NOW - 80s Alternative

2LP

NOW Music proudly presents NOW – 80s Alternative: 30 tracks across 2 LPs, pressed on stunning pink vinyl - encapsulating the era and celebrating an incredibly diverse decade for ‘Alternative’ music.

LP1’s first side showcases this diversity: Kicking off with Eurythmics stunning ‘Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)’, and Propaganda’s magnificent debut ‘Dr. Mabuse’, before The B-52’s bring U.S. New Wave with ‘Planet Claire’. Post-Punk Pop exploded on the charts of the early 80s, and The Associates and The Stranglers feature, as do The Adventures ‘Broken Land’ and Marc Almond’s ‘Stories Of Johnny’ – both amazing songs. That calibre of song writing is continued on the second side with Tom Robinson’s ‘Atmospherics…’ and the Elvis Costello co-write ‘Shipbuilding’, beautifully realised by Robert Wyatt. Next up is the understated classic ‘I’m In Love With A German Film Star’ from The Passions, leading into Synth-Pop from Yello, Midge Ure & Mick Karn, Japan and a brilliant single from Japanese band Sandii & The Sunsetz. LP1 fittingly closes with defining U.S. New Wave smash ‘Whip It’ from DEVO.

The epic ‘This Corrosion’ from Sisters Of Mercy starts LP 2 in grandiose style, followed by atmospheric masterpieces from Siouxsie And The Banshees, Bauhaus and The Cure. The debut hit from Bjork’s band The Sugarcubes with ‘Birthday’ follows, before David Sylvian’s ‘Pop Song’, and ‘Flowers’ from Zaine Griff (featuring Kate Bush on backing vocals).

The final side opens with the song that launched one of the defining bands of the era, The Smiths, with ‘Hand In Glove’. Timeless hits from Aztec Camera and the Pretenders lead to R.E.M., the Pixies and The Psychedelic Furs representing the U.S. Alt scene, and the collection draws to a close with The Cult’s ‘Edie (Ciao Baby)’, and The Clash’s commentary on the era ‘This Is England’.

NOW – 80s Alternative – A celebration of a different view of the decade’s charts - the lesser-compiled 1980’s singles.

4CD

NOW Music proudly presents NOW – 80s Alternative: 80 tracks across 4 CDs encapsulating the era and celebrating an incredibly diverse decade for ‘Alternative’ music.

CD1 showcases genre-defining bands and kicks off with New Order’s sublime ‘Thieves Like Us’, Eurythmics stunning ‘Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)’ and Joy Division’s era defining ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’. Post-Punk New Wave exploded on to the charts, and The Associates, The Jam, Echo And The Bunnymen, Pretenders, and Siouxsie’s side project The Creatures are all included. The U.S. Alt scene provided R.E.M., Pixies, The Psychedelic Furs, and the David Bowie co-write ‘Shades’ from Iggy Pop. Plus, some of the best written Pop songs ever, represented here by David Sylvian, Marc Almond, Aztec Camera, Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH!, The Adventures, Tom Robinson, and the Elvis Costello co-write ‘Shipbuilding’, beautifully realised by Robert Wyatt.

The (still) incredible ‘O Superman’ from Laurie Anderson opens the second disc, along with other synth-based classics from Yello, Propaganda, Midge Ure & Mick Karn, Japan, Electronic and a brilliant single from Japanese band Sandii & The Sunsetz. DEVO produced the defining U.S. New Wave smash with ‘Whip It’, and fantastic unique hits from Scarlet Fantastic, Split Enz, Our Daughter’s Wedding, Anne Pigalle and ‘Flowers’ by Zaine Griff (featuring Kate Bush on backing vocals) are all included.

The epic ‘This Corrosion’ from Sisters Of Mercy starts CD3 in grandiose style – and is followed with atmospheric masterpieces from Siouxsie And The Banshees, Bauhaus, The Cure and a second appearance from Joy Division – before some late-80s Alternative essentials, including Bjork’s band The Sugarcubes, Act, The Mission, All About Eve, The Cult’s ‘Edie (Ciao Baby)’, ‘This Is England’ from The Clash, and The Fall’s version of ‘There’s A Ghost In My House’, before closing with two more great examples of U.S. Alt Pop from The Go-Go’s, and The Waitresses. 

Opening with the song that launched one of the defining bands of the era, The Smiths, with ‘Hand In Glove’ the final CD features a stellar line up of 80s Alternative Chart hits – The Icicle Works, It’s Immaterial, B-Movie, Kissing The Pink and Gang Of Four are all featured with timeless singles… Altered Images, Toyah and Adam & The Ants would go on to find huge mainstream success in the early ‘80s – and we celebrate these artists with their earlier singles. Big Audio Dynamite, Julian Cope and XTC are also included before the collection draws to a close with Latin Quarter’s ‘Radio Africa’ – and Scritti Politti’s 1981 single ‘The “Sweetest Girl”’.

