Blue Instrumental)
Disc Four
From The Vaults
The Motive (Nightmare Mix) Prairie Rose (7” DJ Version) * What Does It Take? (Great Mix) * Let Her Fall (USA Mix) The Motive (Longer USA Mix) Let Her Fall (7” Version) * What Does It Take? (Single Version) Let Her Fall (7” Remix) * Blessed Days (12” Version) The Word (Demo) * Let Her Fall (Demo) * The Hitcher (Demo) * Quiet Place (Demo) * Play Dead (Demo) * Stable Boy (Demo) * The Motive (Demo) *
Heaven Sent – The Rise Of New Pop 1979-1983 is a 4 CD compilation from Cherry Red, released on 26 July 2024. “New Pop” was a term associated with NME journalist Paul Morley, ‘New Pop’ came to describe any forward-thinking British music of the early 1980s which wasn’t ‘rockist’ or overtly punky and anti-establishment in outlook.
Opening with the “Full length disco mix” of M’s Pop Music, featuring Wally Badarou (Level 42) on keyboards, and vocals from Robin Scott, the song has aged well, and remains a staple of 70s / 80s themed radio stations. The low-fi charm of The Flying Lizards Money gives way to a pop titan as the 70s gave way to the 80s with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes Buggles and their biggest hit, Video Killed The Radio Star.
Godley And Creme’s An Englishman in New York from their 1979 album Freeze Frame, highlights the duos more experimental side, as compared to their later success with Wedding Bells and Cry.
“They boggle at menus in Olde English verse “Ode to a burger” by Keats at his worst The hissing of omelets the breaking of legs Don’t shoot till you see the whites of their eggs”
Young ‘n’ Russian from The Korgis preceded their biggest hits (If I Had You and the classic Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime), and is an often overlooked part of their legacy. Living By Numbers from Tony Mansfield’s New Musik is, like The Buggles, a sneak peak into the sound that would soon come to define the next decade. Living By Numbers has a charming naivety that holds fast, even after all these years.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s Red Frame / White Light is the Liverpool band mixing their early experimentalism with a snappy chorus. Toyah’s Bird in Flight sees the band starting to move away from their new wave roots, displayed on the excellent Sheep Farming in Barnet album, into the more electronic sound that would give them success in the early 80s with Ieya and It’s A Mystery.
One of the highlights of the collection is Dream Sequence from Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls. This classic electronic single from 1980 is a lost gem, from the timeless Pauline Murray and The Invisible Girls album, that was produced by Martin Hannett. Following the split of Pauline’s previous band, Penetration (Come Into The Open remains a favourite new wave single), Pauline and Penetration bassist Robert Blamire were joined by a cast including Vini Reilly, the Buzzcocks John Maher, Wayne Hussey and New Order’s Bernard Sumner on an album that is a must listen from the early 80s.
The Clash offer Hitsville UK from their fourth album Sandinista!, featuring vocals from Mick Jones and US singer Ellen Foley (check out her Strummer/Jones heavy Spirit of St. Louis album from 1981). The Passions I’m In Love With A German Film Star is a staple on new wave compilations, but deserves to be championed and sounds better with age.
“I’m in love with a German film star, I once saw in a bar Sitting in a corner in imperfect clothes Trying not to pose, for the cameras and the girls It’s a glamorous world”
African And White (Inevitable Version) from China Crisis is another sign that Liverpool was one of the strongest regions for late 70s and early 80s music. Is Vic There? was the only hit from Department S, and works so well due to its iconic guitar riff and propulsive beat. The Art Of Parties from Japan was an insistently catchy single highlighting all band members musical strengths. Altered Images are represented with A Day’s Wait, a Siouxsie and the Banshees influenced song, produced by the Banshees bassist Steve Severin.
The early Heaven 17 single I’m Your Money shows the influence they had on the burgeoning electronic music of the decade. Disc one ends with The Associates Q Quarters and its encouraging to hear a less obvious track from the duo. The Situation Two single from 1981 is a dark, brooding piece, with a restrained vocal from Billy Mackenzie. I still cannot believe we have lost Mackenzie and Alan Rankine, both are huge losses to music.
Disc two opens with Eurythmics and Never Gonna Cry Again, produced by Conny Plank, and from the era just before the massive success that followed from Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) onwards. Like a lot of Eurythmics material, time has been kind to Never Gonna Cry Again. Thomas Dolby’s debut single Urges is a more lo-fi release, compared to his majestic later material such as The Flat Earth, but highlights Dolby’s knack for adding layer upon layer of hooks to his songs.
The Slits Earthbeat (7” Version) (featuring future Banshees drummer Budgie) is a welcome addition as one of the post-punk highlights on this collection. Hazel O’Connor was at her best for me with the Breaking Glass album, but this is a respectful cover of the early Stranglers classic. Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call was a wonderful period in Simple Mind’s back catalogue, giving us the majestic The American and the track on this compilation, Sweat in Bullet. The band seem to be having a bit of a critical renaissance at the moment, and about time too.
Bedsitter is one of Soft Cell’s finest early singles and so another excellent addition. Chas Jankel contributes Questionnaire, and brings with him some of the pure, undistilled funk of The Blockheads, with lyrics from Ian Dury. The percussion from Charley Charles is out of this world.
Mad Eyed Screamer brings us back to Budgie and Siouxsie Sioux, and their first hit. Who needs a band when you have Budgie and Siouxsie Sioux at their creative peak (JuJu was also released in 1981). Tears for Fears debut single Suffer The Children is scheduled next to Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) from Haircut 100. Disc two shows a shift away from post-punk into a more dance / Latin infused era for pop music.
Tiny Children remains one of the highlights from the too short career of Liverpool’s Teardrop Explodes. Mari Wilson seemed to disappear from the charts almost as soon as she arrived, but the 50’s musical influenced Beat The Beat is a good, nostalgic pop single. The Day My Pad Went Mad from John Cooper Clarke is filled with JCC’s typically witty wordplay, delivered in his trademark Salford drawl.
Disc three opens with the mighty ABC, and their Trevor Horn produced single Poison Arrow. It still sounds sumptuous all those years later. The De Harriss led version of Fashiøn contribute their influential electronic single Streetplayer (Mechanik). How this Birmingham band were not global megastars is a mystery to me. If you ever come across their 1982 album Fabrique, I can heartily recommend it. All killer….
Culture Club are represented with the percussion heavy White Boy (Extended Mix), here in all its 6 minute plus glory. Scritti Politti offer the seemingly plastic soul / Young Americans Bowie influenced Faithless, a fine single, but the band really hit their peak for me with the glossy pop of Cupid & Psyche 85three years later. Swamp Children and Taste What’s Rhythm is one of the tracks I was not familiar with from Heaven Sent – The Rise Of New Pop 1979-1983, and is performed on top of a delicious percussive backing.
Iron Out The Rough Spots was one of the few singles on Paul Young’s No Parlez that did not chart. I went to a recent Dolby Atmos playback of the album, organised by Super Deluxe Edition, and the Dolby Atmos mix adds a fresh excitement to this familiar album. Any compilation that highlights the finest band to come out of Sheffield, The Comsat Angels, is an instant friend of mine. After The Rain (single remix) showcases the band as they were shifting on their axis, from heavy post-punk towards a more commercial mid-80s rock / pop sound. After The Rain is a classic single. I miss the band so much, I wish we had more material from them.
Pale Fountains and Thank You is up there with Wah’s The Story of the Blues as one of the great Liverpool singles. The Pale Fountains released two fantastic albums over the next few years, with Thank You being a radio hit, but the commercial breakthrough never materialised, but the beautiful music remains. Glasgow’s Set The Tone and Dance Sucker still sounds as funky as hell. Beat Surrender ‘b’ side Shopping is an interesting inclusion from The Jam, with Weller’s horizon widening as The Style Council loomed ever nearer.
The final disc is the most “commercial” in this compendium of musical delights, with Lets Go To Bed, one of my favourite singles from The Cure. The 12″ version (not included here) is a delight. The Stranglers and their acoustic meets electronica period from the Feline album, with lead single European Female, fits the new pop aesthetic perfectly. The barracuda bass and jagged guitar replaced by a more sophisticated 80s palette.
