Some of them are SIGNED by the artists concerned and one of the highlights, which will surely be of great interest to some SDE readers, is a vinyl test pressing of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’sWelcome to the Pleasuredome signed by all five members of the band.
The auction will take place at 11am on Tuesday, 6 June 2023. It is once again being hosted by music memorabilia and vinyl records specialists Omega Auctions. You can browse all 200 lots here.
Joni Mitchell’s first two studio albums will be reissued on vinyl, in July.
1968’s Song To A Seagull was the singer-songwriter’s debut and the two sides of the LP are labelled ‘I Came to the City’ and ‘Out of the City and Down to the Seaside’. This issue features a a new mix of the long-player with Joni herself commenting candidly that “The original mix was atrocious. It sounded like it was recorded under a jello bowl, so I fixed it!”
1969’s Clouds is the original mix, remastered. This album features the songs ‘Chelsea Morning’ and ‘Both Sides Now’. Both of these albums were previously reissued in the 2021 box set The Reprise Albums 1968-1971. That box was very expensive (on vinyl) at the time and is already out-of-print.
Song To A Seagull and Clouds will be re-released on vinyl in on 7 July 2023.
As part of Demon Music’s Suede30 campaign, the label are issuing Suede’s first four singles as seven-inch picture discs, reproducing the original arresting cover images on the discs.
The second release is the classic, ‘Metal Mickey’, originally released on Nude Records on 14 September 1992. The single reached No 17 in the UK charts, earning the band their first appearance on Top Of The Pops, and paving the way for the release of the band’s debut album.
The B-side to this single was ‘Where The Pigs Don’t Fly’ which didn’t appear on the Suede album. The picture disc is strictly limited to 1000 units worldwide and is only available via the SDE shop and the official Suede store.
The ‘Metal Mickey’ seven-inch picture disc is released on 27 October 2023 (was 15 September) via Demon Records. Sadly this item has now sold out on the SDE shop!
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
Sparks / The Girl is Crying in her Latte (new album)
Sparks are back on Island Records for this new album that includes songs such as ‘Mona Lisa’s Packing, Leaving Late Tonight’ and ‘Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is’
Musicians mourn the passing of two great bass players
Early this week, it was announced that John Giblin had died aged 71. John played bass guitar on many great records including six Kate Bush albums; Peter Gabriel III, Phil Collins’Hello I Must Be Going and Face Value; and Simple Minds’Street Fighting Years. Kate Bush left a heartfelt message on her website saying “I loved John so very much. He was one of my very dearest and closest friends for over forty years. We were always there for each other. He was very special“. John was part of the band that Kate put together in 2014 for her Before The Dawn residency in Hammersmith.
Peter Gabriel said that Phil Collins had introduced him to John. He posted his own tribute and said “My favourite bit of John’s work with me was also with Phil on drums, No Self-Control. This wonderful and warm hearted musician contributed so much to so many great records and performances . We will all miss you John”.
Of course, yesterday came the shocking news that The Smiths’ Andy Rourke had died at the young age of just 59 (of Pancreatic cancer). Again the musicians who worked closely with, or knew Andy, were quick to offer condolences to Andy’s loved ones and remind the world what a great musician he was. Johnny Marr said Andy was “a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans”.
Morrissey also left a message, saying that “He didn’t ever know his own power, and nothing that he played had been played by someone else. His distinction was so terrific and unconventional and he proved it could be done. He was also very, very funny and very happy, and post-Smiths, he kept a steady identity – never any manufactured moves”.
Rest in Peace John Giblin and Andy Rourke
Bob Dylan’s Time Out Of Mind re-enters the UK charts!
Thank you to everyone who has left messages to say they are enjoying the Bob DylanTime Out Of Mind (2022 Remix) SDE-exclusive blu-ray audio. I can tell you that all the pre-orders have shipped and if they haven’t already, packages should be dropping through your letterboxes any time now.
On the strength of just the SDE-exclusive blu-ray, the album appeared in the so-called ‘midweek’ UK album charts at No 34, which was amazing. Of course it couldn’t really hang on with all the streaming competition but it re-entered the UK physical album chart at number 10! This is ahead of releases such the Rick Astley’sHold Me In Your Arms reissue, Moby’sResound NYC (his classical re-workings) album and the De La Soul is Dead vinyl reissue!