Tracklist

2LP

LP 1
Side A

1. Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)
2. Propaganda – Dr. Mabuse
3. The B-52's - Planet Claire
4. The Associates - Party Fears Two
5. Marc Almond - Stories Of Johnny
6. The Adventures - Broken Land  
7. The Stranglers - European Female

LP 1
Side B

1. Robert Wyatt - Shipbuilding     
2. Tom Robinson - Atmospherics: Listen To The Radio                                                        
3. The Passions - I'm In Love With A German Film Star
4. Midge Ure & Mick Karn - After A Fashion
5. Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids (Edit)
6. Sandii & The Sunsetz - Dreams Of Immigrants
7. Yello - Vicious Games
8. DEVO - Whip It

LP 2
Side A

1. Sisters Of Mercy - This Corrosion
2. Siouxsie And The Banshees - Peek-A-Boo
3. Bauhaus - Kick In The Eye
4. The Cure - A Forest
5. The Sugarcubes – Birthday
6. David Sylvian - Pop Song
7. Zaine Griff - Flowers

LP 2
Side B

1. The Smiths - Hand In Glove
2. Aztec Camera – Oblivious
3. Pretenders - Talk Of The Town  
4. R.E.M. - So. Central Rain
5. Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven
6. The Psychedelic Furs - President Gas
7. The Cult - Edie (Ciao Baby)
8. The Clash - This Is England

4CD

CD 1
1. New Order - Thieves Like Us
2. Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)
3. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
4. David Sylvian - Red Guitar
5. The Associates - Party Fears Two
6. Marc Almond - Stories Of Johnny
7. Aztec Camera - Oblivious
8. Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Come Back
9. The Adventures - Broken Land
10. Iggy Pop - Shades
11. Pretenders - Talk Of The Town
12. R.E.M. - So. Central Rain
13. Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven
14. The Psychedelic Furs - President Gas
15. The B-52's - Planet Claire
16. The Creatures - Mad Eyed Screamer
17. Echo And The Bunnymen - The Cutter
18. The Jam - That's Entertainment
19. Tom Robinson - Atmospherics: Listen To The Radio
20. Robert Wyatt - Shipbuilding

CD 2
1. Laurie Anderson - O Superman
2. The Passions - I'm In Love With A German Film Star
3. The Stranglers - European Female
4. Electronic - Getting Away With It
5. Propaganda – Dr. Mabuse
6. Yello - Vicious Games
7. Scarlet Fantastic - No Memory
8. The Motels - Suddenly Last Summer
9. Naked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me
10. Split Enz - I Got You 
11. Our Daughter's Wedding - Lawnchairs
12. DEVO - Whip It
13. Midge Ure & Mick Karn - After A Fashion
14. Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids (Edit)
15. Sandii & The Sunsetz - Dream Of Immigrants
16. China Crisis - African And White
17. The Lotus Eaters - The First Picture Of You
18. Zaine Griff - Flowers
19. Anne Pigalle - He! Stranger

CD 3
1. Sisters Of Mercy - This Corrosion
2. Siouxsie And The Banshees - Peek-A-Boo
3. Bauhaus - Kick In The Eye
4. The Cure - A Forest
5. Joy Division - Atmosphere
6. The Sugarcubes – Birthday 
7. David Sylvian - Pop Song
8. Act - Snobbery & Decay
9. Simple Minds - The American
10. Soft Cell - Down In The Subway
11. The Fall - There's A Ghost In My House
12. The Damned - Grimly Fiendish
13. Spear Of Destiny - Liberator
14. Theatre Of Hate – Do You Believe In The Westworld?
15. The Clash - This Is England
16. The Cult - Edie (Ciao Baby)
17. The Mission - Tower Of Strength
18. All About Eve - Martha's Harbour
19. The Darling Buds - Hit The Ground
20. The Go-Go's - Head Over Heels
21. The Waitresses - I Know What Boys Like

CD 4
1. The Smiths - Hand In Glove
2. The Icicle Works - Love Is A Wonderful Colour
3. It's Immaterial - Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune)
4. Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades
5. Wall Of Voodoo - Mexican Radio
6. XTC - Senses Working Overtime
7. B-Movie - Remembrance Day
8. Kissing The Pink - The Last Film
9. Gang Of Four - I Love A Man In A Uniform
10. After The Fire - Der Kommissar
11. Altered Images - Dead Pop Stars
12. Toyah – Ieya
13. Adam & The Ants - Car Trouble
14. Julian Cope - World Shut Your Mouth
15. The Primitives - Crash
16. Westworld - Sonic Boom Boy
17. Pop Will Eat Itself - Def Con One
18. Big Audio Dynamite - Medicine Show
19. Latin Quarter - Radio Africa
20. Scritti Politti - The "Sweetest Girl"