Put The Needle On The Record - Week #57

Put The Needle On The Record Week #57 A-Ha - Scoundrel Days

For this weeks feature we go back to October 1986 and the A-Ha album "Scoundrel Days".

"Scoundrel Days" was the follow up to the hugely successful album "Hunting High And Low", so to produce an album equal to their debut was always going to be a difficult thing to do. Whilst not hitting the high standard of their previous album it does contain some cracking tracks, "I've Been Losing You", "Cry Wolf", "Manhatten Skyline", "Soft Rains Of April" and "The Weight Of The Wind".

The album was produced by Alan Tarney, who produced the singles "Take On Me" and "The Sun Always Shines On TV" and was recorded in England and in the recording process, 3 classic synthesizers from the 80s were used, the Yamaha D7, Roland Juno 60 and Roland Juno 106, as well as other instruments.

The album went on to sell 6 million copies and was well received by music critics.

Three singles were released off the album, "I've Been Losing You" (which reached number 8 in the UK Singles chart), "Cry Wolf" (which reached number 5 in the UK Singles chart) and "Manhatten Skyline", my favourite track off the album (which reached number 13 in the UK Singles chart). They did release the track "Maybe Maybe" as a single but only in Bolivia!! Why, god only knows!

The album reached number 2 on the UK Album chart.

Track Listing

Scoundrel Days
The Swing Of Things
I've Been Losing You
October
Manhatten Skyline
Cry Wolf
We're Looking Fot The Whales
The Weight Of The Wind
Maybe, Maybe
Soft Rains Of April

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

New Kraftman EP

On February 7th Kraftman will be releasing the "Pocket Calculator EP", which is of course Kraftman's version of the Kraftwerk classic released back in 1981 and was also featured on their album "Computer World". 

The EP will feature 4 tracks, a 7 Inch Version of "Pocket Calculator", a 7 Inch Remix of "Computer Love". which is based on the version based on Kraftwerk's album "The Mix", A long remix of "Pocket Calculator", again based on the version that appeared on "The Mix" album and a "Casio 12 Inch Mix" of "Pocket Calculator", which is a new arrangement by Kraftman. Interestingly Kraftwerk famously used the Rolf Harris Xylophone instrument on the track "Pocket Calculator" and that has also been used on the Kraftman versions of the song, especially so, on the "Casio Mix".

Track listing

1. Pocket Calculator (7 Inch Version) 4:00
2. Computer Love (7 Inch Remix) 4:14
3. Pocket Calculator (Remixed) 6:26
4. Pocket Calculator (Casio 12 Inch Mix) 8:51

The EP will be available on the Kraftman Bandcamp page:

https://kraftman.bandcamp.com/

Special Show On White Lion Radio - 30 Years Of Nattefrost

Welcome to another Podcast special, here on White Lion Radio, on this show we are going to celebrate 30 years of music by Natterfrost.

Natterfrost is from Denmark and is the name Bjorn Jeppesen works under. He produces music with an ambient and cinematic flavour, which is really relaxing to listen to, Bjorn celebrates his 30th year of making music and we bring you a very special show, on which we feature tracks from across his career, that are featured on a special 30th Anniversery 3CD set that has recently been released.

So enjoy 80 minutes of excellent music by Nattefrost over on our Mixcloud page here

The special 3CD set released features 43 tracks in total, there is also a 3 cassette version that features 49 tracks,  the 49 track edition is also available as a digital download.

The digital download edition is available from Bandcamp here:

https://nattefrostdk.bandcamp.com/ that's https://nattefrostdk.bandcamp.com/

It is also well worth checking out the Nattefrost website, which has a lot of information, such as biography, a discography, photo's and much more.

https://nattefrost.de/

My thanks to Bjorn for the music featured on the show.

Playlist

Trapped In The Abyss
Morkt
Where The Gods Are Watching
The Magic Of Forgotten Times
Decadence
Destination Nowhere (Video Edit)
Rise Of The Phoenix (With Matzumi)
Ghost Mind (Ft Dorvo)
Intergalactic Journey (Live In 2012)
Dance Of The Elves
Energy Vibration Frequency (Part I & II)
I Am
The Great Intelligence Of Trees
No More (With Torel Snyen)
Westhofen (Apoptygma Remix)
Spheres In The Night (With Timescape)
Total Serenity

Positronic Album "Defender" Reviewed

Positronic start off 2025 with a brand new album called "Defender", that is something quite different, it's a collection of spiritual songs, re-worked as synthpop tracks, certainly an interesting concept.

