Put The Needle On The Record - Week #42

Put The Needle On The Record Week #42 Tears For Fears - The Hurting

For this weeks feature we go back to March 1983 and the Tears For Fears album "The Hurting".

This album always reminds me of the days I lived in a crummy bedsit in Eccles, Manchester, as it was an album I constantly played during the few years I lived there....not the happiest of times I must add!

Anyway to the album.......This was the debut album by the band consisting of the duo Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, both had been in a previous band called Graduate and interestingly before they renamed themselves Tears For Fears, their band name was History Of Headaches!! Thank god they saw sense and came up with Tears For Fears, the name is taken from a book by Psychotherapist Arthur Janov, the book also inspired the tracks "The Prisoner" and "Ideas As Opiates".

For the album the band decided to change producers and worked with Chris Hughes, which meant they re-recorded the tracks Suffer The Children" and "Pale Shelter" for the album. Did you know thet their breakthrough hit "Mad World" was originally considered as a B Side!

It is without doubt one of the classic albums released in the 80s and I have to say it is a very strong album, however, I never liked "The Prisoner" or "Ideas As Opiates", other than those 2 tracks the rest of the album is outstanding.

In all 5 singles were released, "Suffer The Children", one of my favourite tracks on the album, was released in 1981 (which didn't make the UK Singles Chart at the time but was a minor hit in 1985 reaching number 52 in the UK Singles Chart), the original version of "Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love)" (which was released in early 1982 and also failed to chart), "Mad World" (which reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart), "Change" (which reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart) and a new version of "Pale Shelter", one of my all time favourite records (which reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart).

The album reached number 1 on the UK album chart.

Track Listing

The Hurting
Mad World
Pale Shelter
Ideas As Opiates
Memories Fade
Suffer The Children
Watch Me Bleed
Change
The Prisoner
Start Of The Breakdown

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

Maximum 80s #129

Welcome to edition 129 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

Kissing The Pink - Never Too Late To Love You (Kissing The Mix)
Baltimora - Tarzan Boy (12 Inch Summer Version)
Luther Vandross - I Really Didn't Mean It (12 Inch Mix)
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (Shep Pettibone Remix)
Lisa Stansfield - All Around The World (Long Version)
Erasure - Love To Hate You (Paul Dakeyne Remix)
Fun Boy Three - Our Lips Are Sealed (Special Remix Version)
The Whispers - My Girl (12 Inch Maxi Single
Heaven 17 - Height Of The Fighting (Full Length 12 Inch Mix)
Thompson Twins - Lay Your Hands On Me (12 Inch Version)
Sandra - Everlasting Love (Extended Version)
Phil Fearon & Galaxy - Dancing Tight (Dance Mix)

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #41

Put The Needle On The Record Week #41 Duran Duran - Duran Duran

For this weeks feature we go back to June 1981 and the Self titled debut album by Duran Duran.

This is a really solid debut album by Duran Duran, with plenty of excellent tracks, including the singles, "Planet Earth", "Girls On Film", and tracks like "Anyone Out There" and "Sound Of Thunder", I was really surprised they released "Careless Memories" as a single, for me it is one of the weakest tracks on the album, I'm not a massive Duran Duran fan, really only liking the first 3 albums. You can't argue that they weren't the frontrunners in the new romantic movement.

The album was recorded during December 1980 and January 1981 and was produced by Colin Thurston.

The band formed as a trio in 1978, consisting of Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Stephen Duffy, who was the original vocalist in the band, the classic line-up of Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor, John Taylor and Roger Taylor came into being in 1980.

The album featured 3 singles "Planet Earth" (which reached number 12 in the UK Singles chart), "Careless Memories" (which reached number 37 in the UK Singles chart) and Girls On Film" (which reached number 5 in the UK Singles chart).

The album reached number 3 in the UK Albums chart.

Track Listing

Girls On Film
Planet Earth
Anyone Out There
To The Shore
Careless memories
Night Boat
Sound Of Thunder
Friends Of Mine
Tel Aviv

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

Rubik's 80s Mix #129 (June 1983)

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 #129, we feature tracks that were in the charts in June 1983.

Tracks by David Bowie, Opus, China Crisis, Tears For Fears, Jaki Graham, Howard Jones, ABC and more are featured on the show.

