Level 42 / The Later Years 2001-2020

Cherry Red will issue another Level 42 CD box set in March, the fourth in the ongoing series which started back in March 2020 with the first Polydor collection

The Later Years 2001-2020 is a 7CD box which features their last studio album (to date), 2006’s Retroglide, a disc of acoustic versions of some of their best known tracks, 2013’s Sirens EP and an enormous amount of 12-inch remixes, radio edits and other rarities. Full tracklisting, below.

As with previous boxes, this has been compiled in conjunction with Level 42 experts Paul Waller and Simon Carson and with the cooperation of the band. Daryl Easlea-penned sleeve notes feature in the booklet.

The Later Years 2001-2020 will be released on 24 April 2026 (was 27 March) via Cherry Red.

Tracklisting

Level 42 / The Later Years 2001-2020

The Later Years Level 42 /

    • CD 1: Retroglide
      1. Dive Into The Sun
      2. Rooted
      3. The Way Back Home
      4. Just For You
      5. Sleep Talking
      6. Retroglide
      7. All Around
      8. Clouds
      9. Hell Town Story
      10. Ship
      11. All I Need
    • CD 2: Acoustic
      1. Lessons In Love – Acoustic Running In The Family
      2. Something About You – Acoustic
      3. Children Say – Acoustic Running In The Family
      4. Take A Look – Acoustic
      5. Running In The Family – Acoustic Running In The Family
      6. Guaranteed – Acoustic
      7. Two Solitudes – Acoustic Running In The Family
      8. Starchild – Acoustic
      9. Freedom Someday – Acoustic Running In The Family
      10. It’s Over – Acoustic Running In The Family
      11. Seven Days – Acoustic
      12. Fashion Fever – Acoustic Running In The Family
      13. Overtime – Acoustic
      14. To Be With You Again – Acoustic Running In The Family
      15. All I Need – Acoustic
      16. The Sleepwalkers – Acoustic Running In The Family
    • CD 3: Sirens EP
      1. Sirens
      2. Too Much Time
      3. Mind On You
      4. My Independence Day
      5. Build Myself A Rocket
      6. Where’s Yo’ Head At?
    • CD 4: 12” Singles & Remixes
      1. Starchild – BMR Club Mix
      2. Starchild – BMR Dub Mix
      3. Starchild – Ping A-Pella
      4. Starchild – Boris Dlugosch And Michi Lange Star Mix
      5. Starchild – Reprise Mix
      6. Starchild – Bob Sinclair Chase The Star Mix
      7. Starchild – Triple X Club Mix*
      8. Starchild – De Nada Remix*
      9. Starchild – De Nada Dubstrumental*
      10. Lessons In Love – Main Club Mix*
      11. Lessons In Love – Mix Show Short*
    • CD 5: 12” Singles & Remixes
      1. Lessons In Love – Mischa Daniels House Mix Edit
      2. Lessons In Love – Mischa Daniels Epic Mix Edit
      3. Lessons In Love – Mischa Daniels Private Mix Edit
      4. Lessons In Love – T.C.S. Radio Mix
      5. Lessons In Love – Sidechain Radio Cut
      6. Lessons In Love – Shuttle Cox Vs. Shayen Radio Mix
      7. Lessons In Love – Mischa Daniels House Mix
      8. Lessons In Love – Mischa Daniels Epic Mix
      9. Lessons In Love – Mischa Daniels Private Mix
      10. Lessons In Love – T.C.S. Mix
      11. Lessons In Love – Sidechain Remix
      12. Lessons In Love – Shuttle Cox Vs. Shayen Remix
      13. Lessons In Love – Alberto House Mix
    • CD 6: 12” Singles & Remixes
      1. Dive Into The Sun – Tom Belton Vocal Remix
      2. Dive Into The Sun – Tom Belton Instrumental Remix*
      3. Starchild – Nu Club Mix
      4. Starchild – Nico Remix
      5. It’s Over – Ben’s Tomahawk Mix
      6. The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up) – Pete Gooding’s Café Mambo Remix
      7. Sirens – Ourra Remix
      8. My Independence Day – Ourra Remix
      9. Starchild – The Reflex Revision
    • CD 7: Radio Edits & Bonus Tracks
      1. The Way Back Home – Edit
      2. Dive Into The Sun – Edit
      3. Just For You – Edit
      4. Clouds – Edit
      5. Sirens – Radio Edit 1
      6. Sirens – Radio Edit 2
      7. Mind On You – Radio Edit 1
      8. Mind On You – Radio Edit 2
      9. Build Myself A Rocket – Radio Edit
      10. Sirens – Live At O2 Indigo, London
      11. Need You Tonight – TV Version
      12. Dive Into The Sun – Collected Edit
      *Previously unreleased

Peter Gabriel / In The Big Room and Live at WOMAD 1982

Peter Gabriel’s 2003 live performance in the ‘Big Room’ at Real World Studios gets a physical release on CD and vinyl in March.

This intimate concert was for members of Peter Gabriel’s Full Moon Club and took place during a short run of live shows in November 2003 that also included a performance for the UK’s Children in Need charity at Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil, a show at the Brighton Centre and the Nelson Mandela 46664 Concert in Cape Town.

“I’d not really taken advantage of the big room as a performance space myself and when, in 2003, the opportunity came up, we grabbed it and offered the small number of seats to members of the Full Moon club. It was not part of a big tour so we weren’t as polished and rehearsed as we might have been while on tour, but it made for a more awake and edgy performance, as we were fully concentrating on what we were doing. There was no elaborate visual show, the whole focus was about making it sound good. I had pretty much forgotten how these songs sounded but listening back to these mixes I was pleasantly surprised how alive they were. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did”. – pg

The 14-song set draws on material from both the Growing Up Live tour (2002/2003) in support of his Up album -and the Still Growing Up Live tour that followed in 2004. The musicians Gabriel’s touring band from this period of Tony Levin (bass), David Rhodes (guitar), Ged Lynch (drums), Richard Evans (guitar, whistle, mandolin), Rachel Z (keyboard and backing vox) and Melanie Gabriel (backing vox).

In The Big Room is released on 2LP vinyl and as a 2CD set. Both contain the same songs and are packaged similarly, with the CDs coming in mini-LP vinyl replica sleeves. Live at WOMAD 1982 is also being released physically in May as a 2LP vinyl set (side 4 is etched) and on CD.

In The Big Room is released on 13 March 2026 while Live at WOMAD 1982 follows on 8 May 2026.

Tracklisting

Peter Gabriel / In The Big Room 2CD or 2LP vinyl

In The Big Room In The Big Room / 2CD or 2LP vinyl

    • CD 1 or LP 1
      1. Burn You Up, Burn You Down
      2. More Than This
      3. Games Without Frontiers
      4. Downside Up
      5. Mercy Street
      6. Darkness
      7. Digging In The Dirt
      8. The Tower That Ate People
    • CD 2 or LP 2
      1. San Jacinto
      2. Shock The Monkey
      3. Signal To Noise
      4. Secret World
      5. Father, Son
      6. In Your Eyes

Tracklisting

Live at WOMAD 1982 Peter Gabriel /

      1. San Jacinto
      2. The Family and the Fishing Net
      3. I Have the Touch
      4. Lay Your Hands on Me
      5. Shock the Monkey
      6. I Go Swimming
      7. The Rhythm of the Heat
      8. Kiss of Life
      9. Biko

Out This Week / on 23 January 2026

David Bowie / Station to Station 50th anniversary reissue

David Bowie / Station to Station Vinyl

David Bowie’s 1976 album Station to Station is reissued across two vinyl formats for its 50th anniversary.


Various Artists / Musik Music Musique 1979: The Roots of Synth Pop

3CD set from Cherry Red that features an array of artists who would become household names and dominate the pop scene during the first half of the 1980s, “alongside lesser-known scenesters, independent innovators and one-off scene hoppers”.



Talk Talk / The Spirit of Eden (half-speed vinyl)

Talk Talk’s fourth studio album, 1988’s The Spirit of Eden, is reissued on vinyl. The album has been cut at half-speed for the first time at Metropolis Studios and is presented on black vinyl with an OBI-strip.

Box Set and Reissue Deals for January 2026

The Beatles / Abbey Road 3CD+blu-ray – £59 3CD + Blu-ray

£59

Prince / Sign ‘O’ The Times 4LP box set – £39 4LP box set

£39 was £65

The Rolling Stones / Sticky Fingers 3CD+DVD – £49 3CD+DVD super deluxe

£49

The Beatles / Let It Be 5CD+blu-ray 5CD + Blu-ray

£59

Paul McCartney & Wings / WINGS 3LP vinyl box 3LP black vinyl

£47 was £100+

Now discounted in the UK!  You can watch the #SDEtv ‘all formats’ unboxing video if you want a close look at this edition

The Cars / Heartbeat City 4CD+LP – $58 4CD+vinyl LP

$31 was $80

Paul McCartney & Wings / WINGS 3LP vinyl box 3LP black vinyl

$57 was $100

Good price for the rather lovely WINGS 3LP set in black vinyl. You can watch the #SDEtv ‘all formats’ unboxing video if you want a close look at this edition

The Rolling Stones / Black and Blue super 4CD+blu-ray – $99 4CD+blu-ray

$99 was $132

David Bowie / I Can't Give Everything Away 2002-2016 - 13CD box set

David Bowie / I Can’t Give Everything Away [2002-2016] – $173 13CD box

$155 was $240

John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band / Power to the People 9CD+3blu-ray box – $134 9CD+3blu-ray box set

$134 was $225

Big reduction for the massive Lennon box which features nine CDs, three blu-rays and a big book.

Nick Drake / The Making of Five Leaves Left box set

Nick Drake / The Making of Five Leaves Left – $69 4CD

$69

Various Artists / Dance Masters: Arthur Baker 6LP signed – £45 6LP vinyl signed box set

£45

Ian Dury / Too Nutty to be Naughty 9CD box – £31 9CD box set

£31 was £53

Neil Young / Talkin to the Trees CD – £8 CD

£8

The Who / Quadrophenia SDE exclusive blu-ray

Time-limited product • Quick pre-order • Dolby Atmos, 5.1, stereo • Instrumentals & more

Quadrophenia, The Who’s sixth studio album, will be released as an SDE exclusive blu-ray audio, in February 2026

Issued as a double album in October 1973 by Track Records, it’s the group’s second full scale ‘rock opera’, set in London and Brighton in 1965, with a narrative that follows a young mod named Jimmy and his search for self-worth and importance. The album reached No 2 in both the UK and US album charts and features the singles ‘5:15’ (a UK top 20 hit), ‘Love, Reign o’er Me’ and ‘The Real Me’.

The SDE blu-ray includes 2025 Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and Stereo mixes of Quadrophenia mixed by Richard Whittaker, whose association with the band goes back decades. Additionally, the disc includes instrumental mixes in Atmos, 5.1 and Stereo, the unique Quadrophenia 5.1 EP (which contains unique mixes/segues was previously only available in the out-of-print Director’s Cut box set of 2011) and the 2013 stereo remaster. Note: There are no other formats for this Quadrophenia reissue (no box sets or vinyl) just the SDE blu-ray.

