Now That’s What I Call Electronic
New synth-pop 4CD set
The NOW team will issue a new various artists four-CD in the new year. Now That’s What I Call Electronic is a “celebration of the rise of electronic anthems” and offers a largely Eighties-based selection of 78 tracks.
This collection includes big pop hits such as a-ha’s ‘Take On Me’, Duran Duran’s ‘Planet Earth’, Queen’s ‘Radio Ga-Ga’ (track one, disc one – naturally) but there’s enough variety to keep things interesting including Flock of Seagulls, Yello, Malcom McLaren, Trans-X, Art of Noise, Joy Division, The Associates, Furniture and more.
There’s a few appropriate ‘long’ versions of appropriate tracks including Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ and New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’. The ‘Performance Mix’ of Dead Or Alive’s ‘You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)’ also features.
The official line is that this compilation “focuses on the emergence of synth-pop as a dominant sub-genre of new wave” although no doubt fans will discuss the merits of individual selections. It’s great to see an ABBA track here but does ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)’ really qualify?
There are loads of tracks that do fit the bill perfectly, of course, such as Ultravox’s ‘Vienna’, Visage’s ‘Fade to Grey’, Japan’s ‘Quiet Life’, OMD’s Enola Gay, Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’, M’s ‘Pop Muzik’ and more.
As usual, any quibbles can be easily shrugged off when you consider that this four-CD package is available for pre-order at under £9.
Now That’s What I Call Electronic will be released on 7 January 2022.
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Various Artists
Now Thats What I Call Electronic - 4CD set
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Tracklisting
Now That’s What I Call Electronic Various Artists / 4CD set
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CD 1
- Queen – Radio Ga Ga
- New Order – Blue Monday
- Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart – Love Is A Stranger
- Ultravox – Vienna
- Visage – Fade To Grey
- Japan – Quiet Life
- Soft Cell – Tainted Love
- The Human League – The Sound Of The Crowd
- Duran Duran – Planet Earth
- Spandau Ballet – To Cut A Long Story Short
- Gary Numan – Cars
- Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Enola Gay
- Landscape – Einstein A Go-Go
- Tears For Fears – Mad World
- Heaven 17 – Temptation
- Blancmange – Living On The Ceiling
- Fiction Factory – (Feels Like) Heaven
- The Lotus Eaters – The First Picture Of You
- A Flock Of Seagulls – I Ran (So Far Away)
- Yello – The Race
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CD 2
- Donna Summer – I Feel Love (12” Version)
- Chaka Khan – I Feel For You
- Freeez – I.O.U.
- Shannon – Let The Music Play
- Company B – Fascinated
- The S.O.S Band – Just Be Good To Me
- Nu Shooz – I Can’t Wait
- The Pointer Sisters – Automatic
- Man 2 Man – Male Stripper
- Patrick Cowley feat. Sylvester – Do You Wanna Funk
- Liza Minnelli – Losing My Mind
- Eighth Wonder – I’m Not Scared
- Animotion – Obsession
- Trans-X – Living On Video
- Dazz Band – Let It All Blow
- Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F (From “Beverly Hills Cop” Soundtrack)
- Art Of Noise – Close (To The Edit)
- Malcolm McLaren – Buffalo Gals
- Joe Jackson – Steppin’ Out
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CD 3
- ABBA – Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- Blondie – Atomic
- The Buggles – Video Killed The Radio Star
- M – Pop Muzik
- Paul Hardcastle – 19
- Falco – Rock Me Amadeus (The American Edit)
- Phil Lynott – Yellow Pearl (First 7″ Remix)
- Kim Wilde – Kids In America
- Altered Images – Don’t Talk To Me About Love
- a-ha – Take On Me
- Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder – Together In Electric Dreams
- Howard Jones – New Song
- Nik Kershaw – Wouldn’t It Be Good
- Limahl – Never Ending Story
- Thompson Twins – Love On Your Side
- Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance
- Kon Kan – I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You A Rose Garden)
- Peter Schilling – Major Tom (Coming Home)
- Midge Ure – If I Was
- China Crisis – Christian
- Jan Hammer – Crockett’s Theme (From “Miami Vice II” Soundtrack)
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CD 4
- Dead Or Alive – You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) (Performance Mix)
- The Human League – Love Action (I Believe In Love)
- Propaganda – Dr Mabuse
- The Cure – The Walk
- Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
- Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Messages
- Our Daughter’s Wedding – Lawn Chairs
- Iggy Pop – Nightclubbing
- Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy
- Erasure – Drama!
- Scritti Politti – Absolute
- The Associates – Party Fears Two
- Furniture – Brilliant Mind
- Talk Talk – It’s My Life
- Simple Minds – Glittering Prize
- Swans Way – Soul Train
- The Passions – I’m In Love With A German Film Star
- Soft Cell – Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
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CD 1
By Paul Sinclair
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