Listen to the show on Mixcloud here

Playlist

Ultravox - We Came To Dance
Rod Stewart - Baby Jane
Imagination - Looking At Midnight
David Bowie - China Girl
Shalamar - Dead Giveaway
Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Something
Freeez - IOU
Donna Summer - She Works Hard For The Money
ELO - Rock 'n' Roll Is King
Heaven 17 - Come Live With Me
Mary Jane Girls - All Night Long
A Flock Of Seagulls - Transfer Affection
Big Country - In A Big Country
George Benson - Lady Love me (One More Time)
Irene Cara - Flashdance (What A Feeling)

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #40

Put The Needle On The Record Week #40 Yazoo - Upstairs At Eric's

For this weeks feature we go back to August 1982 and the Yazoo album "Upstairs At Eric's".

This is another one of my all time favourite albums and was played to death when I bought it, it is of course the debut album by Yazoo, which combined the talents of Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet and is a collection of superb synthpop songs, however, I must say, I have no idea why they included the track "I Before E Except after C"! If it was an instrumental track it would be fine, however, it isn't it is just a load of people talking, very odd it was included, aside from that it features some outstanding songs, "Too Pieces", my favourite track and should have been a single, the same goes for "Bad Connection" and "Goodbye 70s", it also includes the classic singles "Only You" and "Don't Go". I also recall that this was another album I purchased from the small HMV shop on Market Street in Manchester.

3 singles were released, their debut single "Only You" (which reached number 2 in the UK Singles chart), "Don't Go" (which reached number 3 in the UK singles chart), by the way, the 12 inch single is fantastic! The final single released was "Situation", however this was only released in the states and Canada, the track was the B side to the "Only You" single and wasn't featured on the album and performed well in the charts in America, reaching number 1 for 4 weeks on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. This particular single was well sought after on import, I still have my copy!

The album reached number 2 on the UK album chart.

Track Listing

Don't Go
Too Pieces
Bad Connection
I Before E Except After C
Midnight
In My Room
Only You
Goodbye 70s
Tuesday
Winter Kills
Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)

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

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #39

Put The Needle On The Record Week #39 The Silicon Teens - Music For Parties

For this weeks feature we go back to September 1980 and the Silicon Teens album "Music For Parties".

This is one of my all time favourite albums and was the 2nd ever album to be released on Mute Records and features electronic versions of classic rock 'n' roll tracks from the 1950s and 1960s, the album also included 3 original songs too. The project was the creation of Mute Records founder Daniel Miller, he created the band that included 4 ficticous members! Daniel Miller himself played all the instruments and provided all the vocals.

The album is best described as bonkers and fun, the idea to create a record like this was pure genius by Miller.

If you don't have this album in your collection you need to get it!

The album featured 3 singles "Memphis Tennessee" (which failed to chart), "Judy In Disguise" (which didn't make the UK Singles chart, however it did reach number 4 on the UK indie chart) and "Just Like Eddie", my favourite track off the album (again it didn't make the UK Singles chart but did reach number 7 in the UIK Indie chart). A re-recorded version of "Red River Rock" was used in the film "Planes, Trains and Automobiles and was released as a single in the UK and the states in 1988.

The album was a success chartwise, however, it performed well in the Indie charts, reaching number 4.

Track Listing

Memphis Tennessee
Yesterday Man
Doo Wah Diddy Diddy
T.V. Playtime
You Really Got Me
Chip 'N Roll
Do You Love Me?
Let's Dance
Oh Boy!
Sweet Little Sixteen
State Of Shock (Part Two)
Just Like Eddie
Red River Rock
Judy In Disguise

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

i-Select #110 (Part 2)

 Welcome to part 2 of edition #110 of i-Select on White Lion Radio

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

Supercraft - Asleep
Octolab - Friend Or Foe
Second Complex Ft Brian Belknap - Treatment
eLxAr - Demons - Influencers
Cold Connection - Voices Of The Night
Woren - Cruise Control
Lunar Plexus - Take Your Time
Linda Jo Rizzo & Milo Blue - You're The One (Radio Edit)
Muricidae - Sold My Soul
Ironic Sweden - Mordor
Nostalgia Deathstar - Human Resource
Split Vision - Hit That Perfect Beat
Supercraft - Nothing More
Sjoblom - Dead For Years
Woren - Never Forget This Moment
Of What Remains - Thorn
SIXMIXSIX - Phone home
Cold Connection - Degraded Life
Melo - Cut Me Loose
eLxAr - Demons - The Dividing Line
Carnivali - Electric Blue
Second Complex Ft Color Theory - Surrender
Covered In Snow - Cemetery Club
Supercraft - This Time Is Mine
Francesca e Luigi - Brand New Start
Capital X - Ever
Danne Machmar - Kissing In The Moonlight
Woren - Infinite
Alan Dreezer - We Have Come A Long Way
Arpraxis - City Heat