I’m thrilled at this success which is a result of your passion for physical music and spatial audio. Unlike those other releases, there’s was no PR campaign, no multiple formats… just the SDE community coming together and responding positively to a product that had been designed with your interests at heart. Thank you and let’s do it all over again in a couple of weeks with No 10 and No 9 in the SDE Surround Series: Mike Oldfield’sTubular Bells and Tears For Fears’TheHurting!
Blur will release The Ballad of Darren, their first new album in over eight years, in July.
The album has been produced by James Ford and features ‘The Narcissist’ which has just been made available. You can listen to that song below.
The 10-track record is available on various coloured vinyl and CD. There’s also a deluxe CD with two bonus tracks. Amazon have an exclusive red vinyl edition while Rough Trade in the UK are offering an ‘ocean blue’ vinyl LP.
The band are about to kick off a summer of live shows, including two nights at Wembley Stadium on July 7th and 8th.
The Ballad of Darren is released on 21 July 2023 via Parlophone.
The Sex Pistols debut single Anarchy in the UK is being made available as a limited edition red vinyl seven-inch single next month.
The single was the only track issued under the band’s deal with the EMI, before they were dropped after their controversial appearance Bill Grundy show appearance.
This is the first time the single has been officially made available on coloured vinyl. It comes in a plain black sleeve replica, as per the original (there were some die-cut red EMI sleeves too), and will be limited to 4576 units (45 RPM and 1976, if you’re wondering). Each will be individually numbered and we’re promised more single replicas to come.
This is only available by Universal D2C (Direct to Consumer channels) and will be released on 9 June 2023.
Kylie Minogue will release a new studio album, Tension, in September.
The 11-track album is described as “a record of euphoric, empowered dance floor bangers and sultry pop cuts”.
Discussing ‘Tension’, Kylie says, “I started this album with an open mind and a blank page. Unlike my last two albums there wasn’t a ‘theme’, it was about finding the heart or the fun or the fantasy of that moment and always trying to service the song. I wanted to celebrate each song’s individuality and to dive into that freedom. I would say it’s a blend of personal reflection, club abandon and melancholic high.”
‘Padam Padam’ is the first single from Tension
Various formats are now available via the Kylie shop including a deluxe CD with 3 bonus tracks and an exclusive silver vinyl LP. The Kylie store deluxe CD is in DVD-sized ‘mediabook’ packaging. On other stores this deluxe will be CD-sized. Orange vinyl is exclusive to the Kylie shop and RSD/indie stores.
The album was well received critically at the time, but was a commercial disaster thanks to the financial difficulties of record label Papillon, who ultimately went bust shortly after the album came out.
Demon are reissuing this album as a 2LP half-speed mastered edition, with the album pressed on 180g black vinyl which are housed in poly-lined sleeves. This comes with an OBI-strip and 4-page insert.
Unlike the vinyl, the 2CD set comes with bonus tracks; 14 remixes, the same ones as on the 2CD from 2018. The difference this time around is the presentation, with the label opting for their new deluxe seven-inch CD packaging which comes with with an 8-page booklet which includes the lyrics and credits. Recent Suede and Donna Summer releases have followed a similar pattern in terms of the physical products.
Secrets will be reissued on 11 August via Demon Music.
Compare prices and pre-order
Human League
Secrets - 2CD edition in deluxe seven-inch packaging
Craft Recordings will reissue two R.E.M. albums on vinyl, in July.
Around The Sunfrom 2004 was the band’s sixth studio album to top the UK album charts and features tracks like ‘Leaving New York’ (the band’s last top 10 hit in the UK), ‘Aftermath’, ‘Electron Blue’, ‘Wanderlust’ and ‘The Outsiders’. It was the last in a trio of records (with Up and Reveal being the other two) co-produced by Pat McCarthy
Collapse Into Now is being reissued on vinyl
Collapse Into Now was R.E.M.’s 15th and final studio album and was in recorded in Berlin, New Orleans, and Nashville and co-produced by Jacknife Lee. It includes the singles ‘Überlin’, ‘Oh My Heart’ and ‘It Happened Today’.
Both album were cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and are pressed on 180g black vinyl at Memphis Records Pressing. Exclusive coloured vinyl pressings are available via REM’s website.
Around the Sun and Collapse Into Now are both issued on 17 November 2023 (was 3 November, then before that, 1 September, and before that, 14 July) via Craft Recordings.
Mastered by Bernie Grundman from original analogue tapes • Personally overseen by Donald Fagen
Steely Dan’s second album, 1973’s Countdown to Ecstasy, will be reissued on vinyl later this month.
