Put The Needle On The Record - Week #65

Put The Needle On The Record Week #65 Yazoo - You And Me Both

For this weeks feature we go back to July 1983 and the Yazoo album "You And Me Both".

"You And Me Both" was the second album and final album released by Yazoo, it also saw the final nail in the coffin for band due to musical differences Vince & Alison parted ways, fortunately, their parting gift was a cracking album, equally as good as their debut "Upstairs At Erics".

The album features some of Yazoo's best ever tracks, Including, "Nobody's Diary", "Mr Blue", "Anyone" and "Walk Away From Love" (which should have been a single), I also like the throw away track "Happy People", sung by Vince! Apparently it was a song Alison refused to sing!

As with their debut album "You And Me Both" was produced by Eric Radcliffe and was well liked by most of the music critics.

A shame really, the partnership fizzled out after the album was released.

Only one single was released from this album, which was "Nobody's Diary" (which reached number 3 in the UK Singles chart), it is also Vince Clarke's favourite Yazoo track  and it is a song that was written by Alison Moyet, so things can't have been that bad, I agree with Vince, it is their best track.

The album reached number 1 in the UK Album chart.

Track Listing

Nobody's Diary
Softly Over
Sweet Thing
Mr Blue
Good Times
Walk Away From Love
Ode To Boy
Unmarked
Anyone
Happy People
And On

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

i-Select #116 (Part 2)

White Lion Radio have released Part 2 of Edition #116 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

Hollywood Brown - Made 4 Me
Michael Angelaux - Dance In The Rain
Second Complex - No Mercy
Confect - Voidbound
Mcl ft Maria Geo - Run to You (Silvr Sage Remix)
Sub Neon- Nightbreed (Woren Remix)
Lunar Plexus - The Game
AC83 - Starstruck (Retrosynth & Retroreverb)
JXNS - Figures And Rust
Manco - High On Love
Rogue FX - Renegades
Pumpkin Connection Ft Tulika Srivastava - Jaadu (Thierry Sent)
Perfect Female Type - Skunk Hunter
Little Finger - Beautiful Day (The Rude Awakening Remix)
Starsign - Steal The Sun
Symmetrix - Open Mind
MNTL - Need Your Lovin
Michael Angelaux - The Prisoner
Ray Gun Hero - Transcending Skyscrapers
The Safety Word & Bending Grid - Vanity Life (Bending Grid Remix)
Confect - Eternal Sleep
Arvid Tuba - I Am Prompting
Hollywood Brown - Miami Beach
Miami Dan - Tampa Nightlife
Second Complex - No Way Out
Covered In Snow - Homecoming

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #64

Put The Needle On The Record Week #64 Erasure - Wonderland

For this weeks feature we go back to May 1986 and the Erasure album "Wonderland".

"Wonderland" was the debut album released by Erasure and amazingly wasn't a success at all, which, even to this day amazes me as it is such a brilliant album, with plenty of pop nuggets, some of my favourite Erasure tracks are on this album, such as, "My Heart So Blue", "Cry So Easy", "Reunion", "Who Needs Love Like That" and "Oh L'Amour", if you are looking for the perfect synthpop album, this is it, the songwriting is exceptional with hooks a plenty, if you love electronic/synthpop music, you really should have this album in your collection.

I actually bought this album on the strength of the songs the band performed in a Radio 1 session, especially "Who Needs Love Like That". The album was warmly received by critics and rightly so.

Personally I rate this one of Erasure's best ever albums and overall is much better, than their breakthrough album, "The Circus" and is another album that is still refreshing to listen to some 39 years after it was released!

Three singles were released off the album, "Who Needs Love Like That", (which reached number 55 in the UK Singles chart and when it was re-released in 1992 it reached number 10), "Heavenly Action" (which reached number 100 in the UK Singles chart) and "Oh 'Amour" (which reached number 85 in the UK Singles chart).

The album reached number 71 on the UK Album chart.

Track Listing

Who Needs Love Like That
Reunion
Cry So Easy
Push Me Shove Me
Heavenly Action
Say What
Love Is A Loser
Senseless
My Heart ..... So Blue
Oh L'Amour
Pistol
* Say What (Remix)
* March On Down The Line (Remix)
* Senseless (Remix)

*CD Bonus tracks

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

i-Select #116 (Part 1)

White Lion Radio have released Part 1 of Edition #116 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