Tracie Young delivered some warm pop / funk, and 1983’s The House That Jack Built was a slice of breezy pop that still sounds so optimistic. Paul Weller appears again with The Style Council’s Headstart For Happiness, an acoustic and Hammond driven pop song. County Durham’s Kane Gang have their 1983 single Brother Brother included, a song I missed on its original release, but one that I would have bought if I had been aware of it. A wonderful piece of UK funk / pop with a lovely refrain towards the end of the song.
The jangly guitar pop of Friends Again and State Of Art features two artists whose later work moved me greatly, James Grant and Chris Thomson, whose band The Bathers have released album after album of high quality, orchestral soulful pop. State of Art is very much of its time, but still a quality song. The final tracks on the compilation highlight the alternative indie-pop of Furniture and the sample heavy Colourbox and the still haunting Moments in Love from Art of Noise, with the technological advances of the 80s now in full effect.
Heaven Sent – The Rise Of New Pop 1979-1983 is a fascinating snapshot of an interesting period in the UK’s musical history. Fans of the late 70s and early 80s will find plenty to love in this expertly compiled collection.
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DISC ONE M – Pop Musik (Full Length Disco Mix) The Flying Lizards – Money The Buggles – Video Killed The Radio Star Godley And Creme – An Englishman In New York (Single Version) The Korgis – Young & Russian New Musik – Living By Numbers Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Red Frame/ White Light Toyah – Bird In Flight Grace Jones – She’s Lost Control Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls – Dream Sequence (One) The Clash – Hitsville U.K. The Passions – I’m In Love With A German Film Star The Human League – Boys And Girls China Crisis – African And White (Inevitable Version) Fad Gadget – Make Room Department S – Is Vic There? Japan – The Art Of Parties Altered Images – A Day’s Wait Heaven 17 – I’m Your Money Thomas Leer – Letter From America The Associates – Q Quarters
DISC TWO
Eurythmics – Never Gonna Cry Again Thomas Dolby – Urges The Slits – Earthbeat (7” Version) Monsoon – Ever So Lonely (Indipop version) Hazel O’Connor – Hanging Around Anthony More – World Service (Single Version) A Flock Of Seagulls – Telecommunication Simple Minds – Sweat In Bullet Soft Cell – Bedsitter Chas Jankel – Questionnaire The Creatures – Mad Eyed Screamer Tears For Fears – Suffer The Children Haircut One Hundred – Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Liars A To E (Single Version) The Teardrop Explodes – Tiny Children Rip Rig And Panic – Bob Hope Takes Risks Mari Wilson – Beat The Beat TV21 With The Cannizarro Strings – All Join Hands The Undertones – Beautiful Friend Blue Rondo A La Turk – Klactoveesedstein John Cooper Clarke – The Day My Pad Went Mad
DISC THREE
ABC – Poison Arrow Fashion – Streetplayer-Mechanik The Fun Boy Three – The Telephone Always Rings Culture Club – White Boy (Extended Mix) Scritti Politti – Faithless Elvis Costello & The Attractions – You Little Fool Haysi Fantayzee – John Wayne Is Big Leggy The Apollinaires – The Feeling’s Gone Weekend – Past Meets Present King Trigger – River Swamp Children – Taste What’s Rhythm Dead Or Alive – The Stranger Paul Young – Iron Out The Rough Spots Wide Boy Awake – Chicken Outlaw Comsat Angels – After The Rain (Single Remix) The Higsons – Tear The Whole Thing Down The Pale Fountains – Thank You Set The Tone – Dance Sucker The Jam – Shopping
DISC FOUR
The Cure – Lets Go To Bed Malcolm McLaren And The World’s Famous Supreme Team – Buffalo Gals The Stranglers – European Female Madness – Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day) Tracie – The House That Jack Built Hey! Elastica – Suck A Little Honey Paul Haig – Heaven Sent Eyeless In Gaza – New Risen The Style Council – Headstart For Happiness (Single Version) JoBoxers – Johnny Friendly The Kane Gang – Brother Brother The Special AKA – Bright Lights Dislocation Dance – Show Me Friends Again – State Of Art Ian Dury – Really Glad You Came Colour Box – Shotgun Furniture – Robert Nightman’s Story Swallow Tongue – Animation The Art Of Noise – Moments in Love
The Regan & Bricheno bandcamp page sets the scene for this album:
“With Julianne Regan as a green-eyed Elizabeth Taylor to Tim Bricheno’s temperant Richard Burton, All About Eve rides again – in spirit if not in name.”
This is a great scene setter, as APPARITIONS is clearly not just a continuation of the All About Eve songbook, but an expansion of Julianne and Tim’s songwriting and arrangement skills. It would have probably been very easy to rehash past glories, and tread a safe path, but any fears of this being the case are smashed to pieces within a couple of songs.
The album opens with the only “old” track, RAINDROPS, which was released on the now out-of-print 2006 Keepsakes All About Eve compilation, and at the time was one of the first tracks to feature Tim Bricheno playing on an All About Eve song since 1989.
RAINDROPS deserves to be heard again away from the compilation, and is a lovely pop song, underpinned by jagged guitar lines.
Out with the old and in with the new. PALE BLUE EARTH feels like it is referencing Bowie at several points in the lyrics, and again with the affectionate musical nod to Heroes towards the end of the track. The playful, widescreen production is what I hoped to hear, after soaking up the sneak previews we were treated to prior to the albums release on the duos social channels.
PALE BLUE EARTH is the first song on the album to draw its inspiration from the past – with late 50s / 60s space race references indicating the endless possibilities of the future. The experimentation in performance and production is a clear step-up from Julianne’s and Tim’s past collaborations.
SÉANCE widens the musical palette further, with a psychedelic, trippy soundscape, and Twin Peaks referencing keyboard lines. Before the drum machine kicks in, I get hints of early John Foxx in the use of space and minimalism.
“Is there anyone there? Silk echoes, electric, on paper thin air A soft phosphorescence, a liminal presence, The scrape of a chair”
There is a real maturity in the arrangement on SÉANCE, with the track twisting and changing pace, but it never feels forced or un-natural. Throughout the whole album, the guitar is a natural part of the equation, used sparingly so when it appears, it cuts through to maximum effect.
With LUXURY OF REFLECTION, nostalgia seeps through every single note of this beautiful track. Falling snow (referenced in several songs), wistful strings, bells and an icy, Goldfrapp Felt Mountain melody are key ingredients that will surely tug at your emotions.
The memories are warm and sepia-tinged, apart from the quite sharp line towards the end.
“Of all the songs I’ve written for you Here’s the one you’ll never hear”
RADIUM already seems to be an early fan favourite from reading the comments on social media. An unconventional love song spraying its deep longing amongst the mushroom clouds, sadly RADIUM was released a little too late to be included in the soundtrack to Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, as it would have been a perfect fit.
AMERICA is perfectly placed in the running order next to RADIUM. Both are similarly paced and are both paeans to the culture and idealism of the ghost of America. Amongst the beautiful, delicate arrangements on AMERICA comes a discordant guitar line that jars and jolts you, before quickly giving way to mellotrons and atmospheric, spacey guitars.
The love and endless exploration that has gone into the production on this song makes it a pure joy to listen to. Real hairs on the back of your neck stuff, as instruments pan back and forth across the rich soundscape.
At the time of writing, this is my personal favourite from the album.
“And I’d have liked to have found Wild blueberries after the first frost And I’d have dressed warmly Brought my camera along”
ROSES ROUND THE DOOR, with guitars set to stun, has all the ingredients of a classic All About Eve song of old. Sad songs say so much and boy, is this a sad song. A key takeaway from ROSES… is to always tell the ones you love how you feel about them. Before it’s too late…
“Won’t you promise me that you won’t make the same mistakes And that you honestly Won’t forget to tell your darling you adore them And get to smell the roses round the door”
DEAR LONELY HEART is a song that appeals to my inner goth and my dark, twisted heart, grabbing the All About Eve template to simply rip it up and start again. Featuring some of Mr Bricheno’s finest guitar lines, and a chorus to die for from Julianne, it is an instant classic.
Just as the song hits its peak, it’s over, leaving you wondering if the scars were ever healed? A heart-breaker.
“Someday a girl will come who doesn’t love guitars”
HONEY’S OCEAN is built from sparse acoustic guitar, mellotron and an 80s drumbeat that gives way to a sumptuous chorus, and Ray Bradbury referencing sci-fi lyrics.
