Instant Hit: Pale TV – Night Toys

There is something intriguing about this obscure Italian release, starting with its unusual cover photo. Pale TV belong to that unconventional side of the early 80s New Wave scene, where the vocal performance could be just as bizarre as the music itself. Their 1981 single “Night Toys” / “B&W Television Shock Show” is a curious little find from the Italian underground and sadly the only release.

 

Instant Hit: Rupert Hine - I Hang On To My Vertigo

 “I Hang On To My Vertigo” is the opening track from Immunity, the 1981 synth-pop album by British musician and producer Rupert Hine. The song was written by Hine and he performed most of the instrumentation himself, using keyboards, synthesizers, and studio processing techniques that were relatively advanced for the time. Though not a major chart hit, the song became one of the most recognizable pieces from his solo catalogue and later appeared on retrospective collections such as Unshy on the Skyline. 

Retrovision: The Stupid Set - Hello, I Love You

Originally recorded by The Doors, "Hello, I Love You" was reinterpreted in 1981 by the Italian minimal-synth/post-punk act The Stupid Set. Their version was conceived as a response to the emerging styles and aesthetic shifts of the new decade, filtering the song through a colder, more mechanized sensibility. The accompanying video extended this idea, aligning the track with contemporary visual aesthetics and early explorations of new media and technology.

First Two Studio Albums by Data Reissued

Angel Air Records have reissued the first two albums by Data. Their debut album 'Opera Electronica' has been originally released in 1981 on Polydor records and featured Data's biggest hits "Fallout" and "Fever of Love". Their second album '2-Time' followed two years later and was released on different labels in different countries. Georg Kajanus, the musical mastermind behind Data and the founder has digitally remastered the original album adding bonus tracks as well. 

Both albums have been reissued on November 3rd and can be purchased here. 

Comateens Debut Album Reissued on CD

A very limited Collector's Edition of COMATEENS, the band's self-titled debut album recorded in December 1980, released in 1981 and never before available on CD has been released as a limited edition.The album also Included a bonus track, the first 1979 recording of "Cool Chick" featuring Ramona Jan on guitar and Harry Viderci on drums, and originally released on a self-produced 7" vinyl single. 

The tracks on this CD were transferred directly from the original master tapes of the album and so capture the true sound of the band at the dawn of the '80s, including any imperfections that might exist on those original tapes. The CD cover is a replica of the bands first U.S. release on vinyl, and features the iconic photography of Jean Baptiste Mondino. The inside cover presents the design that was used on the European release of the LP and cassette with photos by Joe Stevens. 

More info: comateens.com/shop

 

Eyeless in Gaza Release a Compilation of Rare Studio Recordings

This year has recently have been a great come back year for Eyeless in Gaza. They have released a brand new studio album 'Mania Sour' in August and the original album collection has been reissued on Cherry Red during the same month. This new release is entitled 'Mythic Language/Egg Box Mask' an eclectic mix of early Eyeless In Gaza recordings – experimental, plus studio recordings 1981-82, mostly which are aural documents reflecting the variety of settings and conditions under which they were recorded. This does not necessarily display the usual high quality audio standards of Ambivalent Scale who will release this compilation in late November. 

www.eyelessingaza.com
 

Ultravox' - Ultra Box Set Announced for Late October

Chrysalis Records have announced the release of a new Ultravox box set. 'The Albums 1980-2012' is a nine-CD collection featuring the six Midge Ure era studio albums – 'Vienna' (1980), 'Rage in Eden' (1981), 'Quartet' (1982), 'Lament' (1984) and 'U-Vox' (1986) – as well as live records 'Monument' (1983) and 'Return to Eden' (2009). The story is brought right back up to date with the inclusion of 'Brilliant', last year’s studio album featuring the classic line-up after a recording hiatus of almost three decades. All the LPs from the 1980s have been newly remastered by Steve Rooke at Abbey Road Studios. 

The CDs will be in card sleeves and housed in a clamshell box. The Albums 1980-2012 is released on 28 October 2013.

