Instant Hit: Sharon Mitchell - Handsome Stranger

Sharon Mitchell, an American former adult actress, briefly ventured into the music industry with the release of two singles in the early 1980s. One of these was the catchy and exotic "Handsome Stranger," released in 1983 on two different labels. The song narrated the tale of a Mexican woman in pursuit of a wealthy American lover.

Retrovision: Carly Simon - Why

Carly Simon released "Why" in August 1982 as one of her biggest 80's hits. The song was recorded for the film Soup for One but it eventually gained broader popularity than the film itself. Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of Chic produced the song moving away from Carly's guitar based songs from the past leaning more on reggae sound.

A Certain Ratio's 'Sextet' to be Reissued on Factroy Benelux

Factory Benelux will reissue A Certain Ratio's third album 'Sextet' next month. 'Sextet' was originally released in 1982 and featured the single "Knife Slits Water" and the great title track "Lucinda". This new version of 'Sextet' will include bonus tracks and 12 inch versions and will be released as 2CD Deluxe edition. Official released date is set for November 3rd, 2014. 

A Certain Ratio's- I'd Like To See You Again out on Factory Benelux

Factory Benelux has released a new CD edition of 'I'd Like To See You Again', the third studio album by Manchester postpunk funk group A Certain Ratio, originally released by Factory Records in October 1982. 'I'd Like To See You Again' was the last Ratio album to feature the original quintet of Donald Johnson, Jeremy Kerr, Martin Moscrop, Simon Topping and Peter Terrell, and saw the band move from the ethereal textures of Sextet towards a more stripped-down sound, influenced by the Latin and electrofunk scene in New York. 

 This remastered CD features 5 bonus tracks, including the 7" and 12" versions of dancefloor classic "Knife Slits Water", flipside "Tumba Rhumba", an exclusive remix of "Guess Who", and underrated single "I Need Someone Tonite", issued in 1983 and the first Ratio record to feature keys player Andy Connell. 

http://factorybenelux.com/id_like_to_see_you_again_fbn17cd.html

Tracklist:
1. Touch
2. Saturn
3. Hot Knights
4. I'd Like To See You Again
5. Show Case
6. Sesamo Apriti – Corco Vada
7. Axis 8. Guess Who
9. Knife Slits Water (7" version)
10. Tumba Rhumba
11. I Need Someone Tonite
12. Guess Who (Remix)

Instant Hit: Blue Peter- Up To You

Blue Peter released their second EP Up to You in 1982. This release included some of their first singles, "Chinese Graffiti" and "Around You". For this feature we would like to present the dance funky EP title  track. 

Instant Hit: Rah Band- Messages From the Stars

The fictional studio group orchestrated by Richard Hewson, known as Rah Band, dropped "Messages from The Stars" in 1983 under Catfish Records. This electro-funk journey featured enchanting female vocals and spacey dub elements, embodying the signature style of Rah Band. The track experienced a resurgence when it was reissued by Sonoptix in 2011, offering listeners eight different remixes to enjoy.