The album features the singles ‘Show Biz Kids’ and ‘My Old School’ although neither could repeat the commercial success of ‘Do It Again’ or ‘Reelin’ in the Years’ which respectively reached the top 10 and top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Countdown to Ecstasy saw Donald Fagen take over all lead vocal duties after David Palmer, who’d sung a few tracks on 1972’s Can’t Buy A Thrill, left the band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxXfNZWjot4
This release continues a reissue campaign started in November last year when their debut album was reissued. Universal Music have been most forthcoming with details, so we know that all the albums are being mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog tapes except for 1977’s Aja, which will be mastered from an analog, non-EQ’d, tape copy, and Gaucho, which will be sourced from a 1980 analog tape copy originally EQ’d by Bob Ludwig. Lacquers for have been cut by Alex Abrash at his AA Mastering studio from high-resolution digital files of Grundman’s new masters and pressed at Precision.
These Universal Music releases are 180g 33RPM vinyl pressings but there are also some Ultra High-Quality Vinyl (UHQR) 45RPM versions available via Acoustic Sound’s Analogue Productions (they are also issuing this series of titles on stereo-only SACD). I’m sure this premium vinyl will sound great, but in the UK at least you need to pay £220 for a copy!
Countdown to Ecstasy will be reissued on 26 May 2023 via UMR/Polydor.
The forthcoming coloured vinyl reissue of Paul Young’s 1993 album The Crossing is ‘unboxed’ by SDEtv. Pre-order a copy exclusively signed by Paul Young only via SDE.
The Crossing is released by 7a Records and the SDE signed exclusive coloured vinyl will ship a week earlier than the official release on 9 June 2023.
Pre-order by going direct to the SDE shop using this link or via the buy buttons (with ‘pre-order on them) below.
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
This 50th anniversary of ABBA’sRing Ring is available as a 2LP half-speed mastered vinyl edition as well as a seven-inch box set and individual seven-inch picture discs.
Graham Nash returns with his first studio album of new material in seven years, titled Now. The record is produced by Nash and longtime touring keyboardist Todd Caldwell.
A new Now That’s What I Call Music compilation is on the way next month which shines a spotlight on the diverse ‘alternative’ music scene of the 1980s.
NOW 80s Alternative is available as an 80-track 4CD set or as a 30-song 2LP pink coloured vinyl offering and even though these kinds of compilations are fairly common these days, this one looks pretty good!
An interesting inclusion is ‘Flowers’ by Zaine Griff, which features a certain Kate Bush on backing vocals (scroll down to hear this song). As ever, full tracklistings are below.
NOW 80s Alternative will be released on 16 June 2023 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon or the NOW shop.
SDE editor Paul Sinclair takes a first look at No 8 in the SDE Surround Series, the 2022 Remix of Bob Dylan’s 1997 album Time Out Of Mind. This is the only physical product that features the new Dolby Atmos MIx along with a hi-res stereo mix.
These Time Out Of Mind blu-rays are shipping this week. We have a limited supply of contingency/cancellation stock available. You can pre-order direct from the SDE shop using this link or via the buy button (‘pre-order’) below.
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
The 2022 Remix version of Not Dark Yet (stereo version)
Tracklisting
Time Out Of Mind (2022 Remix)Bob Dylan/
Dolby Atmos and 96/24 Hi-res Stereo versions of Time Out Of Mind (2022 Remix)
Two Pete Townshend solo albums from the late 70s/ early 80s will be reissued as limited edition half-speed mastered vinyl editions, in June.
The albums in question are 1977’s Rough Mix, a collaboration with Small Faces bassist Ronnie Lane and EmptyGlass from 1980. The latter was produced by Chris Thomas and features the US top 10 single ‘Let My Love Open The Door’. The first single Rough Boys scraped into the UK top 40.
Both records have been mastered by long-time Who engineer Jon Astley and cut for vinyl by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios. Rough Mix comes in a gatefold sleeve, and Empty Glass features a 300mm x 600mm poster.
Norah Jones’ 2012 album …Little Broken Hearts will be reissued early next month.
Her fifth record was a big change in style as she collaborated with Danger Mouse for a striking collaboration which arrived a decade after her massive-selling debut Come Away With Me. It’s a brilliant record!
“10 years later, these are still some of my favourite songs in my catalogue to play live, no matter the instrumentation or arrangement, they just feel special,” says Jones. “And the way this album sounds makes my ears so happy. I’m incredibly thankful to Danger Mouse for letting me explore with him and opening up my world to a new way of doing things that continues to inspire and influence me.”