"praise" opens the album and is a very uplifting track and works really well with it's synthpop backdrop and fullsome vocals, a great opener. Following that we have the track "Glorious Day", which has been released as a single, as with Michael's previous work he is a massive fan of Erasure and this track showcases that fact, it builds nicely and the chorus is really infectious, especially the melodic sequencer hook, another excellent track.

"Your Love Awakens Me", brilliant intro, Michael seems to have set very high standards on his recent work, and this again shows his development in his music making and his vocals, there is a confidence in him which is driving his recorded work. On this track fabulous synth work. I have to confess that most of the songs featured on this album I don't know and I think that is a good thing because it gives you the chance to see beyond the religious overtones and judge the songs for what they are, "This Beating Heart" is another positive and joyous track, the synth's are on fine form and definitely a strong vocal, it is bordering on synthpop dance, which makes for a good solid track.

"This Is Amazing Grace" has a delightful sequencer that drives the track, which is overlayed with more sequencers and synths, a perfect rhythm section and a solid vocal, sounds more Erasure than Erasure themselves, I like the positive vibes of this album so far. "King Of My Heart" sees the tempo brought to ballad level and is a welcome change at this point in the album, wonderful pad sounds and a strong rhythm section and Michael's vocals are very strong and compliment the music. "Exhalted" sees the bpm level rise, nice sequencers and a good solid drum section, a beautiful song.

"Firm Foundation", has a beautiful music backdrop, vocals delivered with passion, all in all an enjoyable track. Next is a track called "Wide Awake", which is a wonderful slice of synthpop, great synth stabs with a dance club edge, some nice sequencers in there too. "Reckless Love" is another warm sounding ballad, I like the analogue Drum Machine on this track :) Some nice touches with the sound of the synths, a good track.

There is a return to the dancefloor with "Better Than Life", which has a lovely bass synth sound. nice pads, powerful chorus with an excellent vocal, one of my favourite tracks on the album, excellent! "Rest On Us" is a good uplifting song, nice touches with the drums on this one, again Michael gives a powerful vocal performance, an area he has clearly worked hard on.

"Relationship" has gorgous pad sounds which drive the emotion of the track, really like the synth sounds on this one, superb sequencer patterns, beautifully mixed that make for a really solid song, another standout track for me. "Hosanna", now I am familiar with this song :) I really like the intro, nice throbbing bass-line, some great chord sounds and the synth parts are fabulous, another strong track. Next we have "On And On" which definitely has a dance vibe to it, especially with the 4 to the floor kick drum pattern, lots going on with the sequencers, a lot of layers to the overall sound, which again gives the track a warm and uplifting feeling, the middle eight section is pure beauty.

To close the album we have the serine "Lord I Need You", a mid paced track with some excellent sequencer parts, which are the main backdrop of the song, I really like the chorus, the mix of Michaels vocals and the pad sounds are just perfect.

Clearly Michael is a big Erasure fan and he has done a really excellent job to give these spiritual songs a synthpop makeover, a brave concept to take on but you have to give credit where credit is due. I said when I reviewed that last Positronic album that Michael has developed his sound palette and that there was a confidence in his vocal perfomances and he has continued that progression on this album.

A very enjoyable listen 8/10

The album will be available from the Positronic Bandcamp page and digital download retailers, here is the link for the Bandcamp page:

https://iampositronic.bandcamp.com/

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #56

Put The Needle On The Record Week #56 Electronic - Electronic

For this weeks feature we go back to May 1991 and the Electronic album "Electronic".

The self titled debut album by Electronic is a masterpiece and so it should be, as it was a "Supergroup" that featured New Order's Bernard Sumner, Johnny Marr from The Smiths, as well as, Neil Tennent and Chris Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys, it is an album that went on to sell over one million copies (they were the days!)

The album was recorded in Manchester at Johnny Marr's home studio and made the best use of his guitar skills, and Bernard Sumner's passion for synthesizers, throw in a dose of Pet Shop Boys wit and you have the ingredients for a fabulous album, it doesn't disapppoint, it contains some outstanding tracks, "Getting Away With It" (for some strange reason this wasn't included on the first edition of the album but was added later on subsequent versions), "The Patience Of A Saint", both of which feature the Pet Shop Boys and are the strongest tracks on the album, how the latter wasn't a single I will never know. Other highlights include, "Get The Message", ""Reality", "Tighten Up" and "Feel Every Beat".

3 singles were released off the album, if you include "Getting Away With It", which was their debut single (which reached number 12 in the UK Singles chart, it did well in America too, reaching number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100), "Get The Message" (which reached number 8 in the UK Singles chart) and "Feel Every Beat" (which reached number 39 in the UK Singles chart)

The album reached number 2 in the UK Albums chart.