Richard Whittaker explained to SDE his approach to mixing this album in Atmos: “The original stereo mix by Ron Nevison and Pete Townshend was somehow superseded by a stereo remix in the mid 90’s that was mixed by Jon Astley & Andy MacPherson. Sonically, these two versions are really quite different, so Bob Pridden and I decided to study and reference both sets of mixes whilst creating the new Quadrophenia 2025 mixes in Atmos, 5.1 and Stereo. In doing so, the new mixes sit (sonically) between the two stereo versions and have elements re-instated from the original mix that didn’t make the 90’s remix”.

The audio streams of Quadrophenia on the SDE-exclusive blu-ray are as follows:

  • Quadrophenia 2025 Dolby Atmos mix (48/24)
  • Quadrophenia 2025 5.1 mix (48/24)
  • Quadrophenia 2025 PCM Stereo mix (48/24)
  • Quadrophenia 2025 Instrumental Dolby Atmos mix (48/24)
  • Quadrophenia 2025 Instrumental 5.1 mix (48/24)
  • Quadrophenia 2025 Instrumental PCM Stereo mix (48/24)
  • Quadrophenia 2013 Remaster (48/24)
  • Quadrophenia 5.1 E.P. [8 tracks] (48/24)

The Quadrophenia (Region-free) blu-ray audio is #57 in the ongoing SDE Surround Series and Quadrophenia will be packaged similarly to previous editions and ships with a free, collectible SDE Surround Series slipcase.

It will released on 27 February 2026. This is TIME LIMITED release; It available to pre-order for two weeks only, starting today. The pre-order window closes at midnight GMT on 29 January 2026. Availability after that point cannot be guaranteed.

Secure your copy of this SDE exclusive blu-ray of Quadrophenia by using this SDE shop link or the button below.

Tracklisting

The Who / Quadrophenia SDE exclusive blu-ray audio with Dolby Atmos Mix

Quadrophenia The Who / SDE exclusive blu-ray

    • Quadrophenia 2025 Mixes: Dolby Atmos, 5.1, Stereo, Instrumental Dolby Atmos, Instrumental 5.1, Instrumental Stereo + 2013 Stereo Remaster
      1. I Am The Sea
      2. The Real Me
      3. Quadrophenia
      4. Cut My Hair
      5. The Punk And The Godfather
      6. I’m One
      7. The Dirty Jobs
      8. Helpless Dancer
      9. Is It In My Head
      10. I’ve Had Enough
      11. 5:15
      12. Sea and Sand
      13. Drowned
      14. Bell Boy
      15. Doctor Jimmy
      16. The Rock
      17. Love, Reign O’er Me
      Quadrophenia 5.1 EP (2011)
      1. I Am The Sea
      2. The Real Me
      3. Quadrophenia
      4. I’ve Had Enough
      5. 5:15
      6. Doctor Jimmy
      7. The Rock
      8. Love, Reign O’er Me

56 George Michael / Faith

55 Bryan Ferry / Boys and Girls

54 Thin Lizzy / Nightlife

53 Fine Young Cannibals / The Raw & The Cooked

52 Tears For Fears / Songs From The Big Chair

51 Propaganda / A Secret Wish

50 Frankie Goes To Hollywood / Welcome to the Pleasuredome

49 Elton John / Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy – Still available

48 The Who / Who Are You

47 The Human League / Dare

46 Split Enz / ENZyclopedia Volumes 1 & 2

45 Mark Knopfler / Sailing to Philadelphia 

44 Matt Deighton / Today Become Forever

43 De La Soul / 3 Feet High and Rising 

42 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel / The Best Years of Our Lives

41 Mike Oldfield / Hergest Ridge

40 Claudi Brücken / Night Mirror

39 Elton & Brandi / Who Believes In Angels?

38 Dire Straits / Brothers in Arms

37 INXS / Listen Like Thieves

36 Roxy Music / Avalon

35 Envy of None / Stygian Waves

34 Bryan Ferry / Retrospective

33 Simple Minds / Sparkle in the Rain

32 Simple Minds / New Gold Dream

31 Elton John / Diamonds

30 The Who / Who’s Next

29 Thompson Twins / Into The Gap 

28 Tears For Fears / Songs For A Nervous Planet

27 Thin Lizzy / 1976

26 Bronski Beat / The Age of Consent

25 Tori Amos / Unrepentant Geraldines

24 Ultravox / Lament

23 Crowded House / Gravity Stairs

22 Luther Vandross / Never Too Much

21 Keane / Hopes and Fears

20 Wham! / Make It Big

19 Wham! / Fantastic

18 Mark Knopfler / One Deep River

17 Paul Young / No Parlez

16 Def Leppard / Diamond Star Halos

15 Soft Cell / Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

14 Trevor Horn / Echoes – Ancient and Modern

13a Duran Duran / Danse Macabre De Luxe

13 Duran Duran / Danse Macabre

12 ABC / The Lexicon of Love

11 Suede / Suede

10 Mike Oldfield / Tubular Bells

9 Tears For Fears / The Hurting

8 Bob Dylan / Time Out Of Mind (2022 Remix)

7 Ten Years After / A Space in Time

6.5 Various Artists / Concert For George

6. Orbital / Optical Delusion

5 Brian Eno / ForeverAndEverNoMore

4 Shakespears Sister / Hormonally Yours

3 Gilbert O’Sullivan / Driven

2 xPropaganda / The Heart is Strange

1 Tears For Fears / The Tipping Point

NOW Yearbook 1985-1989: The Final Chapter

NOW Music ‘finished off’ the 1980s in 2025 when it comes to their Yearbook series, but there’s always time for an encore, so as in 2022 there’s a ‘Final Chapter’ release coming designed to mop up half a decade of hits that somehow escaped the clutches of the Yearbooks proper and their ‘Extra’ siblings. This time it’s the second half of the decade, 1985-1989 that’s in focus, rather than 1980-1984.

The formats conform to the usual Yearbook pattern: 4CD versions (79 tracks in this instance) in both deluxe hardcover book and standard card sleeve versions and a 3LP set (42 tracks) in coloured vinyl (silver this time).

A quick glance at the tracklisting (scroll down) and the gut reaction is one of surprise. These are far from leftovers. They aren’t the roast potatoes that have been sitting on the hotplate since noon and are still there at 10 in the evening. Example? Pet Shop Boys feature with both ‘West End Girls’ and ‘It’s A Sin’ – their two biggest hits! Queen are represented by ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ and Freddie Mercury’s UK hit, ‘The Great Pretender’. Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’ leads off CD 3 and a-ha, Thompson Twins, Eurythmics, Go West, Sade, Sananda Maitreya (Terence Trent D’Arby) are all represented by tracks that were mostly sizeable hits.

4CD deluxe hardcover book edition

There’s a nice run mid-CD 2 that includes The Stranglers, Big Country, Simple Minds, R.E.M., The Cure, New Order and The Sisters of Mercy and Paul McCartney’s last US top 10 single, ‘Spies Like Us’, pops up on the third disc (we’re still waiting for the seven-inch mix of ‘Pretty Little Head’ although that’s arguably more of a ‘Vault’ track since it was what we’ll politely refer to as a ‘non-hit’).

It’s not all from the top tier, but who doesn’t enjoy Hollywood Beyond’s ‘What’s The Colour of Money’, Alexander O’Neal’s excellent ‘If You Were Here Tonight’, China Crisis’ ‘King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)’, The Art of Noise with Tom Jones doing ‘Kiss’, Swing Out Sister’s ‘Twilight World’ and a special treat at the end Cliff Richard – and The Young Ones – doing ‘Living Doll’ (one for the UK fans).

So that’s it then… at least until we get an ‘Extra’ version of NOW Yearbook 1985-1989: The Final Chapter. You know it’s going to happen. Until then, this is out on 13 February 2026.

Tracklisting

NOW Yearbook 1985-1989: The Final Chapter Various Artists / 4CD set

    • CD 1
      1. Queen – Who Wants To Live Forever
      2. Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls
      3. Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart – It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back)
      4. Thompson Twins – King For A Day
      5. a-ha – Train Of Thought
      6. Go West – Call Me
      7. Bananarama - I Can’t Help It
      8. Taylor Dayne – Prove Your Love
      9. Gloria Estefan – Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
      10. Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman (Remix Edit)
      11. Michael Jackson & Jackson 5 – I Want You Back (PWL Remix)
      12. Bill Withers – Lovely Day (7″ Sunshine Mix)
      13. Bobby Brown – Every Little Step
      14. De La Soul – Me Myself And I
      15. Five Star – Find The Time
      16. Sananda Maitreya – Dance Little Sister
      17. Level 42 – To Be With You Again
      18. Bryan Ferry – The Right Stuff
      19. Sade – Is It A Crime
    • CD 2
      1. Freddie Mercury – The Great Pretender
      2. Heart – Alone
      3. Chicago – You’re The Inspiration
      4. T’Pau – I Will Be With You
      5. Tina Turner – I Can’t Stand The Rain
      6. Texas – I Don’t Want A Lover
      7. The Stranglers – All Day And All Of The Night
      8. Deacon Blue – Wages Day
      9. Big Country – Look Away
      10. Simple Minds – Ghostdancing
      11. R.E.M. - Stand
      12. The Cure – Catch
      13. New Order – State Of The Nation
      14. The Sisters Of Mercy – Dominion
      15. Dead Or Alive – In Too Deep
      16. China Crisis – King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)
      17. King – Alone Without You
      18. Fuzzbox – International Rescue
      19. Amazulu – Excitable
      20. Aswad – Give A Little Love
      21. UB40 – Don’t Break My Heart
    • CD 3
      1. Bruce Springsteen – Dancing In The Dark
      2. Bon Jovi – Born To Be My Baby
      3. Gary Moore & Phil Lynott – Out In The Fields
      4. Paul McCartney – Spies Like Us
      5. Mike + The Mechanics - Silent Running
      6. Belinda Carlisle – World Without You
      7. The Bangles – Walking Down Your Street
      8. The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
      9. Status Quo – Burning Bridges (On And Off And On Again)
      10. The Art Of Noise, Tom Jones – Kiss
      11. D-Mob - We Call It Acieed (feat. Gary Haisman)
      12. Bomb The Bass – Don’t Make Me Wait
      13. Cameo – Back And Forth
      14. Midnight Star – Midas Touch
      15. Jaki Graham – Round And Around
      16. The Christians – Ideal World
      17. Alexander O’Neal- If You Were Here Tonight
      18. Natalie Cole - Miss You Like Crazy
      19. Whitney Houston – Didn’t We Almost Have It All
    • CD 4
      1. Pet Shop Boys – It’s A Sin
      2. The Communards - So Cold The Night
      3. Bronski Beat - Hit That Perfect Beat
      4. Trans-X - Living On Video
      5.  The Reynolds Girls – I’d Rather Jack
      6. Samantha Fox – I Only Wanna Be With You
      7. Sinitta – Cross My Broken Heart
      8. Sonia – Can’t Forget You
      9. Eighth Wonder – Cross My Heart
      10. Wet Wet Wet – Angel Eyes (Home And Away)
      11. Johnny Hates Jazz – Turn Back The Clock
      12. Swing Out Sister – Twilight World
      13. Hollywood Beyond – What’s The Colour Of Money
      14. Living In A Box – Blow The House Down
      15. Bros – I Quit
      16. Tiffany – Radio Romance
      17. Debbie Gibson – Foolish Beat
      18. Jimmy Nail – Love Don’t Live Here Anymore
      19. Rick Astley – When I Fall In Love
      20. Cliff Richard, Hank Marvin, The Young Ones – Living Doll

Eg and Alice / 24 Years of Hunger 2CD deluxe reissue

Limited to 1000 copies • Cult classic album • Now expanded and reissued by SDE Records • Available to pre-order exclusively from the SDE shop

In 1991 duo Eg and Alice released 24 Years of Hunger, their only album, on Warner Music (WEA). The album was very well received critically at the time (Q Magazine gave it four stars, praising its “curiously unforgettable songs” and later saying it had “the class of Steely Dan and the intriguing detachment of the Blue Nile”) but sadly it came and went in the blink of an eye. Its two singles made little impact commercially after which Alice Temple left. It was over.

