WELCOME

If you’re a regular reader of CP, the chances are that

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Best known for editing Teletext’s music pages Planet

MADONNA’S TOUGH RETURN TO THE LONDON STAGE

Madonna has defied doctors’ orders to make a spectacular

ABBA’s new songs pencilled in for autumn

Long-awaited new material from ABBA could finally arrive

Mockumentary project for Kemp brothers

Spandau Ballet duo Gary and Martin Kemp have wrapped

1 HIT WONDER

WHAT I AM

DOCUMENTARY AND TOUR FOR REBOOTED GO-GO’S

Discover more about The Go-Go’s in our California Sound

OCEAN’S 10

Billy Ocean celebrated his 70th birthday in January

COMPLETE DONNA SUMMER BOXSET TO BE RELEASED

Donna Summer‘s back catalogue is getting an extensive

LOST & FOUND

OUT OF ORDER

BLANCMANGE READY MINDSET LP

Blancmange’s new album will be out this spring. Mindset

BOOMTOWN RATS UPDATE CLASSIC HIT

The Boomtown Rats have created a 21st century response

TEARS FOR FEARS MARK BIG CHAIR‘S BIRTHDAY

New Tears for Fears band activity is kicking into gear

Q+A

CELEBRATING THE FIRST 10 SINGLES OF HIS SOLO CAREER WITH A NEW BOXSET, JOHNNY MARR TELLS JOHN EARLS HE WON’T BE LOOKING BACK FOR LONG

Pop Quiz

1 Which iconic singer appears on Simple Minds’ This

PSYCHEDELIC FURS MAKE GOOD ON LP PROMISE

It’s only taken 30 years but The Psychedelic Furs return

ASTON BATTLES BACK FOR FRESH FIZZ RELEASE

Classic Pop revealed The Fizz were working on new material

Q+A

WHITNEY HOUSTON’S SISTER-IN-LAW IS BRINGING THE POP DIVA BACK IN HOLOGRAM FORM WITH AN INNOVATIVE NEW TOUR, AS SHE TELLS DOUGLAS MCPHERSON

INXS star goes country

INXS chief songwriter Andrew Farriss has turned to

PARISIAN STREET NAME HONOUR FOR BOWIE

French civic leaders have announced plans to name a

HUMANIST RETURN WITH DAVE GAHAN

Dave Gahan has teamed up with Rob Marshall for a new

IAN PEEL‘S A TO Z of POP

WHAT ON EARTH COULD POSSIBLY LINK HATE BY TALK TALK, MY CAMERA NEVER LIES BY BUCKS FIZZ AND TEENAGE DIRTBAG BY WHEATUS? SIMPLE, A KILLER BRIDGE…

THIS MONTH IN POP

IN OUR ROUND-UP OF MARCH 1986’S BIGGEST MOMENTS IN

15

The Bangles peak at No.2 on the UK singles chart with

POPARAZZi

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

TOP 10: WEEK ENDING 12 MARCH 1989

CORKS WERE POPPING IN THE STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN OFFICE

STREET FIGHTING MEN

WITH SIMPLE MINDS’ 1989 ALBUM STREET FIGHTING YEARS ALBUM GETTING THE REISSUE TREATMENT AND A NEW STUDIO LP HARKING BACK TO THEIR DANCEY ROOTS TAKING SHAPE, JIM KERR AND CHARLIE BURCHILL TELL JOHN EARLS ABOUT PANIC ATTACKS, NUCLEAR SUBMARINES, LOU REED’S UNLIKELIEST ADDICTION AND ONE OF THE MOST BIZARRE NO.1 SINGLES THE CHARTS EVER EXPERIENCED

VIENNA ULTRAVOX

JOHN FOXX WAS OUT, MIDGE URE WAS IN, BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO THE SELF-CONFESSED ‘BROKEN BAND’. EUROPEAN BOTH IN ITS TITLE AND INFLUENCES, ULTRAVOX’S CHANGING OF THE GUARD RESULTED IN AN ERA-DEFINING SYNTH-POP MASTERCLASS.

A NORTHERN SOUL

PAUL HEATON MAY BE KEEPING IT LOCAL ON HIS NEW ALBUM WITH JACQUI ABBOTT, MANCHESTER CALLING, BUT HE’S STRETCHING OUT MUSICALLY WITH A DRUM & BASS ARTIST ON BOARD AS HIS CO-PRODUCER. CP TALKS FRANTIC SKA, SINISTER DUB AND MORE WITH THE MASTER POP CRAFTSMAN.

the California sound

FELIX ROWE TAKES A LOOK AT THE SCENE THAT EMERGED OUT OF THE L.A. CLUBS IN THE 80s, MELDING A RANGE OF INFLUENCES FROM NEW WAVE TO PO P AND R&B…

STORMY WEATHER

BACK WITH THEIR FIRST STUDIO ALBUM OF NEW STUDIO MATERIAL IN ALMOST TWO DECADES, COULD THIS BE THE LAST WALTZ FOR HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS? THEIR FRONTMAN SITS DOWN WITH RUDY BOLLY TO DISCUSS HIS BATTLE WITH MÉNIÈRE’S DISEASE AND HOPES FOR THE FUTURE.

