i-Select #121 (Part 2)

White Lion Radio have released Part 2 of Edition #121 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

VHS Dreams - Florida Flight
Conscience - Life In A Dream
JXNS - I Keep Chasing The Rising Sun
LorD and Master - The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Core In Motion - Not A Game (Radio Edit)
Knight$ - Hi-NRG Crisis (Diskodiktator Remix)
Iammilan - Why Would I Lie To You
Mayah Camara Ft SelloRekt & LA Dreams - Wanting You Now
The McKenzie FIX - Holyrood Park
7 Rising - Peabodys Tune
Scenius - Swift As Light
MCL Ft Mario Geo & Silvr Sage- Another Lover
Don Eastland - Tattoo
CRED - The Change
Arsine Tibé Ft Suzanne Letting - The Book Of Ghosts
LorD And Master- Somewhere Alone
JXNS - Electric Cathedral
Conscience - My angel
VHS Dreams - Nightdrive

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #86

Put The Needle On The Record Week #86 The Communards - Red

For this weeks feature we go back to October 1987 and the Communards album "Red".

I am not a fan of The Communards in general but this is an excellent album and quite varied and is the follow-up to their self titled debut album . The album was produced by Stephen Hague, who at the time was also working closely with the Pet Shop Boys as their producer and his style is clear to hear across the output by both bands during this period.

Quite a few highlights on this album, I especially like the tracks "Tomorrow" (my favourite track off the album), "There's More to Love Than Boy Meets Girl", For a Friend", "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "Matter Of Opinion".

In the main critics gave favourable positive reviews of the album when it was released and the album title is a nod to the duo's socialist leanings at the time.

Four singles were released off the album, "Tomorrow" (which reached number 23 in the UK Singles chart), "Never Can Say Goodbye", (which reached number 4 in the UK Singles chart), "For A Friend" (which reached number 28 in the UK Singles chart and "There's More to Love Than Boy Meets Girl" (which reached number 20 in the UK singles chart). 

The album, reached Number 4 in the UK album chart.

Track Listing

Tomorrow
There's More to Love Than Boy Meets Girl
Matter Of opinion
Victims
For A Friend
Never Can Say Goodbye
Lovers And Friends
Hold On Tight
If I Could Tell You
C Minor

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

i-Select #121 (Part 1)

White Lion Radio have released Part 1 of Edition #121 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

Second Complex - Memories
Nicolas Rixon - Heart On The Line
Power Rob - Dangerous
ZOAX - Amelia (Remix)
Future Analog - Searching
Proletarian Poetry - The Secret Memo
Red Sleeping Beauty - In The Darkest Hour (Late Nights Version)
Alenis - Another World
Oui Plastique Ft Bridget Gray - It Doesn´t Matter Two
TourdeForce - Wedding In Fusion
Fictional Ft Patrik Hansson - Embrace The Silence (Single Edit)
Daniel Quasar - Be Alone Tonight
Promenade Cinema - Play With Fate
Neon Space Men - Ordinary Day (Diskodiktator Remix)
Arctic Sunrise - Feelings Changing Hands
Future Analog Ft Wesley Reid - Before I Found You
Perfect Female Type - Blank Tapes
FrontAngel - Computer Problems
Second Complex Ft Daniel Billqvist - A Comfortable Soul

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #85

Put The Needle On The Record Week #85 The League Unlimited Orchestra - Love And Dancing

For this weeks feature we go back to July 1982 and the League Unlimited Orchestra "Love And Dancing".

Love and Dancing is a remix album by the English synth-pop band The Human League, released in July 1982 by Virgin Records. Issued under the band name "The League Unlimited Orchestra" as a nod to Barry White's disco-era Love Unlimited Orchestra, the album was principally the idea and work of producer Martin Rushent and contains dub-style, largely instrumental remixes of songs from the band's multi-platinum selling album Dare (1981), along with a version of the track "Hard Times", which had originally been the B-side of the single "Love Action (I Believe in Love)".

This album along with the Soft Cell album "Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing" were the first ever remix albums released and bulit on the reputation of 1980s 12 inch extended singles.

Virgin Records originally relented against the idea of the remix album, not wanting to pay for or release it. Rushent had to fight their opposition in order to create the album. Oakey remained unsure about the project and left Rushent to make the release on his own.

