Put The Needle On The Record - Week #91

Put The Needle On The Record Week #91 ABC - Alphabet City

For this weeks feature we go back to October 1987 and the ABC album "Alphabet City".

"Alphabet City" was the 4th album released by ABC and it is a gem of an album, featuring some outstanding tracks, such as, "When Smokey Sings", "King Without A Crown" (my favourite track off the album), "The Night You Murdered Love", "Rage And Then Regret", "Think Again" and "Bad Blood".

The album was produced by ABC's Martin Fry and Mark White along with Bernard Edwards, who is best known for being part of the band Chic.

The album's title and titles of several of the tracks were inspired by the Alphabet City section of Manhatten in New York. The album was recorded over a 9 month period at the Marcus Recording Studios in London.

3 singles were released off the album, "When Smokey Sings" (which reached number 11 in the UK Singles chart and performed well on the Billboard Hot 100 in the states, reaching number 5), "The Night You Murdered Love", which included some superb 12 inch mixes (which reached number 31 in the UK Singles Chart) and "King Without A Crown" (which surprisingly only reached number 44 in the UK Singles Chart).

The album, reached Number 7 in the UK album chart and number 48 in the US Billboard Top 200.

Track Listing

Avenue A
When Smokey Sings
The Night You Murdered Love
Think Again
Rage And Then Regret
Ark-Angel
King Without A Crown
Bad Blood
Jealous Lover
One Day
Avenue Z

If you have this album in your collection, dig it out and give it a spin!

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #90

Put The Needle On The Record Week #90 David Bowie - Low

For this weeks feature we go back to January 1977 and the David Bowie album "Low".

"Low" was the 11th album released by the sadly missed David Bowie. It is part of the "Berlin trilogy" albums record in Berlin, Germany, the other 2 albums being "Heroes" and "Lodger" and is my favourite album from the three released, because of it's electronic sound. The trilogy was also produced by Tony Visconti, who worked with Bowie of many years.

Amazingly Bowie's record label, RCA, refused to release the album for 3 months as they felt it would be a commercial failure! It was an album that divided critical opinion and received very little promotion by the label and by Bowie himself......it is now regarded as a "classic" Bowie album and one of his best ever album releases.

My favourite tracks on the album are, "Sound And Vision", "Speed Of Life", "Breaking Glass", "Warszawa" (my favourite track overall), "Art Decade" and "Always Crashing In The Same Car". It really is an amazing album that was way ahead of its time.

Three singles were released off the album "Sound And Vision" (which reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart and number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America), "Be My Wife"/"Speed Of Life" (which reached number 57 in the UK Singles chart) and "Breaking Glass"/"Art Decade", which was only released in Australia and New Zealand.

The album, reached Number 2 in the UK album chart and number 11 in the American Billboard chart.

Track Listing

Side 1

Speed Of Life
Breaking Glass
What In The World
Sound And Vision
Always Crashing In The Same Car
Be My Wife
A New Career In A New Town

Side 2

Warszawa
Art Decade
Weeping Wall
Subterraneans

If you have this album in your collection, dig it out and give it a spin!

i-Select #122

White Lion Radio have released edition #122 of i-Select.

This is a series of shows that focuses on Electronic/Synthpop bands from around the world, that are unsigned, signed to a small independent label or self release their material.

If you like electronic music, you will enjoy this show

You can listen to the show via Mixcloud:

https://www.mixcloud.com/whitelionradio/i-select-122/

Full Playlist

LorD And Master - Painting Over The Cracks
Positronic - In The Stars Tonight
Synth Fellow Hawk - Accelerated Glow
Damokles - Resurrection
Promenade Cinema - Under Review
Liquid Soul - Liquid 1nc
Rogue FX - We Belong
Cold Connection - Forever And A Day
Lonelyklown - Debby And The Jet Stream
Hanging Freud - A Pact Among The Living
Jeremiah Kane - Missed Call
J26 - Fallen (Loved Up Remix)
Nieder - The Flow
Cred - I Want You (Remix)
S1H2 - Melt Away
Nova Music - Catherine Wheel
Projekt Ich - An Angel On Earth
Natcho - 3 AM
Synth Fellow Hawk - Dancing In The Twilight
Azam Ali - To Pieces
Perfect Female Type - Mall Patrol
Indigo & 10eighty6 - Can’t Stop (Rogue FX Remix)
Scenius - Five-Arm Crystal
Arvid Tuba - No Questions
Von Kaiser - Take Me Home Tonight
Jessy Mach - Embers Of A Name
Damokles - Lost Civilization
Andrew Corbin - Already Here (Crom Wizard Rremix)
Arena Ft Robert Tupper - No Easy Way Out
Hanging Freud - Grooming
LorD And Master - The Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Single Mix)

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #89

Put The Needle On The Record Week #89 Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures

For this weeks feature we go back to June 1979 and the Joy Division album "Unknown Pleasures".