Track Listing

Idiot Country
Reality
Tighten Up
The Patience Of A Saint
Getting Away With It
Gangster
Soviet
Get The Message
Try All You Want
Some Distant Memory
Feel Every Beat

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

i-Select #114

White Lion Radio have released edition #114 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

E_Lect - In My Dreams
Analogue Electronic Whatever - Friends Are
Neon Space Men - Frozen To The Core (Diskodiktator Remix)
Conscience - Beware
Andrew Corbin - Tell Me
Lonelyklown - Solstice Song (Elektrolad's Almost Medieval Mix V4)
Poppy Bone - Safe And Sound
Arpraxis - Panglossian
B De Carey ft Jessica Gelinas - Guiding light
Mayah Camara & Micromatscenes - Hearts In Love (Single Version)
Projekt Mojo - Ride On
Beautiful Crisis X Vain Machine - Talk About It
Iammilan - let's Make A Pact (Je T'aime)
Neon Radiation Vs Rogue FX - As The Crow Flies
Bending Grid & Jolie - Neon Heat
Danne Machmar - China Blue
Lars Falk - 4 Uber Das Gesamte Elektron
Kaos - The Mirror
Various - Human Race
MTTM - Flood
Rogue FX & Dewar Livin’ (Beat Bakery Remix)
Projekt Ich - Mom (L_iGH_T Remix)
The Boys Of Orange - Dolce Vita
Memory Design Ft Michael Angelaux & Mayah Camara - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
Neon Space Men - Moving slowly (Extended)
Tenodi Boris - My Memory
Power Rob - Innocent
Hyperfield Ft DJ Big Daddy Russell & Tony Sewell - Stoic
Kal White - Stayin Up
Ivofonic & Superangel - Heaven On Earth
AC83 - Memories
Francesca e Luigi - Let Me Be Your Final Choice
Dreampocket - Detect
E_Lect - You
Conscience - On The Screen (Reworked)
Michael Angelaux - Dance In The Rain
Dark Matter Void - Dreaming Of Another World

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #55

Put The Needle On The Record Week #55 Ultravox - Systems Of Romance

For this weeks feature we go back to September 1978 and the Ultravox album "Systems Of Romance".

This was the bands third album and the last to feature John Foxx as the lead singer and is an album I discovered by accident a year after it was released. Simon Bates was interviewing Gary Numan and Gary chose a few tracks to be played on the show, one was Kraftwerk's "Neon Lights" and there was a track off this album, I can't remember what track was played but I know I really liked it and the next day I purchased this and the Kraftwerk album "The Man Machine" on the strength of the tracks that I heard on the radio, definitely purchased from HMV on Market Street in Manchester. When I got home I played the album and was blown away by it and I certainly undwerstand why Gary Numan was so heavily influenced bt it on the Tubeway Army album "Replicas", as with Numan's album, "Systems Of Romance" fused synthesizers with guitar, it is one of my all time favourite albums and playing it as I write this feature I still love it to bits, how the band were dropped from their label after the poor performance of the album in the charts is something I am staggered at, it is a brilliant album.

Interestingly John Foxx recorded a track called "Systems Of Romance" for his album "The Garden"!

It is one of those albums on which I like every track, standouts are "Quiet Men", "Dislocation", "Maximum Acceleration", "Just For A Moment" and Slow Motion". The album was co-produced by German producer Conny Plank, who went on to produce the Ultravox album "Vienna".

Two singles were released off the album, "Quiet Men" and "Slow Motion" neither of which made the UK Singles chart, however, "Slow Motion" was re-released as a single in 1981 and peaked at number 33 in the UK Singles Chart, the B-Side was the album track "Dislocation".

Amazingly the album failed to chart in the UK, which is criminal!!

Track Listing

Slow Motion
I Can't Stay Long
Someone Else's Clothes
Blue Light
Some Of Them
Quiet Men
Dislocation
Maximum Acceleration
When You Walk Through Me
Just For A Moment

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

Maximum 80s #132

Welcome to edition 132 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

Camouflage - The Great Commandment (12 Inch Nix)
The The - Uncertain Smile (Original 12 Inch Version)
Bananarama - Really Saying Something (Extended Version)
Fiction Factory - Feels Like Heaven (Extended)
Soft Cell - Where The Heart Is (12 Inch Version)
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Could You Be Loved (12 Inch Remix)
Visage - We Move (Dance Mix)
Cerrone - Supernature (Full Length Album Version)
Bryan Ferry - Slave To Love (Special 12 Inch Remix)
Robbie Nevil - C'Est La Vie (Extended)
Sandra - Maria Magdalena (Extended Version)
Narada Michael Walden - I Shoulda Loved Ya (Maxi Single)

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #54

Put The Needle On The Record Week #54 Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair

For this weeks feature we go back to February 1985 and the Tears For Fears album "Songs From The Big Chair".