Eg stayed with the label and issued a solo album in 1996, but later pursued a very successful career as a songwriter and producer, crafting songs for others including Will Young’s UK No 1 ‘Leave Right Now’. White also co-wrote and produced James Morrison’s top 5 hit ‘You Give Me Something’, Adele’s ‘Chasing Pavements’, and many others. To date, he’s won three Ivor Novello Awards and has a few Grammy nominations for his songwriting.

Back to the early 1990s, and in Alice’s words “Eg and I were both completely obsessed at the time with Prince, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan and Curtis Mayfield” and those artists very much influence 24 Years of Hunger an album which also has hints of Prefab Sprout, Talk Talk and a dash of The Blue Nile (as Q pointed out).

The first single was ‘Indian‘ (there was no video) which you can hear above and the sparse funk of ‘Doesn’t Mean That Much To Me’ followed after the album’s release. The opening track ‘Rockets‘ is a wonderful example of the sophistication of 24 Years of Hunger and the album, remarkably, was mostly recorded in Eg’s kitchen in Notting Hill on two Fostex E16 analogue 16-track tape recorders.

Alice: “The studio took over the kitchen completely in the end, because of this proper old school analogue set-up. It got bigger and bigger, and there were wires everywhere. Eg put it all together and had his soldering iron out”.

Eg: “I got in deep shit from the neighbour underneath. It was a hot summer, and we just played with the windows open! So, we were getting in trouble… including from the Police”.

24 Years of Hunger has been out-of-print for well over three decades and has never been reissued, anywhere. SDE Records, the recently formed label from SDE, is proud to have chosen Eg and Alice’s only long-player as its first release on CD, issued with the full co-operation and involvement of Eg White and Alice Temple.

The reissue is a 2CD deluxe edition, which features the full 11-track version of 24 Years of Hunger – the original 1991 master, at Eg’s request – on CD 1 and a fantastic bonus CD of mostly unreleased songs and demos (newly mastered) from Eg and Alice’s personal archive.

As well as demos of key album tracks such as ‘Rockets’, ‘New Year’s Eve’ and ‘Indian’ this second disc features eight unreleased songs written and recorded in demo form – to a high level of sophistication, the word ‘demo’ doesn’t do them justice – by Eg and Alice in the years leading up to the release of 24 Years of Hunger. Amongst them is ‘Highway’, the very first song the pair recorded together; a demo that has remained unheard for over 35 years. In fact, the bonus CD offers two quite different versions of ‘Highway’ as Eg and Alice sought to develop the song. Demo 1 of ‘Highway’ can be heard below as a taster of the bonus CD which is almost like an alternate version of the album with all the new songs.

This album reissue has been a decade in the making. A check of my emails, confirms that I approached both Eg and Alice back in 2016 and I interviewed them individually, at length, in 2019, when I had no idea if we could actually make this happen. Those conversations have been edited into the ‘in their own words’ feature where the duo talk you through the album track-by-track and discuss the recording, release and promotion of the album; over 5,000 words. I kept pushing and while COVID put the brakes on progress for at least a couple of years, my interest in the album at least alerted Warners to its presence and result in 24 Years of Hunger appearing on streaming platforms a few years ago!

I persevered because have loved the album since I bought it on cassette in 1991. It has everything: fantastic songs, a wonderful production and a certain element of mystery. This is one of those albums where it’s always wonderful if you meet someone who knows it, because they will LOVE IT and you normally end up bonding over it! Speaking of which, it turns out that Don Letts is a big fan:

I’ve always said there’s no justice in the music business. How else do you explain a gem like this slipping beneath the radar? But dems’ the breaks. I can’t remember how ’24 Years of Hunger’ appeared on my radar (probably via my weekly trips to Rough Trade) anyhow, appear it did. Sounding like the aftermath of a long night in London—scarred, soulful, and stubbornly alive. Eg & Alice weren’t chasing trends; they were documenting survival and turning emotional scarcity into a record that breathes like a ghost of its own time.

Don Letts aka The Rebel Dread

24 Years of Hunger is somehow never dulled by repeated listening, and my hope is that this new edition will introduce the album to a wider audience who will be similarly seduced by its charms. For those that already cherish this record, the deluxe edition expands the story with the unheard songs, the demos and comprehensive notes from Eg and Alice.”

The 2CD set is presented in a high quality DVD-sized casebound book deluxe edition, with a matt laminated and spot varnished front cover. 36 pages offer the above testimony about 24 Years of Hunger and previously unseen photos of Eg and Alice during the recording of the album. This special physical edition is limited to 1,000 units worldwide and is an SDE exclusive available only from the SDE shop. You can secure your copy using this link or the button below.

24 Years of Hunger, the 35th anniversary 2CD deluxe edition, will be released on 24 April 2026 (was 10 April) via SDE Records.

Tracklisting

Eg and Alice / 24 Years of Hunger 2CD deluxe reissue

24 Years of Hunger Eg and Alice / 2CD deluxe edition

    • CD 1: 24 Years of Hunger
      1. Rockets
      2. In A Cold Way
      3. Mystery man
      4. And I Have Seen Myself
      5. So High, So Low
      6. New Year’s Eve
      7. Indian
      8. Doesn’t Mean That Much To Me
      9. Crosstown
      10. IOU
      11. I Wish
    • CD 2: Lonely Road: Demos & Remixes
      1. Here Come The Rockets (Demo)*
      2. Highway (Demo 1)*†
      3. Lonely For Too Long (See What I Mean) (Demo)* †
      4. Indian (Demo)*
      5. Bobby & Holly
      6. Shadow (Demo)* †
      7. New Year’s Eve (Demo)*
      8. Lazy Woman
      9. Under My Spell (Demo)* †
      10. Running To America (Demo)* †
      11. Crazy Bastard (Demo)* †
      12. Teenage Cinema Problem (Demo)* †
      13. Highway (Demo 2)* †
      14. It Doesn’t Mean That Much To Me (7” Version)
      15. It Doesn’t Mean That Much To Me (Jesus Loves You Mix)
      16. It Doesn’t Mean That Much To Me (Ambient Mix)
      *Previously unreleased
      † Unheard song

R.E.M. at the BBC

Concord Music will reissue R.E.M.’s 2018 At The BBC box set in March.

The 8CD+DVD package comprises a treasure trove of rare and unreleased live and studio recordings culled from the BBC and band archives.

The box set features in-studio performances such as a John Peel Session (1998), Drivetime and Mark and Lard appearances (2003) and a Radio 1 Live Lounge performance (2008). Amongst the live broadcasts are a show from Nottingham’s Rock City (1984), the 1995 Milton Keynes Monster Tour, the 1999 Glastonbury headline set and an invitation-only 2004 show at London’s St James’s Church. In total there are eight CDs of this kind of audio.

The DVD includes the sixty-minute Accelerating Backwards documentary (previously broadcast in the UK but never available commercially) and also offers a complete 1998 Later….With Jools Holland episode dedicated to the band, plus TV appearances on Top of the Pops and more.

Packaging for the box looks to be identical to what came before, but there is no sign this time around of The Best of R.E.M. at the BBC highlights variant which was available on 2CD and 2LP back in 2018.

R.E.M. at the BBC will be released on 6 March 2026 via Concord.

Tracklisting

R.E.M. at the BBC R.E.M. / 8CD+DVD

    • CD 1: BBC Sessions
      Into The Night, BBC Radio 1, 13 March 1991
      1. World Leader Pretend
      2. Fretless
      3. Half A World Away
      4. Radio Song
      5. Losing My Religion
      6. Love Is All Around
      John Peel Studio Session, 25 October 1998
      1. Walk Unafraid
      2. Daysleeper
      3. Lotus
      4. At My Most Beautiful
      Mark and Lard, BBC Radio 1, 15 October 2003
      1. Bad Day
      2. Orange Crush
      Drivetime, BBC Radio 2, 15 October 2003
      1. Man On The Moon
      2. Imitation Of Life
      Radio 1 Live Lounge, 26 March 2008
      1. Supernatural Superserious
      2. Munich
    • CD 2: BBC Sessions
      BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998
      1. Introduction
      2. Losing My Religion
      3. New Test Leper
      4. Lotus
      5. Parakeet
      6. Electrolite
      7. Perfect Circle
      8. The Apologist
      9. Band Introductions
      10. Daysleeper
      11. Country Feedback
      12. At My Most Beautiful
      13. Walk Unafraid
      14. Man On The Moon
    • CD 3: BBC Live Broadcasts
      Rock City, Nottingham, England 1984
      1. Second Guessing
      2. Hyena
      3. Talk About The Passion
      4. West Of The Fields
      5. (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville
      6. Auctioneer (Another Engine)
      7. So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
      8. Old Man Kensey
      9. Gardening At Night
      10. 9-9/Hey Diddle Diddle/Feeling Gravity’s Pull
      11. Windout
      12. Driver 8
      13. Pretty Persuasion
      14. Radio Free Europe
      15. Wendell Gee
      16. Carnival Of Sorts (Boxcars)
    • CD 4: BBC Live Broadcasts
      The National Bowl – Milton Keynes, England 1995 – Pt. 1
      1. What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?
      2. Crush With Eyeliner
      3. Drive
      4. Turn You Inside Out
      5. Try Not To Breathe
      6. I Took Your Name
      7. Undertow
      8. Bang And Blame
      9. I Don’t Sleep, I Dream
      10. Strange Currencies
      11. Revolution
      12. Tongue
    • CD 5: BBC Live Broadcasts
      The National Bowl – Milton Keynes, England 1995 – Pt. 2
      1. Man On The Moon
      2. Country Feedback
      3. Half A World Away
      4. Losing My Religion
      5. Pop Song 89
      6. Finest Worksong
      7. Get Up
      8. Star 69
      9. Let Me In
      10. Everybody Hurts
      11. Fall On Me
      12. Departure
      13. Its The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
    • CD 6: BBC Live Broadcasts
      Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival – Pilton, England 1999 – Pt. 1
      1. Lotus
      2. What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?
      3. So Fast, So Numb
      4. The Apologist
      5. Fall On Me
      6. Daysleeper
      7. The Wake-Up Bomb
      8. The One I Love
      9. Sweetness Follows
      10. At My Most Beautiful
    • CD 7: BBC Live Broadcasts
      Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival, England 1999 – Pt. 2
      1. Losing My Religion
      2. Everybody Hurts
      3. Walk Unafraid
      4. Star 69
      5. Finest Worksong
      6. Man On The Moon
      7. Why Not Smile
      8. Crush With Eyeliner
      9. Tongue
      10. Cuyahoga
      11. It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
    • CD 8: BBC Live Broadcasts
      St. James’s Church – London, England 2004
      1. Intro
      2. So Fast, So Numb
      3. Boy In The Well
      4. I Wanted To Be Wrong
      5. E-Bow The Letter (with Thom Yorke)
      6. Around The Sun
      7. Aftermath
      8. Losing My Religion
      9. Walk Unafraid
      10. Leaving New York
      11. Imitation Of Life
      12. Man On The Moon
    • DVD: BBC TV Broadcasts
      1. Moon River (from Accelerating Backwards)
      2. Pretty Persuasion (from Accelerating Backwards)
      3. Pop Song 89 (from Accelerating Backwards)
      4. Orange Crush (from Accelerating Backwards)
      5. Losing My Religion (from Accelerating Backwards)
      6. Half A World Away (from Accelerating Backwards)
      7. Crush With Eyeliner (from Accelerating Backwards)
      8. Man On The Moon (from Accelerating Backwards)
      9. Daysleeper (from Accelerating Backwards)
      10. Imitation Of Life (from Accelerating Backwards)
      11. So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) (from Accelerating Backwards)
      12. All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star) (from Accelerating Backwards)
      13. Leaving New York (from Accelerating Backwards)
      14. Losing My Religion (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      15. Lotus (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      16. New Test Leper (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      17. Daysleeper (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      18. Electrolite (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      19. At My Most Beautiful (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      20. The Apologist (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      21. Country Feedback (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      22. Parakeet (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      23. So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      24. Walk Unafraid (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      25. Man On The Moon (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      26. The Passenger (from Later… With Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.)
      27. I’ve Been High (Bonus Video)
      28. Nightswimming (Bonus Video)
      29. Bad Day (Bonus Video)

