Author: Paul Sinclair

Martin Fry on The Lexicon of Love

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

The Lexicon of Love is the defining album for ABC and the band’s frontman Martin Fry. The album went to number one for four weeks in July 1982 (replacing Roxy Music’s Avalon) and the British public, in particular, have held a place in their heart for the long-player which features classic singles such as ‘The Look of Love’ and ‘Poison Arrow’.

40 years on from the November 1982 gig at Hammersmith Odeon, ABC continue to perform the album in its entirety, often with the backing of a full orchestra, normally the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Anne Dudley (who played keyboards and arranged the strings on the original Trevor Horn-produced studio album).

June 2022’s performance of the album Live at Sheffield City Hall has recently been issued on coloured vinyl and CD and the band have just announced a headline tour for February 2024 which will see them hit the road in the UK once more with Dudley and the orchestra!

On top of all this, next month the studio album is reissued for its (belated) 40th anniversary and there’s a new Dolby Atmos Mix of The Lexicon of Love to enjoy (available on an SDE-exclusive blu-ray audio) thanks to the remixing skills of Steven Wilson.

SDE caught up with Martin Fry recently to discuss the album…

SDE: What do you put the enduring appeal of The Lexicon of Love down to?

Martin Fry: I always say, everybody’s had a broken heart, but that’s just being facetious, really [laughs]. I don’t know. I really am pleasantly surprised.

When you were recording it with Trevor Horn in the studio, did you know you had something special?

Yes. We felt we’d stumbled across something. We felt good. The whole sessions were really positive and upbeat; a lot of fun, a lot of humour there. Each day, I’d go into Sarm East [the recording studio] right at the end of Brick Lane [in East London] and I’d often pop around the corner to Whitechapel Gallery for a sandwich! We’d had a hit with ‘Tears Are Not Enough’ with [producer] Steve Brown, and that got us into the top 20. And we’d approached Trevor, and started recording ‘Poison Arrow’. And that was a hit, that was a top five hit. But whilst we were promoting that, we were also making the album. It was a new experience for one and all because while he’d recorded a few tracks for Dollar, it was the first time he’d produced a whole album for a band. But we were on a positive roll. If you’d asked me then, would that music last more than 15 minutes? No, no way. I had a 10-year period of doing Top of the Pops and being a recording artist, and after that, it was kind of winding down. And, you know, in the 90s, there was Oasis, I’d go and see The Prodigy, and there’s Pulp, and Suede, and I’m thinking, ABC, you know, we don’t fit into this world. Do you know what I mean? We’re a different generation.

That was a common theme, I think, for bands that had enjoyed a fair degree of success in the 80s. The 90s, for many, became kind of like a wilderness period.

We should have developed… I’d love to be able to develop. We made an album called Abracadabra, which about 12 people bought, but it was the kind of early Massive Attack sort of approach to making music with different singers. You know, if we were to go forwards, that’s what we would have mutated into, a production team, but it wasn’t to be. But at the start, we’d go around Sheffield telling everyone that ABC were going to be incredible. You know, that’s a big part of being in a band, getting drunk, talking bullshit and bigging yourself up. Liam Gallagher did it brilliantly. You got to realise that Oasis were going to be massive before they were massive.

Trevor Horn is very complimentary about your lyrics, on The Lexicon of Love.

Is he? I’ve never read his book. I’m a bit scared to read it!

There’s nothing bad in there! Where did your lyric-writing skills come from?

I’ve always love lyrics, always… from Motown through to Bowie, Bolan. “I drive a Rolls Royce because it’s good for my voice”, what a lyric that is from Bolan, and “But you won’t fool the children of the revolution”. He kind of knew he was cheeky, and heading down a cul-de-sac with that approach. You knew punk rock was gonna happen, but yeah, I’ve always loved [great] lyrics. I like banal stuff, that’s really deep, if you know what I mean? Trevor is a pretty good lyricist himself, by the way. I saw him about 12 months ago; we were on a cruise ship with about 5,000 crazy ’80s music fans and he was playing with Dire Straits! He always liked JG Ballard. He had a song called ‘Vermillion Sands’ [named after a 1971 collection of short stories by JG Ballard].

I know that song very well. It’s on the second Buggles album [Adventures in Modern Recording].

He pushed me. Trevor pushed me to the limit when we were recording. In fact, he is one of the few guys I have ever worked with who was interested in the lyrics because sometimes you work with great people, but it’s like, “right, we’ve done the tracks. We’ll leave you to do the vocals and we’ll be back in two day’s time”.

Yeah, he’s interested in the song isn’t he not just the production? I think that’s the thing…

It’s the whole thing, isn’t it?

After The Lexicon of Love, he developed this reputation of taking three months to do one track. Mainly because of Frankie Goes Hollywood and Grace Jones. But what was it like with you? Was it reasonably quick?

Two things were at play [later on]. Trevor owned the studio, so once he got to Sarm West, at Basing Street, if Frankie Goes to Hollywood took three months, he was producing the record, but he was also the landlord [laughs]. Do you know what I mean? But when you have success, you’ve got to chase it again. It’s hard, isn’t it? You know, you’ve painted the Sistine Chapel and then you kind of wait for the paint to dry on the next one!

But with ABC, he was being employed by your record company to do a job. So he couldn’t be too self indulgent, could he, because he had to kind of get it done?

The sessions would go week-by-week. If we couldn’t work in Sarm East, because somebody else was using it, we’d have to go down the road to Tony Visconti’s Good Earth studio [in Dean Street] or we’d go to RAK Studios [near Regent’s Park] for two days. So we were constantly moving around. But the recordings took about, I don’t know, about 10-11 weeks, something like that. When Trevor then became the auteur, when he became ‘the producer, Trevor Horn’, you know, people talk about his mythology, but he needed a lot of time to make something like ‘Slave to the Rhythm’, didn’t he? It’s an incredible record, with that Go-Go beat. But I’ve done it myself. I’ve gone into the hall of mirrors, because you want to recreate your success. You hear stories of Scritti and Tears For Fears spending a long time. It’s different now, the process is different, isn’t it?

But I should say, the experience with Trevor was great. And he got the BRIT Award and all that, but he was never like a Phil Spector, you know, brandishing a gun! He always had a great team; he surrounded himself by skilled people in the studio and still does to this day.

ABC performed The Lexicon of Love Live in Sheffield in June 2022 (click image to enlarge)

Talking of his team, Anne Dudley is still working with you on stage, conducting the orchestral live performances, and she was obviously part of the original record. Tell us about working with Anne and your relationship with her?

Well, we had a band; Mark White was a guitarist, but he was also pretty handy on keys, but Anne came in and she played some Grand Piano and she was a much more tutored pianist. So she had a sophistication in playing, and so she came in and played some keys. And we’d hang out, and I remember Trevor said, “Oh, this would be great if we put strings on it”. And we loved The Temptations, you know, ‘Just My Imagination’… all those great string arrangements. Anne said “I’m gonna go home tonight, and I’ll put something together” – she could read and write music, of course. She came in the next morning [with her arrangement] and that gave us all the confidence to book a string session in.

Anne Dudley was a really young, very skilled musician, but to take that next step to become an arranger was something else

Martin Fry

It was brand new territory for all of us. When I think back, Anne was a really young, very skilled musician, but to take that next step to become an arranger, was something else. And I always forget, through the years I’ve been working with her, how many records she’s made and she’s an incredible conductor, arranger and obviously there’s her film work as well [Dudley won an Oscar for her score for the 1997 film, The Full Monty].

It must be nice, all these years later, to still be working together?

Yeah, it is. It’s a great feeling that there’s a continuity there. When you come to play with an orchestra, you don’t want to get swamped. So many bands just kind of disappear; you can’t hear the band. I watched Paul Weller sing with an orchestra and it didn’t quite click for me. You have to find yourself a role, you can’t just sit on a stool and sort of croon. So with Anne she’s definitely perfected the parts from the shows we were doing 10 years ago, we’ve gone back and revised things. So that everything shines: the band and the orchestra. There’s a real art to that.

She’s got that pop sensibility that maybe classical people might not have.

Well, when we recorded ‘The Night You Murdered Love’, we worked with different arrangers, and sometimes the arrangements would be really busy. We liked Chic! I asked Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers how they did it, and they just did it off bass and piano. The strings on those records are fantastic. But Anne is fantastic, as everybody knows!

Pre-order The Lexicon of Love on blu-ray audio via the SDE shop

You’ve just released The Lexicon of Love Live in Sheffield and it’s available on coloured vinyl and a couple of different CD deluxe editions.

We wanted to document the gigs and we knew Sheffield was going to be a magical night but I didn’t want to go and record 14 shows and edit it all together and auto tune it and all that [laughs]. I just wanted a mint recording of what we’re about, because the shows have developed well. It’s a great feeling playing in 2022 and 2023, with the Southbank Sinfonia and Anne. And it’s a catalogue of all this stuff, really. It’s a two hour show, because we play The Lexicon of Love in its entirety and then our other hits.

The new Atmos Mix is incredible. Hearing it was like being in the recording session, a unique experience

Martin Fry

You don’t get fed up with playing The Lexicon of Love all the time?

Well, if we go to America, we might only play a couple of songs off it. There’s other songs we’ve had that have been hits; there’s a song called ‘Be Near Me’, which was a big hit for us. People imagine the original version to have been as string-driven as the version we play now, but the live performance now is on steroids, really. It’s a full orchestra, we never had that luxury back in the day. We had bits. Smoke and mirrors, really.

As well as the Live in Sheffield album, The Lexicon of Love is being reissued on vinyl for its 40th anniversary and there’s a new Dolby Atmos version which will be available on blu-ray. I believe you went to Steven Wilson’s house and heard it. What did you think?

I hadn’t heard any of the mixes, but obviously his reputation goes before him. I knew his music and I knew that he was the kind of ‘go to’ guy for Atmos. So I sat in his studio and I tell you, it was so bizarre. It was like sitting in Sarm East, you know, with Gary Langan on one side and Trevor on the other! [laughs]. I know I’m a sad old man with his memories, but it was crystal clear, it was like being inside the recording session. Yeah. And I swear, he played it through in its entirety, and heard things I can’t recall hearing, like some guitar parts. ‘Tears Are Not Enough’ was a real eye-opener, it was incredible. Some of Mark White’s guitar parts were incredible. I guess they got compressed out when the album came out on vinyl. It was really nice, it was a really unique experience.

Thanks to Martin Fry who was talking to Paul Sinclair for SDE.