The ghost of David Bowie haunts several tracks on APPARITIONS, and his influence on Julianne and Tim feels strong on HONEY’S OCEAN. As throughout the whole album, the production and the arrangement is as much of a star as the two artists themselves.
WHAT TO WEAR TO A FUNERAL closes APPARITIONS. Any song that mentions the sublime Wichita Lineman is instantly a friend of mine.
The reference to funeral playlists in WHAT TO WEAR TO A FUNERAL reminds me that I need to write my own funeral playlist down. I was discussing mine recently with my better half, and mentioned that Follow You, Follow Me was one of my requests for when I shuffle off my mortal coil. On discussing at a later date, I was presented with “you wanted a Genesis song, I can’t remember which one”, so I’ll probably get something horrific like Jesus He Knows Me. A haunting, I must go.
Sorry, I digress. Back to WHAT TO WEAR TO A FUNERAL, it rounds off a perfect album. So much attention has gone into the sequencing of the album, with 5 or 6 second gaps between tracks, giving you the time to recover and reflect before the journey continues.
Julianne has one of the most unique and recognisable voices in pop. Add to this her production, bass / keyboard / programming and arranging skills that work so well alongside her rekindled musical partnership with Tim, it helps the duo deliver a perfectly crafted album, that is lyrically strong and builds on their significant past history, whilst laying strong foundations for an exciting future.
APPARITIONS is available to purchase now as a download via Bandcamp, with a physical release to follow, hopefully later this year.
RAINDROPS PALE BLUE EARTH SÉANCE LUXURY OF REFLECTION RADIUM AMERICA ROSES ROUND THE DOOR DEAR LONELY HEART HONEY’S OCEAN WHAT TO WEAR TO A FUNERAL
Recorded by Tim Bricheno and Julianne Regan at Shabbey Road Studios, London, and Little Box Studios, Somerset.
Singing by Julianne Regan. Electric and acoustic guitars by Tim Bricheno. Bass guitar by Tim Bricheno & Julianne Regan. Keyboards and programming by Julianne Regan & Tim Bricheno. Co-produced by Julianne Regan & Tim Bricheno. Mixed and mastered by Tim Bricheno.
Artwork: Lana Bricheno – Cover art photo collage Julianne Regan – Design and lyric booklet artwork
Additional contributions:
Toby Bricheno: Co-mixing on Roses Round The Door and Pale Blue Earth Co-arrangement of strings on Luxury of Reflection Kevan Gallagher: Acoustic Guitar tone on Honey’s Ocean Tony Kiley: Drums on Roses Round the Door and Dear Lonely Heart
Cherry Red Records are releasing a 4 CD edition of the second (and final) Climie Fisher album, Coming In For The Kill, on 23 February 2024.
The 4 CD set includes the ten songs that appeared on the original album alongside 38 bonus tracks featuring singles, B-sides, remixes, edits, alternate versions, demo recordings and instrumentals.
Climie Fisher were a British pop duo consisting of vocalist Simon Climie and former Naked Eyes keyboardist Rob Fisher. In 1987 Climie Fisher had a hip-hop styled remix of their self-penned hit Rise To The Occasion (UK #10, Germany #14, The Netherlands #1, South Africa) by PWL producers Phil Harding and Ian Curnow. Coming In For The Kill was the follow-up to their debut album Everything, and was released in 1989.
Highlights from the extra tracks include Haunted House, that draws inspiration from the sample heavy Rise To The Occasion remix from a couple of years earlier, and the Go-Go beat driven Fire On The Ocean (12″ mix).
The album has production credits for Bob Clearmountain, Neil Dorfsman, Stewart Levine, Stephen Hague and Julian Mendelsohn assisting Climie Fisher.
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Facts Of Love Fire On The Ocean It’s Not Supposed To Be That Way Hold On Through The Night Buried Treasure Power Of The Dream World The Best Part Of Living Is Loving You Coming In For The Kill Don’t Mess Around You Keep Coming Back For More
Disc Two Bonus Tracks – Singles
Love Like A River (7 Inch Mix) * Facts Of Love (7” Version) Fire On The Ocean (7” Mix) It’s Not Supposed To Be That Way (7” Version) Bonus Tracks – B-Sides Haunted House Memories (If I Could Relive Your Love) Cold Light Of Day Gypsy (Instrumental) Godsend You’re Not Alone In This World Rhythm Of The World The Way It Should Be Bonus Tracks – Demo Recordings You’re Not Alone In This World (Demo #1) † You’re Not Alone In This World (Demo #2) †
Love Like A River (Edit) Fire On The Ocean (Alternate 7” Version) † It’s Not Supposed To Be That Way (The Nomad Soul Mix) Power Of The Dream World (7” Edit) † It’s Not Supposed To Be That Way (Us 7” Version) † Bonus Tracks – Remixes, Extended Versions, Alternate Versions & Dubs Fire On The Ocean (Club Mix Edit) You’re Not Alone In This World (Full Length Version) † Love Like A River (Dance Mix) Fire On The Ocean (12” Special Mix) Love Like A River (Extended Dance Mix) † Fire On The Ocean (Club Mix) * It’s Not Supposed To Be That Way (12” Nomad Soul Remix) * Facts Of Love (Extended Version)
Disc Four Bonus Tracks – More Remixes, Extended Versions, Alternate Versions & Dubs
Fire On The Ocean (12” Special Mix Edit) † Love Like A River (Bonus Beats) † It’s Not Supposed To Be That Way (Bonus Beats) † Love Like A River (Dub Mix) † Bonus Tracks – Instrumentals Facts Of Love (Instrumental) † Fire On The Ocean (Club Mix Instrumental) † It’s Not Supposed To Be That Way (12” Nomad Soul Instrumental) * Don’t Mess Around (Instrumental) † You Keep Coming Back For More (Instrumental) † It’s Not Supposed To Be That Way (Instrumental) † Bonus Track – Megamix Music Factory Megamix *
* Previously Unavailable On CD † Previously Unreleased
Cherry Red have released Tracie: Souls On Fire – The Recordings 1983-1986, a 4 CD / 1 DVD set from Tracie Young.
I was a huge fan of Tracie’s first album Far from the Hurting Kind, that was released on Paul Weller’s Respond record label in 1984. The first album is included in its entirety here, and takes up the majority of the first CD, with highlights such as the Elvis Costello composed (I Love You) When You Sleep, the Weller / Tracie Young co-written Souls On Fire, plusthe wonderful I Can’t Hold On Till Summer and Spring, Summer, Autumn. The album holds up particularly well, some 39 years after its original release. Where did the time go?
The single version of The House That Jack Built, one of 1983’s finest pop singles, still sounds like the sound of a glorious summer, as does the follow-up single Give It Some Emotion. The Boy Hairdresser is another Young / Weller co-write and the rest of the first disc collects tracks from the 1983/84 period.
Disc two features songs that were recorded for Tracie’s (unreleased at the time) second album, that shone a light on the more soulful direction she was heading in. Italian Girl is a strong opener, as is I Think You’re Lucky, with the use of real horns and strings on the recordings highlighting a departure from the synth instrumentation that supplemented the vocals, piano, guitars and drums on the first album.
I Can’t Leave You Alone was first released as a single in 1985. Me And Jimmy Stone is a highlight of the No Smoke Without Fire tracks. A slow-burning piece, built on sparse percussion (from The Style Council’s Steve White) and an emotional, reflective chorus from Tracie.
The Country Code is a stripped back harp and vocals piece, that sounds like it is a live in the studio performance. (When You) Call Me is a more organic version of The Style Council song, and No Smoke Without Fire hints at a pop / soul sound that could easily have developed over subsequent albums.
The album notes hint at the tension between Tracie and Weller in the way that the songs were eventually presented, and it is clear that Tracie was able to exert more control over her career post-Respond for her final recordings. The album notes are not in any way bitter and they show a real pride from Tracie for her sadly all-too short recording career. The remainder of disc two is made up of single mixes and alt-takes.
Disc 3 is titled rarities and features the wonderful 12″ mix of The House That Jack Built and a more energetic early take of Far From The Hurting Kind.
There are a smattering of demos and alt-takes on disc 3, including Good For You (Demo), another song that oozes summer sun, the jazz-tinged The Waking Hours (Demo) and The House That Jack Built (1st Mix).
