Saturday Deluxe / 27 September 2025

Kate’s ‘big secret’ is out

Kate Bush announced a new compilation on CD and vinyl on Monday called Best of the Other Sides. This news was of course reported on SDE but rather ludicrously, no tracklisting was supplied by Kate’s representatives, so at least initially, we didn’t know exactly what was on this compilation. This wasn’t an accidental omission, I asked and was told “we’re not announcing the tracklist”. Er, okay.

This was despite the fact that this compilation was due to go up to on streaming yesterday, by which point the cat would be out of the bag, anyway. I suppose they were trying to wring some ‘excitement’ from what is a rather lacklustre release, if truth be told, but unsurprisingly, it got leaked, so the whole thing was ultimately a waste of time and energy.

Let’s not forget the original Other Sides (the four-disc version in the 2018 box sets) was already a flawed collection since it wasn’t a comprehensive round up of B-sides, extra tracks and remixes in the first place. There was no ‘Dreamtime’ (‘The Dreaming’ B-side from 1982), no instrumental of ‘Running Up That Hill’ (originally on the 12-inch single) – both those tracks are unreleased on CD, so would have been worthy inclusions on this new set, by the way – and also no extended remixes of singles on The Red Shoes. These are just a few that were missing.

Not only that, this new compilation is surely not really a genuine best of in terms of the selection. Putting aside personal preferences, it cannot be a coincidence that none of Kate’s ‘picks’ date from before The Dreaming era, in 1982. While the press release didn’t do something as useful as tell us what was on this collection, it did go out of its way to point out that “The release comes at a time when Kate’s song ‘Army Dreamers’ is skyrocketing online, looking set to become her second most streamed track after ‘Running Up That Hill’“.

Well, the B-side to ‘Army Dreamers’ is the historically interesting (and rather lovely) ‘Passing Through Air’. This song was produced and engineered by David Gilmour in 1973, when Kate was around 15 years old. ‘Passing Through Air’ was included in the original Other Sides, along with other older tracks like the previously unreleased ‘Humming’ (also 1975) and ‘Ran Tan Waltz’ (B-side to ‘Babooska’ in 1980) but none of them are included on the new release. You’d have thought the standalone festive single ‘December Will Be Magic Again’ (released in 1980) would have merited inclusion, but it’s not there and neither is its B-side ‘Warm and Soothing’. Meanwhile on Best of The Other Sides we do get ‘Walk Straight Down The Middle’, a song which is so rare it’s on every original CD copy of The Sensual World!

So what’s going on? Well, since moving to The state 51 Conspiracy from Warners (two years ago), rights issues around Kate’s first three album is not the same as her last seven, which is why, when the indie coloured vinyl was released in 2023, the first three (‘The Kick Inside’, ‘Lionheart’ and ‘Never For Ever’) were ‘US-only’. This was not an issue in 2018 for the box sets since Kate was still with Warners for all albums. This complication is very likely to have influenced Kate’s decision to ignore anything from this era on Best of The Other Sides, which is obviously a shame.

Scroll down to see the full tracklisting of Best of The Other Sides.

WINGS blu-ray available again

Good news! Due to exceptional demand, SDE is pleased to have secured an additional allocation of WINGS blu-rays, in the hope that anyone who wants a copy of this definitive self-titled anthology, on this format, will not miss out.

A reminder that this disc has 32 Paul McCartney and Wings tracks in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and hi-res stereo from all seven albums, including London Town and Back to the Egg. Read more on the original post or just head to the SDE shop and pre-order.

• Pre-order the WINGS blu-ray at the SDE shop

Frankie sticker teases content… and more!

The forthcoming Frankie Goes To Hollywood Welcome to the Pleasuredome 7CD+blu-ray box set is just over a month away from release, but yesterday I was lucky enough to see one in the flesh! There’s a very informative (and big) sticker on the front which I was delighted to note had my name on it (yay!). The reason is because I wrote an introductory note for this box set which focuses on that crazy year of 1984 and how Frankie dominated the charts and UK pop for those 12 months. Kevin Foakes (aka DJ Food) does some great work by contributing a Frankie timeline which is included in the excellent hardcover book that comes with this set. As I say, I saw this set yesterday but I don’t have a copy yet. Rest assured there will be an SDEtv unboxing when I eventually get my hands on one.

Unfortunately, the SDE shop is sold out of this box. We are hoping to get some more but until then you’ll have to check other retailers. Of course, we are selling the SDE exclusive blu-ray audio which as well as Dolby Atmos, 5.1, Stereo, extra tracks etc. has bonus content not on the blu-ray in the box set (namely instrumentals and an exclusive 30-minute Steven Wilson remix of the title track). The pre-order window for this blu-ray closes on Monday 29 Sep.

• Pre-order SDE exclusive Welcome to the Pleasuredome blu-ray

Thompson Twins offer ‘Roll Over’ CD single!

As part of their campaign to promote the forthcoming compilation Industry & Seduction, the Thompson Twins are offering a CD single of the song ‘Roll Over’ via their official shop. ‘Roll Over’ was almost a single in 1985 (it was withdrawn).

I asked Tom Bailey about this in 2014, while working on the Remixes and Rarities compilation. He said “that [song] was ready to release as a single just at the point where I became ill [with nervous exhaustion] and wanted to stop recording, so it was just madness to proceed. I think it was even pressed up and ready to go, but we just withdrew and said ‘no’. We didn’t have it in us to do all the promotional rounds”.

The tracklisting for the ‘Roll Over’ CD single is as below. Only track 1 features on the new compilation.

1. Roll over (2025 remaster) 5.00
2. Rollunder (7″ Version) – 04:40
3. Roll over (again) – 06:54
4. Rollunder (12″ Version) – 06:46

Pre-order Roll Over CD single

Pre-order Roll Over CD single with 3CD Industry & Seduction

Tracklisting

Best of The Other Sides Kate Bush /

• • 1. Experiment IV (remastered 2025)
    2. You Want Alchemy (remastered 2025)
    3. Rocket Man
    4. Walk Straight Down The Middle (remastered 2025)
    5. The Big Sky (Meteorological 12″ Mix)
    6. The Man I Love
    7. Under The Ivy
    8. Mná na hÉireanne
    9. Lyra
    10. Brazil (Sam Lowry’s First Dream)
    11. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) 12″ Mix