Pre-order the Dolby Atmos Mix of The Lexicon of Love on the limited edition SDE-exclusive blu-ray audio via the SDE shop using this link or the button below. It’s released on 4 August 2023. Live at Sheffield can be ordered via the LiveHereNow website. Sign-up for the Feb 2024 Tour pre-sale access here.

TECHNICAL NOTES: This blu-ray audio requires a blu-ray player. Decoding the Dolby Atmos mix requires a Dolby Atmos-certified soundbar or a Dolby Atmos-compatible AV Receiver/Amp. The Dolby Atmos mix will ‘fold down’ to 5.1 or stereo if a Dolby Atmos decoder is not detected.
EU SHIPPING NOTES: If you are ordering from the EU please be aware that that goods may be subject to import VAT when they arrive from the UK. The prices the SDE shop charge you do not include VAT

Tracklisting

The Lexicon of Love ABC / 40th anniversary

    • SDE Blu-ray Audio
      The Lexicon of Love in the following audio mixes:
      1. Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix
      2. Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix (96/24)
      3. Steven Wilson Stereo Mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
      4. Steven Wilson Stereo Instrumental mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
      5. Original 1982 stereo mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
      The Lexicon of Love
      1. Show Me
      2. Poison Arrow
      3. Many Happy Returns
      4. Tears Are Not Enough
      5. Valentine’s Day
      6. The Look of Love (Part One)
      7. Date Stamp
      8. All of My Heart
      9. 4 Ever 2 Gether
      10. The Look of Love (Part Four)

Wham! documentary – SDE review

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Wham! is the name of a new documentary, now showing on Netflix, that tells the story of Wham! in the words of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.

The film was made with the cooperation and participation of Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael Entertainment, which allows it access to unseen home footage and personal photos from the band’s archives, and enjoy the gift of a wonderful structure, as it follows the meteoric rise of Wham! through the lens of the scrapbooks kept religiously by Andrew’s mum at the time. The film also does something that no box set or music release has ever done and allows fans to hear some of those closely guarded early demos, including ‘Careless Whisper’.

Back in the day, Andrew was always viewed with suspicion by the press and generally regarded as something of a freeloader who had lucked out by being George’s friend and ended up as a successful pop star, but in later years the true story emerged of Andrew being the ‘leader’ early on, with his extrovert personality (“disruptive” according to his school report) helping to make things happen. Andrew took George under his wing when he arrived as the ‘new boy’ at his school and helped turn his “slightly porky” shy, curly-haired friend into a pop star.

Being in a band together was Ridgeley’s idea and when first group The Executive “imploded”, that left the pair on their own to try and move things forward. Andrew co-wrote most of the early hits including ‘Wham Rap!’, ‘Club Tropicana’ and even ‘Careless Whisper’; he designed stage outfits and generally created the momentum (or “thrust”, in his words) that led to all the early success. His greatest contribution – sacrifice, even – was to know when to step back and let the blossoming songwriting and production talents of George take centre stage. It was “uncomfortable” and “a little difficult” as Andrew acknowledges in the film.

It really is great to hear Ridgeley’s voice – literally, his side of the story – which had largely been left unheard until the publication of his 2019 autobiography Wham!, George and Me. To some extent, Andrew reclaims Wham! as an entity in its own right and not ‘part one’ of The George Michael Story. He comes across as a reliable narrator and a foil to the insecurity and contradictions of his partner, which George himself acknowledges in his own narration (culled from some remarkably candid interview audio).

The tone of the documentary is set by a 90-second preface which shows early video footage of Andrew and George larking around at their old school in Bushey, Hertfordshire, with Andrew even persuading the headmaster to take part! The question, posed by George, before we cut to opening credits, is “How can these two idiots become so bloody massive?”

How can these two idiots become so bloody massive?

George Michael in the Wham! documentary

The Wham! film doesn’t try to avoid the familiar tropes – signing a bad record contract; parental issues (“you couldn’t sing to save your life” George’s dad declares); and the first time on Top of the Pops etc. – but these are all covered in such an entertaining manner and there’s so much great footage, that it’s all a joy. 

The filmmaking and editing (Chris Smith and Gregor Lyon respectively) are from the top drawer and there’s a truly brilliant sequence just over half-way through the 90-minute running time where Michael and Ridgeley describe, with the help of a superb montage of archive of photos (and video), how Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou finally transforms himself into ‘George Michael’. Cue hairs on the back of the neck as the crescendo builds to the restored video of ‘Careless Whisper’ where a 21-year old George Michael comes of age, looking every inch a superstar.

The second half of Wham! deals with the astonishing success of the group and also the issue of George’s sexuality. He’d come out as gay to Andrew while they were filming the ‘Club Tropicana’ video in 1983 but had decided to keep this a secret, in part, because he didn’t want to tell his dad, but also due to concerns around how it might impact the band’s ambitions (“you’re not going to make life difficult for yourself, are you?” George reflects in his narration). But as Wham! became more successful, especially in the States, George feels more and more “boxed in” and the awkwardness of the situation is illustrated by an excruciating interview on US TV with talk of “girls and groupies” which George really struggles with.

The sequence on ‘Last Christmas’ is revealing with George telling Paula Yates (at the Band Aid recording) that the ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ would be “a major threat to our fourth number one”. He even gives her a world premiere by singing a little of it (it’s funny to think of a time when this perennial festive favourite didn’t exist!). Of course, that charity single did indeed deny George his fourth UK chart-topper of 1984 and that “bastard insecure little thing” as he describes it, meant it did rankle. “I was happy being in a band” Andrew says, “George needed more”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8huyeTjZjik

Wham! offers some amazing footage, including a colour version of the ‘Everything She Wants’ video (the released version being in black and white), coverage of the 1985 Whamamerica! tour and The Final gig at Wembley. You wonder why none of this stuff has ever been commercially released and then you remember that George Michael really wasn’t particularly interested in revisiting Wham! in his all too short lifetime.

Andrew rationalises George’s need to end Wham! and start a solo career with a nonchalant “I was happy for my friend… Wham! was never going to be middle-aged” but then adds, somewhat heartbreakingly, “we all wake up in the middle of our dreams; suddenly it’s not there”. There’s a poignancy at the end as Andrew faces an uncertain future and George faces, what is in his mind, a certain one: even more success.

George declares his “sanity” is at stake as a reason for ending Wham! and then puts himself in a more insane situation by heading to the USA to try to compete with the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson, while still remaining in the closet and not having his friend by his side (“I had no idea how much I was going to miss that support”). History tells us that none of this made George any happier. “I didn’t know what being George Michael truly meant” Andrew says, and it seems likely, neither did George. 

Wham! is a beautiful documentary; a brilliant film that brings clarity and insight to the inner workings of Wham! and surely puts to an end any thoughts of Andrew Ridgeley being anything other than an essential component in the group. It’s moving at the end, but you can blink away the tears as an exuberant ‘I’m Your Man’ plays out over the credits and reminds us that Wham! were primarily purveyors of joyful, life-affirming pop music.

Wham! is streaming now exclusively on Netfix. The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven is out now.

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Keith Emerson / Variations

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Variations is a new 20CD box set that spans the career of keyboard player, songwriter and producer Keith Emerson.

This mammoth package is divided into five parts beginning with Emerson’s early years with The Nice and Emerson Lake & Palmer before moving onto Keith’s solo albums, his soundtracks and collaborations before ending with live performances (including a previously unreleased show from BB Kings in 2004).

All 20 CDs in Variations have been mastered by audio engineer Andy Pearce. The collection also contains a previously unreleased show from BB Kings in 2004.The box set is presented as a 10″ box set and the 48-page book contains rare photos and sleeve notes by PROG magazine’s Jerry Ewing.

Variations has been curated with the full involvement and blessing of the Emerson family and Aaron Emerson, Keith’s son, said “It is with great excitement that we can share all of Dad’s great work, expanding throughout his long career. I hope it gives you as much joy as it has done for all of us”.

Variations will be released on 13 October 2023 via Spirit Of Unicorn Music.

