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!

New Kraftman Album

Kraftman releases a brand new album tomorrow (1st November) called "Chernobyl (Maximum Exposure)", the album features 80s style extended 12 inch mixes of tracks that were featured on the album "Chernobyl", as well as, associated releases.

If you are a fan of Kraftwerk you won't be disappointed :)

The CD edition features 10 tracks, whilst the Digital Download edition features 11 tracks, including the exclusive track "Chernobyl 1986 (Atmospherics), here is the full track listing and track timings:

01.Chernobyl 1986 (Atmospherics) (Digital Download Exclusive) 06:54
02.Anatoly Dyatlov (12 Inch Mix) 07:37
03.Skala System (Tape To Tape) 07:41
04.AZ-5 (Detonation) 08:23
05.Radiation (Toxic 12 Inch Version) 08:57
06.Uranium-235 07:26
07.Meltdown To The Core (Chain Reaction) 08:37
08.90 Seconds (Maximum) 04:47
09.Acute Radiation Syndrome (Maximum Levels) 06:35
10.In The Red Forest (Desolation) 08:38
11.Dancing In The Square (Extended Dance Mix) 05:49

The album is available on CD and as a Digital Download on Bandcamp here:

https://kraftman.bandcamp.com/album/chernobyl-maximum-exposure

It will also be available across all leading digital download retailers soon, once they are I will update this post.

i-Select #111 (Part 2)

White Lion Radio have released Part 2 of edition #111 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

Ooo Eee Ooo - (Hit Em With) Every Beat
Vogon Poetry & SCALA - Hope of Heading Home (Knadask Remix)
Cold Connection - Voices Of The Night
Nutronixx - Heart On The Run
Arkavoid - The Hex
Mechanical Cabaret - Ripped Red Sails (Theme From Jacks Women)
Soft Cotton County - It Could Happen to You
Michael Angelaux - Crystal Eyes
Agency-V - Pray For The Sun
deZeption - Too Shallow
Logan Sky Ft RIS-707 - Everything Everywhere Endlessly
Church Of Trees - My Best Mistake
eeman - Jump
Chinese Theatre - Bittersweet (Arvid Tuba Remix)
KMX VII- Lost In Orbit
The Black Celebration - Drown With Me
Hollywood Brown - Creature Of The Night
Matt Springfield - Believe In Love
Rain - Angels
eLxAr - Stuck In A Time Loop
Gulvoss - Running With The Light
Lifelong Corporation - Lost In The Echo (Reflection Mix)
Maschine Brennt - Music Technology (Version 2)
Michael Angelaux - Love Is Not To Blame
Aerial Ship Of Flowers - Dark River
Vaylon - Without You
deZeption - Lost Feeling
Dreampocket - Outrun The Night (Neutron Dreams Radio Edit Remix)
Soft Cotton County - The Future's Not What it Used to Be
Mechanical Cabaret - The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum
Arpraxis - City Heat
Bending Grid - The Beast That Follows
Nutronixx - Storm In My Heart
Ooo Eee Ooo - Shadows In The Forest Of Time (Field Of Cows)

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #43

Put The Needle On The Record Week #43 Fine Young Cannibals - The Raw And The Cooked

For this weeks feature we go back to January 1989 and the Fine Young Cannibals album by The Raw And The Cooked.

"The Raw And The Cooked" was the 2nd album released by Fine Young Cannibals and is easily there best and most successful album and even includes a cover version of The Buzzcocks song "Ever Fallen In Love"!

It was also my soundtrack on a train journey to London to attend a training course in early 1990!

It is a fabulous album with quality tracks from beginning to end and has a very distinct sound, unlike anything else released at the time. The album's title is taken from a book by French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss. There was also a companion remix album released called "The Raw And The Remixed" released in 1990 featuring various remixes of tracks featured on the original album, for me the remix album was disappointing.

To show the strength of this album, no fewer than 8 singles were released off it, the album only featured 10 tracks! The first single released was The Buzzcocks cover of "Ever Fallen In Love", released 3 years before the album was released (which reached number 12 in the UK Singles chart), "She Drives Me Crazy" (which reached number 5 in the UK Singles chart and Number 1 on the American Billboard Hot 100), "Good Thing" (which reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart and again topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the states), "Don't Look Back" (which reached number 34 in the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in America), "I'm Not The Man I Used To Be", my favourite track on the album (which reached number 20 in the UK Singles Chart), "I'm Not Satisfied" (which reached number 46 in the UK Singles Chart), "It's OK (It's Alright)" was released as a single in Germany, whilst "Tell Me What" was released as a single in France.

The album reached number 1 in the UK Albums chart and also number 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the states.

Track Listing

She Drives Me Crazy
Good Thing
I'm Not The Man I Used To Be
I'm Not Satisfied
Tell Me What
Don't Look Back
It's Ok (It's Alright)
Don't Let It Get You Down
As Hard As It Is
Ever Fallen In Love

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

i-Select #111 (Part 1)

White Lion Radio have released Part 1 of edition #111 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

Arkavoid - Memories From Nothing
Mechanical Cabaret - It Just Is
SIXMIXSIX - The Time Machine
Destiny Nation - Boys Will Be Boys
Synthetik FM - Brother Louie
Damokles - Time Is Kind
eeman - Radio
Vaylon - External Exile
Pacific Deep - Who To Trust (RE-Active Espionage Remix)
O.a.G. Ft Future Analog - Running (Future Analog Remix Radio Edit)
Projekt Ich Ft Alex Braun - Don't Wake Up
Mindmodvl - For Everyone
Paul Rein - Different
Glenn Main - October Nights
Vidéo L'Eclipse - Another Day (Arvid Tuba Remix)
Destiny Nation - I Don't Feel Like Talking
Nature of Wires ft Luka - Dark Waters
Nostalgia Deathstar - The Ground Belongs To Me
The Halo Trees - Alone In A Room Full Of Mirrors (Electro Mix)
Eric C. Powell & Andrea Powell - Darkness Falls
SIXMIXSIX - Beyond The Veil
Volker Milch & Skull Smith - A Forest
eeman Ft Anna S - Sound of Goodbye
Church Of Trees - Desolation
Synthetik FM - Hope I Never
Vague Notion - polaroid
Midnight Hi-Fi - Penthouse Paradise
Alex Braun & Rob Dust - Never Never
Faint line - Breathe The Water
Destiny Nation - Only One (Fly Away With Me)
Mechanical Cabaret - Devoid
Damokles - Dragonfly

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!