Second Image ‎– Sing And Shout (US 12″)

Obscure but could be played tonight at the more discerning NYE Parties. Big 80’s bass and a meaty mix by John Potoker this was released in 1984, New York Power Disco from this UK, septet, funk group, Second Image. Frank Burke (vocals, trumpet), George Bromfield (percussion, vocals) , Hugh Bromfield (Bass) , Lloyd Dwyer (saxophones) , Mark Fisher (synths) (from Matt Bianco and who passed away in 2016) , Simon Eyre (guitar) and Weston Foster (drums, vocals)

Produced by Christopher Heaton (ex-member of Landscape)

The Instrumental acts well as a dub version, for kool 80’s heads and certainly not an instrumental as the label describes.

NEW LINK 2021

https://gofile.io/d/mH0EiK

MCA Records ‎– MCA-23514

A	Sing And Shout (New Jersey Bridge Mix)	6:15
B	Sing And Shout (Special Large Instrumental Size)	7:35

Bros ‎– I Owe You Nothing (Over 18 Mix) (12″)

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLLOWERS AND ANORAKS !!!

I have 96 Followers. Completed a total of 3206 Posts (I was suppose to retire the blog at 3000 !!) My current total number of views is 1,222,238. I’ve just bought 40 quids worth of 80’s Vinyl (So much for going all 90’s in January, it’ll have to be February….Sorry!) I have the wondrous Mike B, shipping gems over from America, WINX chipping in with some rare Euro Stuff and a few others who have kindly chipped in with their own contributions.

Thanks for your Support, comments and likes, let’s welcome 2019!

Dug this out for your NYE Parties. The 18 minute mix of their second release from June 1988. Produced by Nicky Graham and mixed by Ric Wake (who also plays guitar) and remixed by Shep Pettibone (who also adds some extra percussion)

A little trip through the sound files of a Synclavier, it starts off and finishes and starts off again, Maximum Bros!! (The bassline would nicely blend into Tiffany’s ” Think We’re Alone Now” )

The B side contains literally nothing. There is a grove split into six bands of varying lengths but no audible sound! (I’ve not included it)

NEW LINKS 2023 (Improved RIP)

https://pixeldrain.com/u/Q18gZxib

https://krakenfiles.com/view/uvJbOtG6jH/file.html

CBS ‎– ATOM QT4

A	I Owe You Nothing (Over 18 Mix)	18:01
B	Nothing

Paul Hardcastle ‎– Rain Forest + Forest Fire + Rainforest 90 (US 12″ and UK 12″ + Promo 12″)

Electro funk from Paul Hardcastle with this ’84 classic, pre- “19” release.

A jazzy vibe with some pleasant chimes and whistles, quite inoffensive.

“Soundchaser” is a bit harder with vocoder lead and sounding a bit like Hardcastle’s “The Wizard” (used as Top Of The Pops Theme) which he released in 1986. Amazing what you can do with just and Prophet 5 and tr808.

NEW LINK 2021

https://gofile.io/d/Rqc6KR

Profile Records ‎– PRO-7059

A	Rain Forest	5:12
B	Sound Chaser	5:50

Mike B has supplied this UK version which has a different B-side. More leafy electro with “Forest Fire.” Re-released in ’85 the new track is far more electro, with a bit of scratching and more use of the sampler. You can tell it’s a later recording as it’s mastered much louder.

https://gofile.io/d/BIGHrv

Bluebird – BRT 15

A		Rain Forest	4:50
B		Forest Fire	7:20

And again Mike B comes up the trumps with the 1990 Remix of Rainforest.

Speeded up into a more Freestyle / Early House mode and with a bit of nod to 808 State but still with some jazzy undercurrents.

