www.musicweek.com PRODUCTREISSUES LINDISFARNE • SAMANTHA FOX • PAULA ABDUL • INSPIRED! 2012
LINDISFARNE: Fog On The Tyne (Virgin VCAS 2050)
Its 40th anniversary (which was actually last October) belatedly recognised by the
release of this 12-inch gatefold edition, containing the CD and the 180 gram heavyweight vinyl editions newly remastered, Lindisfarne’s 1971 breakthrough album Fog On The Tyne is a magnificent piece of work. Produced by American Bob Johnston, it is nonetheless quintessentially English, with crisp, concise tunes - all of it but for a cover of Rab Noakes’ Together Forever, penned by band members - that effortlessly bridge the folk/rock/pop divide without compromise. The fact it reached No.1 almost six months after its release was due to the track Meet Me On The Corner (a commercial folk tune with excellent harmonies and superb harmonica) becoming a
major hit single – but the all too brief (10 songs, 30 minutes) album is made up of similarly sparkling hybrids, and finishes on a high with the rousing title track - a hometown homage from the Geordie band.
SAMANTHA FOX: Touch Me / Samantha Fox / I Wanna Have Some Fun / Just One Night ( Cherry Pop CRPOPD 104/105/106/107)
Samantha Fox made a
surprisingly successful transition from
page-three girl to singer, and after being unavailable for years her first four Jive albums - originally issued between 1986 and 1991 - are being released in deluxe double disc editions by Cherry Pop. Tightly tailored to Fox’s needs by Jive - which was then one of the UK’s leading independent labels, with a roster of excellent songwriters in its Zomba publishing arm - her first album, Touch Me, was also her
best with introductory single Touch Me (I Want Your Body) becoming a worldwide smash and paving the way for her to have an extended career. Fox’s self-titled second album was also huge, spinning off five chart entries in the UK and spawning the biggest of her six US hits via Naughty Girls (Need Love Too), on which Fox raps alongside then hot hip-hoppers Full Force. All four albums are massively expanded with a plethora of 12- inch mixes, radio mixes and instrumentals. Fox remains a household name and demand is high, with pre-release autographed editions completely sold out.
PAULA ABDUL: The Very Best Of (Music Club Deluxe MCDLX 156)
Initially rising to fame as a
cheerleader and dancer, Paula Abdul is better
known these days as the slightly kooky judge of American Idol and
US version of The X Factor - but it’s hard to overestimate how big a recording artist she once was, racking up six No.1 singles and selling more than 10m albums in the US. Although less successful in the UK, Abdul did have a run of 11 hits between 1989 and 1995, all of which are included on this 31-song double CD set. Her biggest UK hit, Opposites Attract, paired Abdul with cartoon character MC Skat Kat, and wasn’t really her finest hour but there are plenty of good pop records here, including early hits Straight Up and Knocked Out, the more mellow Rush Rush and the excellent My Love Is For Real which is infused with a Middle Eastern vibe, not least because it also features the fine vocals of the late Israeli singer Ofra Haza. All present and correct in their hit edits, many of Abdul’s biggest hits are featured in their rare 12-inch mixes with Frankie Foncett’s take on Forever Your Girl and Shep Pettibone’s Knocked Out particularly enjoyable in their extended versions.
VARIOUS: Inspired! 2012: Blood, Soul, Sweat & Cheers (Harmless HURTXCD 121)
With the London Olympics in full swing, the estimable
Harmless label
has embraced the opportunity to release a double-disc set
containing 43 songs about running, jumping, winning, losing and the like, without ever compromising their self-imposed brief of providing only the choicest soul, R&B and related jams. It really is quite ingenious and - more importantly - a great listen, with familiar and obvious choices like Jump To It (Aretha Franklin), Move On Up (Curtis Mayfield) and The Champion (Willie Mitchell) being joined by less well-known but equally fine grooves like No More Games (Larry Wedgeworth), When The Game Is Played On You (Betty Swann) and Keep On Trying (LTG Exchange). A real gold medalist.
03.08.12 MusicWeek 41
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