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Tracklisting

Variations Keith Emerson /

    • CD 1: Pt. 1 The Early Years / The Bands
      1. Medley – Keith Emerson (Age 14)   
      2. Rock Candy – The T Bones with Chris Barber   
      3. Lament For Tony Stratton Smith – Keith Emerson   
      4. America / 2nd Amendment – The Nice   
      5. The Three Fates – ELP   
      6. The Old Castle / Blues Variations – ELP   
      7. Fugue – ELP   
      8. Karn Evil 9 2nd Impression – ELP   
      9. Piano Improvisations (Live) – ELP   
      10. Fanfare For the Common Man – ELP   
      11. Barrelhouse Shakedown – ELP  
      12. Honky Tonk Train Blues – ELP
      13. Introductory Fanfare / Peter Gunn Theme (Live) – ELP
    • CD 2: Pt. 2 The Solo Albums – Honky
      1. Hello Sailor – Includes Bach Before the Mast Part 1  
      2. Hello Sailor – Includes Bach Before the Mast Part 2  
      3. Hello Sailor – Includes Bach Before the Mast Part 3  
      4. Salt Cay  
      5. Green Ice  
      6. Intro Juicing   
      7. Big Horn Breakdown  
      8. Yancey Special  
      9. Rum A Ting  
      10. Chickcharnie  
      11. Jesus Loves Me
    • CD 3: Pt. 2 The Solo Albums – Changing States
      1. Shelter From the Rain  
      2. Another Frontier  
      3. Ballade  
      4. The Band Keeps Playing  
      5. Summertime  
      6. The Church  
      7. Interlude  
      8. Montagues And Capulets  
      9. Abaddon’s Bolero (Orchestral Version)  
      10. The Band Keeps Playing (Aftershock Mix)
    • CD 4: Pt. 2 The Solo Albums – Emerson Plays Emerson
      1. Vagrant  
      2. Creole Dance  
      3. Solitudinous  
      4. Broken Bough  
      5. A Cajun Alley  
      6. Prelude To Candice  
      7. A Blade of Grass  
      8. Outgoing Tide  
      9. Summertime  
      10. Interlude  
      11. Roll’n Jelly  
      12. B & W Blues  
      13. For Kevin  
      14. The Dreamer  
      15. Hammer It Out  
      16. Ballad For a Common Man  
      17. Barrelhouse Shakedown  
      18. Nilu’s Dream  
      19. Soulscapes  
      20. Close To Home  
      21. Honky Tonk Train Blues  
      22. Medley  
      23. Nicola  
      24. Silver Shoes  
      25. I’ll See You in My Dreams 
    • CD 5: Pt. 2 The Solo Albums – Keith Emerson Band
      1. Ignition  
      2. 1st Presence  
      3. Last Horizon  
      4. Miles Away Pt. 1  
      5. Miles Away Pt. 2  
      6. Crusaders Cross  
      7. Fugue  
      8. 2nd Presence  
      9. Marche Train  
      10. Blue Inferno  
      11. 3rd Presence  
      12. Prelude To a Hope  
      13. A Place to Hide  
      14. Miles Away Pt. 3  
      15. Finale  
      16. The Art of Falling Down  
      17. Malambo (From “Estancia Suite”)  
      18. Gametime  
      19. The Parting  
    • CD 6: Pt. 3 The Soundtracks – Inferno
      1. Inferno (Main Title Theme)  
      2. Rose’s Descent into The Cellar  
      3. Taxi Ride (Rome)  
      4. The library  
      5. Sarah In the Library Vaults  
      6. Bookbinder’s Delight  
      7. Rose Leaves the Apartment  
      8. Rose Gets It  
      9. Elisa’s Story  
      10. A Cat Attic Attack  
      11. Kazanian’s Tarantella  
      12. Mark’s Discovery  
      13. Mater Tenebrarum  
      14. Inferno Finale  
      15. Cigarettes, Ices, Etc.  
      16. Inferno (#1)  
      17. Inferno (#2)  
      18. Inferno (#3)  
      19. Inferno (#4)  
      20. Inferno (#5) 
    • CD 7: Pt. 3 The Soundtracks – Nighthawks
      1. Nighthawks (Main Title Theme)  
      2. Mean Stalkin’  
      3. The Bust  
      4. Nighthawking  
      5. The Chase  
      6. I’m A Man  
      7. The Chopper  
      8. Tramway  
      9. I’m Comin’ In  
      10. Face To Face  
      11. The Flight of A Hawk
    • CD 8 : Pt. 3 The Soundtracks – Muderock
      1. Murderock  
      2. Tonight, Is Your Night  
      3. Streets To Blame  
      4. Not So Innocent  
      5. Prelude To Candice  
      6. Don’t Go in The Shower  
      7. Coffee Time  
      8. Candice  
      9. New York Dash  
      10. Tonight, Is Not Your Night  
      11. The Spillone  
      12. Murderock (Part 1)  
      13. Murderock (Part 2)  
      14. Murderock (Part 3)  
      15. Murderock (Part 4)  
    • CD 9: Pt. 3 The Soundtracks – Best Revenge / La Chiesa
      Best Revenge 
      1. Orchestral Suite To Best Revenge (Instrumental)  
      2. Playing For Keeps  
      3. The Dreamer – Love Theme (Instrumental)  
      4. Wha’dya Mean (Instrumental)  
      5. Outgoing Tide  
      6. For Those About to Win  
      7. The Runner (Instrumental)  
      La Chiesa 
      1. The Church (Main Theme)  
      2. The Possession  
      3. Prelude 24  
      4. La Chiesa Revisited
    • CD 10: Pt. 3 The Soundtracks – Iron Man
      1. Iron Man Main Title Theme  
      2. And The Sea Shall Give Up It’s Dead  
      3. I Am Ultimo, Thy Deliverer  
      4. Data In Chaos Out  
      5. Silence My Companion, Death My Destination  
      6. Iron Man Theme Alternative
    • CD 11: Pt. 3 The Soundtracks – Harmagedon / Godzilla
      Harmagedon 
      1. Theme Of the Floi  
      2. Jo And Michiko  
      3. Sonny’s Skate State  
      4. Zamedy Stomp  
      5. Challenge Of the Psionic Fighters  
      6. Children Of the Light  
      Godzilla    
      1. Godzilla Vs. Gotengo  
      2. Godzilla Final Wars Titles  
      3. EDF Headquarters Fight  
      4. EDF Museum  
      5. Infant Island  
      6. Rodan Attacks NYC  
      7. Earth Defense Forces Theme  
      8. Motorcycle Battle  
      9. Godzilla Awakens  
      10. Love Theme  
      11. Monster Zero Theme  
      12. Cruising The Cirro Stratus  
      13. Godzilla Theme  
      14. Godzilla Final Wars End Titles 
    • CD 12: Pt. 4: Collaborations – Three Fates Project   
      1. The Endless Enigma Suite (Pt. 1)  
      2. The Endless Enigma Suite (Pt. 2)  
      3. American Matador  
      4. After All of This  
      5. Walking Distance  
      6. Tarkus (Concertante)  
      7. Malambo  
      8. The Mourning Sun  
      9. Abaddon’s Bolero  
      10. Fanfare For the Common Man (Pt. 1)  
      11. Fanfare For the Common Man (Pt. 2)
    • CD 13: Pt. 4 Collaborations – Beyond The Stars
      1. Toccata Con Fuoco  
      2. Beyond The Stars  
      3. Glorietta Pass  
      4. The Dreamer  
      5. Endless Enigma Suite Pt 1  
      6. The Fugue  
      7. Endless Enigma Suite Pt 2  
      8. Malambo, Op. 7  
      9. The Mourning Sun  
      10. After All of This  
      11. Walking Distance  
      12. Fanfare For the Common Man Pt 1  
      13. Fanfare For the Common Man Pt 2 
      14.  
    • CD 14: Pt. 5 Live Collaborations – Boys Club (Live from California)
      1. Afterburner  
      2. Long Journey Home  
      3. Hoedown  
      4. A Whiter Shade of Pale  
      5. White Noise  
      6. Cover Me  
      7. Nutrocker  
      8. Tarkus  
      9. Dreams  
      10. Middle Of a Dream 
    • CD 15: Pt. 5 LIve Collaborations – Moscow Pt. 1
      1. Karn Evil (1st Impression Pt. 2)  
      2. Piano Concerto (3rd Movement)  
      3. Bitches Crystal  
      4. Malambo  
      5. Touch And Go  
      6. Lucky Man  
      7. Miles Away Pt.1  
      8. Miles Away Pt. 2  
      9. Crusaders Cross  
      10. Fugue  
      11. Marche Train  
      12. Finale
    • CD 16: Pt. 5 LIve Collaborations – Moscow Pt. 2
      1. The Barbarian  
      2. Tarkus  
      3. Nutrocker Suite  
      4. Moscow Fantasia  
      5. Malambo (Orchestral Version)
    • CD 17: Pt. 5 LIve Collaborations – Live From Manticore Hall
      1. From The Beginning  
      2. Introduction  
      3. I Talk to The Wind  
      4. Bitches Crystal  
      5. The Barbarian  
      6. Take A Pebble  
      7. Tarkus  
      8. C’est La Vie  
      9. Pirates  
      10. Moog Solo / Lucky Man
    • CD 18: Pt. 5 Live Collaborations – Off the Shelf
      1. Abaddon’s Bolero Orchestral  
      2. Pictures At an Exhibition  
      3. And Then January  
      4. Rio  
      5. Straight Between the Eyes  
      6. Don’t Be Cruel  
      7. Au Privave  
      8. Walter L  
      9. Rhythm-A-Ning  
      10. Asian Pear  
      11. Motor Bikin’  
      12. America  
      13. Lumpy Gravy  
      14. Up The Elephant & Round the Castle  
      15. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
    • CD 19: Pt. 5 LIve Collaborations – Live at BB Kings – 21/05/2004
      1. America / Rondo   
      2. Country Pie  
      3. Hang Onto a Dream  
      4. Bitches Crystal  
      5. Touch And Go  
      6. Piano Interlude  
      7. Karelia Suite  
      8. Blade Of Grass  
      9. A Cajun Alley  
      10. Creole Dance  
      11. Quango Story  
      12. Just Crazy 
    • CD 20: Pt. 5: Live Collaborations – B.B.Kings – NYC – 21/05/2004 / The Keith Emerson Trio Live At BB Kings
      Live At BB Kings   
      1. Lucky Man  
      2. Hoedown  
      3. Tarkus  
      The Keith Emerson Trio 
      1. You Say You Care  
      2. There Will Never Be Another You  
      3. Teenies Blues  
      4. Winkle Picker Stamp  
      5. 56 Blues  
      6. You Came a Long Way from Saint-Louis  
      7. Soul Station  
      Single    
      1. We Three Kings  
      2. Captain Starship Christmas

Out This Week on 14 July 2023

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Various Artists / NOW 12" 80s: 1980 CD

A new NOW series compiling extended remixes kicks of with a focus on 1980.

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Brian May & Friends / Star Fleet Project

Star Fleet Project was a 3-track mini-album from 1983 by ‘Brian May and Friends’. Those ‘friends’ were guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alan Gratzer (then of REO Speedwagon), bassist Phil Chen (who played with Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart), and Fred Mandel (keyboard player for Alice Cooper who’d worked on player on Queen’s Hot Space Tour and The Works).

For this 40th anniversary reissue, the music has been newly remixed. The vinyl edition features the same three tracks while the CD (“Star Fleet + Beyond”) appends interviews and live numbers. A box set edition offers coloured vinyl, seven-inch single and two CDs with the latter offering “The Complete Sessions”: which is all of the previously unreleased studio sessions. There is actually a 2CD version which offers the complete sessions as well, but it’s only being released in Japan! That logo is everywhere, as usual.

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Marillion / Seasons End (2023 Remix)

Standalone CD and vinyl editions of Marillion’s 1989 album Seasons End are released this week with both featuring the new stereo remix by Michael Hunter which were first issued on the box sets released back in May. The vinyl edition is a 2LP set.

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U2 / Zooropa 30th anniversary vinyl reissue

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

The 30th anniversary of U2’s 1993 album Zooropa is ‘celebrated’ with a new coloured vinyl reissue.

What was, in 1993, a surprisingly prompt follow-up to Achtung Baby, the 10-track album features the singles ‘Numb’, ‘Lemon’ and ‘Stay (Faraway, So Close!). It was produced by Flood, Brian Eno and The Edge.

This new 2LP uses the 2018 remastering and offers a couple of bonus remixes on side four and the records are pressed on transparent yellow vinyl. That’s all well and good, but what marks out this reissue is the retail price – it’s a tad under £60 in the UK! Quite why it is so expensive remains to be seen, although the artwork for the “deluxe gatefold package” is printed on foil board.

By way of comparison, the 2LP coloured vinyl edition of Songs of Surrender retails for between £35 and £40. Same band, same product, same record company, same year of release. Go figure.

Zooropa is also not out for ages. It is being released on 27 October 2023 via UMR/Island.

