I finally tracked this one down! Another piece of prime TAT from Val and Harold Faltermeyer. brilliance! I would kill for a video of this!
I hope I am not alone in my preference for Kim's MCA Records years, while I do like her earlier output, singles like The Second Time, Never Trust A Stranger, It's Here, You Keep Me Hanging On, You Came, and Another Step really raised the bar. Her image was a whole lot better too. Say You Really Want Me was the third single from her second flop album in a row for MCA, Another Step, this version is featured on the re-release version and however slight, the remix really takes the track to another level. The video was banned in the UK as it features Kim writhing around on a bed pouting and wearing gloves! How innocent everything was back then, when the likes of Kim and Sheena Easton could be controversial. This track was also in the movie 'Running Scared'. These days Kim is back on the pop charts, at least in Germany and is gigging around the UK this winter with the Here & Now Tour, her latest CD, Never Say Never, was released in 2006.
Most famous as the lead singer of The Bangles, Susanna Hoffs has also tried her hand to acting and a solo career. The Bangles broke up after their 1989 album Everything. Susanna released her first solo single, the beautiful My Side of the Bed, in 1991. It flopped as did the album and she was pretty much dumped on the pop scrap heap. Presumably this gave her the freedom to make what is probably the best work, a self-titled CD released by London Records in 1996. The lead single, a cover of the Lightning Seeds', All I Want, was a minor Top 40 hit, although the album sank without trace. That in no way detracts from the quality of the songs, my personal favourites are collected in this little EP I put together. Including: Beekeepers Blues; All I Want; King of Tragedy; and a cover of Stuck in the Middle with You. All of the tracks have a great retro vibe and some even are a bit sad, but without being maudlin and dreary. The whole CD is well worth tracking down, but these tracks will tide you over. King of Tragedy is a bit 60’s, which is interesting as the next thing Susanna did was work on the Austin Powers soundtrack. Since reuniting with The Bangles in 2000 she has toured extensively and they scored a Top 40 hit with their 2003 comeback single Something That You Said in the UK. They released a live DVD, Return to Bangledonia, last year.She's a distinguished actress too....
What’s not to love about 80’s Heart? I saw a Celine Dion TV special recently where she described her favourite things about them – their hair, their songs and their guitars! I couldn’t agree more. They’re a complete 80’s pop/rock package and their 1985 self titled LP is one of my all time favourites. This single is taken from their 1987 LP, Bad Animals. There’s The Girl was the follow up single to the smash hit Alone, and it’s a great single. Blonde sister Nancy is on lead vocals and these remixes are by Chris Lord Alge. The 7” Remix is barely any different to the LP version, but the 12” Remix adds some subtle funk into the mix. Heart are still around playing shows, in the past few years they’ve released a live DVD, a Christmas CD, and a new album, Jupiter’s Darling in 2004. Ann Wilson released a solo CD last year.
Girlschool are a British metal group who started out in the late 70's, they even had a Top 5 UK album in 1981! After a few lineup changes they attempted to break the US market with their 1985 LP Running Wild (much maligned by fans, and of course recommeded by me!). It didn't work. The girls are still playing live and have some live dates, so Google them!
I've been a fan of Nicki French since I was 10 years old! There used to be a premium rate hotline advertised on the back of all the Love This Records singles where you could call up and hear the latest tat from Nicki and her dodgy labelmates, they'd play the full songs just to keep you on the line, I think you could even hear the remixes! She may have only had the one hit, but our Nicki personifies what good club diva is all about, and she can actually sing! I have a friend who has actually spoken to her too! In tribute here's a collection of remixes so you can have your own Nicki Disco in your bedrooms; Don't Play That Song Again (Club Mix); I Surrender (Shanghai Surprise Club Mix); Calling Out My Name (Jonesy's Soda Pop Mix); Total Eclipse Of The Heart 2006 (Saint Club Mix).