The 4th disc is a collection of mostly live recordings, including a fuller live version of the Tony Bell / Phil Hurtt Philadelphia soul song (also recorded by Sister Sledge in the early 70s) Mama Never Told Me and a live in Japan version of one of the first albums key tracks, I Can’t Hold On Till Summer.
Another highlight on this disc is the live radio session performance of Nothing Happens Here But You, just percussion, guitars and Tracie’s lead vocal. The disc is rounded off with my most played track on this collection, a Jeremy Wakefield, more beat-heavy 12″ mix of We Should Be Together (Jezamix) from 1986, that gives off real SOS Band vibes to me. Which is always a good thing!
The 5th disc is a DVD (not supplied for review) pulling together promo videos, Top of the Pops appearances for The House That Jack Built & Give It Some Emotion, along with slots on Wogan, Cheggars Plays Pop and performances recorded live in Japan.
If you don’t have the 2010 / 2014 Cherry Red reissues of the two studio albums, this is a great opportunity to rediscover some life-affirming pop / soul from the 80s.
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Disc: 1 (I Love You) When You Sleep Souls on Fire Nothing Happens Here But You I Can’t Hold on ‘Till Summer Dr. Love Thank You Moving Together Spring, Summer, Autumn What Did I Hear You Say Far from the Hurting Kind The House That Jack Built (Single Version) Give It Some Emotion (Single Version) The Boy Hairdresser You Must Be Kidding Same Feelings (Without the Emotion) Mama Never Told Me Dr. Love (B-Side Version) Give It Some Emotion (Extended Version) Souls on Fire (Long Version) The Country Code
Disc: 2 Italian Girl I Think You’re Lucky Fingers Crossed Love Without Jealousy I Can’t Leave You Alone Invitation Me and Jimmy Stone The Country Code (When You) Call Me No Smoke Without Fire (When You) Call Me (7″ Version) I Can’t Leave You Alone (7″ Version) Invitation (RSVP Mix – 7″ Version) We Should Be Together (7″ Version) Fingers Crossed (Heartbeat Demo) I Think You’re Lucky (Alternative Take) I Can’t Leave You Alone (Pick ‘N’ Mix) Find It in Your Nature
Disc: 3 The House That Jack Built (12″ Version) Far from the Hurting Kind (Early Track 1) Moving Together (Club Mix) Good for You (Demo) The Waking Hours (Demo) Baby Come Back (7″ Version) I Can’t Hold on ‘Till Summer (Without Strings) The House That Jack Built (1st Mix) No Smoke Without Fire (Remix) Souls on Fire (7″ Version) Far from the Hurting Kind (Early Track 2) Invitation (RSVP Mix) Baby Come Back (12″ Version) The House That Jack Built (12″ Instrumental) Give It Some Emotion (12″ B-Side) Invitation (Demo) Tracie Talks
Disc: 4 Mama Never Told Me (Live in Japan) Give It Some Emotion (Live in Japan) The House That Jack Built (Live in Japan) Moving Together (Live in Japan) I Can’t Hold on ‘Till Summer (Live in Japan) I Can’t Leave You Alone (Live in Rome) Dr. Love (In Concert – Live at the Paris Theatre, London) The House That Jack Built (In Concert) Mama Never Told Me (In Concert) Nothing Ever Happens Here But You (Radio Session) Give It Some Emotion (Radio Session) 19 (The Wickham Mix) We Should Be Together (Jezamix) Tracie Raps
Disc: 5 (DVD) Give It Some Emotion (Promo) Souls on Fire (Promo) I Can’t Leave You Alone (Promo) The House That Jack Built (1983 Totp Appearance) Give It Some Emotion (1983 Totp Appearance) I Can’t Leave You Alone (1985 Appearance on Wogan) The House That Jack Built (1983 Cheggars Plays Pop) Me and Jimmy Stone (Promo) Mama Never Told Me (Live in Japan) (I Love You) When You Sleep (Live in Japan) The House That Jack Built (Live in Japan) Moving Together (Live in Japan) Dr. Love (Live in Japan) I Can’t Hold on ‘Till Summer (Live in Japan) Souls on Fire (Live in Japan)
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As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases via this website.
As a recent covert to the Qobuz hi-resolution streaming service, I thought it would be a good idea to make some playlists of some of the songs that highlight the wow factor of lossless streaming.
What does the hi-resolution experience sound like? Hi-res audio offers greater detail and texture, bringing listeners closer to the original recorded studio or live performance. Bass hits deeper and harder, vocals are clearer, percussion is crisper and the songs sound fuller, more expansive and richer. Parts of the recording that you may not have noticed in a lossy format become more visible, and at times its like hearing the music through new upgraded ears!
I’m a couple of weeks in, and this playlist is made up of some of the tracks that jumped out straight away as being a huge upgrade on the audio quality of songs that I have known and loved for years.
Qobuz uses the tagline “Rediscover Music” and that is what I have been doing over the past few weeks. For those new to hi-res music, you need extra equipment to hear beyond CD quality – so a DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) is needed. Streaming from mobiles / tablets works without a DAC up to CD quality, so better than the MP3 quality of Spotify (that I will be ditching!) but if you add a portable DAC such as the DAC I use – AudioQuest DragonFly DAC (and for Apple / iPhone users a Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter is needed), you can listen to hi-res from your phone or tablet.
If you are planning to listen through your hi-fi setup, through your amp and speakers, you will need a DAC streamer such as the Cambridge Audio MXN10.
There are other services, such as Tidal and Apple Music, but I have settled on Qobuz due to the added features such as the editorial options that are provided, along with a great online community and the easy way to get track / recording details for songs and albums.
The catalogue is not perfect – there are some hi-res gaps that I hope will be filled over the next year. The main catalogue is comparable in volume to Spotify, with music available in CD quality but not all of it is in hi-resolution / lossless at the moment. Notable hi-res omissions (although they do have lots of these in CD quality) for me include The Police, The Stranglers, some Steely Day (what, no Aja, once of the best sounding albums of all time?), Porcupine Tree’s Deadwing (another sonically amazing album), Thomas Dolby and some Prince releases.
I’ve spent the past week browsing the hi-resolution catalogue and have added lots of favourites to go back to savour, so Qobuz have already succeeded on the re-discovery front. If you are a Qobuz subscriber, please have a listen to my playlist and let me know what you think. I hope you find some music you like, that you may not have been aware of before.
Hi-res Revelations (part 1) tracks
Peter Gabriel – The Rhythm Of The Heat
The Rhythm Of The Heat had to be the song to open my playlist. Taken from Peter Gabriel 4: Security from 1982, the song sounds stunning in this lossless format. Gabriel’s vocals are clear, and the arrangement builds slowly, with a stark, restrained backing until the percussion explodes on the 3/4 mark.
The Who – Who Are You
Who Are You, the title track from The Who’s 8th studio album, was released in 1978 and was the last album to feature Keith Moon. The synths really bubble in this hi-res version, and Entwistle’s bass has a more prominent role, showing how the bassline really fed into the groove on the final chorus. Townshend’s guitar work in the stripped back middle section is one of my favourite Who moments.
Issac Hayes – Theme From Shaft
Theme From Shaft is one of my favourite songs. Whenever I hear this track, I am instantly transported back to the early 70s. I treasure my original double vinyl version of the Shaft soundtrack, but this hi-res stream is by far the best sounding version I have heard of this iconic and influential single. The hi-hat and wah-wah guitar interplay sounds like you are in the studio as the track was being recorded. I have heard this song hundreds of times and I never tire of it. Can you dig it?
Paul McCartney Goodnight Tonight (single version)
This 1979 single is included on the Pure McCartney compilation on Qobuz, a quick and easy way to dive into Macca’s post-Beatles catalogue.
Featuring one of McCartney’s finest basslines, the backing vocals and Rhodes piano on Goodnight Tonight is timeless.
The Carpenters Rainy Days And Mondays
Considering how well-known Rainy Days And Mondays has become, its surprising to note that it wasn’t a big hit in the UK, though it did reach number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. A lot of the songs that blew me away during my first few weeks of using Qobuz were often beat driven, with complicated arrangements, but that was not the case here. The simplicity of the arrangement is pure pop perfection.
