Put The Needle On The Record - Week #47

Put The Needle On The Record Week #47 New Order - Technique

For this weeks feature we go back to January 1989 and the New Order album "Technique".

This is probably my favourite New Order album, after "Power Corruption & Lies" and has become known as their "Ibiza" album, as that is where they went to record the album, however, very little music was recorded instead it ended up being an orgy of alcohol and drugs! Despite this they eventually recorded what turned out to be a fantatsic album, It was the bands 5th studio album, which they produced themselves. It contains some fabulous tracks "Mr Disco" (how that wasn't a single I will never know) and "Vanishing Point" (again should have been a single), for me, other than "Round & Round", they made odd choices for the singles they released off the album.

It is a quality album, from start to finish, and I like every track on it, this was another album I used to play at full blast on my car stereo!

Three singles were released from the album, "Fine Time", which should never have been the lead single off the album and should have stayed as an album track (which reached number 11 in the UK charts), "Round & Round", which was an excellent choice as a single, a brilliant 12 inch mix too! (which reached number 21) and "Run 2", a track that was remixed for the single by Scott Litt and he did an awful job, the original album version is miles better (which reached number 49 in the UK singles chart).

The album reached number 1 in the UK album chart.

Track Listing

Fine Time
All The Way
Love Less
Round & Round
Guilty Partner
Run
Mr Disco
Vanishing Point
Dream Attack

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

i-Select #112 (Part 1)

White Lion Radio have released Part 1 of edition #112 of i-Select.

This is a series of shows dedicated to electronic/synthpop bands that are unsigned, signed to a small independent label or self release their material.

Listen to the show on Mixcloud here

Playlist

Stefania Avolio - Like Bamboo
Uncreated - We Will attack
BlakLight - A Stranger Calls (Rework)
Future Perfect - Rip
Beyond Border Ft Brian Belknap - What Makes The World Go Round
Projekt Ich Ft Arsine Tibe - Kosmonaut (FragileChild Intercontinental Remix)
Sjoblom - Great Times Ahead
Dryve - Autotech
Proletarian Poetry - Panic And Fear
Melo - Want You To See
Mechanical Cabaret - Deviation
Francesca e Luigi - Painting A View
Beborn Beton - Ticket To The Moon
Arpraxis - Diskow
Future Perfect - Sin (Where Angels Fall)
Nature of Wires ft Luka - Blackened Veil
Perpacity - Racing With Flamingos
Neon Space Men - Shake The Disease
The Halo Trees Ft Stefanie Duchene - This House Of Sadness (Electronic Remake)
Lifelong Corporation - Silent Streets (Sunrise Mix)
Mayah Camara - Radio Call
O.a.G. - Reach Out (Marc O'Rell Remix)
Beyond Border Ft Neufeld - Perfection
Dryve Ft Hunz - Synth On Fire
BlakLight - Blinded By The Sun (Rework)
Sjoblom - Turn My Head
Future Perfect - Touch
The Halo Trees Ft Stimmgewalt - Cardboard Cities (Electronic Remake)

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #46

Put The Needle On The Record Week #46 Pet Shop Boys - Actually

For this weeks feature we go back to September 1987 and the Pet Shop Boys album "Actually".

Pet Shop Boys are one of my favourite bands of all time and have been a massive fan from the day they released "West End Girls" as a single. The album "Actually" was the 2nd album they released and a follow up to their huge debut album "Please". Quite a few songs were recorded around the same time they recorded "Please", they had so much material tracks were held over for "Actually", one of those tracks was It's A Sin"!

It is a very impressive album from start to finish, with 4 top ten singles released from it, including 2 number 1 hits, aside from the singles, the album contains one of my favourite Pet Shop Boys tracks ever, "Kings Cross". It is an album that was on repeat play on my car stereo....on cassette!

On this album the duo used an assortment or produces, including Julian Mendelsohn and Stephen Hague (who produced their album "Please")

Four singles were released from the album, "It's A Sin" (which reached number 1 in the UK charts and was a success in America too, where it reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart), "What Have I Done To Deserve This?", which featured Dusty Springfield (which reached number 2 in the UK singles chart...it should have made number 1 and it did well again in the states, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100), "Rent" (which reached number 8 in the UK singles chart) and "Heart" (which reached number 1 in the UK singles chart).

The album peaked at number 2 in the UK album chart and number 25 on the Billboard 200 chart in the states.

