SHEENA EASTON Take My Time [released 19th October 2009]
CD: Sheena's debut album Take My Time was released in the UK in January 1981 and remained in the charts for 20 weeks. It was also a big success in the US, where it was retitled Sheena Easton, quickly turning Gold shortly after release. The original album comprised of twelve predominantly pop songs with strong melodies, that cross over with ease to different genres of music, giving the album a diverse feel with mass appeal. Here are those 12 tracks with four bonus tracks which were originally b-sides to four 45s.
NEW HEARTS A Secret Affair: The CBS Sessions 1977-1978 [released 19th October 2009]
CD: NEW HEARTS were a power pop/new wave act who evolved into Mod Revival band SECRET AFFAIR. The band issued just two singles for CBS in 1977/78 but recorded a whole unissued albums worth of material. NEW HEARTS were a popular live act, supporting the likes of THE JAM during their two-year existence. * 19 of the recordings are previously unissued; all 23 tracks are new to CD; three tracks are pre-CBS demos * Includes several songs later recorded by SECRET AFFAIR, including Only Madmen Laugh and Im Not Free * Via hits such as Time For Action and My World, SECRET AFFAIR were figureheads of the MOD REVIVAL scene of 1979/80, which still enjoys a huge cult following worldwide * SECRET AFFAIR are still active, playing shows around the UK and abroad, with a new album in the pipeline.
LONDON BOYS The Twelve Commandments Of Dance [released 19th October 2009]
CD: The London Boys were masterminded by German pop producer Ralf-Rene Maue but a close association with Pete Waterman's Hit Factory resulted in tours alongside Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan and superb PWL 12 remixes of all four UK singles. These sought-after full-length mixes feature exclusively on this Special Edition, issued together for the very first time. * A classic slice of uplifting 80s Europop, the London Boys debut album "The Twelve Commandments Of Dance" is given a remastered Special Edition reissue * Follows successful Special Editions of classic PWL albums from Princess, Lonnie Gordon and Mandy Smith, and coincides with the release of Sinitta's "The Hits+ Collection" on Cherry Pop. * "The Twelve Commandments Of Dance" reached #2 in the UK, and features the huge Top 5 singles "Requiem" and "London Nights" plus subsequent hits "Harlem Desire" and "My Love" * The extensive CD booklet includes full lyrics, additional photos and discography and brand new sleeve notes
JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP The Kid Inside [released 19th October 2009]
CD: Recorded in 1977 for RCA, The Kid Inside was intended as John Mellencamps second LP, a follow-up to the modestly successful Chestnut Street Incident. However, RCA, obviously underwhelmed by the material, declined to issued the album and promptly dropped JCM from their roster. It was eventually rescued by his former manager Tony Defries and issued in 1983, by which time Mellencamp was a huge star Stateside. As with our Chestnut Street Incident reissue, this album is now complete with four out-takes from the sessions which were not included on the original tracklist. A compilation entitled Skin It Back did include these tracks some years ago, but we think they make a fascinating insight reinstated to their correct place (and time) here. * Produced in conjunction with Tony Defries * Contains FOUR bonus tracks * Sleeve-notes by Classic Rocks Jerry Ewing
JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP Chestnut Street Incident [released 19th October 2009]
CD: Released on MCA in 1976, and recorded in 1975 when he was 24 years old, Chestnut Street Incident was the first long player from the legendary John Cougar Mellencamp. Then operating under the moniker Johnny Cougar, Mellencamp had been encouraged to record a number of cover versions to bolster the half a dozen originals included on the set by producer and Svengali Tony Defries, after he was famously awarded a recording contract with only a handful of songs to his name. The album is considered as invaluable by Cougar fans, not perhaps for its immediate quality or the fairly standard nature of the chosen material, but as a fascinating record of a young man desperately keen to make his first impression on the music industry. Future echoes of what was to come are in evidence, as are a huge dose of youthful cockiness and a degree of ambition rarely seen in a debut release. * This reissue is bolstered with six bonus tracks from the sessions which didn't make the albums final track list, including a take on Bowies Man Who Sold The World and Hit The Road Jack * Produced by Tony Defries and features a guest appearance from Mick Ronson! * Contains SIX bonus tracks * Released in full collaboration with Mr Defries * Sleeve-notes by Classic Rocks Jerry Ewing
HURRAH! The Beautiful [released 19th October 2009]