The Original Version is here also with a 4:23 mins. edit

https://pixeldrain.com/u/tAWC58dZ

https://store10.gofile.io/download/direct/d8fb1655-9f08-4ed6-b173-4afa5f53618b/Paul%20Hardcastle%20-%20Rainforest%2090%20-%20UK%2012%26%2339%3B%26%2339%3B%20Promo%20-%201990.zip

Fast Forward Records – PAULX 91

A		Rainforest 90
B		Rainforest (Original Version)

Re-Uppage 65 – (Matt Fretton, Wet Wet Wet, Bros (x3) )

A small, but perfectly formed, set of Pop requests and probably the last time I can type NEW LINK 2018 🙂

Matt Fretton – Dance It Up (12″) For Paul (Happy New Year!)

Matt Fretton – Dance It Up (12″)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wet Wet Wet – Wishing I Was Lucky (Metal Mix) (12″) For Mauricio (All the Best in the coming year!)

Wet Wet Wet – Wishing I Was Lucky (Metal Mix) (12″)

Bros – Chocolate Box (12″) All 3 for Nick (All The Best! – I do have bonus Bros 12″ I’ll post later!)

Bros – Chocolate Box (Promo + Remix + 12″)

Bros – Drop The Boy (12″)

Bros – Drop The Boy (Shep Pettibone + Art Mix 12″)

Bros – Are You Mine ? (12″)

Bros – Are You Mine ? (12″)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modern Romance ‎– That’s What Friends Are For (12″)

In the middle of an identity crisis and one of their last releases. They had transformed their sound from Pop Salsa to synth led Pop Rock for this 1984. The line-up was Michael J. Mullins – vocals, David Jaymes – bass guitar, Robbie Jaymes – synthesizer, Paul Gendler – guitar and Andy Kyriacou – drums..

Mixed by John Morales & Sergio Munzibai over the original production by Tony Visconti.

B-side “(Blame My) Jealousy” has funky synths, Simmons drums, guitar solo and even a vocoder section and was included on their last album, “Burn It!”

NEW LINK 2022

https://gofile.io/d/B5JJkZ

RCA ‎– RCAT 437

A	That’s What Friends Are For (U.S. Re-Mix)	5:59
B1	That’s What Friends Are For (Dub Version)	4:52
B2	(Blame My) Jealousy	3:51

Baltimora ‎– Living In The Background (US Promo 12″ + German 12″)

The follow up to “Tarzan Boy” (Yes, he did stuff after that!) The musical enigma that is Baltimora released this in 1985 and it fell on deaf ears, well it didn’t get a UK release. Somewhere near to Limahl, Jimmy McShane was marketed as an Italo-Disco artist but was actually a trained actor and dancer who had previously tried to break into the West End scene and was originally from Northern Ireland! (He died of an AIDS-related illness in March 1995.)

His partnership with Italian producer and musician Maurizio Bassi, spawned the monster that was “Tarzan Boy” , all the vocals were done by Bassi (allegedly). Here the style is similar euro dance, written by Bassi and Naimy Hackett and given a club mix by John Luongo. Catchy Pop Fluff but with some added weight with the remix.

NEW LINK 2021

Manhattan Records ‎– SPRO-9636

A	Living In The Background (Club Mix)	6:57
B1	Living In The Background (Single Version)	3:57
B2	Living In The Background (Instrumental)	6:04

For completists everywhere here is the full German 12″ with a bonus extra track! It’s more gentle synthpop in the vein of Erasure via Moroder but that bloody heavy metal guitar is still there!

https://www.sendspace.com/file/6xzzor

https://gofile.io/d/2ESWFN

EMI – 1C K 060-11 8735 6

A		Living In The Background (Extended Version)	6:05
B1		Running For Your Love (Extended Version)	5:50
B2		Living In The Background (Instrumental Mix)	4:24

Hubert Kah ‎– Military Drums (US Promo 12″)

German Synthpop from 1987 and the trio Hubert Kah (Hubert Kemmler, Markus Löhr, Klaus Hirschburger) give us an anti-war message. Produced by Armand Volker and Michael Cretu. (who also co-wrote it) Hubert Kemmler’s wife Sandra Kemmler. provides the backing vocals