Tracklisting

Zooropa U2 / 2LP coloured vinyl

    • LP 1
      Side 1 
      1. Zooropa
      2. Baby Face
      3. Numb
      Side 2
      1. Lemon
      2. Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
      3. Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
    • LP 2
      Side 3
      1. Some Days Are Better Than Others
      2. The First Time
      3. Dirty Day
      4. The Wanderer
      Side 4
      1. Lemon (The Perfecto Mix)
      2. Numb (Gimme Some More Dignity Mix)

Supergrass / Life On Other Planets reissue

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Supergrass’ fourth studio album Life On Other Planets will be reissued next month.

The 2002 album features the popular singles ‘Grace’, ‘Seen the Light’ and has been remastered and expanded for a 3CD deluxe edition. The additional two CDs offer demos/rare tracks while the third delivers live versions. This includes a 20-page booklet with notes by Mark Radcliffe.

White vinyl LP + coloured vinyl 10″

There’s two vinyl versions: one is a pressed on white vinyl and comes with a black/green vinyl 10-inch single with live tracks. This features white on black reverse colours artwork. A standard single vinyl black edition with the standard artwork is also availble.

Life On Other Planets will be reissued on 25 August 2023 via BMG.

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Life On Other Planets - white vinyl LP + 10-inch

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Life On Other Planets - black vinyl LP

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3CD expanded edition

Tracklisting

Life On Other Planets Supergrass / reissue

    • CD 1: Life On Other Planets remaster
      1. Za
      2. Rush Hour Soul
      3. Seen The Light
      4. Brecon Beacons
      5. Can’t Get Up
      6. Evening Of The Day
      7. Never Done Nothing Like
        That Before
      8. Funniest Thing
      9. Grace
      10. La Song
      11. Prophet 15
      12. Run
    • CD 2: Extraterrestials
      1. Dark Star
      2. Za *
      3. Rush Hour Soul *
      4. Everytime
      5. Seen The Light *
      6. The Loner
      7. I Told The Truth
      8. Brecon Beacons *
      9. I Can’t Get Up *
      10. Evening Of The Day *
      11. Funniest Thing *
      12. Stink Finger
      13. Velvetine
      14. Electric Cowboy
      15. Tishing In Windows (Kicking
        Down Doors)
      16. That Old Song
      17. La Song *
      18. Prophet 15 *
      19. Tronic
      20. Life On Other Planets
        * Helioscentric Demo
    • CD 3:
      1. Za **
      2. Rush Hour Soul **
      3. Seen The Light **
      4. Brecon Beacons **
      5. Can’t Get Up ****
      6. Evening Of The Day ***
      7. Intermission **
      8. Never Done Nothing Like
        That Before **
      9. Funniest Thing ***
      10. Grace ***
      11. La Song ***
      12. Prophet 15 *****
      13. The Loner **
      14. Run **
      ** Live at Elysée Montmartre
      *** Live at Wembley Arena
      **** Live at Heineken Music Hall
      ***** Live At v2002

Jethro Tull / The Broadsword and the Beast

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Jethro Tull’s 1982 album The Broadsword and the Beast will be reissued in September as hefty vinyl and CD box sets.

The massive 5CD+3DVD ‘Monster Edition’ includes a new Steven Wilson stereo mix of the album, plus a host of associated recordings, also newly mixed by Wilson (CDs 1 & 2). The third disc offers demos, master mixes, rough mixes and more, while CDs 4 & 5 deliver a live set from Germany performed in 1982.

The three DVDs included with this Monster Edition offer audio only content, with the first devoted to 5.1 and hi-res stereo mixes of the album associated recordings. The second DVD delivers even more associated recordings in the same audio formats, while DVD 3 is the Live in Germany 1982 concert in hi-res stereo and 4.1 surround sound.

This 5CD+3DVD format includes a 164-page book with interviews with band members, a track-by-track annotation by Ian Anderson, an interview with sleeve illustrator Iain McCaig, an extensive interview with studio and live sound engineer Leigh Mantle, a recreation of the 1982 tour programme and touring schedule, and rare photos and memorabilia. Phew!

The ‘Monster Edition’ of The Broadsword and the Beast features five CDs and three DVDs

The 4LP vinyl edition of this 40th anniversary celebration of the album covers much of the same ground but obviously doesn’t feature the hi-res and surround audio and omits the live concert.

LP 1 is the Steven Wilson mix of the album, LPs 2 & 3 feature associated recordings (also mixed by Steven Wilson) and the fourth record offers demos. This deluxe set is presented as two singles and one double LP and includes a 28-page large format booklet

The Broadsword and the Beast 40th anniversary editions will be released on 1 September 2023 via Parlophone.

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The Broadsword and the Beast - 4LP vinyl

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The 4LP vinyl version of The Broadsword and the Beast 40th anniversary reissue

Tracklisting

The Broadsword and the Beast Jethro Tull / 5CD+3DVD ‘Monster’ edition

    • CD 1: ‘THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST’ A Steven Wilson stereo remix
      THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST’ A Steven Wilson stereo remix
      1. Beastie
      2. Clasp
      3. Fallen On Hard Times
      4. Flying Colours
      5. Slow Marching Band
      6. Broadsword
      7. Pussy Willow
      8. Watching Me, Watching You
      9. Seal Driver
      10. Cheerio
      ASSOCIATED RECORDINGS A Steven Wilson stereo remix. Recorded on 24 track at Maison Rouge Studios, December 1981 – January 1982 (unless otherwise noted)
      1. Fallen On Hard Times (1st master, Dec ’81 sessions)
      2. Beastie (2nd master, Dec ’81 sessions)
      3. Fallen On Hard Times [2nd master, Dec ’81 sessions)
      4. Seal Driver (1st master, Dec ’81 sessions)
      5. Cheerio (ensemble vocal version)
      6. Jack-A-Lynn (acoustic version)
      7. Beastie Shouts!
    • CD 2: Associated Recordings
      ASSOCIATED RECORDINGS (Early 1981 Sessions) A Steven Wilson stereo remix. Recorded on 24 track at Maison Rouge Studios, March 1981 – July 1981
      1. Roland’s Entry [Instrumental]
      2. Lights Out
      3. The Curse (version 1)
      4. The Curse (version 2)
      5. Too Many Too
      6. Calafel [Instrumental]
      7. I’m Your Gun
      8. No Step
      9. Down At The End Of Your Road
      10. Mayhem Maybe [with 1988 overdubs]
      11. Commons Brawl [with 1993 overdubs]
      12. Return To Calafel [Instrumental]
      13. Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow
      14. The Swirling Pit [Instrumental]
      15. Inverness Sleeper
      FURTHER ASSOCIATED RECORDINGS A Steven Wilson stereo remix. Recorded on 24 track at Maison Rouge Studios, December 1981 – January 1982
      1. Crew Nights (combined version) [with some 1993 overdubs]
      2. Rhythm In Gold
      3. Overhang [with 1988 overdubs]
      4. Jack-A-Lynn (band version)
      5. Motoreyes
      6. Drive On The Young Side Of Life [with 1993 overdubs]
    • CD 3: Demo Recordings, Master MIxes & Rough Mixes
      Demos Recordings.
      Recorded directly to stereo in Maison Rouge Studio 1 on 15th December 1981
      1. Flying Colours
      2. Me, Dinosaur
      3. Crew Nights
      4. Rhythm In Gold
      5. Honest Girl
      6. DJ Dream
      7. Seal Driver
      8. Jack-A-Lynn
      9. Fallen On Hard Times
      10. Drive On The Young Side Of Life
      ORIGINAL 1981 MASTER MIXES
      Early master mixes prepared in July 1981. The master mix of ‘Watching Me, Watching You’ used on the album was also prepared during these mixing sessions.
      1. Beastie
      2. Too Many Too
      3. I’m Your Gun
      4. Down At The End Of Your Road
      5. Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow
      EARLY 1982 ROUGH MIXES
      Rough mixes of work-in-progress album tracks prepared in January 1982
      1. Slow Marching Band
      2. Pussy Willow
      3. Fallen On Hard Times
      ORIGINAL 1982 RADIO ADVERT
      UK local radio advert promoting the band’s headlining appearance at the Theakston Music Festival, Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire, England on Saturday 28th August 1982
      1. Theakston Music Festival Advert
    • CD 4: LIVE IN GERMANY 1982
      1. Clasp
      2. Hunting Girl
      3. Fallen On Hard Times
      4. Pussy Willow
      5. Broadsword
      6. Jack-In-The-Green
      7. One Brown Mouse
      8. Seal Driver
      9. Heavy Horses
      10. Weathercock/Fire At Midnight
      11. Keyboard Instrumental
      12. Sweet Dream
    • CD 5
      1. Flying Colours
      2. Songs From The Wood
      3. Watching Me, Watching You
      4. Band Introductions
      5. The Swirling Pit
      6. Pibroch/Black Satin Dancer
      7. Beastie
      8. Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die!
      9. Aqualung
      10. Minstrel In The Gallery
      11. Locomotive Breath/Black Sunday
      12. Cheerio
    • DVD 1: Audio only
      1. The Broadsword And The Beast album remixed to 96/24 LPCM stereo and DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound + flat transfer of the 1982 original mix and other associated tracks in 96/24 LPCM stereo
    • DVD 2: Audio only
      1. Associated Recordings remixed to 96/24 LPCM stereo and DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound
    • DVD 3: Audio only
      1. Live in Germany (as per DISCS 4 & 5) remixed to 96/24 LPCM stereo and DTS and Dolby Digital 4.1 surround sound

Tracklisting

Jethro Tull / The Broadsword and the Beast 40th anniversary 4LP vinyl edition

The Broadsword and the Beast Jethro Tull / 4LP vinyl

    • LP 1: The Broadsword And The Beast (Steven Wilson remix)
      Side 1
      1. Beastie
      2. Clasp
      3. Fallen On Hard Times
      4. Flying Colours
      5. Slow Marching Band
      Side 2
      1. Broadsword
      2. Pussy Willow
      3. Watching Me, Watching You
      4. Seal Driver
      5. Cheerio
    • LP 2: Double-Edged Sword (Steven Wilson mixes of additional Broadsword recordings March 1981 to January 1982)
      Side 1
      1. Rolands Entry (2.00)
      2. Lights Out (5.18
      3. The Curse (Version 1) (3.40)
      4. The Curse (Version 2) (3.34)
      5. Too Many Too (3.44)
      Side 2
      1. Calafel (3.01)
      2. I’m Your Gun (4.24)
      3. No Step (3.40)
      4. Down At The End Of Your Road (3.32)
      5. Mayhem, Maybe (3.06)
      6. Commons Brawl (3.23)
    • LP 3: Double-Edged Sword (Steven Wilson mixes of additional Broadsword recordings March 1981 to January 1982)
      Side 3
      1. Return To Calafel (0.41)
      2. Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow (3.23)
      3. The Swirling Pit (3.53)
      4. Inverness Sleeper (3.17)
      5. Motoreyes (3.40)
      6. Rhythm In Gold (3.05)
      Side 4
      1. Overhang (4.27)
      2. Jack-A-Lynn (Band Version) (4.41)
      3. Crew Nights (4.26)
      4. Drive On The Young Side Of Life (4.03)
      5. Jack-A-Lynn (acoustic version) (4.12)
    • LP 4: The Broadsword And The Beast – The Maison Rouge Demos
      Side 1
      1. Flying Colours (5.00)
      2. Me, Dinosaur (5.16)
      3. Crew Nights (4.48)
      4. Drive On The Young Side Of Life (4.35)
      5. Seal Driver (5.08)
      Side 2
      1. DJ Dream (4.53)
      2. Rhythm In Gold (3.25)
      3. Honest Girl (6.29)
      4. Jack-A-Lynn (5.40)
      5. Fallen On Hard Times (4.14)

NOW The 80s: USA

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Now That’s What I Call Music are issuing a new compilation called NOW The 80s: USA.