Eastbound Expressway started out in the mid 70's, discovered by British hiNRG producer Ian Levine, who wrote and produced all their songs. The girls continued to record until the late 80's. Their sound progressed from disco to trashy hiNRG and while the group enjoyed no chart success their music found favour on the dancefloor and two of their tracks became theme tunes to television shows (Frantic Love theme tune to Ear-Say and also the Theme to K-9 and Co, an 80's Dr Who spin off!). However it's their later stuff that really interests me so check out my Eastbound Expressway E.P. feat. the singles You're A Beat, Knock Me Senseless, Rainstorm, and the amazing Whiplash!
As The Salt 'n' Pepa Show is one of the best shows on at the moment its only fitting that we celebrate these two! This was their final UK chart entry, a mash-up of their 1998 US single Gitty Up, the lead from their last studio album Brand New, and Pink Floyd's The Wall. This single lead a Greatest Hits package that flopped horribly. The single was a Top 40 hit and got a lot of play on video channels over here. Also included is the original version of Gitty Up and a '99 remix of Push It, remixed by DJ Tonka. Let's hope the girls use their new found exposure to do an album and a tour. The best episode so far was about Pepa's desire to put the duo's name to a new brand of weave! Top telly.
This was one of a few singles Deni Hines released in the UK. A national treasure in her native Australia, Deni stormed the UK charts in the late 90's with no less than two Top 40 singles (and a couple of near misses). Amongst them this absolute gem of a track, Joy. As if the original version wasn't brilliant enough, the single features a fabulous club mix by Eric Kupper. This amazing package managed a pretty shabby #47 on our chart, it was also a Top 20 dance hit in America. This should've been massive though, it's absolutely perfect if the crappy weather is getting you down or if you're in the mood for a great pop song.
Originally recorded by Shannon of Let The Music Play fame and a minor UK Top 30 hit. This version by Donna Allen is a slightly more soulful and funky take on the track. Donna is perhaps best known for her 1986 hit Serious which was later sampled/covered by Strike on their 90's classic U Sure Do. Sweet Somebody was nowhere near as popular and pretty much bombed on both sides of the Atlantic.
Dionne recorded this dance/pop gem for her How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye album in 1983. Producer Luther Vandross really took Dionne out of her MOR comfort zone on a couple of tracks on this LP and the results were spectacular. This is the 7" Version of Got A Date, which is a shorter edited version of the second single from the LP. While it flopped horribly one can't help but wonder what a whole album of this type of material would've been like. Sadly it's all been drippy duet albums and covers ever since. While How Many Times... is out of print you can get some of it on her 3CD Legends compilation which includes a good selection of her Arista Records material, which of course includes the classic Heartbreaker. 
I've rarely been more excited by a blog, Theo's La Toya Jackson French Fan Blog, is perhaps the greatest site in the Blogosphere. I do not even need to know a word of French to appreciate it's greatness, it not only has some funky La Toya cartoons, it also features some seriously sexy photoshopped pictures to delight you. Not since my very own Church of La Toya has such a perfect tribute been made to the thinking man's Jackson!
The first batch of mixes to one were not up my alley. However, one can always rely on Clubstar, a staple of any AATW Records release in recent years, to produce the goods. This takes Deb's original melancholy rock track and injects it with a the kind of stuff you can only find on Wigan Pier on a Staurday night. This is just amazing, what a relief after the dirge that the Soulseekerz and Stonebridge came up with. The original speed of the vocal is maintained on this one and the results are just stunning. Considering how badly the album, Necessary Evil, has done there is little chance of a proper second single. For me, this mix, is one of the best things to come out of the whole project.
I have no idea who Valerie Claire is but when I saw the sleeve to this I just knew it would fit in my collection perfectly. Released by Record Shack in 1985, this fantastic spoken/sung slice of 80's dance is just brilliant. Produced by Harold Faltermeyer, this one should've burned up the dancefloor. It's very reminicent of Murray Head's 'One Night In Bangkok' and is no less catchy. Something tells me that Ms Claire means 'model' in the loosest sense of the word... "I'm a, she's a, m-m-m-model, aha!" You'll be singing this one all day I guarantee it. Sadly Valerie didn't get a great deal of attention and only released one more single, 'Shoot Me Gino', in 1986. If anyone has it send it over...