The Moons Of Jupiter - Beautiful Life
Platronic - How To Ride The Wave
Benjamin Russell - Blossom (Radio Mix)
Of What Remains - Darkwoods
s475e - Alien Boogie
Metroland - Activity As A Short Timetrigger
Kraftman - Computer Love
Resolution Ft Rob Lowe - Shenandoah
AC83 - Phantoms
Midnight Hi-Fi - Dreamnet.
Melo - Glitter
Projekt Ich Ft MaXi - Heart Of Gold
The Moons Of Jupiter - Dance With Destiny
Benjamin Russell - Better
ARPRAXIS ft Mia G - Moonlight Slide
Nature Of Wires ft Luka - Greed Machine
s475e - Very Old Machine
Resolution Ft Eric C. Powell & Andrea Powell - My Portrait
Of What Remains - Restless Horses
Melo - King Of Nothing
Kraftman - Home Computer
Benjamin Russell - Seeing Trails (Sky Mix)
Bending Grid Ft Ariana Celaeno - Collide
April O'Neil & DMME - When The Party Is Over
To the Stars We Return - See You In Another Universe
The Moons Of Jupiter - Tomorrow

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #63

Put The Needle On The Record Week #63 Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame

For this weeks feature we go back to September 1982 and the Depeche Mode album "A Broken Frame".

"A Broken Frame" was the second album released by Depeche Mode and the follow up to the brilliant "Speak & Spell" album and of course the first album by the band after Vince Clarke left, at the time, before its release, I was really worried about whether the album would be any good but was encouraged by the single "See You". On release day, I toddled off down to HMV on Market Street in Manchester (my second home!) and bought the album and couldn't wait to get home and listen to it.

My concerns soon ebbed away about the album, it was brilliant, with so many highlights, including "See You", "The Meaning Of Love", "Leave In Silence", "Nothing To Fear", Photograph Of You and "The Sun & The Rainfall" (my favourite track off the album and also one of my favourite ever, Depeche Mode tracks. The album was produced by the band and Mute Records guru, Daniel Miller and received mixed reviews from the music critics.

It is an album that has stood the test of time and one I play on a regular basis, I also saw the band live at the Manchester Apollo on the tour for the album, the only time I have seen them live, I had mixed feelings at the concert, because I had just broke up with my girlfriend!

Three singles were released off the album, "See You", (which reached number 6 in the UK Singles chart), "The Meaning Of Love" (which number 12 in the UK Singles chart) and "Leave In Silence", (which reached number 18 in the UK Singles chart).

The album reached number 8 in the UK Album chart.

Track Listing

Leave In Silence
My Secret Garden
Monument
Nothing To Fear
See You
Satellite
The Meaning Of Love
A Photograph Of You
Shouldn't Have Done That
The Sun And The Rainfall

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

Maximum 80s #134

Welcome to edition 134 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

Junior - Mama Used To Say (12 Inch Version)
Secession - Michael (Tom Lord-Alge Remix)
OMD - So In Love (Extended Version)
Kingdoms - Stability (Extended Version)
Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Around (Like A Record) (Long Version)
Jimmy Ruffin & Jackson Moore - I'm Gonna Love You Forever (Hi-NRG Mix)
Hazell Dean - E.S.P (Extra Sensual Persuasion) (Extended Version)
The Real Thing - You To Me Are Everything (Extended Mix)
Erasure - Chorus (Ben Grosse Remix)
Public Image Ltd - This Is Not A Love Song (12 Inch Mix)
Simple Minds - Glittering Prize (Club Mix)
Men At Work - Down Under (12 Inch Version)

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #62

Put The Needle On The Record Week #62 China Crisis - Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain

For this weeks feature we go back to November 1982 and the China Crisis album "Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain".

Well China Crisis certainly get the award for the longest ever album title!! "Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain" was the debut album by the Liverpool based band. I had heard the single "African And White" but wasn't overly keen on it if I am honest, but that didn't stop me buying the album, I had no idea what to expect from it and was pleasantly surprised, it contains some fantastic tracks, not least the brilliant "Christian", however alongside that gem were other standout tracks, such as, "Seven Sports For All", "No More Blue Horizons", "Some People I Know To Lead Fantastic Lives", "You Never See It", "Temptation's Big Blue Eyes" and "Jean Walks In Fresh Fields". To this day, I always enjoy listening to this record.

The album was released by Virgin Records and featured 4 different producers that worked on the album, including Steve Levine and it got a very positive review by Neil Tennent in Smash Hits (his day job before forming the Pet Shop Boys with Chris Lowe), he had this to say about the album ""They write pretty melodies (and counter-melodies), intelligent but unobtrusive words, and give their songs delicate, dry arrangements, pulsating with muted rhythms and synthesizer and guitar lines."

Three singles were released off the album, "African And White", (which reached number 45 in the UK Singles chart), "No More Blue Horizons" (which surprisingly failed to chart) and of course "Christian", (which reached number 12 in the UK Singles chart).

The album reached number 21 on the UK Album chart.

Track Listing

Seven Sports For All
No More Blue Horizons (Fool, Fool, Fool)
Feel To Be Driven Away
Some People I Know to Lead Fantastic Lives
Christian
African And White
Are We A Worker
Red Sails
You Never See It
Temptation's Big Blue Eyes
Jean Walks In Fresh Fields

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