The idea is clearly to spotlight hits from the decade that enjoyed significant success Stateside, some of which did well in the UK as well, but others that didn’t.

This compilation is available as a 4CD set (with the non-deluxe 8-panel card sleeve) and a snazzy looking triple 3LP red, white and blue coloured vinyl package. The former features 79 hits while the latter offers 44 songs.

3LP coloured vinyl edition in red, white and blue

There’s plenty of very familiar names of course, including Bruce Springsteen, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Journey, Paul Simon, Kenny Loggins, Nena, Go-Go’s, Irene Cara, Christopher Cross, Toto, Pat Benetar, Anita Baker and many more.

NOW The 80s: USA will be released on 11 August 2023. Talking of NOWs, the beach-towel-tastic NOW 15 compilation, originally issued in 1989 was also recently announced. All 32 tracks are present and correct, except for INXS’ ‘Mystify’, which hasn’t been included due to licensing restrictions. Scroll down for the tracklisting.

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Now the 80s USA - 4CD set

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Now the 80s USA - 3LP coloured vinyl

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Various Artist

NOW 15 - 2CD set

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Tracklisting

NOW The 80s USA Various Artists /

    • CD 1
      1. Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer
      2. Bruce Springsteen – Hungry Heart
      3. John Mellencamp – Jack & Diane
      4. The Police – Every Breath You Take
      5. Pat Benatar – Love Is A Battlefield
      6. Rick Springfield – Jessie’s Girl
      7. Daryl Hall & John Oates – You Make My Dreams (Come True)
      8. Billy Joel – A Matter Of Trust
      9. Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes
      10. Journey – Open Arms
      11. Toto – I Won’t Hold You Back
      12. REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You
      13. Paul Simon – Late In The Evening
      14. Christopher Cross - Ride Like The Wind
      15. Juice Newton – Angel Of The Morning
      16. Kenny Rogers – Lady
      17. Tina Turner - What’s Love Got To Do With It
      18. Anita Baker - Giving You The Best That I Got
      19. Jennifer Holliday – And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going
      20. Neil Diamond – America (From “The Jazz Singer” Soundtrack)
    • CD 2
      1. Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson – Say Say Say
      2. Irene Cara – Flashdance…What A Feeling
      3. Michael Sembello – Maniac
      4. Ray Parker Jr. – Ghostbusters
      5. Deniece Williams – Let’s Hear It for The Boy
      6. Diana Ross – Upside Down
      7. Eddie Murphy – Party All The Time
      8. Olivia Newton-John – Physical
      9. Lipps Inc. – Funkytown
      10. Company B - Fascinated
      11. The S.O.S Band – Take Your Time (Do It Right)
      12. Aretha Franklin – Freeway Of Love
      13. Pebbles – Mercedes Boy
      14. Ready For The World – Oh Sheila
      15. Sheila E. - The Glamorous Life, Pt. 1
      16. Young MC – Bust A Move
      17. LL COOL J – I Need Love
      18. Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam – Lost In Emotion
      19. Exposé – Seasons Change
    • CD 3
      1. The Bangles – Walk Like An Egyptian
      2. Culture Club – I’ll Tumble 4 Ya
      3. Go-Go’s – We Got The Beat
      4. R.E.M. – Stand
      5. The Fixx – One Thing Leads To Another
      6. The Romantics – Talking In Your Sleep
      7. The Cars - Shake It Up
      8. Duran Duran - The Reflex
      9. Peter Schilling – Major Tom (Coming Home)
      10. Nena – 99 Luftballons
      11. Corey Hart – Sunglasses At Night
      12. A Flock Of Seagulls – I Ran (So Far Away)
      13. Wang Chung – Everybody Have Fun Tonight
      14. Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine – Conga
      15. El DeBarge – Who’s Johnny
      16. Stacey Q - Two Of Hearts
      17. Paula Abdul – Cold Hearted
      18. Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat
      19. Smokey Robinson – Being With You
      20. Lionel Richie – My Love
      21. Whitney Houston – You Give Good Love
    • CD 4
      1. Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger
      2. Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone (From “Top Gun” Original Soundtrack)
      3. Blondie – Call Me (Theme From “American Gigolo”)
      4. Steve Miller Band – Abracadabra
      5. Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
      6. Laura Branigan - Spanish Eddie
      7. Pretenders - Show Me
      8. Belinda Carlisle – Mad About You
      9. Eric Carmen – Hungry Eyes (From “Dirty Dancing” Soundtrack)
      10. Night Ranger – Sister Christian
      11. The J. Geils Band – Centerfold
      12. Don Johnson – Heartbeat
      13. Robert Palmer - Simply Irresistible
      14. John Waite – Missing You
      15. Richard Marx – Endless Summer Nights
      16. Steve Winwood – Back In The High Life Again
      17. Bruce Hornsby & The Range – Mandolin Rain
      18. Chicago – Hard To Say I’m Sorry
      19. Foreigner – Waiting For A Girl Like You

Tracklisting

NOW 15 Various Artists /

    • CD 1
      1. Queen – I Want It All
      2. Simple Minds – Kick It In
      3. Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing
      4. Holly Johnson – Americanos
      5. Transvision Vamp – Baby I Don’t Care
      6. Roxette – The Look
      7. Stevie Nicks – Rooms On Fire
      8. Paul McCartney – My Brave Face
      9. The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden & Stock Aitken Waterman – Ferry ’Cross the Mersey
      10. The Beautiful South – Song For Whoever
      11. Kirsty MacColl – Days
      12. Danny Wilson – The Second Summer Of Love
      13. Waterfront – Cry
      14. Hue & Cry – Violently
      15. Cliff Richard – The Best Of Me
    • CD 2
      1. Soul II Soul & Caron Wheeler – Back To Life
      2. Neneh Cherry – Manchild
      3. Bobby Brown – Every Little Step
      4. Inner City – Do You Love What You Feel (Duane Bradley Remix)
      5. D-Mob feat. LRS – It Is Time To Get Funky
      6. Donna Allen – Joy And Pain
      7. Gladys Knight – Licence To Kill (From “Licence To Kill” Soundtrack)
      8. Natalie Cole – Miss You Like Crazy
      9. Pet Shop Boys – It’s Alright
      10. Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers – Swing The Mood
      11. Swing Out Sister – You On My Mind
      12. Bananarama – Cruel Summer ‘89
      13. De La Soul – Say No Go
      14. Norman Cook & M.C. Wildski – Blame It On The Bassline
      15. Double Trouble + Rebel MC – Just Keep Rockin’ (Sk’ouse Mix)
      16. The Cure – Lullaby

Sex Pistols / Holidays In The Sun 7″ yellow vinyl

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Universal Music continue to revisit classic Sex Pistols singles from 1976/77 with another limited edition coloured vinyl release.

This time the band’s fourth single, ‘Holidays In The Sun’, will be reissued as a seven-inch single pressed on yellow vinyl (first time on coloured vinyl). The song reached No 8 in the UK charts when it was released in October 1977 to promote Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols.

First time officially on coloured vinyl for this numbered ‘Holidays In The Sun’ seven-inch

After the 4576 copy limited release of ‘Anarchy in The UK’, this single sees another small run of just 4577 physical records available for collectors. Each single is individually numbered with the artwork replicating the original UK design (by Jamie Reid).

Holidays In The Sun will be released – via D2C (Direct to Consumer) only – and will be released on 4 August 2023 by Universal Music Recordings. 

Tracklisting

Holidays in the Sun Sex Pistols /

      1. Holidays in the Sun
      2. Satellite

Neil Young / Chrome Dreams

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

It’s fair to say that Neil Young has ‘lost’ more albums than most and next month another legendary long-player that was ‘mislaid’ in the 1970s is given a full commercial release.

The album in question is Chrome Dreams a non-release dating from 1977 that was confusingly ‘followed up’ in 2007 by Chrome Dreams II.

As is often the way with these unreleased albums, they get cherry-picked for subsequent projects meaning if/when they finally do surface there’s an air of familiarity about them. So as far as the 12-track Chrome Dreams is concerned, ‘Pocahontas’, ‘Powderfinger’ and ‘Captain Kennedy’ were all originally earmarked for Hitchhiker, itself an unreleased album from 1976, that was eventually issued in 2017 (highly recommended, by the way). ‘Pocahontas’ is the same version heard on 1979’s Rust Never Sleeps without the overdubs.

Neil Young has lost albums than most

SDE

‘Sedan Delivery’ is a slower version that the one on Rust Never Sleeps and features an additional verse, while ‘Hold Back The Tears’ is different to the one on American Stars ‘n Bars (as is ‘Homegrown’). ‘Stringman’ is live from Young’s 1976 European tour (with some overdubs) and ‘Too Far Gone’ didn’t turn up until 1989’s Freedom although Young performed it in November 1976 as documented on the Songs For Judy compilation. The version on Chrome Dreams features Frank ‘Poncho’ Sampedro playing mandolin. For the most part, the other songs are the same as per their subsequent studio album versions.

The 2LP vinyl edition is actually three-sided with side four the dreaded ‘etched’ disc. Four tracks on the album have never been issued on vinyl. There’s a CD version too. Both come with an insert with lyrics.

Chrome Dreams is released on 11 August 2023 via Reprise.

