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Ever since I can remember, I have been collecting 12-inch records. My religion is music and documenting my musical history, memories and my cultural background is my way of life. From the early ‘80s and on, my life was about to change. I was hunting for new music, and vinyl was my soul food. I can definitely say that I have been there. I didn\'t know it at the time, but, looking back, I can say clearly I experienced the era when all of this all happened.
The 12-inch single is the same size as an LP, but contains only a few songs and usually plays at 45 RPM. It offers a better sound quality than conventional 7-inch singles. Those who were born into the digital age of CDs probably don\'t know what these code names are that I am talking about. Because 45 RPM 7-inch singles were geared for radio, they were all middle, and you couldn\'t cut a lot of bass onto the record. The 12-inch record, however, allowed more bass and made records suitable for nightclub play. Size mattered in the ‘80s. Until then, seven inches was enough to satisfy any record lover, but not anymore. As disco took off in the ‘70s, the 12-inch became the only format to be seen with, peaking in 1983 with New Order\'s Blue Monday, the biggest selling 12-inch ever. As we speak of music being played mostly at clubs, the 12-inch became the regular playlist of the Saturday nightclub DJ. The remix was invented so that the 12-inch included mostly the \"extended version,\" aiming for the dancefloor, sometimes called a \"long version,\" an \"extended dance version,\" \"extended dance mix\" or just \"club mix.\" The ‘80s were the decade of the 12-inch single. For many (and especially myself), the 12-inch is the format of choice.
I am anxious and excited to cover another stunning release that comes out on the Hi-Bias label. This is the third installment in their series of Retro:Active compilations. They call this series “Rare & Remixed,” which is exactly what it is. You hardly ever see any labels coming out with those lost hard-to-find 12 inches on CDs, and once there is one that does it, well, it’s a celebration for retro new wave fanatics like me.
Hi-Bias\' series is probably one of the greatest retro compilation series of all time, that\'s for sure. While every other retro compilation released out there offers the same familiar songs over and over on hundreds of compilations, published in dull radio edits, only Hi-Bias digs deep into the vaults and into those dusty record cases to offer rare 12-inch versions by popular and hard-to-find artists alike. Some of the classic tracks here have never before been commercially available on CD anywhere. You can only get them on vinyl and the originals can be extremely expensive among collectors.
So who\'s going to enjoy that? Well, everyone who\'s into ‘80s, synthpop, retro, post punk, oldskool electro, pop, new wave, flashback fanatics and, lest we forget—to the DJs out there, you must, simply must own a copy of this album while it lasts, because it is one piece of music history that you can\'t miss. You\'ve got the extended versions, and the long versions, the remixes and an amazing roaster of ‘80s acts.
When in Rome\'s Clive Farrington, Andrew Mann, and Michael Floreale are here with their 1988 single \"The Promise,\" their biggest commercial success and sole claim to fame. Scotland’s finest band, Simple Minds, present the excellent strong synth-reared track, “Someone, Somewhere (In Summertime)” in the full, extended version from their 1982 album, New Gold Dream. Melbourne, Australia\'s Big Pig made a memorable first impression in 1988 with the belligerent percussion and incendiary vocals of their only U.S. hit, \"Breakaway.\" It\'s here again, remixed. Fellow Australian mates INXS come next with their 1982 6-minute-long synth/guitar/sax strutting number \"The One Thing,\" taken originally from the album Shabooh Shoobah.
Cetu Javu was a new wave band from Germany that sang in Spanish. The group consisted of Javier Revilla (vocals), Torsten Engelke (keyboards, programming), Stefen Engelke (bass), and Chris Demere (synthesizers, guitar, programming). The 1988 catchy single \"Have In Mind,\" with the bouncy Vince Clarke-ish keys, is here in a fantastic remix. Berlin\'s Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd and Frank Mertens, also known as Alphaville, provide synth-based arrangements, melodies and textures, which are presented beautifully in the Balcony Mix of the song \"Romeos,\" originally from1989\'s Breathtaking Blue album that was produced by Klaus Schulze.
Book of Love was formed in Philadelphia, PA, by former art school students Susan Ottaviano (vocals), Ted Ottaviano (keyboards, vocals), Jade Lee (keyboards, vocals), and Lauren Roselli (keyboards, vocals) in 1984. They are one of my favorites from the ‘80s. On their second album, Lullaby, Book Of Love used producer Flood to add his ominous, beat-heavy approach to the group\'s already street-smart disco persona. The track, “Witchcraft,” taken from this album is here in its extended 5:17 minutes of pleasure.
One of the biggest highlights on this amazing compilation comes from Maurice & The Cliches. The brilliant single “Soft Core” from 1982 on Vogue/RMS Records is here for the first time ever on CD, as the full, extended version. Try to get this one on the original 12-inch vinyl and you will find it almost impossible.
Keren Woodward and Sarah Dallin along with Siobhan Fahey—do those names ring any bells? Well, it’s Bananarama, the most successful British girl-group in pop history formed in London in late 1981. \"Aie A Mwana,\" \"It Ain\'t What You Do, It\'s the Way You Do It,\" \"He Was Really Sayin\' Somethin,\" \"Shy Boy,\" \"Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye),\" \"Cruel Summer,\" \"Robert DeNiro\'s Waiting,\" \"Rough Justice,\" \"Venus,\" and \"Love in the First Degree\" are just a few of their large catalog of hits. The swing beat of “Cruel Summer” is here to stay.
Formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1979, and building on an eclectic mix of influences and interests ranging from art-rock to glam and discotheque, The Associates are comprised of vocalist Billy Mackenzie and multi-instrumentalist Alan Rankine. Their EP, Take Me to the Girl was released in 1985. From that EP we have the 12-inch extended mix of the track. Birmingham\'s Duran Duran, with their new-romantic haircut-clothes-synthpop-dance ensemble was one of the ‘80s most unimaginably popular sensations, drawing young fans into the world of synth rock music. Taking glam elements like sound and vision from early Roxy Music and blending them with simple electronics to flavor their sound, Duran Duran crossbred pop craft with a strong visual consciousness. The band released the track Rio in the spring of 1982. Rio entered the charts at number two, and its singles, \"Hungry Like the Wolf\" and \"Save a Prayer,\" became Top Ten hits. The special remix of the “Disco Mix Club” is here for the first time ever on CD.
Ending this lineup of 12 great tracks is Moev. Molding synthpop and darkwave ambience, the Canadian band Moev first came together in 1981 with Tom Ferris and Cal Stephenson, both Vancouver natives seeking to create new wave that blends the beauty of spiraling guitars and dramatic keyboards. After shifting changes in the band\'s lineup, the album Yeah, Whatever was released in 1988, leaving Tom Ferris as the only original member in the band. He brought Kelly Cook in full-time on bass, adding mixmaster extraordinaire Anthony Valcic, and borrowing a couple of members of the band After All. The most notable new addition was vocalist and lyricist Dean Russell. \"Wanting,\" which appears here in a remix version, sounds like a nice update of the band\'s sound at the end of the \'80s.
This unique compilation includes exclusive liner notes and quotes from When In Rome’s Michael Floreale, INXS, Book Of Love, Maurice and The Cliches, Moev, and Big Pig. Reading the stories behind each and every song here is thrilling. Again, Hi Bias have topped themselves with another top quality release for me, as I am a die-hard fan for this label\'s releases. What about you? What are you waiting for?
Jez Porat - Music Editor, ReGen Magazine
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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