Spandau Ballet / To Cut A Long Story Short 12″ and new greatest hits set

Spandau Ballet will reissue the original 12-inch of their debut single ‘To Cut A Long Story Short’, as well as a new greatest hits set, later this month.

The band’s first single was issued in 1980 and the 12-inch features the familiar extended mix on side A (known as ‘Mix 1’) and he much more elusive dub mix (know as ‘Mix 2/Version’) on side B. Both were created by producer Richard James Burgess.

This 12-inch is being reissued in its original die-cut sleeve on 180g vinyl. On the same day a new greatest hits (no groaning at the back) will be released. A three-CD set features hits on discs one and two and selected 12-inch mixes on the third disc. Despite being unreleased on CD, that ‘To Cut A Long Story Short’ dub mix isn’t included as part of this new set (no groaning at the back). This hits collection is also available on 2LP red vinyl (with a cut down 19 tracks).

Both CD and vinyl versions include a previously unreleased cover of Simon and Garfunkel‘s The Boxer, which was recorded in 1990 with Michael Kamen (no groaning at the back). We don’t know why this wasn’t released at the time (apparently a greatest hits was planned) but the band wouldn’t enter a studio again for 19 years, which seems an extreme reaction to an admittedly ‘interesting’ interpretation.

There were rumours of a five-disc Spandau box set coming, with a few product listings sneaking out onto far-flung online retailers, but we’ll have to wait and see if that ever emerges. In the meantime ‘To Cut A Long Story Short’ and ’40 Years – The Greatest Hits’ will be released on 27 November 2020.

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Spandau Ballet

To Cut A Long Story Short - 12-inch single with die-cut sleeve

Shop Price gbp Stock Amazon uk   8.34 Order Amazon de   10.22 Order Amazon usa   11.87 Order Amazon fr   17.09 Order Amazon it   14.99 Order Amazon es   12.99 Order Amazon ca   23.14 Order JPC de   16.99 Order

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Spandau Ballet

40 Years The Greatest Hits - 3CD set

Shop Price gbp Stock Amazon uk   7.64 Order Amazon de   12.94 Order Amazon usa   15.99 Order Amazon fr   17.73 Order Amazon it   15.41 Order Amazon es   13.19 Order Amazon ca   22.49 Order JPC de   12.99 Order FNAC fr   22.00 Pre-Order

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Spandau Ballet

40 Years - The Greatest Hits - 2LP red vinyl

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To Cut A Long Story Short 12-inch single

To Cut A Long Story Short (Mix 1) 6.30
To Cut A Long Story Short (Version) (Mix 2) 3.56

40 Years – The Greatest Hits 3CD set

CD 1: Hits

1. To Cut a Long Story Short
2. The Freeze
3. Musclebound
4. Toys
5. Glow
6. Chant no. 1
7. Paint Me Down
8. Coffee Club
9. She Loved Like Diamond
10. Instinction
11. Lifeline
12. Communication
13. Heaven is a Secret
14. True
15. Gold
16. Pleasure
17. Only When You Leave
18. I’ll Fly for You

CD 2: Hits

1. Highly Strung
2. Revenge for Love
3. Round & Round
4. Fight For Ourselves
5. Swept
6. Cross The Line
7. Through The Barricades
8. How Many Lies?
9. Raw
10. Be Free With your Love
11. Crashed Into Love
12. Empty Spaces
13. The Boxer
14. Once More
15. This Is The Love
16. Soul Boys
17. Steal

CD 3: 12-inch versions

1. To Cut A Long Story Short
2. The Freeze
3. Glow
4. Chant No 1
5. Paint Me Down
6. Lifeline
7. Communication
8. Gold
9. Fight for Ourselves
10. Cross The Line
11. Raw

40 Years – The Greatest Hits 2LP red vinyl

Side A
1.     To Cut a Long Story Short
2.     The Freeze
3.     Musclebound
4.     Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)
5.     Instinction
6.     Lifeline

Side B
1.     Gold
2.     True
3.     Only When You Leave
4.     I’ll Fly for You

Side C
1.     Communication
2.     Highly Strung
3.     Round & Round
4.     Fight For Ourselves
5.     How Many Lies?

Side D
1.     Be Free With your Love
2.     The Boxer
3.     This Is The Love
4.     Through The Barricades