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Neil Young

Chrome Dreams - 2LP vinyl

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Neil Young

Chrome Dreams - CD edition

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You might also like…

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Neil Young

Songs For Judy - 2LP vinyl

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Neil Young

Hitchhiker on Vinyl LP

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Neil Young

Hitchhiker on CD

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Tracklisting

Neil Young / Chrome Dreams reissue

Chrome Dreams Neil Young /

      1. Pocahontas
      2. Will To Love
      3. Star Of Bethlehem
      4. Like A Hurricane
      5. Too Far Gone
      6. Hold Back The Tears
      7. Homegrown
      8. Captain Kennedy
      9. Stringman
      10. Sedan Delivery
      11. Powderfinger
      12. Look Out For My Love

Autonomy: The Productions of Martin Rushent

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Autonomy is part of Ace Records’ ongoing Producer Series and celebrates the work of Martin Rushent.

Curated by broadcaster Gary Crowley, the 19-track compilation works it way through his productions in the post-punk era for bands such as The Stranglers, XTC, The Buzzcocks and Generation X before moving into the synth-pop era with the likes of The Human League, Altered Images and Hazel O’Connor.

This is a CD release and the booklet offers Crowley’s sleeve notes, quotes from many musicians and producers who worked with Rushent along with poignant memories penned by his children, along with some candid photos that show Rushent inside and outside his beloved studio habitat.

Autonomy: The Productions of Martin Rushent will be released on 28 July 2023 via Ace.

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Various Artists

Autonomy - The Productions of Martin Rushent - CD

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Tracklisting

Autonomy: The Productions of Martin Rushent Various Artists /

      1. (Get A) Grip [On Yourself] – The Stranglers
      2. Autonomy – Buzzcocks
      3. Kiss Me Deadly – Generation X
      4. Homicide – 999
      5. Destination Venus – The Rezillos
      6. Are You Receiving Me? – XTC
      7. Hold On – Ian Gomm
      8. Tonight – Rachel Sweet
      9. Guitar Beat – Raybeats
      10. Hard Times (Instrumental) – Human League
      11. I Could Be Happy (Martin Rushent Remix) – Altered Images
      12. A Way You’ll Never Be (12” Version) – Leisure Process
      13. Working Girl – The Members
      14. Steamhammer Sam – Intaferon
      15. Beneath The Blue Sky – Go Gos
      16. Don’t Touch Me – Hazel O’Connor
      17. Breakfast – The Associates
      18. Je Suis Passée (7” Version) – Hard Corps
      19. Big Sweep (Club Mix) (1985) – Then Jerico

Out This Week / on 7 July 2023

Posted on by Paul Sinclair
Wham! The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven

Wham! / The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven CD, Vinyl, Box Set

The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven is a new Wham! release which marks the pop band’s 40th anniversary. Loads of formats of which the 7″ box set with the ‘carry case’ is the most flashy (and expensive) even if the 10CD version has the most actual audio content.

Read More

Rolling Stones SHM-CD Japanese replica SHM-CDs

The Rolling Stones‘ post-ABKCO albums of the 1970s and 80s are reissued in the Japanese SHM-CD format with working zippers, die-cut covers, replica inner sleeves, OBI strips and all the detail you’d expect. The great news is that, for once, you don’t have to pay inflated import prices – these start at around £17, which is great value for this kind of quality presentation.

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The Rolling Stones

Sticky Fingers - SHM-CD

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The Rolling Stones

Exile On Main Street - SHM-CD

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The Rolling Stones

Goats Head Soup - SHM CD

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The Rolling Stones

Its Only Rock and Roll - SHM-CD

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The Rolling Stones

Black and Blue - SHM-CD

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The Rolling Stones

Some Girls - SHM-CD

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The Rolling Stones

Emotional Rescue - SHM-CD

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The Rolling Stones

Tattoo You - SHM-CD

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Undercover - SHM-CD

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The Rolling Stones

Dirty Work - SHM-CD

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The Breeders / Last Splash 30th anniversary reissue

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

American indie rock band The Breeders 1993 album Last Splash is being reissued for its 30th anniversary. The album features the alt-rock classic ‘Cannonball’, reached the top 10 in the UK and was certified platinum in America.

The headline news for this reissue is that it is from the original analogue tapes which were thought to have been lost but have now been discovered (deep in Warner’s vaults). These half-inch tapes consisted of final mixes, but were un-sequenced and unmastered. There were transferred to digital before cutting to vinyl. This is due to the album being recorded over many months at several different locations and the tapes having different line up standards. Everything was mixed to 1/2” but, as Miles Showell confirmed to SDE, some of the tracks were recorded at 15 IPS (speed, rated in inches-per-second) while the majority were done at 30 IPS. Add to that the fact that some tracks were Dolby SR encoded and some were not, this mix of standards would have made it impossible to work on while keeping the signal path AAA.

One bonus is that the tape discovery brought to light two unreleased tracks from the 1993 Last Splash recording sessions: ‘Go Man Go’, a track that Kim co-wrote with Black Francis, and ‘Divine Mascis’, a version of ‘Divine Hammer’ with lead vocals provided courtesy of Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis.

This 30th anniversary ‘Original Analog Edition’ of Last Splash is being issued as a 2LP set. A bonus one-sided 12-inch offers the two newly discovered tracks (the other side is etched) meaning this is a three record set. Artwork sees the original, iconic sleeve design by the late designer Vaughan Oliver reimagined by his long-time design partner Chris Bigg.

CD fans can delight in a one-time pressing Japanese replica version of this release which is available at non-import prices. The sleeve is being printed by Ichikudo in Tokyo and will come with an obi strip, lyric booklet and includes the two bonus tracks from the vinyl version.

Last Splash is reissued on 22 September 2023, via 4AD.

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The Breeders

The Last Splash - 2LP+12-inch single

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The Breeders

The Last Splash Japan vinyl replica CD

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The 2LP+12″ triple vinyl set (click image to enlarge)

Tracklisting

The Breeders / Last Splash 3LP analog 30th anniversary edition

Last Splash The Breeders / 30th anniversary edition

    • 2LP and CD version
      1. New Year (2023 Remaster)1:55
      2. Cannonball (2023 Remaster)3:33
      3. Invisible Man (2023 Remaster)2:47
      4. No Aloha (2023 Remaster)2:06
      5. Roi (2023 Remaster)4:11
      6. Do You Love Me Now? (2023 Remaster)3:01
      7. Flipside (2023 Remaster)1:59
      8. I Just Wanna Get Along (2023 Remaster)1:44
      9. Mad Lucas (2023 Remaster)4:36
      10. Divine Hammer (2023 Remaster)2:37
      11. S.O.S. (2023 Remaster)1:34
      12. Hag (2023 Remaster)2:55
      13. Saints (2023 Remaster)2:31
      14. Drivin’ on 9 (2023 Remaster)3:21
      15. Roi (reprise) (2023 Remaster)0:44
      16. Go Man Go2:16
      17. Divine Mascis2:58

Box set and Reissue Deals for July 2023

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Mark Knopfler / The Studio Albums 1996-2007 6CD set 6CD box set

£15

Deal Over!

Superb price for the 2021 Mark Knopfler box set.

Robert Palmer / The Island Years 9CD box 9CD box set

$52 was $100

Deal Over!

Amazing price in the USA for the 9CD large format Robert Palmer box set.

Liam Gallagher / Knebworth 22 CD box set CD ‘cigarette box’ edition

$15 was $40

Deal Over!

Special Liam Gallagher ‘cigarette box’ set which features festival wrist band, poster and replica ticket.

The Beatles / Revolver 5CD super deluxe

The Beatles / Revolver 5CD box set 5CD super deluxe

£83 was £100+

Deal Over!

Good price for the last Fab Four super deluxe in Germany. It’s actually a similar price in the UK although that’s from a third party seller and not Amazon directly. You can watch the SDEtv unboxing video here.

The Who / Who’s Next 10CD+blu-ray box 10CD+blu-ray super deluxe

£230 was £275

Deal Over!

The newly announced Who’s Next box features 10 CDs of content and a blu-ray with a Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix.

Seal / Seal 4CD+2LP 4CD+2LP super deluxe

$53

Deal Over!

Great price in America for the Seal box set. It’s as low as $43 if you’re a Prime member but still a very good $53 if you’re not. Tbe latter price is about £42 (in the UK it’s £63).

Porcupine Tree / New album 'Closure/Continuation'

Porcupine Tree / Closure Continuation 2CD+blu-ray 2CD+blu-ray box set

$45 was $76

Deal Over!

This deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray boxset features three bonus tracks, instrumental versions, and high resolution 96/24 stereo, 5.1 and Dolby Atmos versions of the album. Includes an art book.

Richard Wright / Wet Dream reissue

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Pre-order blu-ray (with Atmos Mix) and coloured vinyl from the SDE shop

Pink Floyd founder member and keyboardist Richard Wright’s debut solo album, Wet Dream, is to be reissued in July.

The album has been remixed by Steven Wilson in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and stereo for this release. The original mix does not feature on any of the three physical formats and all the new mixes include some extra passages of music that were edited out of the original.

Originally released between Pink Floyd’s Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979), Wet Dream was self-produced and Wright wrote all the songs (except ‘Against the Odds’, which was co-written with his then-wife, Juliette). Remarkably, the album flew under the radar was at best under appreciated, if not almost unnoticed at the time.

The original stereo mix of ‘Mediterranean C’ from Wet Dream

This reissue comes with brand new artwork that was commissioned and art-directed by Gala and Jamie Wright, Richard’s children and managers of his estate. As per the original vinyl release, the bi-fold sleeve folds out to extend the image and features the same vibrant colour palette. This time, the unidentified person in bright red shorts is swimming within deep blue waters of the sea rather than a pool and the image expands out to reveal a boat slightly out of their reach, referencing the nautical theme of the record. The image was taken by Costas Spathis, a photographer living and working in Greece, which is where the album was written and the graphic design is by Carl Glover. The original artwork was designed by Storm Thorgerson and photographed by Aubrey Powell for Hipgnosis and features in the vinyl booklet.

The formats are CD, transparent blue marbled vinyl and a blu-ray audio with the following content:

  • Dolby Atmos MIx
  • 5.1 Surround Mix (DTS-HD Master Audio 96/24)
  • New Stereo Mix in Hi-Res (96/24)
  • Original 1978 Stereo Mix
  • Exclusive personal videos and photo gallery

The blu-ray is presented in a blu-ray-sized book format with soft touch lamination and comes with four collectible postcards and an 8-page concertina booklet.

The CD is released on 28 July 2023, which would have been Richard’s 80th birthday. The vinyl follows later on 29 September 2023 and the blu-ray will be released on 20 October, all via Parlophone music.