CD: Hurrah! were quite simply ahead of their time; they created pure and extraordinary pop - the way it should be. Four individuals intent on extreme personal expression who just had to play together like this. What you hear HERE is a direct result of the collective attitude/stancewrought from very personal experience. Pure emotion + Pure expression = Soul. * Hurrah! were of course Kitchenware label-mates of Prefab Sprout and this is their follow up to the first album Tell God I'm Here and it is a cracker! * Recorded in 1989 - it has a distinctively guitar-led sound that coupled to some strong songs, makes it a lost work of art * It was produced by Simon Hanhart, who has also worked with the likes of Bryan Adams, Elton John, Asia and Saxon
HILTON VALENTINE All In Your Head [released 19th October 2009]
CD: Possibly the Great Lost Acid Casualty album, All In Your Head was recorded in California in 1969 by former Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine, whose heavy reliance on LSD throughout the latter half of the 1960s had contributed significantly to his former bands summer-of-66 demise. * A beguiling blend of winsome, Donovan-esque psychedelic folk and chamber pop arrangements * Now gaining a first-ever release outside of North America, All In Your Head is revealed to be a mesmerising period piece, its wide-eyed paeans to Mother Nature, flower-child nursery rhymes and overwhelming peacenlove ethos capturing the era as accurately as many more celebrated albums * This long-overdue release is taken from the original master tapes * Features rare photos and a new essay (including numerous quotes from Hilton) on this little-known masterpiece
HELEN TERRY Blue-Notes [released 19th October 2009]
CD: Having risen to the forefront of 80s British pop global dominance as the soulful featured vocalist on Culture Clubs massive Colour By Numbers album and hits like Church of the Poison Mind and The War Song, Helen Terrys inevitable 1986 solo set has long been a much sought-after lost gem for fans, reaching ridiculous prices on eBay. Special Edition CD of 18 re-mastered tracks * The original album with songs exclusively written for Helen by Motown legend Lamont Dozier and (Boy) George ODowd & Roy Hay, and a deeply soulful cover of John Cales Close Watch * Produced in the main by ZE Records stalwart Don Was, the album features heavyweight musical input from jazz legend Stanley Clarke and string arranger Paul Whats Going On Riser * Bonus tracks never before available on CD including her debut Stax-flavoured top 40 debut Love Lies Lost and its gorgeous piano ballad b-side Laughter On My Mind featuring guest vocals from Boy George, as well as the Giorgio Moroder produced gem Now Youre Mine, her US club hit Stuttering and rare b-sides and mixes * A comprehensive booklet featuring rare pictures, single sleeves, full discography and exclusive liner notes from ex-Attitude editor Adam Mattera and the elusive Miss Terry herself (now exec producer of The Brits) * Follows the successful first-time CD release of Marilyn's Despite Straight Lines: Very Best of Marilyn on Cherry Pop
THE BARRACUDAS Two Sides Of A Coin 1979-84 [released 19th October 2009]
CD: The ultimate surfing collection from the ultimate modern surf band! The Barracudas not only gave the world Nikki Sudden and Jeremy Gluck but also some of the wackiest pop around . A collection of songs, which were originally slated to appear on the follow-up to the Endeavour To Persevere album, but the band split up before it could be completed. However, what this showcases is that their songwriting and musicianship - heavily influenced by the jangly guitars of the Flamin' Groovies - was stronger than ever. This CD contains 18 of their greatest moments including I Want My Woody Back, Inside Mind, Very Last Day and Next Time Around plus five unreleased (at the time) studio gems
THE BARRACUDAS The Big Gap 1978-1981 [released 19th October 2009]
CD: The Barracudas are an English based Anglo-Canadian band formed in the late 1970s. The band's original lineup consisted of: Jeremy Gluck (vocals), Robin Wills (guitar & vocals), David Buckley (bass & vocals) and Nick Turner (drums). They are notable for their summer 1980 hit Summer Fun, which started with an excerpt from a spoof 1960s advertisement for the Plymouth Barracuda, in which one of the announcers has difficulty pronouncing the word barracuda. The single reached number 37 in the UK singles chart. Originally perceived as a novelty surf act due to the first album, subsequent recordings showed them to be a fierce garage rock and roll band, in the mold of the 13th Floor Elevators and The Seeds. Throughout their career their live performances have been energetic and frenetic. * The original LP was released on Coyote Records in 1984 and is a very scarce item * This CD presentation includes three bonus tracks (live)
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