Source:

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/

xex' Changes out on Dark Entries

Dark Entries Records have released of xex' second album 'Change' as the final piece of our Americana Underground trilogy which comes from the state New Jersey, circa 1981. The album was recorded in the early 80's but the band did not have the funds to release the album and it sat in obscurity for over 30 years.

 All songs have been remastered from the original reel to reel tapes for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in jacket created by Alex Zander for his senior art project in college in 1980. Each LP includes a double sided 11×11 cardstock insert with lyrics and photos. Also included is a full length DVD featuring a 9-song xex concert from 1981, recorded at Hurrah in New York. With the bonus DVD included in the new LP, more people will see xex perform than ever saw them play live. More than 30 years later xex:change finally sees the light of day and fits in today’s world all too perfectly. 

  www.darkentriesrecords.com/xex-change

The Teardrop Explodes' Wilder 2 CD Reissue in June

The Teardrop Explodes have announced the reissue of their second album 'Wilder' last week.'Wilder' was the second and final album by the band, originally released in November 1981. "Ambitious, colourful and catchy and with more ideas at play than most groups could conjure up in a lifetime, like so many great albums, it simply confused people in its audacity". soundsxp.com 

This new edition features the original album in all its glory, plus a second disc compiled and sequenced by Julian Cope containing all the related singles, b-sides and BBC radio sessions. Disc two is effectively an alternative version of the album, the BBC sessions presenting many key songs in a noticeably different form, closer to how the group used to play them live. 'Wilder' 2CD REissue is announced for June 24th.  

Retrovision: Shock- Dynamo Beat

The London based dance troupe Shock was in the vanguard of the New Romantic cult of the early 80's in company with Boy George, Duran Duran, Steve Strange and Spandau Ballet. The group performed in clubs like The Haçienda, The Blitz Club and The Venue(London). Alongside performing and working with other artists, they also released two singles in the early 80's. Their second single "Dynamo Beat" was produced by Richard James Burgess of Landscape and it was released in 1981 on RCA Records. The music video for this song was recorded around 1982 and featured Tik and Tok, Barbie Wilde and Carole Caplin. 

Josef K- Sorry for Laughing the First Ever Vinyl Reissue

LTM presents the first ever vinyl release of Sorry For Laughing, the legendary first album by cult Scottish guitar group Josef K, recorded for Postcard Records but destined to become the great ‘lost album’ of the post-punk era. 

Recorded at Castle Sound Studios (Edinburgh) in November 1980, Sorry For Laughing should have been issued as Postcard 81-1, but was shelved after the band and label boss Alan Horne decided the 12-song set sounded too polished. Perhaps two dozen white-label copies in unmade sleeves exist, and have sold for as much as £1,000 amongst collectors. Josef K issued their second stab at a debut album, 'The Only Fun In Town', in July 1981 – only to split after completing a promotional tour. 

This remastered vinyl-only edition of Sorry For Laughing' replicates the original Robert Sharp artwork (a solarised portrait of the band atop Calton Hill, printed in silver pantone), with detailed sleeve notes on the inner bag, and the added bonus of a 12 track CD, The TV Art Demos, featuring all tracks from the band’s very first recording sessions in 1979. The remastered edition is due for release on November 26th through LTM Recordings.

http://www.josef-k.org/news.htm

Retrovision: Marquis de Sade- Wanda's Loving Boy

French post punk group Marquis de Sade fronted by singer Philippe Pascal and guitarist Franck Darcel released "Wanda's Loving Boy" in 1981. The song was the last release for the group in the early 80's before they split. The song appeared on their second album 'Rue de Siam', released during the same year.

Lost Videos: Kym Amps- You Don't Know My Name

Kym Amps released "You Don't Know My Name" in 1981 through Diversion Records. The song was produced by David Watts and David Folster and remained her only release. The video for the song was directed by Hazel Chandler and featured one off wonder about a girl stalker. 

In 2001 the song was revived, after it was featured on Minimal Wave's compilation 'The Hidden Tapes'. 

Instant Hit: The Electronic Circus- Direct Lines

Chris Payne was one of the members of Gary Numan's backing band, later known as Dramtis, and he was also a co-writer on Visage's biggest hit "Fade to Gray". He released one single under the name The Electronic Circus in 1981. The 7 " single was entitled "Direct Lines" and was backed by "Le Chorale". It was recorded by Tony Nod Harris for Scratch Records. 