This was another purchase from HMV on Market street in Manchester! Side 1 of the album is solid enough, however, side 2 disappoints with very short versions of "Seconds", "Open Your Heart" and "The Sound Of The Crowd". 

As this was a remix album no singles were released.

The album, reached Number 3 in the UK chart album chart.

Track Listing

Hard Times
Love Action (I Believe In Love)
Don't You Want Me
Things That Dreams Are Made Of
Do Or Die
Seconds
Open Your Heart
The Sound Of The Crowd

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

Maximum 80s #139

Welcome to edition 139 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

The Beloved - Loving Feeling (Feeling Lovely Mix)
Camouflage - Love Is A Shield (12 Inch Orbit Mix)
Then Jerico - The Motive (US Extended Mix)
Blancmange - The Day Before You Came (Extended Version)
Vicious Pink Phenomena - My Private Tokyo (Long Version)
Amii Stewart - Knock On Wood (12 Inch Version)
OMD - Never Turn Away (Extended Version)
Yarbrough & Peoples - Don't Stop The Feeling (12 Inch Club Mix)
Sinitta - Toy Boy (Extended Bicep Mix)
Evelyn 'Champagne' King - Hold On (Extended Version)
Simple Minds - Speed Your Love To Me (Extended Mix)
Earth Wind & Fire - Thinking Of You (12 Inch Version)

Put The Needle On The Record - Week #84

Put The Needle On The Record Week #84 The Associates - Perhaps

For this weeks feature we go back to February 1985 and the Associates album "Perhaps".

"Perhaps" was the 3rd studio album released by The Associates and the first without original member Alan Rankine and featured the one remaining founder of the band, the brilliant Billy MacKenzie. It was an album that took 2 years to make, as the mastertapes mysteriously went missing (apparently it is believed that MacKenzie had hidden them as he was unhappy with the record and so the album was started again from scratch and involved 4 different producers which resulted in the album costing £250,000 to make, which for the early 80s was a massive amount of money, but what you have at the end of it is a very cinematic album with beautiful arrangements.

Strangely this was another album I bought on cassette as it included bonus mixes, of course now I have it on CD. Billy MacKenzie is truly superb on this album, his voice is something else, my favoutite tracks are "Those First Impressions", "Waiting For The Loveboat", "Perhaps", "Breakfast" (best track on the album - that piano riff...wonderful!), "The Best Of You" and "The Stranger In Your Voice".

It is really sad that Billy MacKenzie took his own life in January 1997 at the age of 39.

Three singles were released off the album, "Those First Impressions" (which reached number 43 in the UK Singles chart), "Waiting For The Loveboat", (which reached number 53 in the UK Singles chart) and "Breakfast" (which reached number 49 in the UK singles chart, which is criminal to say the least!). 

The album, reached Number 23 in the UK chart album, and is honestly a gem of an album, if you haven't come across it do some digging it will be worth it.

Track Listing

Those First Impressions
Waiting For The Loveboat
Perhaps
Schampout
Helicopter Helicopter
Breakfast
Thirteen Feelings
The Stranger In Your Voice
The Best Of You
Don't Give Me That "I Told You So" look

The original cassette included the following bonus tracks

Perhaps (Instrumental)
Thirteen Feelings (Instrumental)
The Stranger In Your Voice (Instrumental)
Breakfast, Titled "Breakfast Alone" (Instrumental)

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

Rubik's 80s Mix #139 (June 1988)

White Lion Radio have released edition #139 of Rubik's 80s Mix, on this show, we feature tracks that were in the charts, in June 1988.

Listen to the show on Mixcloud here

Playlist For The Show:

Morrissey - Everyday Is Like Sunday
Erasure - Chains Of Love
Eurythmics - You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart
Glenn Medeiros - Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You
The Communards - There's More To Love
Taylor Dayne - I'll Always Love You
Bros - I Owe You Nothing
The Fat Boys With Chubby Checker - The Twist (Yo, Twist)
A-Ha - The Blood That Moves The Body
Joy Division - Atmosphere
Rose Royce - Car Wash
Eighth Wonder - Cross My Heart
Hazell Dean - Maybe (We Should Call It A Day)
INXS - Never Tear Us Apart
Fleetwood Mac - Isn't It Midnight