TECHNICAL NOTES: This blu-ray audio requires a blu-ray player. Decoding the Dolby Atmos mix requires a Dolby Atmos-certified soundbar or a Dolby Atmos-compatible AV Receiver/Amp. The Dolby Atmos mix will ‘fold down’ to 5.1 or stereo if a Dolby Atmos decoder is not detected.
EU SHIPPING NOTES: If you are ordering from the EU please be aware that that goods may be subject to import VAT when they arrive from the UK. The prices the SDE shop charge you do not include VAT

Tracklisting

Wet Dream Richard Wright / reissue

      1. Mediterranean C
      2. Against the Odds
      3. Cat Cruise
      4. Summer Elegy
      5. Waves
      6. Holiday
      7. Mad Yannis Dance
      8. Drop In from the Top
      9. Pink’s Song
      10. Funky Deux

ABC’s The Lexicon of Love on SDE-exclusive blu-ray audio

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

40th anniversary blu-ray audio • Steven Wilson Remixes • Limited to 5,000 units worldwide • Quick pre-order link

ABC‘s 1982 album The Lexicon of Love is to be reissued (belatedly) for its 40th anniversary and fans will be able to buy special vinyl editions and an SDE-exclusive blu-ray audio, No. 12 in the ongoing SDE Surround Series.

The band’s timeless debut is, undeniably, their defining album; it reached number one in the UK album charts and delivered three UK top 10 hit singles: ‘Poison Arrow’, ‘The Look of Love” and ‘All of My Heart’ with first single – the original version of ‘Tears Are Not Enough’ –  breaching the top 20 in late 1981. ABC also enjoyed US success with The Lexicon of Love, as ‘Poison Arrow’ and ‘The Look of Love’ did well on the Billboard Hot 100 (number 18 and 25 respectively) and the album reached the top 30, Stateside.

The Lexicon of Love sounds fantastic, thanks to the impeccable credentials of the ‘backroom’ team; it was produced by Trevor Horn, engineered by Gary Langan, with keyboards and orchestration by Anne Dudley. J.J. Jeczalik contributed some programming and Fairlight and Luis Jardim offered additional percussion. These names would go on to shape some of the best-sounding albums of the 1980s.

We can now add the renowned musician, songwriter and producer Steven Wilson to that list since he has remixed The Lexicon of Love in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and stereo for this reissue, but before we get to that, let’s establish the formats for this re-release. They are as follows:

  • SDE-exclusive standalone Blu-ray Audio
  • 4LP vinyl + Blu-ray
  • Half-speed mastered vinyl LP

In case it’s not clear from the above, there is no CD version of The Lexicon of Love available as part of this 40th anniversary campaign!

In terms of what’s on the SDE-exclusive blu-ray audio, it very much mirrors what we did with the best-selling (and now sold out) blu-ray audio of Tears For Fears’ The Hurting. It includes FIVE versions of the album:

  • The Lexicon of Love – Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix
  • The Lexicon of Love – Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix (96/24)
  • The Lexicon of Love – Steven Wilson Stereo Mix in hi-res (96/24)
  • The Lexicon of Love – Steven Wilson Instrumental mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
  • The Lexicon of Love – Original 1982 mix in hi-res stereo 96/24

All four Steven Wilson mixes are previously unreleased and an instrumental version of the album is entirely unheard (and fascinating!).

Here’s what Martin Fry has to say about Wilson’s work on this album: “…Part-alchemy and part-archaeology. Steven had unearthed all the magic that lay within the analogue tapes of the original recordings with dexterity and diligence, shining a light on all that lay inside. The mix is vivid and crystal clear. True to the spirit of what was on tape all those years ago”.

A point of detail: the blu-ray in the 4LP vinyl box offers the promo videos (including Mantrap) – these don’t feature on the SDE version. However, the blu-ray that comes with the vinyl box doesn’t include the original 1982 mix of The Lexicon of Love (it’s on the SDE disc in hi-res 96/24 stereo) so the disc in the vinyl box set has four versions of the album and not five.

Of course, the SDE-exclusive doesn’t require you to buy four vinyl records to enjoy the spatial audio mixes, which is a positive! This ABC blu-ray audio is No 12 in the ongoing SDE Surround Series and will be packaged the same as previous editions and ships with a free, collectible SDE Surround Series slipcase with the number ’12’ on the spine (the one in the vinyl box comes in a simple card sleeve).

Here’s the now traditional reminder as to why the blu-ray is highly recommended:

  • It’s the only way to enjoy the Dolby Atmos mix of the album via a physical product
  • You don’t need to sign-up to a streaming service such as Tidal or Apple Music to hear the spatial audio mix
  • The Atmos Mix on the Blu-ray is not compressed due to streaming bandwidth restrictions
  • You own the product, you are not renting it from a digital service provider
  • The Blu-ray audio is an excellent format for music and you don’t want to see it die off
  • Supporting SDE with these initiatives is leading to similar collaborations with labels/artists and we are keen to bring your more in the near future!
The SDE-exclusive blu-ray audio of The Lexicon of Love includes FIVE mixes of the 1982 album

The other physical formats for this 40th anniversary celebration are a half-speed mastered vinyl edition (mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road) and the aforementioned 4LP + blu-ray vinyl box set which includes the half-speed master and three other vinyl records which feature demos, remixes and The Lexicon of Love performed Live at Hammersmith in 1982 (previously issued on CD).

Important: There is no pre-order window for the SDE-exclusive Blu-ray Audio of The Lexicon of Love; it is strictly limited to 5,000 units worldwide and available on a first come, first served basis (bear in mind we shifted 7,000 copies of Tears For Fears’ The Hurting blu-ray).

Secure your copy today by pre-ordering at the SDE shop, either directly via this link or using the special SDE shop buy button (‘add to cart’) below. We ship worldwide (the tracked service to USA for blu-ray is £8, for example) and a small amount of specially-priced blu-ray + half-speed vinyl LP bundles are also available.

The SDE shop is also offering a blu-ray+half-speed vinyl bundle and an exclusive Lathe-cut 12-inch etched vinyl of ABC’s ‘The Look Of Love’ and ‘All Of My Heart’. The latter is limited to 50 copies worldwide and comes hand-numbered and signed by Martin Fry! (STRICTLY ONE PER CUSTOMER – orders will be cancelled if this is not adhered to).

The Lexicon of Love will be reissued on 4 August 2023 via UMR. The Lathe-cut vinyl is issued on the same date.

TECHNICAL NOTES: This blu-ray audio requires a blu-ray player. Decoding the Dolby Atmos mix requires a Dolby Atmos-certified soundbar or a Dolby Atmos-compatible AV Receiver/Amp. The Dolby Atmos mix will ‘fold down’ to 5.1 or stereo if a Dolby Atmos decoder is not detected.
EU SHIPPING NOTES: If you are ordering from the EU please be aware that that goods may be subject to import VAT when they arrive from the UK. The prices the SDE shop charge you do not include VAT

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ABC

The Lexicon of Love 4LP vinyl box with blu-ray

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The SDE Surround Series so far is:

#1 Tears For Fears: The Tipping Point

#2 xPropaganda: The Heart Is Strange

#3 Gilbert O’Sullivan: Driven

#4 Shakespears Sister: Hormonally Yours

#5 Brian Eno: FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE

#6 Orbital: Optical Delusion

#6.5 Various Arists: Concert For George

#7 Ten Years After: A Space In Time

#8 Bob Dylan: Time Out Of Mind (2022 Remix)

#9 Tears For Fears: The Hurting

#10 Mike Oldfield: Tubular Bells

#11 Suede

Tracklisting

The Lexicon of Love ABC / 40th anniversary

    • SDE Blu-ray Audio
      The Lexicon of Love in the following audio mixes:
      1. Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix
      2. Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix (96/24)
      3. Steven Wilson Stereo Mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
      4. Steven Wilson Stereo Instrumental mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
      5. Original 1982 stereo mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
      The Lexicon of Love
      1. Show Me
      2. Poison Arrow
      3. Many Happy Returns
      4. Tears Are Not Enough
      5. Valentine’s Day
      6. The Look of Love (Part One)
      7. Date Stamp
      8. All of My Heart
      9. 4 Ever 2 Gether
      10. The Look of Love (Part Four)

Tracklisting

ABC / The Lexicon of Love 40th anniversary 4LP+blu-ray box set

The Lexicon of Love ABC / 4LP + blu-ray box set

    • LP 1 – The Lexicon of Love half-speed master
      Side One
      1. Show Me (4:04)
      2. Poison Arrow (3:23)
      3. Many Happy Returns (3:59)
      4. Tears Are Not Enough (3:30)
      5. Valentine’s Day (3:42)
      Side Two
      1. The Look Of Love (Part One) (3:30)
      2. Date Stamp (3:51)
      3. All Of My Heart (5:19)
      4. 4 Ever  2 Gether (5:31)
      5. The Look Of Love (Part Four) (0:56)
    • LP 2: The Route to Lexicon
      Side One
      1. Overture* (3:58)
      2. Surrender (Phonogram Demo) (3:26)^
      3. Show Me (Phonogram Demo) (4:01)^
      4. Tears Are Not Enough (Phonogram Demo) (3:31)^
       Side Two
      1. Tears Are Not Enough* (Steve Brown 12”) (7:48)
      2. Alphabet Soup* (Steve Brown 12”) (8:02)
        Theme From ‘Man Trap’* (4:19)
      ^ – previously unreleased on vinyl
    • LP 3: Lexicon Plus
      Side One
      1. Tears Are Not Enough (original 7”)* (3:35)
      2. Poison Arrow (Jazz Mix)* (7:05)
      3. The Look Of Love (Special Remix)* (7:37)
      Side Two: The Lexicon Of Love Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982
      1. Overture (3:56)^
      2. Show Me (4:21)^
      3. Many Happy Returns (7:02)^
      4. Tears Are Not Enough (5:33)^
      ^ – previously unreleased on vinyl
    • LP 4: The Lexicon Of Love Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982
      Side One
      1. Date Stamp (7:07)^
      2. The Look Of Love (5:59)^
      3. All Of My Heart (6:45)^
      Side Two
      1. Valentine’s Day (4:44)^
      2. 4 Ever 2 Gether (6:53)^
      3. Poison Arrow (5:22)^
      ^ – previously unreleased on vinyl
    • blu-ray
      The Lexicon of Love in the following audio mixes:
      1. Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix
      2. Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix (96/24)
      3. Steven Wilson Stereo Mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
      4. Steven Wilson Stereo Instrumental mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
      Promo Videos
      1. Mantrap
      2. Poison Arrow
      3. The Look Of Love
      4. All Of My Heart

Tracklisting

The Lexicon of Love ABC / half-speed mastered vinyl LP

    • The Lexicon of Love half-speed master
      Side One
      1. Show Me (4:04)
      2. Poison Arrow (3:23)
      3. Many Happy Returns (3:59)
      4. Tears Are Not Enough (3:30)
      5. Valentine’s Day (3:42)
      Side Two
      1. The Look Of Love (Part One) (3:30)
      2. Date Stamp (3:51)
      3. All Of My Heart (5:19)
      4. 4 Ever  2 Gether (5:31)
      5. The Look Of Love (Part Four) (0:56)

More R.E.M. vinyl reissues on the way

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Craft Recordings will reissue two more R.E.M. albums on vinyl, in August and September.