Bryan Ferry / The Jazz Age and Bitter-Sweet reissues

Bryan Ferry will reissue his two ‘jazz’ albums, The Jazz Age and Bitter-Sweet, next month.

Issued under moniker of ‘The Bryan Ferry Orchestra’ and ‘Bryan Ferry and his Orchestra’ respectively, these both offer up classic from Ferry and Roxy Music’s catalog as elegant jazz instrumentals in authentic 1920s style arrangements, and later Berlin inspired ’30s arrangements, with instrumentation including banjo, clarinet, muted trumpet, baritone sax, horn and woodwind arrangements and double bass.

The 13-track The Jazz Age was originally released in 2012 and inspired Baz Luhrmann to use ‘Love is the Drug’ on the soundtrack to his film The Great Gatsby, in 2013. Other tracks include Do The Strand, Avalon, Slave to Love and Virginia Plain.

Bitter-Sweet followed in 2018 after Ferry’s participation in German TV series Babylon Berlin, a year before. Six of the songs on this album were released on the Babylon Berlin soundtrack and unlike The Jazz Age around half of the songs feature Bryan as a vocalist.

The Jazz Age is reissued on limited edition ‘Forest Green’ coloured vinyl and a on CD, while Bitter-Sweet is being re-released on red vinyl and CD.

Both are released on 10 April 2026 (was 27 February) via BMG.

Tracklisting

The Jazz Age and Bitter-Sweet Bryan Ferry /

      1. Do The Strand
      2. Love Is The Drug
      3. Don’t Stop The Dance
      4. Just Like You
      5. Avalon
      6.  The Bogus Man
      7. Slave To Love
      8. This Is Tomorrow
      9. The Only Face
      10. I Thought
      11. Reason Or Rhyme
      12. Virginia Plain
      13. This Island Earth

Morrissey / Make-Up is a Lie

Morrissey will release a new studio album, Make-Up is a Lie in February.

His 14th studio album features 12 tracks and is produced by Joe Chiccarelli, who has worked on the last four Morrissey albums that have been officially released. Songs include ‘The Night Pop Dropped’, ‘Notre-Dame’, ‘The Monsters of Pig Alley’, a cover of Roxy Music’s ‘Amazona’ (from 1973’s Stranded) and the title track, which you can preview below.

The album features musicians including Jesse Tobias, Camila Grey, Carmen Vandenberg, Juan Galeano, Alain Whyte, Gustavo Manzur, and Brendan Buckley, some of whom earn songwriting credits on various tracks. Formats include blue vinyl, indie-exclusive red vinyl, CD and a  Zoetrope picture disc

Make-Up is a Lie is being issued through Sire/Warner Records and will be released on 27 February 2026.

Bonfire of Teenagers, the album Morrissey recorded before this one, in 2020 and 2021 (with producer Andrew Watt), remains unreleased.

Zoetrope vinyl edition

Tracklisting

Make-Up is a Lie Morrissey /

      1. “You’re Right, It’s Time”
      2. “Make-up is a Lie”
      3. “Notre-Dame”
      4. “Amazona” (Roxy Music cover)
      5. “Headache”
      6. “Boulevard”
      7. “Zoom Zoom the Little Boy”
      8. “The Night Pop Dropped”
      9. “Kerching Kerching”
      10. “Lester Bangs”
      11. “Many Icebergs Ago”
      12. “The Monsters of Pig Alley”

Out This Week / on 16 January 2026

Now Yearbook / Vault 1982

Various Artists / Vault '82 CD, Vinyl

NOW Music continue their Vault series (a Yearbook sub-brand) with a 4CD and 3LP set of ‘lesser compiled’ singles from 1982.


Stevie Nicks / Rock A Little (MoFi 2LP vinyl)

Stevie Nicks’ third album from 1985 is reissued on vinyl by Mobile Fidelity. This features the US top 5 hit ‘Talk to Me’ as well as ”I Can’t Wait’ and ‘Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You?’. This is a 2LP set with both 180g vinyl LPs pressed at 45PRM.

Saturday Deluxe / 10 January 2026

David Bowie

Today is the 10th anniversary of David Bowie’s death. It’s scary how quickly time passes.

l really wish he were still with us, making music, but there has been so much activity around David’s back catalogue that, curiously, I haven’t really missed him. Let’s not forget that Bowie disappeared for the best part of a decade (between Reality and The Next Day) so we were used to him not being around and if we are being truly honest, the 20 years prior to that were not constantly basking in the glow of his brilliance and reminding each other how lucky we were to have him around. For every Outside or Reality there was a Never Let Me Down or an Hours…

His death, and particularly the quality of Blackstar, was a kind of wake up call for many. Oh yeah, he’s amazing. I forgot.

I still play albums like Black Tie White Noise (really) and Tin Machine (oh yes) but of course, the era of the 1970s remains David Bowie’s zenith. Every year an album that would rank as the best work of another artist (okay, technically there was no Bowie studio album in 1978 but he released two in 1977 and co-piloted a pair of Iggy Pop albums the same year and live album Stage was issued in 1978, so slacking he wasn’t).

David could simply not deliver ‘average’ during this time. If he’d never made another album after Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (which I count as the end of his 70s era, despite it being released in 1980) his legacy would have been assured. Beatle-esque perfection. Funnily enough, despite all the praise for his so called Berlin Trilogy and the mid-70s genius of Young Americans and Station to Station, I find myself returning to his early albums the most, particularly David Bowie (aka Space Oddity) and The Man Who Sold The World. I was playing Space Oddity just the other day (I picked up the Ryko 2LP clear vinyl at Den Bosch record fair back in November). There’s something about the albums recorded before Bowie became a star…

As founder and editor of a reissue website, I know I shouldn’t really say this out loud, but I actually think Parlophone should take a couple of years off and forget about David Bowie for a bit. It really has been incessant for the last decade. They’ve done a pretty good job but there has been a barrage of box sets. Volumes of vinyl. Maybe with the last ‘Era’ box now released it’s time to pause and reflect and this will happen naturally? Or maybe not. When reissues are too commonplace they start to feel less than special. 45th anniversary vinyl? Why do we need it?

Anyway, thanks David Bowie. You were great. And when I think of your music I also think of my friend Aubrey Day who died just over a year ago. Aubrey and I got into David’s music together, something I wrote about ten years ago, when Bowie died.

SDE in the Guardian

First the FT and now The Guardian! Thank you to Martin Belam at The Guardian for including a mention of the 2026 SDE Reissue Preview in the “What else we’ve been reading” section of Wednesday’s ‘First Edition’ newsletter. You can hopefully see it via this link (you’ll need to scroll down).


RIP Bert Bevans

New York DJ, mixer/remixer Bert Bevans has died. McCartney fans will recall his name from the 1986 single ‘Press’ which he mixed with Steve Forward. Bevans also mixed Pete Wylie’s Sinful and many other 80s classics. Rest in peace.

Paul Young, Paul Sinclair and Laurie Latham in 2024


Paul Young at the BBC

If you’re in the UK, tonight on BBC you can enjoy Paul Young at the BBC, an hour-long retrospective. “Interwoven with clips of his classic songs, Paul reflects on his journey through fame, the stories behind his most memorable tracks and the experiences that shaped his career, from the early days with the Q-Tips to solo fame in the 1980s and right up to the present day”.

To celebrate this broadcast we have a very special offer on the SDE Surround Series blu-ray of No Parlez. It’s reduced to £13 for 24 hours only. David Kosten’s Atmos Mix is spectacular, so this comes highly recommended. Order via the SDE shop using this link or the button below.


Kim Wilde / Close deluxe edition

Kim Wilde’s 1988 album Close will be reissued as a 2CD+DVD deluxe set, in March.

The album delivered five singles, three of which (‘You Came’, ‘Never Trust A Stranger’ and ‘Four Letter Word’) were top 10 hits in the UK.

The audio has been remastered for this reissue and CD 1 appends nine bonus tracks (B-sides and single edits) to the album. The second disc offers 13 bonus remixes. The bonus content across both CDs is identical to the 2013 2CD deluxe that Universal put out, except for the addition of two ‘You Came’ instrumentals. It’s worth noting that the original CD of Close included 11 tracks, not 10, due to a single bonus track (‘Hey Mister Heartache (12″ Mix)’).

The DVD is the big draw here, with promo videos, footage from the Michael Jackson’s Bad Tour and a selection of BBC archive videos featuring Kim performing on popular TV Shows like Wogan, Top Of The Pops and Going Live!

Close will be reissued on 13 March 2026, via Cherry Red. Vinyl pre-order links coming soon.