THE HUMAN LEAGUE

THE SYNT H ICONS TRANSFORMED THEMSELVES FROM SCI ENCE FICT ION-OBSESSED FUTURISTS INTO PUR E POP MAVERICKS

COMMERCIAL BREAKS

FROM TIMELESS SOUL STANDARDS TO BIG-HAIRED POWER BALLADS, THE TV ADVERTS OF THE MID- TO LATE-80s SPAWNED SO MANY HITS THAT THEY OFTEN RESEMBLED A CHART COUNTDOWN. JON O’BRIEN REVISITS THE ERA WHEN BRITAIN’S ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES WOKE UP TO THE POWER OF POP.

TALES OF THE CITY

RIDING A CREATIVE AND POPULAR RESURGENCE, DEACON BLUE HAVE KICKED OFF THE NEW DECADE WITH PERHAPS THE FINEST DISTILLATION OF THEIR HOPEFUL MUSICAL MESSAGE SINCE RAINTOWN. “I’M A GREAT BELIEVER IN HUMAN BEINGS,” RICKY ROSS TELLS PAUL KIRKLEY.

TOP 2O POSTHUMOUS SINGLES

IF YOU’RE A MEGA-SUCCESSFUL MUSICIAN, YOU CAN STILL SCORE HITS FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE

Lovechild of the Haçienda

As M People celebrate their phenomenal 90s run with a career-spanning boxset, Classic Pop sits down with Mike Pickering and Paul Heard – the creative core behind the big voice – tracking their journey from Manchester’s clubs to the top of the charts

THE HOT LIST

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT AT CLASSIC POP TOWERS THIS MONTH

PAUL HEATON & JACQUI ABBOTT

MANCHESTER CALLING

THE BOOMTOWN RATS

CITIZENS OF BOOMTOWN

MORRISSEY

I AM NOT A DOG ON A CHAIN

DEACON BLUE

CITY OF LOVE

RUSTIN MAN

CLOCKDUST

CUTTING CREW

RANSOMED HEALED RESTORED FORGIVEN

THE FIZZ

SMOKE & MIRRORS

GRIMES

MISS ANTHROPOCENE

CARIBOU

SUDDENLY

LUKE HAINES & PETER BUCK

BEAT POETRY FOR SURVIVALISTS

YOUNG GUN SILVER FOX

CANYONS

PETE ASTOR

YOU MADE ME

ANDY BELL

VARIANCE III – THE TORSTEN IN QUEERETERIA REMIXES

MARIA MCKEE

LA VITA NUOVA

CORNERSHOP

ENGLAND IS A GARDEN

GRAHAM GOULDMAN

MODESTY FORBIDS

WRANGLER

A SITUATION

COLD BEAT

MOTHER

JOSS COPE

INDEFINITE PARTICLES

HEAVEN 17

ANOTHER BIG IDEA (1996-2015)

TOYAH

SOLO

ELECTRONIC

ELECTRONIC

SIMPLE MINDS

STREET FIGHTING YEARS

THE CURE

DISINTEGRATION: DELUXE EDITION

CLANNAD

IN A LIFETIME

THE DISTRACTIONS

NOBODY’S PERFECT

M PEOPLE

RENAISSANCE

MILES KANE

COLOUR OF THE TRAP

VARIOUS ARTISTS

C90

REPUBLICA

REPUBLICA

DARYL EASLEA

EVERYBODY DANCE: CHIC AND THE POLITICS OF DISCO

TAYLOR SWIFT

MISS AMERICANA

MICHAEL BRACEWELL

RE-MAKE/RE-MODEL: THE ART SCHOOL ROOTS OF ROXY MUSIC

ANITA POINTER AND FRITZ POINTER

FAIRYTALE: THE POINTER SISTERS’ FAMILY STORY

MADONNA

THE PALLADIUM, LONDON

TOYAH

THE SLADE ROOMS, WOLVERHAMPTON

KAISER CHIEFS

MOTORPOINT ARENA, NOTTINGHAM

COURTEENERS

PRYZM, KINGSTON

QUEEN FILM THE VIDEO FOR I WANT TO BREAK FREE

22 MARCH 1984