Released in 2001, Reveal was co-produced with long-time collaborator Patrick McCarthy. It was something of a return to what you might call the band’s ‘classic’ sound and featured the singles ‘Imitation of Life’ (a UK top 10 hit) and ‘All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star)’.

Collapse Into Now is being reissued on vinyl

Accelerate from 2008 was the follow-up to Around the Sun, and opted for a more aggressive, purposeful sound. The band’s penultimate studio album was described by Rolling Stone as “one of the best records R.E.M. has ever made”. Discuss! It features the single ‘Supernatural Superserious’.

Both albums are pressed on 180-gram vinyl and come with a printed insert.

Accelerate and Reveal are released on 22 September (Accelerate was 25 August), both via Craft Recordings.

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R.E.M.

Around the sun - 2LP vinyl

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R.E.M.

Collapse into Now - vinyl LP

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Imitation of Life from Reveal

Tracklisting

Accelerate R.E.M. /

    • Side A
      1. Living Well Is The Best Revenge
      2. Man-Sized Wreath
      3. Supernatural Superserious
      4. Hollow Man
      5. Houston
      6. Accelerate
      Side B
      1. Until The Day Is Done
      2. Mr. Richards
      3. Sing For The Submarine
      4. Horse To Water
      5. I’m Gonna DJ

Tracklisting

Reveal R.E.M. /

    • Side A
      1. The Lifting
      2. I’ve Been High
      3. All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star)
      4. She Just Wants to Be
      5. Disappear
      6. Saturn Return
      Side B
      1. Beat A Drum
      2. Imitation of Life
      3. Summer Turns To High
      4. Chorus and the Ring
      5. I’ll Take the Rain
      6. Beachball

Rick Astley / Are We There Yet? CD with signed polaroid

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Rick Astley‘s new album Are We There Yet? will be released in October and you can pre-order a CD version from Amazon in the UK which comes complete with a signed polaroid photo!

The 12-track album is Rick’s ninth studio album overall, and is the follow-up to 2018’s Beautiful Life. Like that record (and 2016’s 50), Astley has written, recorded, played and produced the album in his home studio in London. You can preview ‘Dippin My Feet’ below.

The Official Rick Astley Shop does have some signed options also, but only for bundles, vinyl and the deluxe CD, which has hardcover book packaging but no bonus tracks.

Are We There Yet? is released on 13 October 2023, via BMG.

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Rick Astley

Are We There Yet - Amazon exclusive signed CD

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Rick Astley

Are We There Yet - clear vinyl LP

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Rick Astley

Are We There Yet - standard CD

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Tracklisting

Rick Astley / Are We There Yet? new album on CD with signed polaroid

Are We There Yet? Rick Astley /

      1. Dippin My Feet
      2. Letting Go
      3. Golden Hour
      4. Never Gonna Stop
      5. Close (Your Shoes)
      6. High Enough
      7. Forever and More
      8. Driving Me Crazy
      9. Maria Love
      10. Take Me Back to Your Place
      11. Waterfall
      12. Blue Sky

Out This Week / on 30 June 2023

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

The Durutti Column / Time was GIGANTIC... When We Were Kids CD, Vinyl

The Durutti Column’s 1998 album, Time Was GIGANTIC… When We Were Kids, is reissued on CD and released on vinyl for the very first time.

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Big Country / Driving to Damascus (4CD box set)

This 1999 album was the eighth and last Big Country record with Stuart Adamson. This 4CD edition features live-in-the-studio ‘Nashville Sessions’, single versions, alternate mixes from the US release ‘John Wayne’s Dream’ and two discs of demos.

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BIG COUNTRY

Driving to Damascus - 4CD box set

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Hawkwind / Warrior On The Edge Of Time (Steven Wilson Remix)

This new vinyl edition of Hawkwind’s classic 1975 album features Steven Wilson’s stereo remix and offers a faithful reproduction of the original release complete with fold-out ‘shield’ sleeve and inner bag.

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HAWKWIND

Warrior on the edge of time - vinyl LP

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Kiki Dee / I’ve Got The Music In Me (2CD deluxe)

Kiki Dee’s 1974 album is reissued as a 2CD set in deluxe 7″ gatefold packaging. Watch the SDEtv unboxing video.

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The Kiki Dee Band

I Got The Music In Me - 2CD deluxe in seven-inch packaging

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Tracie! / Souls On Fire: The Recordings 1983-1986 (4CD box)

Paul Weller protégée Tracie (Tracie Young) toured with The Style Council and had two top 30 hits in 1983, including the top 10 single ‘The House That Jack Built’. She was initially signed to Weller’s Respond Records label and then later Polydor (for whom she recorded the unreleased second album No Smoke Without Fire).

This 4CD+DVD box set features both albums with loads of bonus tracks, plus rarities, remixes and live tracks. There’s even a DVD with promo videos, BBC TV appearances and a live performance in Japan in 1984. Possibly more ‘Tracie’ then anyone actually wants, but it’s extremely comprehensive!

Saturday Deluxe / 24 June 2023

Posted on by Paul Sinclair

Wham! Netflix documentary

A new documentary about Wham! is coming to Netflix, coordinating with the release of the forthcoming best of/box set The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven.

I haven’t seen a preview yet myself, but I know a few people who have and I’m assured this is very good indeed; a proper examination which includes unseen footage from The Final and the Whamamerica! tour. There’s also clips of the ‘Everything She Wants’ video in colour, they get into the Wexler Mix of ‘Careless Whisper’ and so on.

The documentary is simply called Wham! and is directed by Chris Smith, the filmmaker whose credits include Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened and Jim & Andy.

Wham! arrives in Netflix on 5 July, preceded by screenings in some UK cinemas the week before. Watch the trailer below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8huyeTjZjik
A photo of Ringo, Paul and George taken by Linda McCartney during The Anthology period

Paul McCartney clarifies AI Beatles song claim

Just under two weeks ago Paul McCartney claimed ‘AI’ has helped create a new Beatles song. This assertion certainly made headlines for the number of reasons, the first of which was that no one had any idea that a ‘new’ Beatles song was in the making! Also, what did he even mean? Has some ChatGPT-type software synthesised John Lennon’s voice or written some lyrics? It sounded worrying.

As it turned out, it was a typical bit of Macca headline grabbing promotion, mentioned primarily to help promote his 1964: Eyes of the Storm book. The ‘AI’ technology he was referring to had already been used on last years reissue of Revolver. It was an evolution of the imperfect ‘demixing’ technology by dialogue editor Emile de la Rey – from Peter Jackson’s Get Back team – who had apparently developed further the technology to separate voices and instruments that are fused together on a multi-track tape. I attended a Revolver playback session at Abbey Road Studios last year where Giles Martin demonstrated this to me and a small group of journalists. Guitars, bass and drums from ‘Taxman’ where all bounced down to one track and he demixing them on the fly to reveal the purity of the solo instruments. He then went further and with the drums on their own, ‘demixed’ the drum kit removing snare, cymbals until all we heard was one kick drum by itself. It really was incredible.

Anyway, the full story is that way back during The Beatles Anthology era in the mid-90s, having done two ‘new’ Beatles songs for Anthology 1 and Anthology 2 (‘Free As A Bird’ and ‘Real Love’), Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were due to attempt a third Now and Then for Anthology 3. Except, as Paul told Q Magazine in 1997 “George didn’t like it”, or at least he thought the quality of John’s voice, or the demo in general, was “rubbish”. The usual Beatles ‘reverse democracy’ rule was applied (if one person doesn’t want to go ahead with something it doesn’t happen) and the idea was scrapped.

It’s now almost 30 years later and Paul clearly considers this unfinished business. Technology has progressed enough that he must have persuaded Olivia and Dhani Harrison (and Ringo for that matter) that George probably would have given his blessing if they could use the ‘demixing tools’ at their disposal today.

Two days ago Paul left the following statement on his social media channels:

“Been great to see such an exciting response to our forthcoming Beatles project. No one is more excited than us to be sharing something with you later in the year.

We’ve seen some confusion and speculation about it. Seems to be a lot of guess work out there. Can’t say too much at this stage but to be clear, nothing has been artificially or synthetically created. It’s all real and we all play on it. We cleaned up some existing recordings – a process which has gone on for years.

We hope you love it as much as we do. More news in due course – Paul

The wider question is what does a ‘new’ Beatles song mean for Apple’s Fab Four reissue strategy and Paul’s own Archive Collection releases? A Rubber Soul box set is widely expected later this year and McCartney fans are understandably getting more frustrated at the lack of Macca reissues; next month marks three years since the last Archive Collection reissue (Flaming Pie).

What are your thoughts on this? Leave a comment below…

Everything you've always wanted to know about Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' but were afraid to ask

Kate’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ gets its billionth stream

Kate Bush’s 1985 single ‘Running Up That Hill’ is her first song to receive a billion streams, thanks to its success in 2022 after being used in Netflix’s Stranger Things which resulted in the track topping the charts in eight countries, including the UK for three weeks, Ireland for seven weeks and Australia for nine (non-consecutive) weeks. The song also reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Rhino in America even issued a brand new CD single which was not released anywhere else (bah!). As it turned out, this was the last physical Hounds of Love-related Kate Bush release from Warner Music as world rights for that album are now with The state51 Conspiracy.

Kate posted a rare(ish) message on her website saying she was “blown away” by this news and that the song has been on “an impossibly astonishing journey”.

Read: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Running Up That Hill (which was written before the song rewrote its chart history in 2022!)

Soft Cell find lost demos

Soft Cell have posted on social media about how some rare demos have turned up “completely out of nowhere”. As you can see by the image above, these are for their 1983 album The Art of Falling Apart. The band say they were discovered “41 years to the month” in the Universal Music archives. Fans will be hoping these surface at some point in the future on a deluxe edition or box set.