Track Listing

One More Chance
What Have I Done To Deserve This?
Shopping
Rent
Hit Music
It Couldn't Happen Here
It's A Sin
I Want To Wake Up
Heart
King's Cross

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

Maximum 80s #130

Welcome to edition 130 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

Howard Jones - New Song (Extended)
Silent Running - Young Hearts (Extended Mix)
Teleptahic - We Are Telepathique (Long Version)
Kon Kan - I Beg Your Pardon (Club Mix)
Simple Minds - Sweat In Bullet (Extended Remix)
Visage - Beat Boy (Dance Mix)
Madonna - Burning Up (Extended Version)
Blancmange - The Day Before You Came (Extended)
Billy Ocean - Are You Ready (12 Inch Version)
OMD - Genetic Engineering (Extended)
Ashford & Simpson - Solid (12 Inch Version)
Alison Moyet - Weak In The Presence Of Beauty (Extended Mix)

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #45

Put The Needle On The Record Week #45 Madonna - Like A Virgin

For this weeks feature we go back to November 1984 and the Madonna album "Like A Virgin".

I am a huge fan of Madonna's early albums and the "Like A Virgin" album was part of my soundtrack for my first holiday abroad in Corfu, you could barely turn a corner without hearing the single "Like A Virgin". It was easy to see how she became a massive worldwide success and whilst her recent albums have been pretty poor there are moments when she shines, hard to believe she is well into her 60s!

"Like A Virgin" was Madonna's 2nd album and was produced by Nile Rodgers, and it sold a whopping 21 million copies across the globe and is rightly regarded as one of the best selling albums ever.

Obviously the singles stand out on this album, however, one of my favourite tracks is the cover version of the Rose Royce track "Love Don't Live Here Anymore".

In all 4 singles were released, the lead track "Like A Virgin" (which reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart and was a number 1 hit in many European countries and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the states), "Material Girl" (which also reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart, it was a massive hit across Europe and reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the states), the double A Side "Angel" and "Into The Groove" (which reached number 5 in the UK Singles chart and also number 5 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the states) and "Dress You Up (which reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart and number 5 again in the Billboard Hot 100 chart).

The album reached number 1 on both the UK album chart and the Billboard album chart.

Track Listing

Material Girl
Angel
Like A Virgin
Over And Over
Love Don't Live Here Anymore
Dress You Up
Shoo-Bee-Doo
Pretender
Stay

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

Rubik's 80s Mix #130 (April 1986)

We bring a fresh idea into the Rubik's 80s Mix series, each month we are going to focus on tracks that were in the charts on a specific month in the 1980s, which hopefully will bring back special memories for you, on this show, edition #130, we feature tracks that were in the charts in April 1986.

Listen to the show on Mixcloud here

Playlist

George Michael - A Different Corner
A-Ha - Train Of Thought
The Style Council - Have You Ever Had It Blue
Simple Minds - All The Things She Said
Five Star - Can't Wait Another Minute
Billy Ocean - There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)
Princess - I'll Keep On Loving You
Joyce Sims - All And All
Madonna - Live To Tell
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through Grapevine
Depeche Mode - A Question Of Lust
Shalamar - A Night To Remember
Pet Shop Boys - Love Comes Quickly

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #44

Put The Needle On The Record Week #44 OMD - Architecture & Morality

For this weeks feature we go back to March 1981 and the OMD album "Architecture & Morality".

Well what can I say about this album....it is a masterpiece! One of my most played records ever, I am a massive fan of OMD and they are the band I have seen in concert more than any other band or artist, mainly in the 1980s and 1990s, I saw them on the tour for this album at the Manchester Apollo, the second OMD concert I attended, one of the best live bands out there and a band that has given us so many massive melodic hits over the years and of course they are still going strong today. I bought the album from HMV on Market street in Manchester during one of my many excursions to record stores during my lunch breaks from work.

The album is the biggest selling OMD album selling over 4 million copies and is a an album that has been showcased live quite a few times by the band over recent years.

It has so many stunning tracks, as well as, the singles that were released, it included some of my favourite OMD songs, such as, "She's Leaving", "The Beginning And The End" (what a song this is!), a brilliant closing track for the album and "Georgia" all of which could have been released as singles, and of course the brillaint and epic "Sealand". "She's Leaving" was released as a single in the Benelux region. The only track I am not keen on is the opening track on the album "The New Stone Age".

In all 3 singles were released, "Souvenir", one of my favourite tracks on the album, was released in August 1981 (which reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart), "Joan Of Arc" (which reached number 5 in the UK Singles chart and contained the wonderful B Side "The Romance of the Telescope (Unfinished)" and "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)", (which reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and topped the charts in several European countries, including Germany, Spain, Holland and Belgium).

The album reached number 3 on the UK album chart.

Track Listing

The New Stone Age
She's Leaving
Souvenir
Sealand
Joan Of Arc
Joan Of Arc (Maid Of Orleans)
Architecture & Morality
Georgia
The Beginning And The End

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