Tracklisting

Kim Wilde / Close 2CD+DVD deluxe edition

Close Kim Wilde / 2CD+DVD

    • CD 1
      1. Hey Mister Heartache – with Junior
      2. You Came
      3. Four Letter Word
      4. Love in The Natural Way
      5. 5 Love’s A No
      6. Never Trust A Stranger
      7. You’ll Be The One Who’ll Lose
      8. European Soul
      9. Stone
      10. Lucky Guy
      Bonus tracks
      1.  Tell Me Where You Are (bonus track)
      2. Wotcha Gonna Do (bonus track)
      3. She Hasn’t Got Time for You (’88) (bonus track)
      4. Hey Mister Heartache (7” Version) – with Junior (bonus track)
      5. You Came (7” Version) (bonus track)
      6. Never Trust A Stranger (7” Version) (bonus track)
      7. Love In The Natural Way (Video Edit) (bonus track)
      8. You Came (Shep Pettibone U.S. 7” Version) (bonus track)
      9. Four Letter Word (Late Night Mix) (bonus track)
    • CD 2: Bonus Tracks
      1. Hey Mister Heartache (Extended Version) – with Junior
      2. You Came (Extended Version)
      3. Never Trust A Stranger (Extended Version)
      4. Four Letter Word (Extended Version)
      5. Love In The Natural Way (Extended Version)
      6. Hey Mister Heartache (Kilo Watt Remix) – with Junior
      7. You Came (The Shep Pettibone Mix)
      8. Never Trust A Stranger (Sanjazz Mix)
      9. Hey Mister Heartache (Bonus Beats) – with Junior
      10. You Came (Dub Version 1)
      11. You Came (Dub Version 2)
      12. Hey Mister Heartache (Acappella with Percussion) – with Junior
      13. You Came (Instrumental)
      14. You Came (Shep Pettibone Instrumental)
    • DVD
      Promo videos
      1. Hey Mister Heartache – with Junior
      2. You Came
      3. Never Trust a Stranger
      4. Four Letter Word
      5. Love In The Natural Way
      6. You Came (Extended 12” Version)
      7. You Came (U.S. Version)
      8. Close (TV ad)
      9. Live on the Bad Tour
      Kim at the BBC 
      1. You Came (On Wogan)
      2. You Came (On Top of the Pops)
      3. Never Trust a Stranger (On Top of the Pops)
      4. Four Letter Word (On Top of the Pops)
      5. Four Letter Word (On Going Live)
      6. Love In The Natural Way (On Wogan)
      7. You Came (On Daytime Live)
      8. Love In The Natural Way (On Daytime Live)
      9. Love In The Natural Way (On Top of the Pops)
      10. You Keep Me Hangin’ On (On Top of the Pops Review of the 80s)

The Colourfield / Sound of The Colourfield

The Colourfield’s short-lived recording career, which spanned from 1984 to 1987, is celebrated by Sound of The Colourfield, a forthcoming 5CD+DVD deluxe set.

The band was, of course, fronted by Terry Hall and featured guitarist and organist Toby Lyons (formerly of 2Tone’s Swinging Cats) and bassist Karl Shale from Coventry mavericks Zanders System. They released two studio albums: Virgin and Philistines (1985), which featured the UK top 20 hit, ‘Thinking of You’ and Deception, from 1987, which saw the addition of drummer Gary Dwyer.

The new deluxe set features both albums and three bonus CDs featuring rarities including B-sides, remixes, live concert performances and a complete disc of unreleased demos and outtakes. There are 96 tracks in total, with 42 of them previously unreleased. Audio is newly mastered from original tapes.

Sound of The Colourfield features five CDs and a DVD

A DVD (region-free) completes Sound of the Colourfield and all the group’s promo videos and BBC TV performances. It is presented as a DVD-sized ‘mediabook’ and includes a 22-pages with new sleeve notes by John Earls and contributions from Toby Lyons and Karl Shale, along with producers Hugh Jones and Ian Broudie.

This set has been approved by band members Toby Lyons and Karl Shale, and started with the involvement of Terry Hall before his death in December 2022.

Sound of the Colourfield will be released on 27 February 2026 via Chrysalis.

Tracklisting

Sound of The Colourfield The Colourfield /

    • CD 1: VIRGINS AND PHILISTINES
      1. Thinking of You
      2. Faint Hearts
      3. Castles in The Air
      4. Take
      5. Cruel Circus
      6. Hammond Song
      7. Virgins and Philistines
      8. Yours Sincerely
      9. Armchair Theatre
      10. Sorry
    • CD 2: DECEPTION
      1. Badlands
      2. Running Away
      3. From Dawn to Distraction
      4. Confession
      5. Miss Texas 1967
      6. She
      7. Heart of America
      8. Digging It Deep
      9. Monkey in Winter
      10. Goodbye Sun Valley
    • CD 3: A-SIDES, B-SIDES & MIXES
      A-sides and B-Sides
      1. The Colour Field – A-side 7” single, Jan 1984
      2. Sorry [Original Version] – B-side to The Colour Field single, Jan 1984
      3. Pushing Up The Daisies – B-side to Take single, July 1984
      4. Windmills of Your Mind – B-side to Take 12” single, Jul 1984
      5. My Wild Flame – B-side to Thinking of You 7” single, Jan 1985
      6. Little Things – B-side to Thinking of You 7” single, Jan 1985
      7. Castles in The Air [Single Remix] – A-side, Apr 1985
      8. Your Love Was Smashing – B-side to Castles in The Air single, Apr 1985
      9. I Can’t Get Enough of You Baby – B-side to Castles in The Air 7” single, Apr 1985
      10. Things Could Be Beautiful – A-side single, Jan 1986
      11. Frosty Mornings – B-side to Things Could Be Beautiful single, Jan 1986
      12. Running Away [Radio Edit] – A-side single, Feb 1987
      13. She [Single Remix] – A-side single, Jul 1987
      14. Monkey in Winter [with Sinéad O’Connor]- B-side to She 12” single, Jul 1987
      Versions
      1. The Colour Field [Extended Version] – A-side to 12” single, Jan 1984
      2. Take [Extended Version] – Previously Unreleased
      3. Thinking of You [Singalong Version] – B-side to Thinking of You single, Jan 1985
      4. Castles in The Air [Extended Version] – A-side to 12” single, [Apr 1985
      5. My Wild Flame [Extended Version] – B-side of Thinking of You single, Jan 1985
      6. Castles in The Air [Instrumental Version] – B-side to Castles in The Air single, Apr 1985
    • CD 4: DEMOS & OUTTAKES
       All Previously Unreleased
      1. The Colour Field [Instrumental Demo] – Cargo Studio, Rochdale [Oct 1983]
      2. Cruel Circus [Demo] – Recorded at Cargo Studio, Rochdale [Oct 1983]
      3. Armchair Theatre [Instrumental Demo] – Recorded at Cargo Studio, Rochdale [Oct 1983]
      4. The Colour Field [Guide backing track] – Recorded at Strawberry Recording Studios, Stockport [Nov 1983]
      5. Take [4-Track Demo] – Home recording, Stockport [early 1984]
      6. Thinking of You (Instrumental) [4-Track Demo] – Home recording, Stockport [early 1984]
      7. Pushing Up The Daisies [4-Track Demo] – Home recording, Stockport [early 1984]
      8. Windmills of Your Mind [4-Track Demo] – Home recording, Stockport [early 1984]
      9. Yours Sincerely [4-Track Demo] – Home recording, Stockport [early 1984]
      10. Castles in The Air [4-Track Demo] – Mixed by Dermot James [Nov 2024]
      11. Heart of America [Ian Broudie Version] – Recorded at Amazon Studios, Liverpool [Nov 1985]
      12. Jesus and The April Rain [Ian Broudie Version] – Recorded at Strawberry Recording Studios, Stockport [Dec 1985]
      13. Digging It Deep [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
      14. She [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
      15. Frosty Mornings [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
      16. Confession [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
      17. Jesus and The April Rain [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
      18. Heart of America [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
      19. Goodbye Sun Valley [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
      20. Things Could Be Beautiful [Acoustic Version] – Recorded at The Garden Studio, London [Mar 1987]
    • CD 5: LIVE
      Hammersmith Palais 1985
      1. The Colour Field [Live] *
      2. Pushing Up The Daisies [Live]
      3. Faint Hearts  [Live] *
      4. Your Love Was Smashing [Live]  *
      5. Take [Live]  *
      6. Cruel Circus [Live]  *
      7. Yours Sincerely [Live]
      8. Sorry [Live]  *
      9. Hammond Song [Live]  *
      10. Virgins and Philistines [Live]  *
      11. Thinking of You [Live]  *
      12. I Can’t Get Enough of You Baby [Live]  *
      13. Armchair Theatre [Live]  *
      14. Castles in The Air [Live]  *
      Warwick University 1986
      1. Frosty Mornings [Live]  *
      2. Take It as It Comes [Live]  *
      3. Memories Can’t Wait [Live]  *
      4. Things Could Be Beautiful [Live]  *
      5. She [Live]  *
      6. Jesus and The April Rain [Live]  *
      7. 96 Tears [Live]  *
      *Previously unreleased
    • DVD
      Promotional Videos
      1. The Colour Field Directed by Jeff Baynes
      2. Take Directed by Jeff Baynes
      3. Thinking of You Directed by Bill Butt
      4. Castles in The Air Directed by Bill Butt
      5. Things Could Be Beautiful Directed by Bill Butt
      6. Running Away Directed by Nick Thompson
      7. She Directed by Tim Pope
      8. ‘Why Am I Standing Here?’  [The Making of the Making of The Colourfield] * Directed by Tim Pope
      At The BBC
      1. Thinking of You [Whistle Test 22.1.1985]
      2. Faint Hearts [Whistle Test 22.1.1985]
      3. Thinking of You [Top of The Pops 31.1.1985]
      4. Castles in The Air [ORS 1.3.1985]
      5. Thinking of You [ORS 1.3.1985]
      6. Thinking of You [Pebble Mill at One 19.4.1985]
      7. Castles in The Air [Pebble Mill at One 19.4.1985]
      * Previously Unreleased

NOW 12″ 80s: 1986 Part One

NOW Music continue their 12″ 80s series with a 4CD look at 1986.

This set (which is Part One) features 46 tracks in extended form from classic artists of the era, including George Michael, Pet Shop Boys, a-ha, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Culture Club, OMD, Simple Minds, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and more.

Highlights include George Michael’s excellent standalone single ‘A Different Corner’ (albeit the 12-inch version is only different thanks to a 30 second string intro), the near nine-minute Julian Mendelsohn ‘Full Horror’ extended mix of Pet Shop Boys ‘Suburbia’, the ‘Broad’ mix of Frankie’s ‘Rage Hard’ and the 12-inch version of Culture Club’s underrated ‘Move Away’. a-ha are represented by two tracks: the extended version of their only UK No 1 ‘The Sun Always Shines On TV’ and the long version of ‘I’ve Been Losing You’ which was the first single from Scoundrel Days. As ever, full tracklistings are below.

NOW 12″ 80s: 1986 Part One will be released on 6 February 2026.