My fascination with Joy Division continued with this album, I went into a record shop just off Deansgate, where they let you listen to a maximum of 5 tracks off any album, which I duly did and at first I wasn't so keen on it, however, hearing more material by Joy Division on John Peels show on Radio 1 and I eventually bought it, my parents hated me playing the record because it was so dark and gloomy, but for me that is the attraction with this album, it was different, post punk and to be honest wasn't the kind of music I was listening to at the time, I loved the vocal delivery of Ian Curtis, not just on this album but also the outstanding "Closer" album, his lyrics are truly outstanding, what a sad loss to the music world when he took his own life.

The album was recorded at Strawberry Studio's in Stockport with Martin Hannett producing the record (he also produced the bands album "Closer") and of course the artwork, which is iconic, was designed by Peter Saville.

My favourite track off the album is "She's Lost Control", however, I do prefer the re-recorded version, other standout tracks are "New Dawn Fades", "I Remember Nothing", "Shadow", "Day Of The Lords" and "Candidate".

No singles were released off the album.

The album, reached Number 5 in the UK album chart.

Track Listing

Disorder
Day Of The Lords
Candidate
Insight
New Dawn Fades
She's Lost Control
Shadowplay
Wilderness
Interzone
I Remember Nothing

If you have this album in your collection, dig it out and give it a spin!

Maximum 80s #140

Welcome to edition 140 of Maximum 80s here on White Lion Radio, a show that celebrates the 1980s 12 Inch Single!

This a series of shows that features some of the finest 12 Inch Singles from the 80s all in one continuous mix.

The biggest hits in the 12 Inch format from the greatest decade in music history!

Listen to the show on Mixcloud here

Playlist

Jimmy Somerville - But Not Tonight (Extended)
Viola Wills - Gonna Get Along Without You Now (12 Inch Disco Single)
Hubert Kah - So Many People (Extended Dance Mix)
One To One - There Was A Time (Remix)
Cherelle & Alexander O'Neal - Saturday Love (Extended Version)
The Human League - The Sound Of The Crowd (12 Inch Mix)
Blondie - Rapture (US Disco Mix)
Spandau Ballet - Lifeline (12 Inch Version)
Heaven 17 - Temptation (Brothers In Rhythm Remix)
ABC - Tears Are Not Enough (12 Inch Remix)
Pet Shop Boys - Heart (Disco Mix)
Imagination - In And Out Of Love (12 Inch Version)

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #88

Put The Needle On The Record Week #88 The Lightning Seeds - Cloudcuckooland

For this weeks feature we go back to January 1990 and The Lightning Seeds album "Cloudcuckooland".

"Cloudcuckooland" was the debut album by The Lightning Seeds, who are from Liverpool, and features the brilliant track "Pure", it is a fantastic album with plenty of pop nuggets, my favourite tracks are "Pure", "All I Want" (which was re-recorded for its single release), "Joy", "Bound In A Nutshell" and "Don't Let Go" ( as good as "Pure").

The album features contributions by fellow Liverpool artists, Andy McCluskey (OMD) plays keyboards, Ian McNabb (Icicle Works) provides some vocals and Henry Priestman (The Christians) who plays piano and organ.

Ian Broudie is a very talented guy and well respected and it was excellent to watch them on TV live at Glastonbury a few years back.... his son is now in the band!

Three singles were released off the album "Pure" (which reached number 16 in the UK Singles Chart), "Joy" (which failed to chart in the UK) and "All I Want (which also didn't chart in the UK singles chart), how those 2 singles failed to chart is beyond me.

The album, reached Number 50 in the UK chart album chart.

Track Listing

All I Want
Bound in a Nutshell
Pure
Sweet Dreams
The Nearly Man
Joy
Love Explosion
Don't Let Go
Control The Flame
The Price

If you have this album in your collection, dig it out and give it a spin!

Rubik's 80s Mix #140 (October 1980)

White Lion Radio have released edition #140 of Rubik's 80s Mix, on this show, we feature tracks that were in the charts, in October 1980.

Listen to the show on Mixcloud here

Playlist For The Show:

Kate Bush - Army Dreamers
OMD - Enola Gay
Status Quo - What You're Proposing
Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids
Ultravox - Passing Strangers
Stephanie Mills - Never Knew Love Like This Before
Dollar - Takin' A Chance On You
Diana Ross - My Old Piano
Barbara Streisand - Woman In Love
Billy Joel - It's Still Rock 'n' Roll To Me
Cliff Richard - Dreamin'
Coffee - Casanova
Adam & The Ants - Dog Eat Dog
Village People - Can't Stop The Music
Matchbox - When You Ask About Love