Reviews

WELCOME

So, Classic Pop is 10. We can scarcely

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

The winner of the Best Writer – Specialist

FREE BUNDLE OF NOW YEARBOOKS

WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO CLASSIC POP THIS CHRISTMAS

Brad Pitt’s studio hosts Sade for new recording sessions

© Sophie Muller Could a new Sade studio

Jamiroquai announce vinyl reissue series

Jamiroquai’s vinyl reissue series continues apace with four

DEPECHE MODE REVEAL BRAND NEW ALBUM AND TOUR

© Anton Corbijn Depeche Mode have announced details

OMD AND SOFT CELL ARE AMONG LET’S ROCK HEADLINERS FOR 2023

© Andrew Whitton Let’s Rock has unveiled details

SAM BROWN

STOP!, STOPPING AND STARTING AGAIN: HOW SAM BROWN CAME BACK FROM THE SILENCE (WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM UKULELES)

DROWNING IN BERLIN

MOBILES Eastbourne-based synth-pop band Mobiles became one of

GARBAGE DIG OUT HITS AND DEEP CUTS FOR DOUBLE ALBUM RETROSPECTIVE

Garbage have announced the release of Anthology, their

PEOPLE POWER PROMPTS WELLER RARITIES COMP

© Sandra Vijandi Hand-picked by the Modfather himself,

MY POP LIFE

THE UNFORGOTTEN AND GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME STAR REVEALS HIS MUSIC OBSESSIONS

CERRONE

THE GALLIC DISCO LEGEND ON REMIXES, INSPIRING DAFT PUNK AND HOW HE NEVER GOT A “GOOD VIBRATION” FROM FRENCH POP

LOST & FOUND

RAW ALYSON WILLIAMS New York soul singer Alyson

ACCESS ALL AREAS FOR NEW DURAN BOOK

A new photobook promises an unparalleled behind-the-scenes glimpse

IAN PEEL‘S A TO Z of POP

FROM TALK TALK BY TALK TALK TO MADNESS’ COVER OF MADNESS VIA VISAGE’S VISAGE. DO THE ULTIMATE ANTHEMS COME WHEN BANDS LOOK TO THEMSELVES FOR INSPIRATION?

THIS MONTHIN POP NOVEMBER 1982

TV GOLD ON BONFIRE NIGHT, PRINCE HITS THE ROAD, DURANMANIA IN ACTION AND THE BEST-SELLING ALBUM OF ALL TIME IS RELEASED…

SUPER FAN

DEVOTED FANS SHOW US THEIR COLLECTIONS AND POP MEMORABILIA

POPARAZZI

READERS SHARE THEIR FAVOURITE PHOTOS AS THEY GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN PLANET POP

TOP TEN

BABS AND THE BEE GEES, BLONDIE GO ROCKSTEADY, BOWIE’S IN FASHION, AN OMD CLASSIC… PLUS A LOVE METAPHOR BUILT ON FULL-BODIED LAGER

Northern Exposure

SEEMINGLY ON THE VERGE OF SPLITTING FOR THE THIRD TIME WHEN LAST YEAR’S DOCUMENTARY A-HA: THE MOVIE BROUGHT THEIR SIMMERING TENSIONS TO THE BOIL, WITH TYPICAL CONTRARINESS THE BAND ARE INSTEAD RELEASING THEIR FIRST ALBUM FOR SEVEN YEARS. TRUE NORTH IS TRULY BEAUTIFUL – BUT, AS THE TRIO TELL CLASSIC POP, THIS TIME IT REALLY COULD BE A-HA’S FINAL STATEMENT.

CLASSIC ALBUM KICK INXS

ON THEIR SIXTH ALBUM, THE AUSSIES LAID THEIR AMBITIONS BARE, TAPPING INTO THE ZEITGEIST AND TRANSFORMING INTO GLOBAL MEGASTARS – THOUGH THE ICONIC FUNK-ROCK HYBRID WAS ALMOST SCRAPPED BY THEIR BEMUSED LABEL BOSSES

THE PL AYERS

MICHAEL HUTCHENCE The talismanic, charismatic frontman and co-songwriter

THE SONGS

1 GUNS IN THE SKY INXS announce their

THE VIDEOS

NEED YOU TONIGHT/ MEDIATE This award-winning promo apes

HEARTS AND MINDS

DESPITE BEING FORGED FROM PERSONAL LOSS AMIDST A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, SIMPLE MINDS’ LATEST ALBUM, DIRECTION OF THE HEART, AIMS TO SHINE A POSITIVE LIGHT IN DARK TIMES – AND IT MIGHT EVEN BE THEIR NEW NEW GOLD DREAM EXPLAINS JIM KERR AND CHARLIE BURCHILL…

THOMPSON TWINS & TOM BAILEY

REASSESSING ONE OF THE 80S’ MORE NEGLECTED HITMAKERS

ECLECTIC WARRIORS

MEDAZZALAND IS DURAN DURAN’S GREAT LOST ALBUM – UNTIL NOW. FINALLY GETTING A PHYSICAL RELEASE 25 YEARS AFTER IT WAS DUE OUT, IT’S THE RECORD THAT COULD HAVE EASILY SUNK THE BAND – ESPECIALLY WHEN JOHN TAYLOR LEFT. BUT, AS NICK RHODES TELLS CLASSIC POP, THEY CONTINUED WITH A BOLD AND BRILLIANT EXPERIMENT, DESPITE WRITER’S BLOCK AND PERSONAL HEARTBREAK AT THE LOSS OF FRIEND AND INSPIRATION, MICHAEL HUTCHENCE.