The first 2 mixes are by Boris Granich and Christer Modig (DJ Swedish Chris) giving it more of a club feel. The LP Edit is more like the regular single. The Dance Edit by Ali Lexa is the pick of the mixes

NEW LINK 2021

https://gofile.io/d/KWkPB3

Curb Records ‎– L33-10251

A1	Military Drums (Crossover Radio Edit)	3:50
A2	Military Drums (Powermix)	5:20
B1	Military Drums (LP Edit Version)	3:14
B2	Military Drums (Dance Edit By Ali Lexa)	6:50

Roxette ‎– Dangerous (US 12″)

Sweden Pop Rockers Roxette get turned into Synth-ette on these mixes from Daniel Abraham on this 1989 release. The Dub was definitively aimed at the dance floor.

Album track “I Could…” from “Look Sharp!” is the B-side with lead vocals from Per Gessle and some nice Spanish guitar.

https://www82.zippyshare.com/v/WtR5IPWN/file.html

and

https://www.mediafire.com/file/o1cztqvdcz55bjc/Roxette_-_Dangerous_-_US_12%27%27_Vinyl_Mixes_-_1989__MP3.rar/file

EMI USA ‎– V-56159

A1	Dangerous (Power Mix-Long Version)	7:02
A2	Dangerous (Power Mix-Short Version)	3:39
B1	Dangerous (Dub)	7:15
B2	I Could Never Give You Up (LP Version)	3:49

Fish – Big Wedge (12″)

Anti-American, anti-capitalist comment from former Marillion front man Fish (Derek William Dick). Off his debut album , “Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors.” given a full on production by Jon Kelly, with James Bond overtones.

Prog Rock with some nice keyboards on this full 8 minute version. Featuring Carol Kenyon and Tessa Niles on backing vocals,  Mark Brzezicki on drums, John Giblin on bass, The Kick Horns on brass, Hal Lindes (ex Dire Straits) and Frank Usher on guitars and Mickey Simmonds (ex Camel) on keys, who also co-wrote and arranged it.

“Your credit rating’s good for a Madonna or a Bardot a Dali or a Picasso for his wall.”

B-side “Jack And Jill” is a Power Ballad and one of those hidden gems tucked away as a B-side and is very Genesis (that keyboard interlude!)

A powerful cover of Alex Harvey’s, “Faith Healer” recorded live from the ’89 Tour is the bonus track, nice synth solo on here too.

NEW LINK 2020

https://gofile.io/d/4fK2kF

EMI ‎– 12EM 125

A	Big Wedge
B1	Jack And Jill
B2	Faith Healer (Live)

 

Ritchie Valens ‎– La Bamba ’87 (US 12″)

Still Partying !?!

Ricardo Esteban Valenzuela Reyes to give him his full name had posthumous success with “La Bamba” (originally a hit in 1958 and resuscitated by Los Lobos in 1987 off the film of the same name.)

So apart from the vocals this was a completely re-recorded version that was put out at a similar time to Los Lobos’s effort by one of the films producers, Paul Politi. When I saw the ’87 tagged on the end I feared it might be a dreadful House remake but it isn’t, quite a faithful update with even more horns, arranged by Lon Norman, an American jazz trombonist. Taavi Mote and Bob Keane are responsible for the 4 remixes.

https://www48.zippyshare.com/v/hXubVD2R/file.html

and

https://www.mediafire.com/file/qyfeq73b993uqqn/Ritchie_Valens_-_La_Bamba_%2787_-_US_12%27%27_Vinyl_Remixes_-_1987__MP3.rar/file

Del-Fi Records ‎– DF-1287

A1	La Bamba ’87 (Long Version)	5:14
A2	La Bamba ’87 (Una Vez Mas)	3:20
B1	La Bamba ’87 (Latino Power Mix)	4:29
B2	La Bamba ’87 (Hi Tone Rock-Box Mix)	4:39