Tracklisting

NOW 12″ 80s: 1986 vol one Various Artists /

    • CD 1
      1. George Michael – A Different Corner
      2. Pet Shop Boys – Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money) (12″ Mix)
      3. a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On T.V. (Extended Version #1) (Extended Version)
      4. Duran Duran – Notorious (Extended Mix)
      5. Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart – Thorn In My Side (Extended Version)
      6. Culture Club – Move Away (12” Mix)
      7. Falco – Rock Me Amadeus (Extended Version)
      8. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – (Forever) Live And Die (Extended Mix)
      9. Simple Minds – All The Things She Said (Extended Version)
      10. Talk Talk – Life’s What You Make It (Extended Mix)
      11. Bryan Ferry – Is Your Love Strong Enough? (Long Version)
      12. Spandau Ballet – Through The Barricades (Extended Version)
    • CD 2
      1. Bananarama – Venus (Extended Version)
      2. Bucks Fizz – New Beginning (Mamba Seyra) (Ian Levine Club Mix)
      3. Sinitta – So Macho (Extended Club Mix)
      4. Mel & Kim – Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend) (Extended Version)
      5. Five Star – System Addict (M&M Remix)
      6. Jaki Graham – Set Me Free (Extended Version)
      7. Gwen Guthrie – Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent (12″ Club Mix)
      8. Jellybean – Sidewalk Talk (Dance Mix)
      9. Miami Sound Machine – Bad Boy (Shep Pettibone Remix)
      10. Jennifer Rush – Ring Of Ice (Extended UK Remix)
      11. Billy Ocean – When The Going Gets Tough (Extended Version)
      12. The Real Thing – You To Me Are Everything (The Decade Remix ’76-’86)
    • CD 3
      1. Pet Shop Boys – Suburbia (The Full Horror)
      2. New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle (Extended Dance Mix)
      3. The Cure – Boys Don’t Cry (New Voice Club Mix 1986)
      4. Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Rage Hard (Broad)
      5. Dead Or Alive – Brand New Lover (The Dust Monkey’s Love Bubble Club Mix)
      6. Sigue Sigue Sputnik – Love Missile F1-11 (Ultraviolence Mix)
      7. Red Box – For America (Bazooka Mix)
      8. a-ha – I’ve Been Losing You (Extended Version)
      9. Debbie Harry – French Kissin’ (In The USA) (Dance Mix)
      10. Go West – True Colours (The Snake Charmer Mix)
      11. The Police – Don’t Stand So Close To Me ’86 (Dance Mix)
    • CD 4
      1. The Communards with Sarah Jane Morris – Don’t Leave Me This Way (12” Version)
      2. Kim Wilde – You Keep Me Hangin’ On (W.C.H. Mix)
      3. Jermaine Stewart – We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off (Extended)
      4. Whitney Houston – How Will I Know (Dance Remix)
      5. Lionel Richie – Dancing On The Ceiling (12″ Version)
      6. Fine Young Cannibals – Suspicious Minds (Suspicious Mix)
      7. Level 42 – Lessons In Love (Shep Pettibone Remix)
      8. Swing Out Sister – Breakout (N.A.D. Mix)
      9. The Bangles – Manic Monday (Extended Remix)
      10. Tina Turner – Typical Male (12” Dance Mix)
      11. Elton John – Heartache All Over The World (12″ Mix)

Paul Draper / Mansun Retold

Paul Draper has re-recorded 11 Mansun tracks for a new album, Mansun Retold.

The songs, which include hit singles ‘Wide Open Space’, ‘I Can Only Disappoint U’, were recorded at The Loft Studios in Surrey, and co-produced with Paul “PDub” Walton. These arrangements feature a full acoustic band. Musicians include Julian Fenton (Mansun’s own drummer during their early days) and a string quartet led and arranged by Audrey Riley as well as Draper himself, who handles most other instruments. Preview, ‘I’ve Seen The Top Of The Mountain’, whichis the first single, below.

“I picked some of my favourite songs that I had written during my time in Mansun, ones that I also felt could be interpreted by a full unplugged acoustic band & reimagined in a more mature way for a new audience as well as existing fans.”

Paul Draper

Mansun Retold is available on CD and vinyl but a 2CD+blu-ray deluxe edition comes in 48-page hardcover book packaging and offers bonus ‘stripped back’ versions on CD 2 and a Dolby Atmos Mix of the main 11-track album on blu-ray audio. SIGNED versions of this are available from the official Paul Draper shop.

Mansun Retold will be released on 20 February 2026, via Kscope.

Tracklisting

Mansun Retold Paul Draper /

    • CD 1: Mansun Retold
      1. I’ve Seen The Top Of The Mountain Retold [4:53]
      2. Disgusting Retold [4:22]
      3. I Can Only Disappoint U Retold [4:15]
      4. Until The Next Life Retold [4:35]
      5. Naked Twister Retold [3:51]
      6. The Chad Who Loved Me Retold [3:45]
      7. Wide Open Space Retold [4:15]
      8. Dark Mavis Retold [6:54]
      9. Comes As No Surprise Retold [3:54]
      10. Mansun’s Only Love Song Retold [5:31]
      11. When The Wind Blows Retold [4:16]
    • CD 2: Stripped Back versions
      1. Until The Next Life Stripped Back [4:35]
      2. When The Wind Blows Stripped Back [4:12]
      3. Naked Twister Stripped Back [3:51]
      4. I’ve Seen The Top Of The Mountain Stripped Back [4:53]
      5. Mansun’s Only Love Song Stripped Back [4:42]
      6. Dark Mavis Stripped Back [6:55]
    • CD 3: Blu-ray
      Mansun Retold in Atmos, 5.1 and hi-res stereo
      1. I’ve Seen The Top Of The Mountain Retold [4:53]
      2. Disgusting Retold [4:22]
      3. I Can Only Disappoint U Retold [4:15]
      4. Until The Next Life Retold [4:35]
      5. Naked Twister Retold [3:51]
      6. The Chad Who Loved Me Retold [3:45]
      7. Wide Open Space Retold [4:15]
      8. Dark Mavis Retold [6:54]
      9. Comes As No Surprise Retold [3:54]
      10. Mansun’s Only Love Song Retold [5:31]
      11. When The Wind Blows Retold [4:16]

Saturday Deluxe / 3 January 2026

Happy New Year!

I’d like to start off by wishing you all a healthy and prosperous 2026 – Happy New Year! I very much look forward to your company in the next 12 months – SDE’s 15th year – and we will be here, as ever, to deliver news, reviews, interviews, unboxing videos, deals and plenty of exclusive physical products which will be available via the SDE shop. I have planned enhancements to both this website and the shop and there’s some very cool products in the pipeline, including from our own SDE Records label, which has so far only officially released two products: The ‘De Luxe’ blu-ray version of Duran Duran’s Danse Macabre from 2024 (sold out) and Matt Deighton’s truly excellent Today Become Forever, released last year (we have a few left).

What would you like to see more of in 2026? Leave a comment and let me know!


Peter Gabriel

Very good news yesterday about Peter Gabriel and his new single and album, o/i, the latter of which suffers from ‘autocorrect’ hell when you try to write it on a computer! Some of you have mentioned that we still don’t have an Atmos Mix – or a 5.1 mix for that matter – of So, Peter’s best selling 1986 album, and here he is ploughing on with a brand new record which will undoubtedly be mixed in Atmos.

I have mixed feelings about this. At least Peter is getting on and doing new things and embracing Immersive Audio. We could be in what you might call a ‘Kate Bush‘ situation where the artist has, apparently, no interest in Atmos at all and is still thinking about, maybe, starting a new record. I know which I’d prefer.

For those of you who have been on this SDE ‘journey’ (apologies…) since the beginning, you might recall that an early ‘win’ was me getting PG to respond to my slightly pompous ‘open letter‘ when I complained about how underwhelming his 25th anniversary So super deluxe box set was. One of the major points of annoyance was the lack of a 5.1 mix and, 14 years later, he still hasn’t issued a 5.1 mix, although of course, these days it would be in Atmos. I felt a pang or two of regret at the time, because Peter had the courtesy to actually respond and address the points (albeit unconvincingly – there really was no justification for not including ‘Sledgehammer’ B-side, ‘Don’t Break This Rhythm’) and seemed like a throughly decent chap.

Anyway, the point is, he’s going to have a busy year finishing his album, commissioning Dark-Side and Bright-Side mixes of each track, doing his Full Moon updates and planning the physical releases, so even though 2026 is the 40th anniversary of So, unless the Atmos Mix is already in the bag and a physical blu-ray release has been prepped, I just cannot see it happening. I could be wrong (I could be right). Let’s wait and see, but he has not done this in his ‘quiet’ periods, so why would he choose to do it now?

In the meantime, below is the Dark-Side Mix of Peter’s new single ‘Been Undone’ in full – all seven minutes of it! Let us know what you think, in the comments.


SDE Reissue Preview

The annual SDE Reissue Preview, this year for 2026, is coming soon!

SDE Reissue Preview 2026

Welcome to the SDE Reissue Preview for the year ahead, the 12th consecutive annual preview published on this site. As usual, we will start with the first few months of this year where we have confirmed releases and then move on to what we know/think/presume/hope will be reissued later in the year! Of course they’ll be plenty of things not covered, so please as well as offering your thoughts on reissues mentioned below, do chip in with forthcoming products you know about that SDE hasn’t mentioned! You can do this via the comments section.

January 2026

February 2026

March 2026


April 2026 and Beyond


Paul McCartney

There’s a sense of Deja Vu when talking about Paul McCartney for the year ahead. For the third year running we are ‘hoping’ that he might jump start his Archive Collection reissue series (dormant since 2020’s Flaming Pie) and announce re-releases of the only Wings albums that have not had the reissue treatment, namely London Town and Back to the Egg.

However we have Morgan Neville’s Man on the Run film coming in February and when asked ‘What are you most looking forward to in 2026?’ in his regular ‘You Gave Me The Answer’ feature on his website, Paul’s response was “My new album! We’re just starting to think about how to put that together“.

At The Speed Of Sound is the next Wings album to celebrate its 50th anniversary (on 26 March) so there will undoubtedly be a half-speed vinyl edition to mark the occasion and likely a Dolby Atmos version available on streaming. With the success of the Wings compilation on blu-ray last year I’m hoping the powers that be might be persuaded to repeat this exercise for At The Speed Of Sound, but we will have to wait and see if there is any enthusiasm for such an idea.

2026 is the 40th anniversary of Press to Play (the excellent SDE exclusive 35th anniversary bookazine is still available) but only a true optimist would expect anything to happen with that album before London Town or Back to the Egg.



John Lennon

We thought we might see John Lennon’s ‘Lost Weekend’-era Walls and Bridges album reissued last year, but the Estate choose to reboot (and rebadge) the mothballed Some Time In New York City reissue which was delivered as a 12-disc box set called Power to the People (read the SDE review).

This means that Wall and Bridges is surely next, being the only ‘proper’ studio album left from the 1970s era, although whether they are ready to do another big reissue campaign for the third year on the trot, remains to be seen.



The Beatles

It has been over three years now since we’ve had a Beatles studio album reissued as a super deluxe edition (Revolver in 2022). After the ‘Now and Then’ / ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ album shenanigans of 2023 and the US Albums-celebrating vinyl box of 2024, we thought last year would be when the Fab Four re-releases would get back on track, but no… they choose to focus on The Beatles Anthology with the slightly botched Anthology Collection / Anthology 4 campaign.

There is a wide feeling amongst fans that Apple and Universal Music need to go ‘back to basics’ and revert to what they were doing so well between 2017 and 2021 – releasing album-based box sets with excellent outtakes, Dolby Atmos Mixes on blu-ray and great accompanying books. 2026 is 61 years since Rubber Soul was released, but specific anniversary dates are no longer important, after all Let It Be was celebrated a year late for its 50th in 2021 (to coordinate with Disney’s The Beatles Get Back documentary).