BOO TWO

30 YEARS AFTER HER LAST LP, IT’S THE SECOND COMING OF BETTY BOO. BACK WITH AN ALBUM OF BANGERS AS GLORIOUSLY FLOOR-FILLING AS ANYTHING IN HER HIP-HOP HEYDAY, SHE TELLS CLASSIC POP ABOUT WHY NOW WAS THE RIGHT TIME TO RETURN AND TAKES US INSIDE HER STAR-LADEN NEW RECORD, BOOMERANG

Nik Kershaw -The Works

HE WAS THE UK’S MOST SUCCESSFUL SOLO ARTIST DURING 1984 AND 1985, BUT BY 1989 NIK KERSHAW’S STAR WAS ON THE WANE. SO HOW DID HE RALLY TO PRODUCE THE WORKS, ARGUABLY THE PINNACLE OF HIS SONGWRITING MODUS OPERANDI?

Baggy

YOUR AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE TO SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE SUB-GENRES

TOP 2O DOUBLE A-SIDE SINGLES

SINCE THE DAWN OF POP AND ROCK, THE DOUBLE A-SIDED SINGLE HAS PROVIDED GREAT VALUE FOR BOTH RECORD-BUYERS AND RADIO DJS

SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL

THE MOVIES OF JOHN HUGHES FEATURED SOME OF THE HIPPEST ARTISTS OF THE 80S. AS A NEW BOXSET IS RELEASED FEATURING TRACKS FROM MANY OF HIS BIG SCREEN CLASSICS, WE MEET THE CULT DIRECTOR’S MUSIC SUPERVISOR TARQUIN GOTCH, HIS SON, JOHN HUGHES JR, AND THE DREAM ACADEMY’S NICK LAIRD-CLOWES…

THE HOT LIST

A VINYL-CENTRIC DIP INTO EXCITING RELEASES WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

A-HA

TRUE NORTH

BETTY BOO

BOOMERANG

SOFT CELL/MARC ALMOND

NON-STOP EROTIC CABARET… AND OTHER STORIES: LIVE/ THINGS WE LOST

SIMPLE MINDS

DIRECTION OF THE HEART

DAVID BOWIE

MOONAGE DAYDREAM/ DIVINE SYMMETRY

FATBOY SLIM

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT THEN

LEFTFIELD

THIS IS WHAT WE DO

CARLY RAE JEPSEN

THE LONELIEST TIME

THE FIZZ

EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN

SAM BROWN

NUMBER 8

BRIAN ENO

FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE

SPEAR OF DESTINY

GHOST POPULATION

ARCTIC MONKEYS

THE CAR

THE CULT

UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN

ACID KLAUS

STEP ON MY TRAVELATOR

DANNY GOFFEY

BRYAN MOONE’S DISCO PUNK

THE DAMNED

A NIGHT OF A THOUSAND VAMPIRES – LIVE IN LONDON

CERRONE

CERRONE BY CERRONE

JEAN-MICHEL JARRE

OXYMORE

FOXTON & HASTINGS

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

TEGAN AND SARA

CRYBABY

BERNARD BUTLER

LIVE AT ROUGH TRADE EAST

DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS

TOO-RYE-AY: AS IT SHOULD HAVE SOUNDED

ERASURE

ERASURE

SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES

ALL SOULS

SEAL

SEAL

INXS

SHABOOH SHOOBAH/ LIVE AT THE US FESTIVAL, 1983

VARIOUS ARTISTS

NOW YEARBOOK ’85/NOW YEARBOOK EXTRA ’79/ NOW #1S/NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS

VARIOUS ARTISTS

JOHN HUGHES: LIFE MOVES PRETTY FAST

THE HUMAN LEAGUE

THE VIRGIN YEARS

DEPECHE MODE

PLAYING THE ANGEL: THE 12” SINGLES

KYLIE MINOGUE

IMPOSSIBLE PRINCESS

DEBBIE HARRY

KOOKOO

VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE

LET IT BEE

THE RAH BAND

MESSAGES FROM THE STARS: VOLUME ONE

THE SELECTER

CELEBRATE THE BULLET

JESUS JONES

SOME OF THE ANSWERS

SECRET AFFAIR

SO COOL: THE VERY BEST OF

JAPAN

EXORCISING GHOSTS

HOWARD JONES

LIVE AT THE NHK HALL, TOKYO

DONNA SUMMER

DONNA SUMMER

RECOIL

UNSOUND METHODS/LIQUID/ SUBHUMAN

DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES

DO IT FOR LOVE

THE BANGLES

DIFFERENT LIGHT

THE HOUSE OF LOVE

O2 ACADEMY 3, BIRMINGHAM

LADY GAGA: APPLAUSE

ANNIE ZALESKI

LIKE PUNK NEVER HAPPENED: CULTURE CLUB AND THE NEW POP

DAVE RIMMER

A DIFFERENT STAGE

GARY BARLOW

MIXTAPE: 21 SONGS FROM 10 YEARS (1975-1985)

FIONA MCQUARRIE

OMD RELEASE ARCHITECTURE & MORALITY

6 NOVEMBER 1981