Norah Jones performs ‘Say Goodbye’ on Letterman
The 2CD and 3LP vinyl sets are expanded and both offer 19 bonus tracks. The three songs from the original Target exclusive CD (‘Killing Time’, ‘I Don’t Wanna Hear Another Sound’ and ‘Out On The Road (Mondo Version)’ are included along with five remixes, four of which were originally from the Little Broken Hearts Remix EP which was issued on 10-inch vinyl in late 2012 in the USA as a Black Friday release (there was a European version of this as well).
That content fills up the first CD or the first two LPs. So the final discs is a previously unreleased live set from Austin City Limits where Norah Jones plays almost the whole album in sequential order.
The 3LP vinyl reissue of …Little Broken Hearts (click image to enlarge)
There was a 2CD deluxe issued back in the day which offered a live performance from the We Love Green Festival on the second disc. That content is not repeated here. Various promo CD singles also offered instrumental versions of singles and the occasional radio edit, but none of them feature in this reissue. If the packshots are anything to go by this will also be presented in a jewel case, which is slightly disappointing (the original 2CD deluxe was a six-panel card sleeve with poster insert).
The album was only ever issued as a 2LP set in 2012 but now as well as the 3LP version, there’s a single LP edition. Labels usually reissue a single vinyl LPs as a double LP sets, so it’s curious to see the opposite happening with …Little Broken Hearts since they are now squeezing onto one record for all instances of this reissue!
…Little Broken Hearts will be reissued on 2 June 2023 via Blue Note.
Depending on which article you read, the brief reunion of Frankie Goes To Hollywoodfor Monday’s Big Eurovision Welcome left fans happy but also “puzzled” (the BBC), “confused” (The Guardian) or “baffled” (The Independent).
It seems that reason for this apparent state of bewilderment, is because the band only played the one song for Monday’s broadcast and the track wasn’t any of their three UK number ones (‘Relax’, ‘Two Tribes’ or ‘The Power of Love’) from their chart-dominating period in 1984, but their 1985 ‘flop’ single ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’, which peaked at number two.
From some of the commentary, you’d think the group played their last single ‘Watching The Wildlife’ which reached No 28 in 1987. It’s like a-ha playing ‘Take On Me’ (also No 2 in the UK) and fans decrying that they didn’t play “their biggest hit”, which is chart-topper ‘The Sun Always Shines On TV’. Okay, it isn’t quite like that, but you get the point.
The ‘Welcome’ element of ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’ was surely self-explanatory, given the event was called the Big Eurovision WELCOME and, in truth, the title track of Frankie’s first album remains one of the band’s very best songs, performed virtually fully-formed – pre-Trevor Horn – on a David ‘Kid’ Jensen radio session back in early 1983.
Fan filmed footage of the Big Eurovision Welcome performance
The Eurovision performance was excellent. No, it wasn’t completely live, but was anyone expecting that for this kind of TV format? Holly and Paul did both sing live (very well) and that gave it the freshness and vitality needed. There was an undeniable energy from the performers and a buzz, if you’re a fan, from seeing the five men (Holly Johnson, Paul Rutherford, Mark O’Toole, Brian ‘Nasher’ Nash and Peter ‘Ped’ Gill) performing together on stage again after more than three-and-a-half decades.
As for the band’s motivations, guitarist Nasher was clear enough about what he thought in a recent social media post, writing: “This was for me and not for y’all and I apologise for such a selfish outlook, but this was always about me and my band members being here in Liverpool where it all began”. He continued even more plainly: “Someone was prepared [to] pay to bring all of my friends back home and I couldn’t refuse that or exclude myself from that moment”. The last sentence is a reference to the fact that some of the band are not longer based in the UK; Paul Rutherford now lives in New Zealand and bass player Mark O’Toole (Nasher’s cousin) lives in Florida.
Holly Johnson is of course the one member of Frankie who has enjoyed a commercially successful solo career, scoring two top 10 UK singles with ‘Love Train’ and ‘Americanos’, in 1989. A day after the FGTH reunion performance was shown on the BBC, Holly announced two solo dates in the UK to celebrate 40 years of ‘Relax’ and 35 years of his first solo album ‘Blast’.
The big question is whether the Eurovision performance will lead to anything else. Can we expect a Soft Cell style ‘one last concert’ at a massive arena venue such as London’s O2, for example? Surely the renewed interest, the money that would be put on the table by promoters and the relative brevity of such an event, would make this a tempting proposition to all concerned. Cordial though relations between band members appear to be, any kind of tour would seem unlikely.