Karen Carpenters lead vocal before the strings kick in, is a performance of real beauty. Tommy Morgan’s plaintive harmonica lines just add to the magic.
Mike Oldfield – Five Miles Out
Mike Oldfield has a fair collection of lossless albums on Qobuz, but at the time of writing is missing hi-res versions of Platinum (my favourite Oldfield release), Incantations, Ommadawn, Hergest Ridge and criminally, Tubular Bells. I am hoping they get these early albums in hi-resolution soon. Qobuz do have a hi-res version of one of my favourite Oldfield albums from the early 80s, and I have included the title track from Five Miles Out in this playlist.
Five Miles Out featured Maggie Reilly and a heavily vocoder’d Mike Oldfield on vocals. I have always loved Oldfield’s guitar work, especially his sharp solos, and he is joined by Rick Fenn (10cc) on additional guitar here.
Five Miles Out has never sounded better, with a power and clarity that makes listening to this song an absolute joy.
Kate Bush – Breathing
It was difficult to pick just one song from one of my favourite artists, Kate Bush, who is well-represented in hi-res on Qobuz. It would be too obvious to pick Running Up That Hill (which admittedly does sound wonderful in hi-res) so I went with another personal favourite, the 1980’s post-apocalyptic Breathing. Mood killer!
The Rhodes sparkle and the bassline from the late John Giblin works so well with Kate’s intelligent and emotional multi-layered vocal arrangement.
Kate is not given enough credit for her production skills, which shine on the Never For Ever album. The subtle reverb on the snare, and the placement in the mix of all instruments give this track a rare power. Turn the lights off and turn up the volume if you are a Qobuz subscriber, and prepare to be moved.
Steven Wilson – Drive Home
The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) sounds delicious in hi-resolution, and I could easily have chosen any of the album’s tracks to highlight the power of hi-res audio, but I went for the single Drive Home for my playlist.
You can hear the scrape of fingers on guitar, and the drums have real depth. The production is stellar on Drive Home, and the guitar solo from Guthrie Govan takes this song to another level, making this one of Wilson’s most exquisite songs to date.
This Mortal Coil – I Come And Stand At Every Door
Beauty can also be found in darkness. The trilogy of albums from This Mortal Coil can be found in hi-res on Qobuz, and I have chosen I Come And Stand At Every Door from the final This Mortal Coil album, Blood.
Musically a million miles away from The Byrds version of the song, that was based on a poem by Nazim Hikmet. The discordant drums cut through the vocals from Deirdre and Louise Rutkowski, who deliver a gothic choral performance that sends shivers down my spine.
Tim Bowness / Giancarlo Erra – Change Me Once Again
Tim Bowness / Giancarlo Erra remixed and re-released their Memories of Machines album on it’s 10 year anniversary in 2022, and I have included one of the albums key tracks here. Change Me Once Again (featuring Julianne Regan on backing vocals) has a real lightness of touch, with thick acoustic guitars, and a mid-paced tempo, that sounds delicious in hi-resolution.
“Forget the heartache, forget the past”
The Cocteau Twins – Frou-Frou Foxes In Midsummer Fires
The Cocteau Twins are also well-represented in hi-resolution on Qobuz, and I’ve included one of their most beautiful pieces, Frou-Frou Foxes In Midsummer Fires from the bands sixth studio album Heaven Or Las Vegas, from 1990.
The jittery percussion and heavily processed guitars are more noticeable in lossless form, and listening to this song in this quality almost feels like an out-of-body experience.
The Pretenders – Kid
This single from 1979 sounds so much more vibrant in hi-resolution. The production by Chris Thomas is warm and bright, with the drums and the multi-layered guitars (those harmonics 😍) topped by Chrissie Hynde’s unique vocals make this my favourite early Pretenders song.
Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
I simply had to include this song from Face Value. The beauty of hi-resolution audio is the lack of compression – with room for the quieter parts to breathe, so when that iconic drum break smashes through your speakers, your whole soul shakes.
The Knack – My Sharona
It’s all about the drums, baby! My Sharona is another groove-led song. This American new wave classic was always one of the best produced songs of the genre, and the scratchy guitar solo screams out of the speakers in hi-res.
Squeeze – Slap & Tickle
Now we go over to one of the UK’s finest bands, and a 1979 single from Squeeze. The band have never sounded better, with percussive guitar and swirling Kraftwerk / Giorgio Moroder inspired synths.
Donna Summer – Now I Need You
And talking of Giorgio Moroder… Donna Summer has a few hi-resolution albums on Qobuz, including what I think is her greatest album, the double Once Upon A Time from late 1977.
Summers vocals switch from warm and sensual to detached and clinical, depending on the mood of each track. The songs were written by Summer, Moroder and Pete Bellotte, and Now I Need You, with its massed choir like backing and pulsing electronic beat, oozes an alluring synthetic warmth.
I may have to include I Feel Love in my next Qobuz playlist, as it sounds so good at volume on this hi-res streaming platform.
Prince – If I Was Your Girlfriend
One of the more experimental tracks from 1987’s Sign “O” The Times double album. If I Was Your Girlfriend makes good use of the Fairlight and Prince’s favoured (at the time) Linn drum machine.
The bass (both slap and deep note) really cut through in hi-res, and the complexity of the vocal arrangement shines like never before. A perfect headphone song.
Tears For Fears – Mothers Talk
Mothers Talk was the first single from Songs from the Big Chair, and is not a favourite of the band, so is rarely performed live.
The guitars and drums cut clean through the sample-heavy song, and like the aforementioned Shaft, Mothers Talk takes me back to the time of its original release, and I’m wearing white jeans and a Relax t-shirt. In my dreams.
Porcupine Tree – Russia On Ice
I could have chosen so many Porcupine Tree songs, as they are always an example of quality production, but I went with Lightbulb Sun‘s Russia On Ice due to the complexity of the arrangement, and the peaks and troughs that highlight the beauty of hi-resolution audio.
Richard Barbieri contributes some of his strongest soundscapes, with synths, mellotrons and organ adding mood setting textures, whilst Steven Wilson delivers pitch-perfect harmonies and emotive guitar solos.
Lightbulb Sun is the last Porcupine Tree tree studio album to feature original drummer Chris Maitland, with Gavin Harrison taking over for In Absentia in 2002.
Electric Light Orchestra – Night In The City
Night In The City is from 1977’s massive selling Out of the Blue. The whole album sounds beautiful, but one of its lesser known tracks highlights the clarity afforded to it in hi-resolution.
Listen to the separation of the acoustic and electric guitars, alongside Rhodes keyboard and string riffs. Its a joy to hear, either loud on speakers or at night via headphones.
Harry Nilsson – Jump Into The Fire
One of the older songs on my playlist, Jump Into The Fire was given a second lease of life by being featured in a tense, paranoid scene in Martin Scorsese’s 1990 classic gangster film Goodfellas.
The track is taken from the album Nilsson Schmilsson, which features appearances from top session musicians Chris Spedding (guitar), Herbie Flowers (bass) and on the wild drum break that sounds top class here, Jim Gordon.
St. Vincent – The Nowhere Inn
The Nowhere Inn is from the soundtrack to the film of the same name. When compiling the playlist, it quickly became obvious that I was choosing lots of older music, so I added this song as an example of the improvement in audio quality from a more recent release. The twists and turns in The Nowhere Inn constantly surprise and delight.
Daddy’s Home is another recent St. Vincent album, with its stylistic nods to the early 70s, that sounds glorious in lossless format.
I hope you enjoy listening to my Qobuz playlist. Please follow me on Twitter if you want to be informed of part 2.
In 1981 the Liverpool based band A Better Mousetrap was formed. The band performed in venues around the North West of England before disbanding in 1985 and they were never heard of again, until now. In 2020, three original members got together to work on the music they created in the 1980s. Calling themselves The Mousetrap Factory, over the next two years they recorded updated versions of old songs, along with some new ones. These form the album The Beauty of Routine which will be released in 2023 and is available on-line via Burning Shed.
The Beauty of Routine features nine songs, including a cover of Humdrum by Peter Gabriel. Tim Bowness has written the sleeve notes.
The album starts with Trivia, and an old telephone dial tone, with a disembodied “hello”, maybe referencing the future calling the past? This is not the album the band would have made in the early 80s, and Trivia feels like a 21st Century song and production, whilst clearly drawing from the bands musical past. References to modern day living provide lyrical updates to the song that was originally conceived in 1981. I love the proggy keyboards from Brian Hulse, and as always with Hulse recordings, the drum programming is a highlight.
