www.musicweek.com PRODUCTREISSUES DAVID BOWIE • CILLA BLACK • HUMBLE PIE • NORTHERN SOUL
DAVID BOWIE • The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (EMI DBZS 40)
Originally released on June 6, 1972, Bowie’s fifth album was a concept based
around Ziggy Stardust, and represented a great leap forward creatively. Arguably his strongest album, it was written while he was recording Hunky Dory, which came out less than six months earlier. Bowie and his band – who included, for recording purposes Mick Ronson, Rick Wakeman, Trevor Bolder and Mick ‘Woody’ Woodmansey – put together a formidable, groundbreaking and hugely influential album, which includes Starman, Moonage Daydream, Hang On To Yourself, Sufragette City and Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide. It has been immaculately remastered for release on CD, and will also be made available in a
special limited edition featuring the remasters on heavyweight vinyl and DVD audio.
CILLA BLACK • Completely Cilla - 1963–1973(EMI 6028322)
Cilla Black’s enduring popularity has resulted in a string of
compilation releases but none is as impressive or comprehensive as this five-CD/one-DVD box set to celebrate her 50th year as an entertainer. Comprising all 139 of her recordings produced by George Martin for Parlophone between 1963 and 1973, it is absolutely definitive, containing every A-side, B-side and album track sequenced in session date order. There’s no denying the pedigree of her output, whether it be smash hits like You’re My World, Anyone Who Has A Heart and It’s For You (a jazzy Beatles gift), popular album tracks like Liverpool Lullaby, or B-sides.
The DVD adds 28 BBC TV performances, as well as the audio from her appearance on Desert Island Discs in 1964.
HUMBLE PIE • Humble Pie / Eat It / Thunderbox (Lemon CDLEM 203/CDLEM 204/CDLEM 205)
Although never able to replicate the success of their 1969 top five hit Natural Born
Bugie, Humble Pie delivered several solid and successful 1970s album which saw their original blues rock style becoming harder, and veering between raw hard rock and more complex prog rock. Their self-titled 1970 album (their third) was something of a compromise between the more melodic songs penned by Peter Frampton – like Earth And Water Song – and the somewhat rougher stylings of Steve Marriott. By the time Eat It was issued in 1973, Frampton was gone, and Marriott was shaping
their direction. Now conveniently housed on a single CD the original 65-minute double album was spread across four very different sides of vinyl, with new Marriott songs on side one, R&B/soul covers on side two, acoustic Marriott originals on side three and a live side comprising the original Up Our Sleeve and a cover of The Rolling Stones’ Honky Tonk Women. 1974 release Thunderbox comprised mainly of covers, was dismissed by some as uninspired but it sounds fine at this distance, with covers of Dirft Away and Anna (Go To Him) nestling comfortably among originals like No Way and Don’t Worry, Be Happy.
VARIOUS • Northern Soul Volume 2 –Keeps On Burnin’ 20 Original Classics (Spectrum/UMC SPEC 2098)
Northern Soul - 20 Original Classics (SPEC 2044) has sold
more than 78,000 copies in less than two years, and this second selection, comprising both familiar and lesser known Northern Soul originals, is arguably even stronger, with a fabulous roster which includes Motown stalwarts like The Temptations, Mary Wells and The Supremes. As welcome as they are, however, it’s a great deal more rewarding to hear The Kelly Brothes’ sweetly-sung cover of Tommy James’ Crystal Blue Persuasion, The Ambers’ heady Potion Of Love and Terry Callier’s I Don’t Want To See Myself (Without You), which runs to nearly seven minutes, starting serenely in gospel style before picking up pace, with Callier’s gritty vocals conveying his belief in its message. Also outstanding is Dusty Springfield’s definitive version of the Jerry Ragovoy/Mort Shuman song What’s It Gonna Be, which boasts ‘panting’ strings and a searing vocal from Springfield that blows rival versions by Barbara Acklin, Odyssey 5 and Susan Barrett away.
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