Nasher perhaps said it most succinctly when he ended his post yesterday with the following lines: “The future is unwritten but don’t hold your breath”.
Malcolm McLaren’s 1983 album Duck Rock will be reissued as special expanded and remastered 2LP vinyl later this month.
This tour-de-force of turntablism, proto-hip-hop, polyrhythms, and b-boy electro was co-produced with Trevor Horn and featured all of what would become the Art of Noise: Gary Langan, J.J. Jeczalik and Anne Dudley – the album also featured the talents of Thomas Dolby and percussionist Luis Jardim. Most notably the record features a wealth of influences from New York hip-hop (such as the World’s Famous Supreme Team’s scratching) to South African township music.
The Duck Rock 40th anniversary editionfeatures reconstructed artwork, a whole additional vinyl record of remixes and unreleased tracks with the original audio remastered by McLaren himself. This is the version of Duck Rock that Malcolm McLaren intended to release on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. He personally remastered the tracks and compiled a second record of 6 additional tracks. Unfortunately, he was unable to release it during his lifetime (McLaren died in 2010), but now the state51 Conspiracy, in collaboration with Young Kim and the Malcolm McLaren estate will reissue it four decades after the original release.
The 2LP 40th anniversary vinyl edition of Duck Rock (click image to enlarge)
The material on this reissue that never made it to the original album includes songs like ‘Zulus On A Time Bomb’, ‘Collaguas’ and ‘Roly Poly’ give an insight into the scale and haphazard nature of the project.
No original mechanical artwork could be found so it has been pristinely and painstakingly reconstructed under the watchful eye of the original graphic designer Nick Egan, bringing out the fluorescents of Keith Haring and Dondi White’s immediately identifiable motifs. Details include having an outer sleeve printed on thicker than standard card, a insert which is printed on thick uncoated paper, the ‘Home Taping Is Killing Music’ element on one of the inner sleeves, newly redrawn Duck Rock centre labels and intentionally presenting front and back covers with a 10mm border serving to “celebrate the original design and offer a new reading of this sleeve”.
Double Dutch was a hit single from Duck Rock (
“Having been responsible for an earlier DIY culture, I couldn’t help feeling that I would be unquestionably a fraud if I didn’t attempt to do it myself,” wrote McLaren in the original sleeve notes for the aborted 25th anniversary edition. “So I stepped out from behind the curtain, signed with Charisma records, and set off to make this album in 1981.” He added: “Enjoy it all! It sounds better than it did on that June day 1983 when it was first released. I have to thank Trevor Horn, Gary Langan, Anne Dudley and the World’s Famous Supreme Team for keeping the faith even when it was tough for some of them to do so. This record is a masterpiece of pop culture. A true milestone in pop history”.
This 40th anniversary 2LP vinyl edition of Duck Rock is released by the state51 Conspiracy and is limited to 2500 units. The blue hype sticker on the front is a facsimile of the label adhered to copies of the original release and for the anniversary edition this will be sequentially numbered. The other hype sticker (on the bonus 12-inch) follows the design tropes of the South African pressing of the ‘Double Dutch’ single. These also come with a special ‘Duck For The Oyster’ print.
The release date is 27 May 2023 exactly 40 years after the original release. Secure your copy of what sounds like an impeccable vinyl reissue by ordering from the SDE shop using this link or the buy button below (‘pre-order).
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
The Durutti Column’s 1998 album, Time Was GIGANTIC… When We Were Kids, will be reissued on CD and issued on vinyl for the very first time, in June.
The band were among the first acts signed to Factory Records by Tony Wilson and were led by guitarist, pianist and occasional vocalist Vini Reilly, along with drummer, percussionist and co-manager Bruce Mitchell.
Time was GIGANTIC… has been remastered and expanded for this 25th anniversary reissue with both CD and 2LP vinyl editions featuring five bonus tracks. It also boasts revised and expanded artwork by Hamish Muir and Mark Holt of graphic design studio 8VO along with extensive sleeve notes by Factory Records and band expert James Nice.
Time was GIGANTIC… is issued on vinyl for the very first time [click image to enlarge]
The album was The Durutti Column’s last on Factory Records (albeit on the London Records ‘Factory Too’ imprint) and was produced by Bruce Weir, who also played on the record. In fact, it would be the last ever album to be released by Factory, with funding for the label being withdrawn before the end of the decade. The album brought about the end of a 20 year partnership between Reilly and his mentor Wilson.
Time Was GIGANTIC… When We Were Kids will be reissued on 30 June 2023 via London Records.
