Toy Box The Stiff Years 1978-1983

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• 4CD box set compiling everything Lene Lovich released for Stiff Records between 1978 and 1983 for the first time.

• 81 tracks in total, over 20 tracks making their debut on CD, including B-sides, early versions, 12-inch versions.

• Freshly mastered, with sleeve notes from Scott Davies and Michael Robson, with extensive words from ‘the first lady of Stiff’ herself.

• ‘Toy Box’ is the ultimate compilation of Lene’s years with Stiff; her name so synonymous with the label.

With a striking appearance and sound to match, Lene Lovich arrived at Stiff Records in the summer of 1978, surfing the new wave and the subsequent ‘Be Stiff’ UK tour. Travelling by train together with labelmates Mickey Jupp, Jona Lewie, Rachel Sweet and Wreckless Eric, Lene proved to be the hit of the tour, both on record and on stage, and so began a productive five- year spell with the label.

‘Stateless’ (Original Mix) is the debut album released in October 1978 to coincide with the ‘Be Stiff’ tour. Including ‘Lucky Number’, ‘Say When’ and a gloriously retro cover of Tommy James & The Shondells hit, ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’. Bonus tracks include various versions of ‘Lucky Number’ in development (early B-Side version, Instrumental and rare US Slavic Dance 12” version), together with a Japanese version of ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’.

‘Stateless’ (US/UK Remix) – released in 1979 to accompany a remixed ‘Lucky Number’ became a surprise Top 3 UK hit and its subsequent release in the States, the ‘Stateless’ US/UK remix includes the familiar ‘Lucky Number’ and ‘Say When’ hit versions. Bonus tracks include several live recordings from Lene’s UK and USA tours in early 1980, captured at the Lyceum in London and the Paradise Theater in Boston, USA.

‘Flex’ – the eagerly awaited follow up to ‘Stateless’ released at the dawning of the 80s and featuring singles ‘Bird Song’, ‘Angels’ and ‘What Will I Do Without You’ together with an inspired cover of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons’ Northern Soul favourite, ‘The Night’. Bonus tracks include 1981’s dancefloor friendly ‘New Toy’ penned by keyboard wunderkind Thomas Dolby (playing in Lene’s touring band at the time) plus tracks from the US only ‘New Toy’ mini-album.

‘No Man’s Land’ – Lene’s final album for Stiff Records in 1982 features her definitive version of Dutch band The Meteors’ ‘It’s You, Only You (Mein Schmerz)’. Bonus tracks include the original Sanremo Music Festival single version of ‘Blue Hotel’ and a plethora of UK and US dance remixes of ‘It’s You, Only You (Mein Schmerz)’ and ‘Blue Hotel’ maintaining Lene’s cult status, particularly in the States, both on college radio and an MTV in its infancy.

Tracklist

DISC ONE
STATELESS (LP) (Original Mix)
1 Lucky Number
2 Sleeping Beauty
3 Home
4 Too Tender (To Touch)
5 Say When
6 Tonight
7 Writing On The Wall
8 Telepathy
9 Momentary Breakdown
10 1 in a 1,000,000
11 I Think We’re Alone Now
BONUS TRACKS
12 Lucky Number (Early Version)
13 I Think We’re Alone Now (Japanese Version)
14 Monkey Talk (Early Version)
15 Be Stiff
16 Be Stiff (The Entire Ensemble Recorded Live At Leeds University)
17 Lene Lovich Speaks 1
18 Lucky Number (Instrumental Version)
19 One Lonely Heart
20 Big Bird
21 Lene Lovich Speaks 2
22 Lucky Number (Slavic Dance Version)

DISC TWO
STATELESS (LP) (US/UK Remix)
1 Home
2 Sleeping Beauty
3 Lucky Number
4 Too Tender (To Touch)
5 Say When
6 Writing On The Wall
7 Telepathy
8 Momentary Breakdown
9 I Think We’re Alone Now
10 One in a 1,000,000
11 Tonight
BONUS TRACKS
12 Trixi
13 The Fly
14 The Fall
Live At The Lyceum, London 03.02.80:
15 Monkey Talk
16 The Night
17 Too Tender (To Touch)
18 You Can’t Kill Me
Live At Paradise Theater, Boston 15.03.80:
19 Angels
20 Lucky Number
21 Home

DISC THREE
FLEX (LP)
1 Bird Song
2 What Will I Do Without You
3 Angels
4 The Night
5 You Can’t Kill Me
6 Egghead
7 Wonderful One
8 Monkey Talk
9 Joan
10 The Freeze
BONUS TRACKS
11 The Night (US Remix)
12 What Will I Do Without You (Single Version)
13 Bird Song (Edit)
14 Details (Original Version)
15 New Toy
16 Cats Away
17 New Toy (Extended Version)
NEW TOY (US MINI LP)
18 Cats Away
19 Details
20 Never Never Land

DISC FOUR
NO MAN’S LAND (LP)
1 It’s You, Only You (Mein Schmerz)
2 Blue Hotel
3 Faces
4 Walking Low
5 Special Star
6 Sister Video
7 Maria
8 Savages
9 Rocky Road
BONUS TRACKS
NEW TOY (US MINI LP)
10 Savages
11 Special Star
12 Blue Hotel (Single Version)
13 It’s You, Only You (Mein Schmerz) (Remixed Extended Version)
14 Blue
15 It’s You, Only You (Mein Schmerz) (Instrumental Version)
16 It’s You, Only You (Mein Schmerz) (US Extended Dance Mix)
17 Blue Hotel (US Dance Mix)
18 O Seasons O Castles