Distant Man was written in 1980, a slow building piece, with a wonderful post-punk bassline from David K Jones, and an emotive performance from vocalist Peter Goddard.
“The letters fade, I loose my hands And they must never know what I feel for you”
Space is the first “new” on the album. Set to a laid-back, loping beat that is underpinned by deep bass, minimal synths and percussive guitar lines, the reflective, at time spoken, lyrics suit the music perfectly. This song makes me want to jump into my (imaginary) time-machine and visit the long-lost London Planetarium to listen to this song, lying back with headphones on whilst experiencing the laser lightshow.
“Infinite, vast, formless, nothingness”
A Contradiction, originally written in 1981, changes direction mid-way through the song, with a very clever dialling down of the speed and pace, with the end section reminding me a little of The Garden era John Foxx. Not in the sound of the vocals or the instrumentation, but the highly emotional, gentle and almost choral arrangement.
A Contradiction is an epic track, with the band pouring more ideas into this single track than some bands put into the mix for a whole EP. Talk about value for money!
Humdrum is a cover of the Peter Gabriel song from his 1977 debut. The Mousetrap Factory add more jittery electronics to their updating of this classic late 70s original. The reimagining is respectful, whilst taking the song into new directions so many years later. Peter Goddard adds his own vocal stylings, instead of providing a more obvious, deeper delivery of the lyrics.
Waiting/Monologue was originally written in 1982, and has some early Simple Mind’s referencing drum and bass interplay, giving the song a potent urgency. Stripped back lyrics and heavily processed vocals make this one of the most interesting arrangements on the album.
I Stand Aside is the second and final new song on the album. Its also my favourite song on The Beauty of Routine. It has a freshness and lightness of touch, to make it stand aside (sorry, not sorry) from the other songs on the album. A stunning vocal performance and arrangement from Peter Goddard, with sympathetic and unobtrusive backing from band colleagues Hulse & Jones, delivers one of the albums key tracks.
“I stand aside I only came here to enjoy the ride But if you’re planning something more beside I stand aside”
The final two songs were both written in 1980. Mrs. Green reminds me a little of The Teardrop Explodes, which is always a good thing. The nursery rhyme-like lyrics, and the unexpected break-down at the half-way mark, gives this track its unique charm.
The Beauty of Routine ends with the slow-paced and atmospheric The Nineteenth Day, featuring deep-cut synths and a melodic bass-line that works so well alongside a very theatrical, expressive vocal from Peter Goddard.
“I hold the future…”
The Beauty of Routine brings together the bands past and transports their music into the here and now, in a way that hints at a possible future.
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Cherry Red are releasing a 4CD box set bringing together all of New Musik’s three studio albums along with a disc of B-sides, single edits and remixes.
The From A To B – The Sony Years box-set includes a booklet featuring fascinating, scene setting notes from Record Collector’s Daryl Easlea, that includes quotes from Tony Mansfield.
Formed in 1977 by Tony Mansfield, a former member of The Nick Straker Band (A Walk In The Park) with bassist Tony Hibbert and drummer Phil Towner, New Musik’s first single Straight Lines was released in 1979, and their debut album, From A to B, followed in April 1980.
Living by Numbers was the band’s most successful single and the album, which entered the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart, featured two further hit singles with This World of Water and Sanctuary.
New Musik’s first album came at the beginning of the 80s synth driven explosion that was to shape the decade, sharing a similar electronic soundscape to The Buggles, but also including guitars and bass. Straight Lines is a powerful opener and is followed by the equally commercial Sanctuary, a bright shining pop gem.
From A to B is primarily an extremely commercial electronic pop album, but with a variety of moods and textures. Slower paced songs such as A Map Of You and the fretless bass driven, shifting The Safe Side hint at the further experimentation that was to seep into the music on the later albums.
Its the singles that stay with you on the debut album. This World Of Water has dark lyrics that are disguised in the upbeat music.
“These waters have frozen Can’t break the ice no more It’s raining so hard now Can’t seem to find a shore”
My favourite New Musik single from the album is Living By Numbers, a song that reached No13 in the UK singles chart, and instantly takes me back to 1979 whenever I hear it.
“They don’t want your name Just your number…”
The band’s second album Anywhere was released in 1981 and and was the last album to feature band members Towner and Hibbert. At this point, its time to strap yourself in, as the music takes a slightly more left-field turn. The warm pop sound remains but is peppered with a darker, more experimental side.
Areas is one of the highlights in the New Musik back catalogue, and this is referenced by the faithful 2013 cover version by Dutch rock band The Gathering from their Afterwords album. The mood of the New Musik original is hazy and evocative, and it may have been a missed opportunity not releasing this song as a single. Churches is an evolution in the bands sound, with a more dynamic bass line, and a more natural arrangement.
This World of Walter is an obvious play on words on the single from the first album. CR-78 percussion drives this charming, short album track.
“And Walter’s sure that his world’s no more Than just a fading dream”
In the sleeve-notes, Tony Mansfield describes this period of New Musik as his favourite, and its easy to see why. There is a playfulness and warmth to songs such as Luxury, and more experimentation with reversed vocals along with sharp tangents cutting into some of the arrangements.
Peace sees a clever use of tribal drumming, a tool often used in post-punk recordings, but here used as a tight, mechanical mechanism buried quite deep in the mix, as a way to drive the song and add a degree of tension.
Traps adds some progressive / Tony Bank’s like keyboards to the palette, and is one of the most electronic songs on the album, topped by wonderful production touches such as Mansfield’s trademark twisted, processed vocal lines.
Anywhere ends with the uplifting Back To Room One. A haunting song, crammed full of aching, emotional nostalgia and the perfect way to end an album. This track is pure pop, shorn of most of the production touches, relying on the honesty and vulnerability of the song to hit you hard.
“Take me back to my old room It’s not there any more”
The third and final New Musik album was Mansfield with studio musicians. Warp was released on Epic in March of 1982. Digital samplers and sequencers were utilised for this album. Here Come The People features some lovely funk guitar lines and percussion that is very much of its time. A Train On Twisted Tracks includes a Wasp synth sequence similar to The Stranglers Just Like Nothing On Earth, bubbling away in the background. The use of disembodied sampled voices adds to the slightly sinister feel of this track.
All You Need Is Love features twice, with the first being a New Musik original inspired by The Beatles classic, with New Musiks version coming next, topped up by a taste of Greensleeves for good measure.
Hunting features some deep synth bass and heavily processed vocals that add a layer of strangeness to this key experimental album track. The quality dips a little for the remainder of the album, with the seemingly Kraftwerk influenced The Planet Doesn’t Mind offering one of my least favourite New Musik songs.
The final song on the final New Musik album is the title track Warp. A more robotic percussion lets the synths and powerful vocal take centre stage as the band comes to its natural end, with the track slowly decaying into a series of audio errors. Warped to the final note.
Disc four features B-sides / edits and extended versions. The Planet Doesn’t Mind (single edit) works better than the Warp album version. Single B-side Sad Films (from 1979/1980) is one of the most “band” sounding tracks from New Musik, and features some late 70s harmonies and a traditional arrangement, making it quite unique in the bands catalogue.
Missing Persons/Tell Me Something New is notable for a New Musik guitar solo! Again, quite a traditional arrangement, with a killer chorus, and an abrupt ending leading into a haunting soundscape of reversed and mutated sounds to end the track.
She’s A Magazine could easily have been included as an album track. Chik Musik sounds exactly how you would imagine it to sound, and this short instrumental jam is followed by another instrumental, the short burst of Magazine Musik (aka She’s A Magazine).
From The Village was inspired by the cult tv show The Prisoner. While You Wait (extended version) is a longer take of the Anywhere era single, and the extras disc ends with an extended mix of the Warp opening track, Here Come the People – Remix.
Mansfield went on to achieve success as a producer with After The Fire, a-ha, Aztec Camera, The B-52’s, The Damned, Captain Sensible, Naked Eyes, and Mari Wilson. From A To B – The Sony Years pulls together the studio albums and the majority of the key non-album tracks, and is a perfect collection for fans of the band who don’t already own the CD reissues from a few years ago. The box-set will also appeal to the more casual fans of early 80s electronic pop.