Other artists and albums

ABBA’s 40th anniversary album vinyl reissues came to an end in 2023, with a delayed The Visitors, but almost immediately they pivoted to 50th anniversary reissues the following year, with ABBA’s second album, 1974’s Waterloo. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting really bored of the 2LP half-speed vinyl, seven-inch picture discs and seven-inch box sets. It’s dull and predictable. Hopefully they might get their act together with decent Dolby Atmos Mixes, but the song ‘Waterloo’ was awful in Atmos which is probably down to the usual Benny and Björn control freakery. I do not expect anything great to happen in 2026.

a-ha’s brilliant ‘sophomore’ album Scoundrel Days is 40 in 2026, although whether we’ll see any marking of that anniversary is not clear. To many Scoundrel Days is the better, more compelling album that Hunting High and Low but often it appears as if Warner Music is obsessed with ‘Take On Me’ and a-ha in 1985 almost to the exclusion of everything else. Stay On These Roads (1988), East of the Sun West of the Moon (1990) and Memorial Beach (1993) are all over 30 years old and still haven’t been reissued on vinyl, even though 2000’s Minor Earth Major Sky has now been re-released twice on the format in the last six years. An ‘all albums’ vinyl box was rumoured to be in the works, but nothing has come to pass. Obviously, with Morten’s health issues, I think we can forget about anything new from a-ha, which is really very sad.

As mentioned above, Tori Amos’ 2001 album Strange Little Girls is reissued (and expanded) in February, a few months before her new album In Times Of Dragons, which is expected in April. With a UK and European tour in the diary to support the new record it’s perhaps unlikely that we’ll see any other activity this year, although if you are looking for anniversary potential, Boys for Pele is 30 years old in a few weeks, although that album was remastered and expanded back in 2016, for the 20th anniversary, so it seems unlikely.

Black Box Recorder reunite for a gig at London’s Palladium in May. The outfit fronted by Sarah Nixey also features Luke Haines and John Moore, and is only mentioned because there’s an outside chance of some new material, but nothing is confirmed. A 25th anniversary vinyl reissue of England Made Me, the band’s debut album (they released three long-players between 1998 and 2003) was issued in 2023 (read Alexis Petridis’ SDE review) and subsequently disowned by Haines after public grumbling about the streaming royalty rates the band were earning at Chrysalis.

Last year saw the last of the David Bowie era box sets, which after a decade, marks the end of… an era. As to what happens, next, we don’t know. I think most fans would be pleased to see the continuation of Divine Symmetry style super deluxe editions based around (or leading up to) an album. The last release was the Rock ‘n’ Roll Star! deluxe which came out in June 2024 and charted Bowie’s journey from February 1971 through to the creation of Ziggy Stardust and the recording of 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars album. That deluxe missed the anniversary by two years and David was so prolific in the 1970s, that fifty years ago today he had already recorded Station to Station which was then issued in January 1976 (hence the anniversary vinyl).

So what of Aladdin Sane, Pinups, Diamonds Dogs and Young Americans? Clearly not everything justifies being a 5CD set and I guess Warner Music and the Bowie Estate have given up trying to keep to anniversaries, with the exception of putting out bog-standard albums on vinyl. To throw in a random fact, Bob Clearmountain has confirmed that he’s remixed Let’s Dance in Dolby Atmos (in this interview on Vintage King website). Now, whether that’s just to put up on streaming or to form part of some wider, physical reissue is not clear. Talking of Bowie and Atmos, in case you haven’t noticed, the title track of David’s 1977 album “Heroes” has appeared in streaming platforms in recent days.

Kate Bush last year announced that she was “very keen” to start work on her new album. Given that her last new material appeared in 14 years earlier in 2011 (50 Words For Snow), this was rather disappointing news. Kate has only released two studio albums featuring new material in the last 32 years so given that she hasn’t really got going with the new one (assuming she’s not telling porkies) then saying we shouldn’t expect anything anytime soon, would be an understatement. Reissues? We might possibly get some newly artworked version of The Sensual World or The Red Shoes on vinyl, but anything else is unlikely. The now preposterously named The Whole Story compilation is actually 40 years old later this year, so it would be an opportune time to expand and reissue it, but there have been loads of opportune times to do that in the last 20 years and no one has bothered.

Lloyd Cole said back in 2022 that his 2003 album Music in a Foreign Language had been remastered and prepped for a reissue which would include a 10-track bonus album of Lloyd’s rough mixes before other musicians were brought in. According to LC it’s “quite different” to the final version. Curiously, this reissue hasn’t come to pass, despite no real activity from Cole in 2024 or 2025, apart from his semi-regular touring commitments. SDE has an ambition to ‘do’ Lloyd Cole and the Commotions’ 1984 debut album Rattlesnakes in Atmos for blu-ray, but even if that did come to pass it probably wouldn’t be any time soon.

In my opinion, Sheryl Crow’s best album is her self-titled second record from 1996. Not only has that album never been issued on vinyl, there has also not been any kind of deluxe edition, as there was for Tuesday Night Music Club, way back in 2009. With five singles and a plethora of bonus cuts on the various UK CD singles (two each for most of them) it would be easy to put something together that was compelling, perhaps with some live content and even an Atmos Mix (why not?). Crow did speak out a few years ago about missing/burnt-in-the-fire master tapes, but I’m sure there was a suggestion since then that it wasn’t as bad as originally thought.

Crowded House seem to be on a hiatus at the moment after 2024’s excellent Gravity Stairs, although interestingly they will be performing at the opening ceremony of the Australian Open tennis at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on 22 January. But the main focus for Neil Finn and his brother Tim, for a while at least, will be touring with Split Enz. They have dates in Australia lined up in April and May and fans in the UK and Europe will be hoping they continue on the road over here. Talking of Split Enz, expect Chrysalis’ excellent reissue campaign to continue with 1977’s Dizrythmia.

Duran Duran have had some success in ‘owning’ Halloween, with versions of their Danse Macabre album released in 2023 and 2024 (including an SDE Records blu-ray exclusive), a digital only reworking of ‘Shadows on Your Side’ last year and superb spooky gigs each October 31, including a memorable turn at Madison Square Gardens in 2024 (SDE was there).

That is all well and good, but it does prompt the wider question, ‘what’s going on with their back catalogue?’. Last I heard, they were working on ‘finishing’ Reportage, the album that got canned when Andy Taylor left in 2006. I think there’s a genuine chance of seeing this in 2026, which marks the 20th anniversary of it, er, not being released, and it’s basically as close to getting a brand new album as we’re going to get. Of course The Power Station box set is being reissued this month but sadly we’ve heard nothing about Arcadia. The eponymous album’s 40th anniversary has now come and gone. Duran Duran and Nick Rhodes in particular have spoken of an anthologies in the last few years but nothing ever happens. They are unreliable soothsayers. I’m sure BMG promised a Medazzaland box in 2023 (which didn’t happen) and there’s rumours of a Pop Trash extravaganza being prepped. The common thread here is that the band are interested primarily in things they own and control so for Duran Duran fans that means managing expectations: Think Danse Macabre, Medazzaland, Pop Trash, Reportage not Duran Duran, Rio, Notorious and ‘The Wedding Album’.

Depeche Mode are stubbornly refusing to engage with Dolby Atmos for both new albums and old ones and have only just launched the documentary and concert film combo M / Memento Mori:Mexico City, the former of which is coming to Netflix on Friday. Black Celebration is 40 this year, so if they wanted to surprise us then that would be the one, although I can’t see it happening. I suspect ‘downtime’ might be the buzzword for Martin Gore and Dave Gahan, after a busy few years.

The future is so not bright for Eurythmics fans that they don’t need to think about shades. 2026 will mark eight years since Sony’s decent vinyl reissue campaign (SDE spoke to Annie and Dave at the time) and nothing, barring the odd RSD vinyl, has happened since. It has also been over 20 years since any of the albums have been reissued on CD and those 2005 reissues were modest if you’re being polite or not very good at all, if you’re feeling less charitable. It’s borderline criminal that the band’s superb back catalogue has been neglected for so long and whatever the reasons, let’s hope something changes soon. For the record, the hit-packed rock-a-thon that is Revenge is 40 in June this year and next year the experimental masterpiece that is Savage has the same birthday (blu-ray with Atmos Mix and the full restored video album, anyone?).

With the successful and well received reissue of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s 1984 album Welcome to the Pleasuredome last year, fans will be hoping that a similar treatment for Liverpool will follow in 2026. Certainly various band members have spoken positively about such an idea but we will have to wait and see if it happens. It’s worth remembering that the Inside The Pleasuredome box set of 2014 wasn’t followed by a Liverpool equivalent, which suggests a caution amongst record company executives about stepping out of the ‘safe zone’ that is 1984 and the Pleasuredome singles. Watch this space…

Phil Collins’ No Jacket Required got the Steven Wilson treatment with a Dolby Atmos Mix and a physical blu-ray release, last year. SDE expects more Collins’ albums to be mixed in Atmos with Face Value a likely candidate as the next release.

We should hopefully see more from both Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler in the next 12 months as the reissue campaign continues and likewise the positive activity around Bryan Ferry’s back catalogue is a great thing and we are most likely to see a Boys and Girls reissue on CD and vinyl (Ferry mentioned that they were doing archive work on this album when I spoke to him early last year).

George Harrison’s Concert For Bangladesh was remastered and made available on streaming in 2024 and we know from Dhani Harrison that work is ongoing both from a film restoration point of view and on audio mixes. Whether anything will be ready for release this year, is not clear, but this feels like the next major George project at this moment in time.

The Later Years 2001-2020 is a 7CD box set featuring Level 42’s most recent output which is already on the schedules for March and after a massive year for Oasis, we will definitely see more reissues and a glut tour related releases, including a live album on CD, vinyl and video formats.

Madonna is expected to release a new album in 2026. Recorded with Stuart Price in the producer’s seat, Madge has described it as Confessions On A Dance Floor Part 2, although to SDE that sounds more like a working title than the actual name. One thing is for sure, when it comes to reissues (the “multi-year catalog series” was announced over four years ago) don’t get your hopes up. This non-starter of a campaign is like when you were a kid, hoping for a BMX for Christmas and you actually get socks. That’s where we’re at with Madonna. If the new album comes out early enough in the year, then there could be time to do something with the catalogue in ‘Q4’ but even if that does happen, we know what to expect.

Pet Shop Boys seem to be in a more nostalgic mood than usual and in April they play five consecutive nights a London’s tiny Electric Ballroom in Camden under the banner ‘Obscure’ where they will play “only non-single album tracks and B‑sides from across their acclaimed career”. Whether this translates into any kind of reissue activity is So Hard to say. There’s plenty they could do, including some kind of remix collection or even another B-sides compilation. Please is 40 in 2026 and while they’ve done two rounds of reissues to date, their debut album would make sure a good super deluxe edition you do just wish that they’d do it and stop being so stubborn. Chris and Neil resigned to Parlophone for 2024’s excellent, Nonetheless which must surely help. And I know I speak for many when I say PSB albums in Dolby Atmos – especially the first 4 or 5 – would be most welcome!

Pink Floyd are on a roll with two number one albums in 2025. With The Dark Side of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and Animals all reissued in recent times and all now available in Dolby Atmos, the focus must surely now turn to 1979’s The Wall which has not been reissued since 2012 and has never even been issued in 5.1 surround sound, never mind Atmos. In the old days, reissuing this Waters-heavy project might have been problematic, but since the $400m sale to Sony in 2024 (which covers recordings and image rights) the individual members are free from what David Gilmour described as the “mud bath” of past disagreements. This is good news for fans and Sony seem motivated and hungry for more success with Pink Floyd. If it happens another number one album would not be out of the question.