Instant Hit: Dramatis- Ex Luna Scientia

Dramatis was Gary Numan's backing band which was formed around the core of Ced Sharpley and Chris Payne. They released a couple of singles and one album before disbanding in 1982. Both, their debut single "Ex Luna Scientia" (From the Moon) and their only album For Future Reference were released in 1981 on 'The Rocket Record Co'. The single was backed bu "Lady D.J." which didn't appear on their album. Gary Numan provided vocals for the song "Love Needs No Disguise" which reached No. 33 in the UK Charts.    

 

Instant Hit: Fatal Charm- Paris (1981)

"Paris" was the first single for Fatal Charm which was released in 1979. The song was written by the lead singer Paul Arnall who also sang the original version. In 1980, Sarah Simmonds joined the band and a year later "Paris" was re-released. Sarah's voice and Midge Ure production skills gave the record a whole new feel. The record featured "Christine" on a B-side and it was released by Ariola. 

Best of 1981 - Top 50 Singles List

Following the tragic death of John Lennon in December 1980, the world was still in mourning after the loss of one of the most influential musical masterminds of all time. All this did also had impact on the charts as where his biggest hits "Woman" and "Imagine" could be found again. Even Roxy Music paid tribute to him by covering "Jealous Guy".

Apart from this, the charts were still dominated by the rising stars of 1980, Adam and the Ants, while The Police had more hits. Human League re-formed this year, exiting the dark phase and releasing "Don't You Want Me Baby" which together with Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" helped to emblem the music style which would in the coming years be known as Synth-pop.

Along with the increasing popularity of synth driven music, the New Romantic movement slowly grew to fame as new kids adopted synths and started wearing lipstick. Perhaps the biggest event of the year was the launch of MTV, which aired "Video Killed The Radio Star" by The Buggles. The song became a huge hit and a symbol for the new platform, which would give the music industry a new face and dimension.

 

01. Ultravox- Vienna 
02. The Cure- Charlotte Sometimes 
03. The Human League- Don't You Want Me 
04. Siouxsie and the Banshees- Spellbound 
05. New Order- Ceremony 
06. Soft Cell- Tainted Love 
07. Talking Heads- Once in a Lifetime 
08. Duran Duran- Planet Earth 
09. Ultravox-The Voice 
10. Japan- Quiet Life 
11. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough 
12. Simple Minds- Love Song 
13. Kraftwerk- Computer Love 
14. The Specials - Ghost Town 
15. Heaven 17 -We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang 
16. David Bowie - Up The Hill Backwards 
17. Kim Wilde - Kids in America 
18. Depeche Mode- New Life 
19. Men At Work - Down Under 
20. Soft Cell - Memorabilia 

Retrovision: Ultravox- The Voice

Thirty years ago, Ultravox had a huge hit with "The Voice", their second single which was taken form the album Rage in Eden released in the same year. The song was recorded in Conny Plank's Studio in Cologne, Germany and it reached the top 20 in the UK peaking at # 16. There were two different videos made for the single. One has the band miming a performance in a slanted room with the band members appearing to be standing at an unnatural angle. The other video is more elaborate, contains war imagery, single-word slogans in knock-out text, features Billy Currie appearing as a radio announcer, and Midge Ure as a soldier.

Reissue: Beograd-TV

One of the first synth-pop acts of the former Yugoslavia Beograd, named after the capital Belgrade has been reissued on CD for the very first time. Their debut  EP features the title track "TV" and three other minimal style synth-pop tracks and it is out on Anna Logue Records. This year also marks the 30 year anniversary of its original release.

  www.annaloguerecords.com

Retrovision: Laurie Anderson- O Superman

Laurie Anderson released "O Superman" thirty years ago and entered the UK charts unexpectedly at number 2. Half-sung, half-spoken and in minimal and experimental style, it brought something new to the music world. The songs was later covered by David Bowie and elements of this song also inspired Army Lovers to record "Obsession", one of their biggest hits.

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