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DISC ONE From A To B Straight Lines Sanctuary A Map of You Science On Islands This World of Walter Living By Numbers Dead Fish (Don’t Swim Home) Adventures The Safe Side
DISC TWO Anywhere They All Run After the Carving Knife Areas Churches This World of Walter Luxury While You Wait Changing Minds Peace Design Traps Division Back To Room One
DISC THREE Warp Here Come the People Going Round Again A Train on Twisted Tracks I Repeat All You Need Is Love All You Need Is Love Kingdoms For Horses Hunting The New Evolutionist (Example ‘A’) Green And Red (Respectively) The Planet Doesn’t Mind Warp
DISC FOUR B-Sides / Edits / Extended Versions Straight Lines – Single Edit While You Wait – Single Edit The Planet Doesn’t Mind – Single Edit Sad Films – B-Side Living by Numbers Missing Persons / Tell Me Something New – B-Side This World of Water She’s A Magazine – B-Side Sanctuary Chik Musik – B-Side Sanctuary Magazine Musik – B-Side Sanctuary Twelfth House – B-Side All You Need Is Love From The Village – B-Side While You Wait Guitars – B-Side While You Wait The Office – B-Side Luxury 24 Hours from Culture (Part 2) – B-Side The Planet Doesn’t Mind While You Wait – Extended Version Here Come the People – Remix
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Cherry Red have released a deluxe limited edition box-set of The Turn Of A Friendly Card, the fifth album by The Alan Parsons Project, the brainchild of composer, musician and co-creator Eric Woolfson and celebrated producer and engineer Alan Parsons.
The album sessions featured contributions from musicians such as Ian Bairnson (guitars), David Paton (bass), Stuart Elliott (drums) with Eric Woolfson playing keyboards and providing lead vocals, along with Elmer Gantry, Chris Rainbow and Lenny Zakatek.
This 2023 3CD / Blu-Ray (region free) limited edition box-set includes an additional 42 tracks drawn from Eric Woolfson’s song-writing diaries, studio session out-takes and a new 5.1 surround sound mix by Alan Parsons and a high resolution remastered original stereo mix, along with the promotional videos of Games People Play, The Gold Bug and The Turn Of A Friendly Card plus a promotional television advertisement. This stunning set also features a lavish illustrated book with a new essay with photos, memorabilia, letters along with personal recollections from Alan Parsons and Sally Woolfson, along with a reproduction poster.
As with previous Alan Parsons Project albums, an array of vocalists was again utilised. Lenny Zakatek had first appeared on I Robot. Future Camel singer Chris Rainbow had made his Alan Parsons Project debut on Pyramid. While for Elmer Gantry, it was his first shot at singing with the Project (he would later go on to feature on 1982’s Eye In The Sky). The Turn Of A Friendly Card also features the very first Eric Woolfson vocal performances for The Alan Parsons Project. Woolfson features on the Nothing Left To Lose section of the album’s title track suite, and also on Time.
There is not a massive upgrade to the sound of the CD’s, which sounded amazing anyway, but this version is the definitive take on the album, and it is the best sounding version of The Turn Of A Friendly Card, so worth replacing your original CD. Spread your love of the music by buying this version and gift your original CD to a friend! Please note that the blu-ray was not provided for this review, so I cannot comment on the content on the final disc prior to release.
The original album sits on the first of the four discs, and its a top quality album that has stood the test of time. Games People Play (with a vocal from Lenny Zakatek) was a top 20 Billboard hit in the USA. The Eric Woolfson sung Time was another US Top 20 hit, with it’s sweeping, luscious strings and Beach Boys referencing vocal melody driving one of the key tracks on the first section of the album.
I Don’t Wanna Go Home is a perfect representation of the late 70s Alan Parsons Project sound, with layers of sharp, rhythmic guitars and crisply produced percussion.
From the old vinyl side two section onwards, the music offers an updating of the Project sound, with the earliest hints of an 80s sensibility creeping into the arrangement and orchestrations. The Gold Bug and The Turn of a Friendly Card suite pushes the album firmly into classic album territory.
From track 11 on the first disc, we get the first batch of extra tracks. Nothing Left to Lose [Chris Rainbow Overdub Vocal Compilation] is a fascinating insight into the multi-layered vocals, here in their glorious, isolated form. As is Games People Play [Rough Mix], which captures the energy in this early, unpolished diamond of an arrangement.
Disc two presents Eric’s Songwriting Diary, and is the disc I return to the least in this collection, but it is a unique way of “being in the room” as the songs were created. The tracks are sourced from Eric’s portable cassette recorder, and is made up of piano and vocal sketches of the ideas that led to the full songs. So lots of hiss and “la la la’s”, but a rare and very personal insight into the creative process, that is rarely heard for classic albums.
Disc three picks up the quality, with alt takes and single mixes. May Be a Price to Pay (Early version with Eric Guide Vocal and Unused Guitar solo) works well, and offers a different flavour to the albums opening track. Most of these tracks have Eric’s guide vocals left quite low in the mix. Its a shame they are buried so deep, as they offer a fascinating insight into the development of the album.
Games People Play (Early version – Eric’s Guide Vocal) shows how well developed the song was from the early sessions, and highlights how much of the vocal arrangement was followed from Eric Woolfson’s early guide vocals. There is plenty of cowbell in this early take, always a welcome bonus!
The Gold Bug (Chris Rainbow backing vocals) is another unique insight into the multi-layered vocals from this key album track. The Turn of a Friendly Card (Part Two) (Eric’s Guide Vocal and Extended Guitar Solo) is the pick of the alt-versions, and rounds of the sessions before the CD ends with three concise single mixes – of Games People Play, The Turn Of A Friendly Card and Snake Eyes.
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Buy the single disc vinyl version (from 2013) from Amazon
TRACKLISTING
DISC ONE The Turn Of A Friendly Card
May Be A Price To Pay Games People Play Time I Don’t Wanna Go Home The Gold Bug The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part One) Snake Eyes The Ace Of Swords Nothing Left To Lose The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part Two)
Bonus Tracks
May Be A Price To Pay (Intro Demo) Nothing Left To Lose (Basic Backing Track) Nothing Left To Lose (Chris Rainbow Overdub Vocal Compilation) Nothing Left to Lose [Early Studio Version with Eric’s Guide Vocal] Time (Early Studio Attempt) Games People Play (Rough Mix) The Gold Bug (Demo)
DISC TWO Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diaries
May Be A Price To Pay Games People Play Time I Don’t Wanna Go Home The Turn Of A Friendly Card Snake Eyes Nothing Left To Lose Tofc / Snake Eyes / I Don’t Wanna Go Home La La La Lah Next Year Someone Else Taking It All Away To Those Of You Out There
DISC THREE Recording Sessions Bonus Tracks
May Be A Price To Pay (Early Version – Eric Guide Vocal And Unused Guitar Solo) Games People Play (Early Version – Eric Guide Vocal) Time (Orchestra And Chris Rainbow Backing Vocals) The Gold Bug (Early Reference Version) The Gold Bug (Chris Rainbow Backing Vocals) The Gold Bug (Clavinet With No Delay) The Turn Of A Friendly Card – Part One (Early Backing Track) Snake Eyes (Early Version – Eric Guide Vocal) The Ace Of Swords (Early Version With Synth Orchestration) The Ace of Swords (Early Version with Piano on Melody) The Turn Of A Friendly Card – Part Two (Eric Guide Vocal And Extended Guitar Solo) Games People Play (Single Edit) The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Single Edit) Snake Eyes (single edit)
DISC FOUR – BLU RAY 5.1 Surround Sound Mix (2019) And High- Resolution Original Stereo Mix By Alan Parsons
May Be A Price To Pay Games People Play Time I Don’t Wanna Go Home The Gold Bug The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part One) Snake Eyes The Ace Of Swords Nothing Left To Lose The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part Two)
Visual Content The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Album Ad) Games People Play (Promotional Video) The Gold Bug (Promotional Video) The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Promotional Video)
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Musik Music Musique 3.0 – 1982 Synth Pop On The Air is the third 3CD compilation from Cherry Red, released on 17 February 2023. Featuring more obscure tracks from well-known artists from 1982, including Thomas Dolby, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Japan, Ultravox, Soft Cell and Kim Wilde, alongside lesser known acts that give the collection a real taste of the time.