Prince’s Around The World in a Day was reissued late last year, but the Dolby Atmos Mix was only available on streaming. SDE expects this to end up on blu-ray in 2026, just like Purple Rain, but there’s no official news as yet.

Queen’s second album, 1974’s Queen II is confirmed (by Brian May) as coming in 2026 and like Queen / Queen I this has been rebuilt and remixed for release and there will also be a Dolby Atmos Mix available. The new version will contain a previously unreleased Queen version of ‘Not for Sale (Polar Bear)’ a song originally recorded by Brian May and Roger Taylor’s band Smile. 

Last year Sting allowed expanded CD editions of many of his classic albums to be released in Japan and there was also a new super deluxe of his musical The Last Ship. However, it doesn’t seem very likely that anything will be reissued from his classic era since Sting has committed to a very busy schedule of touring, with The Last Ship residencies in Amsterdam, Paris and Brisbane taking him up to May and followed by more stripped down Sting 3.0 tour dates in Europe and America until late summer.

Talking Heads reissues in recent years have been excellent, if somewhat pricey. Fans will be looking forward to 1979’s brilliant Fear of Music which will almost certainly appear this year, since the first two albums were reissued in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Expect a 3CD+blu-ray set with outtakes, live material and a Dolby Atmos Mix, in the same large format book packaging

Tears For Fears will head back to the studio in 2026 and there are rumours of a possible UK tour later on this year. Steven Wilson’s as yet unreleased Dolby Atmos Mix of The Seeds Of Love may well see the light of day before the year is out although personally I’d love to see some activity around 2004/5’s Everybody Loves A Happy Ending which is very much a hidden gem in their back catalogue (and hasn’t been commercially issued on vinyl). 1993’s Elemental deserves some attention too, but since Curt was not involved in that project it seems unlikely to be given any priority.

U2 are widely expected to release a new album this year, nine years after 2017’s Songs of Experience. In terms of reissues, Pop is probably the most requested although maybe they will wait for next year’s 30th anniversary before tackling that one.

The Who seem to be in a happy place with reissues at this moment in time, having approved some fantastic box sets and reissue campaigns in the last couple of years (Who’s Next, Who Are You, etc.). But they are running out of albums that haven’t been done. The Who By Numbers, Face Dances and It’s Hard are all theoretical candidates for expanded reissues/box sets.

Despite touring extensively to support last year’s very well received The Overview and keeping busy remixing numerous classic albums in Dolby Atmos, Steven Wilson has found the time to record a brand new solo record which will be released in 2026. A concept album, Steven has told SDE that it is “quite angular and experimental” by his standards and has a “folk horror” vibe. The lyrics are courtesy of XTC legend Andy Partridge and we can expect “lots of unusual sounds and tracks that unfold in unexpected ways”.

Neil Young has been planning the fourth volume of his long-running Archives series for some time now. It’s expected to cover the period 1987 to some time in the mid-2000s, possibly as late as 2007. We may get this in 2026, or we may not. One thing about NY is that you cannot complain about levels of activity – there’s always some new album or reissue of something old coming out. We should celebrate this attitude and look forward to whatever 2026 may bring.

Do you know of any reissues confirmed for 2026? Leave a comment and let us know!?

Peter Gabriel announces a new single and a new album, ‘o/i’

Another year of a new song each full moon beckons!

Peter Gabriel will repeat what he did back in 2023 and release a new album at the end of the year – called o/i – while delivering one track from the new record each month, every full moon.

The first single, ‘Been Undone’, is released tomorrow and as with his last album i/o there will be ‘Dark-Side’ and ‘Bright-Side’ mixes of all songs issued during this year. Tchad Blake and Mark ‘Spike’ Stent will again be handling the mixing duties, taking on the Dark-Side and Bright-Side respectively.

The first mix of ‘Been Undone’ is actually the Dark-Side Mix. The second mix of this and each of the subsequent songs will be released each month on the new moon.

The cover of ‘Been Undone’ features ‘Ciclotrama 156 (Palindrome)’ created by Janaina Mello Landini (click to enlarge)

This is what PG has to say about the album: “The songs are a mix of thoughts and feelings. I have been thinking about the future and how we might respond to it. We are sliding into a period of transition like no other, most likely triggered in three waves; AI, quantum computing and the brain computer interface. Artists have a role to look into the mists and, when they catch sight of something, to hold up a mirror.

These are my lumpy bits – i/o: the inside has a new way out and o\i: the outside has a new way in. We are not, and have never been, the exclusively self-determining, independent beings that have been given the run of the world. We are something else, a part of nature, a part of everything and feeling a connection, shaking our booty and giving and receiving some love can help us find our place – and put a big smile on our faces”.

Some of these songs are going to form part of the brain project that I’ve been exploring for a
number of years, and some just make me feel happy. I hope you like them.”

Peter Gabriel
PG in the studio recording o/i with longtime collaborators Tony Levin, Manu Katché and David Rhodes. Photo: York Tillyer. (click to enlarge)

As with i/o, each track on the new album will be accompanied by a piece of art and ‘Been Undone’ is accompanied by ‘Ciclotrama 156 (Palindrome)’ by São Paulo–based artist Janaina Mello Landini.

Further details on the release plans for the album will follow, but assuming we get various physical formats at the end of this year, o/i will be the quickest follow up to a Peter Gabriel studio album of new material since 1980’s Peter Gabriel (3) / aka ‘Melt’, was released less than two-and-half years after 1978’s Peter Gabriel (2) aka ‘Scratch’.

‘Been Undone (Dark-Side Mix)’ will be available on streaming at midnight tonight.

Recording session at Real World Studios. Photo: York Tillyer (click to enlarge).

Last chance to order the George Michael ‘Faith’ blu-ray

Quick pre-order (only at the SDE shop)

The pre-order window for the George Michael Faith SDE-exclusive blu-ray closes today.

The blu-ray audio – #56 in the ongoing SDE Suround Series – features a Chris Porter Dolby Atmos Mix of album as well as a 5.1 Surround Mix and a newly mastered stereo mix.

  • Dolby Atmos Mix (48/24)
  • 5.1 Surround Mix (48/24)
  • Stereo Mix (48/24)

Additionally, the blu-ray features 13 stereo bonus tracks, including the 13 minute Monogamy Mix and 7″ mix of ‘I Want Your Sex’, the radio edit version of Shep Pettibone’s ‘Hard Day’ remix, the instrumental version of ‘Father Figure’ and two commercially unreleased promo-only versions of ‘Monkey’. The 7″ version of ‘I Want Your Sex’ (and the Monogamy Mix) is featured on a Faith reissue for the first time.

Stereo bonus tracks included on the blu-ray

  1. I Want Your Sex (Monogamy Mix) 13.12
  2. Hard Day (Shep Pettibone Remix) 9.05
  3. Faith (Instrumental) 3.08
  4. Father Figure (Instrumental) 5:38
  5. Monkey (Extended Version) 8.09
  6. Kissing A Fool (Instrumental) 4:34
  7. I Want Your Sex (7” Version) 4.45
  8. Hard Day (Radio Edit) 4:12
  9. Monkey (7” Edit) 4:48
  10. Monkey (A’Capella) 3:46
  11. Monkey (Extra Beats) 3:44
  12. Monkey (Instrumental) 5:35
  13. Monkey (Dub Version) 5:20

This Faith SDE exclusive blu-ray audio will be released on 20 February 2026, via Sony Music. It will be packaged similarly to previous editions (in a clear amaray case) and ships with a free, collectible SDE Surround Series slipcase. Please note: this blu-ray will be shipping without shrink-wrap.

Do not miss out. The pre-order window TODAY. Availability cannot be guaranteed after today. Pre-order via the SDE using this link or the buttons below.

Tracklisting

George Michael / Faith SDE exclusive blu-ray with Dolby Atmos Mix

Faith George Michael / SDE exclusive blu-ray

    • FAITH in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround and Stereo
      1. Faith
      2. Father Figure
      3. I Want Your Sex (Parts I & II)
      4. One More Try
      5. Hard Day
      6. Hand to Mouth
      7. Look at Your Hands
      8. Monkey
      9. Kissing a Fool
      10. A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part III)
      Stereo Bonus Tracks
      1. I Want Your Sex (Monogamy Mix) 13.12
      2. Hard Day (Shep Pettibone Remix) 9.05
      3. Faith (Instrumental) 3.08
      4. Father Figure (Instrumental) 5:38
      5. Monkey (Extended Version) 8.09
      6. Kissing A Fool (Instrumental) 4:34
      7. I Want Your Sex (7” Version) 4.45
      8. Hard Day (Radio Edit) 4:12
      9. Monkey (7” Edit) 4:48
      10. Monkey (A’Capella) 3:46
      11. Monkey (Extra Beats) 3:44
      12. Monkey (Instrumental) 5:35
      13. Monkey (Dub Version) 5:20

55 Bryan Ferry / Boys and Girls (still available)

54 Thin Lizzy / Nightlife (still available)

53 Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) / The Raw & The Cooked (still available)

52 Tears For Fears / Songs From The Big Chair

51 Propaganda / A Secret Wish

50 Frankie Goes To Hollywood / Welcome to the Pleasuredome

49 Elton John / Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy

48 The Who / Who Are You

47 The Human League / Dare

46 Split Enz / ENZyclopedia Volumes 1 & 2

45 Mark Knopfler / Sailing to Philadelphia 

44 Matt Deighton / Today Become Forever

43 De La Soul / 3 Feet High and Rising 

42 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel / The Best Years of Our Lives

41 Mike Oldfield / Hergest Ridge

40 Claudi Brücken / Night Mirror

39 Elton & Brandi / Who Believes In Angels?

38 Dire Straits / Brothers in Arms

37 INXS / Listen Like Thieves

36 Roxy Music / Avalon

35 Envy of None / Stygian Waves

34 Bryan Ferry / Retrospective

33 Simple Minds / Sparkle in the Rain

32 Simple Minds / New Gold Dream

31 Elton John / Diamonds

30 The Who / Who’s Next

29 Thompson Twins / Into The Gap 

28 Tears For Fears / Songs For A Nervous Planet

27 Thin Lizzy / 1976

26 Bronski Beat / The Age of Consent

25 Tori Amos / Unrepentant Geraldines

24 Ultravox / Lament

23 Crowded House / Gravity Stairs

22 Luther Vandross / Never Too Much

21 Keane / Hopes and Fears

20 Wham! / Make It Big

19 Wham! / Fantastic

18 Mark Knopfler / One Deep River

17 Paul Young / No Parlez

16 Def Leppard / Diamond Star Halos

15 Soft Cell / Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

14 Trevor Horn / Echoes – Ancient and Modern

13a Duran Duran / Danse Macabre De Luxe

13 Duran Duran / Danse Macabre

12 ABC / The Lexicon of Love

11 Suede / Suede

10 Mike Oldfield / Tubular Bells

9 Tears For Fears / The Hurting

8 Bob Dylan / Time Out Of Mind (2022 Remix)

7 Ten Years After / A Space in Time

6.5 Various Artists / Concert For George

6. Orbital / Optical Delusion

5 Brian Eno / ForeverAndEverNoMore

4 Shakespears Sister / Hormonally Yours

3 Gilbert O’Sullivan / Driven

2 xPropaganda / The Heart is Strange

1 Tears For Fears / The Tipping Point