This was the bands second album and the follow-up to "The Hurting", with the first track recorded for the album being "Head Over Heels (my favourite track off the album). The last track recorded was "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", which Roland, from the band, dismissed the initial idea, but was encouraged to complete the recording of the track.

It is good album and I played it a lot when I bought it, over the years though it isn't an album I listen to all that much, I don't think it has aged very well and prefer "The Hurting" album. I was never keen on the tracks "The Working Hour" or "Broken", and with only 8 tracks on the album it feels a little disappointing, with much stronger songs found on their debut album.

Incredibly six singles were released off the album, "Mother's Talk", (which reached number 14 in the UK Singles chart), "Shout" (which reached number 4 in the UK Singles chart), "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", (which reached number 2 in the UK singles chart), "Head Over Heels" (which reached number 12 in the UK singles chart) and "I Believe (A Soulful Re Recording", (which reached number 23 in the UK singles chart) and the US remix of "Mother's Talk", released in the states (which reached number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100).

The album reached number 2 in the UK album chart.

Track Listing

Shout
The Working Hour
Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Mother's Talk
I Believe
Broken
Head Over Heels/Broken (Live)
Listen

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

Rubik's 80s Mix #132 (June 1989)

Welcome to edition #132 of  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, we feature tracks that were in the charts in June 1989.

Listen to the show on Mixcloud here

Playlist

Jason Donovan - Sealed With A Kiss
Soul II Soul - Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)
Bananarama - Cruel Summer '89
Gladys Knight - Licence To Kill
Carly Simon - Why
U2 - All I Want Is You
Holly Johnson - Atomic City
Sonia - You'll Never Stop Me From Loving You
Queen - Breakthru
London Boys - London Nights
China Crisis - Red Letter Day
James - Sit Down
Cliff Richard - The Best Of Me
Danny Wilson - The Second Summer Of Love
Karyn White - Superwoman

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #53

Put The Needle On The Record Week #53 Howard Jones - Human's Lib

For this weeks feature we go back to March 1984 and the Howard Jones album "Human's Lib".

This was the debut album released by Howard Jones and received a fair few bad reviews, which is harsh when you look at the quality of some of the songs on the album, such as, "New Song", "What Is Love?", Hide And Seek", "Don't Always Look At The Rain" and "Natural", for me I can't decide if this album is his best or "Dream Into Action".

This was another purchase from the small HMV on Market street in Manchester back in 1984, I bought the album on the strength of the first 3 singles released from it. I never liked the artwork for the album.

The list of instruments used on this album make for interesting reading, Roland Jupiter 8, Roland Juno 60, Yamaha DX7, Roland TR-808 Drum Machine are the standout hardware used on the album.

Four singles were released off the album, "New Song", (which reached number 3 in the UK Singles chart, it also reached number 27 on the American Billboard Hot 100), "What Is Love?" (which reached number 2 in the UK Singles chart and also did well on the American Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 33), "Hide And Seek", my favourite track off the album (which reached number 12 in the UK singles chart) and "Pearl In The Shell" (which reached number 7 in the UK singles chart).

The album reached number 1 in the UK album chart

Track Listing

Conditioning
What Is Love?
Pearl In The Shell
Hide And Seek
Hunt The Self
New Song
Don't Always Look At The Rain
Equality
Natural
Human's Lib

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

Kraftman Releases Computer World EP

The first release by Kraftman in 2025 is a 4 track EP called "Computer World".

The EP features 4 tracks, all of which are versions of tracks originally released by Kraftwerk on their "Computer World" album. The featured tracks are 7 inch versions of, "Computer World", "Home Computer", "Computer Love" and "It's More Fun To Compute" and is a taster for Kraftman's complete recording of the "Computer World" album, more on that soon...

The versions on the EP, with the exception of "Computer Love" are all new arrangements by Kraftman and "It's More Fun To Compute" has additional lyrics by Kraftman.

Full track listing

Computer World (7 Inch Version) 3:16

Home Computer (7 Inch Version) 3:30

Computer Love (7 Inch Version) 3:51

It's More Fun To Compute (7 Inch Version) 3:17

The EP is available as a Digital Download from Bandcamp:

https://kraftman.bandcamp.com/album/computer-world-ep