CD one of the collection opens with Thomas Dolby’s third single, a homage to Radio Caroline, the percussive Radio Silence. Manchester’s The Passage deliver the electronic pop of XOYO, with its addictive chorus. Mirror Man has always been one of my favourite early Talk Talk singles, with the band going on to make such a valuable contribution to 80s and early 90s music as their style expanded from these early pop beginnings.
OMD’s She’s Leaving comes in the form of a slightly remixed European single version, and is one of the key tracks on the bands Architecture And Morality album from the previous year. Breakdown (1982 Single Version) from Colourbox features a heady mix of synth, guitar and percussion topped with soulful vocals, hinting at the experimentation that would culminate in the one off M|A|R|R|S collaboration that led to the No1 single for Pump Up The Volume in 1987.
I’ve Seen The Word (a double A side with God’s Kitchen) was one of the slower-paced, more reflective early singles from Blancmange. One of the most influential early 80’s synth bands, Fashion, contribute the Zeus B Held produced slice of pop-Electronica that is Streetplayer (Mechanik), taken from their wonderful Fabrique album.
Japan’s European Son is a David Sylvian song that drips with Giorgio Moroder sounding hard-synth lines, but Moroder actually passed up the opportunity to produce this song, with production duties handled by Simon Napier-Bell, with the song mixed by John Punter. Always one of the bands most commercial songs, it fits well on Musik Music Musique 3.0. Justice is performed by Paul Haig, the former guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for post-punk band Josef K. Justice is a previously hard to find, very commercial single recorded in New York in 1982. Paul worked with former Associates singer Billy Mackenzie in the late 80s and contributed to several much-loved posthumous releases from his former colleague.
The original Mike Howlett produced single version of Tears For Fears Pale Shelter from this compilation highlights the longevity of much of the duo’s work. Last years The Tipping Point added to the bands stellar discography. Arthur Brown (yes, the Fire Arthur Brown) offers a synth based track, with wonderful electronic percussion that is a complete departure from his past work.
Coded World by Faith Global is one of the more interesting lesser-known tracks on this compilation. Vocalist Jason Guy is joined by original Tiger Lily / Ultravox! guitarist Stevie Shears for this confident, well-structured song. The later, more successful version of Ultravox are represented by the instrumental Monument, the B side to the single Hymn.
Disc two kicks off with Dramatis (Gary Numan’s backing band) with their sixth single The Shame. The Fiat Lux b-side This Illness was produced by Bill Nelson, and has touches of Nelson’s sound from around this time. Bill’s brother Ian was a member of this short-lived band. The track is one that Bill Nelson fans will surely love. Tasteful bass and guitar lines are a highlight of Shame, with a real Chimera feel to the keyboards.
The 7″ version of New Order’s early classic single Temptation is a highlight of Musik Music Musique 3.0. Dead Or Alive’s What I Want, here in demo form, is a world away from their massive hit You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) that followed in 1984. What I Want has more new wave leanings, and a harder vocal from the late Pete Burns.
Ieya 1982 is a re-recorded version of the Toyah single that originally featured on 1980’s The Blue Meaning. A smoother, tighter arrangement compared to the original take, it highlights the contributions of the new band line-up.
“Isn’t it nice, sugar and spice Luring disco dollies to a life of vice”
Sex Dwarf is the lyrically and musically uncompromising side to Soft Cell, taken from late 1981’s debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, hence why it was able to sneak onto this compilation. Sex Dwarf is the duo of Marc Almond and Dave Ball at their shocking, seediest best, and they still have the power to deliver, have a listen to 2022’s magnificent Happiness Not Included album (available on CD and vinyl).
The slinky bassline of You Remind Me Of Gold is a highlight of the Mirror Man b-side from The Human League. Edinburgh’s Drinking Electricity contribute the Altered Images via The Loco-Motion twisted pop of Good Times, which sounds better than my description of the song.
The third and final disc is launched by one of Heaven 17’s finest singles, of which there were many, with Let Me Go!
An early Thomas Leer song, Mr Nobody, stands up well as a brilliantly arranged and not at all dated track. Thomas formed Act in the late 80s with Claudia Brücken (Propaganda). Their only album Laughter, Tears and Rage included the wonderful Snobbery and Decay, and is worth tracking down.
The compilation has gone for a less obvious Kim Wilde track, the melancholic late 1982 single Child Come Away. Prior to their success on the Top Gun soundtrack, Berlin were delivering songs in the vein of the Giorgio Moroder inspired synth-pop of Sex (I’m A….).
Mikado’s Par Hasard is a sweet, gentle pop song released on Les Disques du Crépuscule. Scotland’s Those French Girls second and final single Sorry Sorry is a Simple Minds meets Ultravox piece of quirky angular pop. The most well-known song by cult artist Nick Nicely is featured, the lysergic widescreen pop of Hilly Fields (1892). If you have never heard this song, you are in for a treat.
Ukraine, featuring former Fischer-Z keyboard player Stephen Skolnik, is a heady mix of early 80s synths, with new wave guitar and Fashion-like percussive bass. The bands Remote Control is a delightful taste of the genre crossovers that fueled a lot of the great music created in 1982.
1-2-3 is an 80s updating of the 1965 Len Barry song, performed by Julie And The Jems, the sole single release from former Tight Fit vocalist Julie Harris.
Thick Pigeon (Miranda Stanton and American film composer Carter Burwell) contribute the delightfully eccentric Subway, a mixture of new wave bass and sugar-sweet electronics, topped by Stanton’s unique spoken vocals. One listen will result in this song becoming lodged in your brain for days.
Sergeant Frog, with the instrumental Profile Dance, is an alias of Phil Harding, who went on to work with Stock Aitken Waterman a couple of years later. Harding’s resume as engineer and producer included The Clash, Toyah, Matt Bianco, ABC and Donna Summer.
The final disc ends with The Buggles infuenced electro-pop of Omega Theatre with their epic Robots, Machines And Silicon Dreams. Omega Theatre was the electronic pop project of 60s songwriter John Shakespeare. Shakespeare and Grammy-winning co-writer Geoff Stephens threw the kitchen sink at Robots, Machines And Silicon Dreams, with multiple shifts and turns throughout this pleasing single.
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DISC ONE Thomas Dolby – Radio Silence The Passage – XOYO Talk Talk – Mirror Man 100% Manmade Fibre – Green For Go Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – She’s Leaving Poeme Electronique – V.O.I.C.E. Colourbox – Breakdown (1982 Single Version) Blancmange – I’ve Seen The Word Fashiøn – Streetplayer (Mechanik) Japan – European Son Greeting No 4 – Condition Richard Bone – Digital Days Paul Haig – Justice Tears For Fears – Pale Shelter Arthur Brown – Conversations Die Krupps – Goldfinger Planning By Numbers – Lightning Strikes Faith Global – Coded World Aerial FX – Instant Feeling Ultravox – Monument
DISC TWO Dramatis – The Shame Fiat Lux – This Illness New Order – Temptation Kevin Coyne – Tell The Truth Dead Or Alive – What I Want (Demo) Toyah – Ieya 1982 Fad Gadget – Life On The Line Thirteen At Midnight – Climb Down Soft Cell – Sex Dwarf Yello – Heavy Whispers Zoo Boutique – Happy Families The Human League – You Remind Me Of Gold Moebius – Pushing Too Hard Passion Polka – Juliet Endgames – First-Last-For Everything (Club Version) Leisure Process – Love Cascade Drinking Electricity – Good Times Section 25 – Hold Me
DISC THREE Heaven 17 – Let Me Go! Voice Farm – Beatnik Telex – Sigmund Freud’s Party Thomas Leer – Mr Nobody Kim Wilde – Child Come Away Communication – Future Shock Berlin – Sex (I’m A….) Local Boy Makes Good – Hypnotic Rhythm Mikado – Par Hasard Falco – Maschine Brennt Those French Girls – Sorry Sorry Nick Nicely – Hilly Fields (1892) Time In Motion – Quiet Type Ukraine – Remote Control Julie And The Jems – 1-2-3 Thick Pigeon – Subway Sergeant Frog – Profile Dance Omega Theatre – Robots, Machines And Silicon Dreams
Mr Kinski's Music Shack 