Pop & Rock News

Limited vinyl reissue of two great early 80s rarities from Spring Records. Side A features Detroit boogie classic 'Wired For Games' by short-lived band C-Brand. Penned and produced by Dazz Band founder member Michael Colhoun with super-smooth vocals from Larry Ives, the track oozes quality in every note and understandably hit big both sides of the Atlantic on its release in 1981 and is still in massive demand today championed by cult DJs such as Sadar Bahar and Joey Negro. Side B heads more into disco territory with Paradise Garage classic 'Love Vibration' where Joe Simon's steamy deep voice rides atop an intense grinding disco stormer from legendary 'Philly Sound' producer Norman Harris. Superb double header of must-have tracks.

Supafrico return with more wonderful lost gems from the Afro-funk vaults. First up we get the full 10 minute version of the awesome 'Disco Stomp' by The Star Beams, an incredibly groovy and infectious Afro disco monster taken from the über-rare 1976 'Disco Specials' EP on the tiny JRS Pride label. The flipside features the killer afro boogie sound of 'Galaxy', one of legendary Nigerian producer Jake Sollo's finest moments with phat pumping bass provided by Randy Taylor and great vocal performances from the Galaxy girls. Last up is the superb afro party jam 'The Disco Kid', an impossible to find rarity from 1975 recorded by Hugh Masekela under his onetime moniker 'The Disco Kid'. Don't sleep!

Am 27. Mai erscheint eine aktualisierte Version der ABBA Albumsammlungen, die zum ersten Mal auch das neue Studioalbum „Voyage“ enthält.

Die Sets enthalten alle neun Studioalben und einen Bonus-Tonträger mit Titeln, die nur als Singles erschienen sind. Dazu gehören unter anderem Songs wie „Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)“ oder „Fernando“.

Alle Alben der LP-Box sind auf 180g schwerem Vinyl gepresst. Das 10CD Box Set enthält darüber hinaus ein 40-seitiges Booklet, welches neben Album-Informationen historische Fotografien von ABBA entlang ihrer gesamten Karriere zeigt. Damit sind die Album Box Sets nicht nur die ultimative Sammlung für alle ABBA-Fans, sondern auch das perfekte Souvenir an das erfolgreiche Comeback der Gruppe nach fast 40 Jahren. So konnten sie sich mit „Voyage“ den ersten Platz der Deutschen Album-Jahrescharts 2021 sichern. Die Sammlung erscheint als 10LP und 10CD Box Set

"ABBA release “The Singles – The First Fifty Years”, a 38-track compilation album expanded from “The Singles – The First Ten Years” originally released in 1982.
The album features ABBA’s top tracks plus additional songs not available on other compilations, including singles from the band’s latest studio album “Voyage”.
2CD format is packaged as a hardcover media book with a 28-page illustrated booklet including liner notes and unseen band images."

Abdou El Omari was born in 1945 in Tafraout, south of Agadir -- a village suspended between the pink granite peaks of the Anti-Atlas and the waves of the Atlantic. A landscape already musical in itself. He grew up in the dry mountain light, surrounded by the rhythms of nature and Berber's culture. Very little is known about the man -- a veil of mystery still surrounds his life, only deepening the fascination. In the 1970s, as Morocco was transforming, Abdou El Omari shaped a sound of his own -- a visionary blend of spiritual jazz, psychedelic funk, Moroccan traditions, and early electronic experimentation. Today, his work is resurfacing, rediscovered by a new generation of listeners in search of lost horizons. This record stands among its rarest and most precious fragments. At twenty-two, he founded his first group, Les Fugitifs, which gained him local fame. Soon after, he released records and cassettes on labels such as Cléopâtre, Hassania, Boussiphone, Hilali, and his own, Al Awtar, while performing on RTM (national radio and television). He also composed for artists like Naima Samih, Laila Ghofran, and Aicha El Waad. In 1976, through the label Gam, he released his only vinyl album, Nuits d'été -- a record that would become cult decades later, reissued in 2017 by Radio Martiko. In the 1980s, his music grew quieter, more secret. He tried to recover his old tapes from the studios he had recorded in, but gradually withdrew from the scene and returned to hairdressing. A pioneer of musical fusion, he opened paths that would remain unexplored for years. He passed away in 2010, never witnessing the rediscovery of his music by diggers, bloggers, and collectors online. One day, his close friend and poet Aziz Essamadi, rescued a cardboard box from the trash -- a box containing Abdou El Omari's personal archives. It was later entrusted to Casablanca based collector Ahmed Khalil, founder of the label Dikraphone. Inside were treasures preserved by chance: demos, rehearsals, private recordings, unseen photographs -- and a stunning, almost forgotten cassette. Here, El Omari sounds bolder than ever, exploring territories where pop, cosmic disco, electric blues, and Moroccan tradition merge without boundaries. Armed with his ARP Odyssey synthesizer, hypnotic grooves, and the celestial layers of his Farfisa, he expanded the dialogue between deep roots and electronic exploration. This album is the continuation of a vision -- a music of the Moroccan future: rooted, but reaching for the unknown. Colorful, magnetic and timeless, here is music for dancing as much as for dreaming.

We can’t think of many artists that have had as diverse a career and who have been involved in as many different genres of music as Asha Puthli. A musical pioneer who forged a path through 60's psych, free-jazz, pop, rock, disco, and more.

Asha's 1976 album 'The Devil Is Loose' is maybe her most well-known record. Featuring the beautiful disco-funk-classic 'Space Talk’, Asha's ethereal soaring vocals take us on a journey that almost mirrors Asha's eclectic career. The track was championed by a wide-range of musical scenes and movements, and over space and time it has been commandeered as their own. You would hear it played by David Mancuso at the now ‘mythical’ underground New York party 'The Loft’, in the most discerning disco nightclubs across the globe, in the Rare Groove scene, and also being sampled by hip-hop heavyweights such as The Notorious B.I.G / P Diddy, and The Pharcyde. The appeal and lifespan of ’Space Talk’ keeps on extending and morphing as new audiences gleefully discover it for the first time - it still sounds as relevant and fresh on the dancefloor today - a sign of a true classic.

Here at Mr Bongo we are thrilled to be releasing records by such an iconic musical maverick as Asha, from her roots in India to becoming a globe-trotting artist with a celebrated career in music and acting, whilst always staying true to her art. She has blazed a trail so that others could follow. Whether you are buying this album as a replacement for your worn-out original copy or it's the first time you've heard of Asha Puthli and you're just intrigued and drawn in by the cover, we hope you enjoy this quintessential slice of Asha's world.

• Featuring the legendary ’Space Talk’.
• Played by David Mancuso at the ‘mythical’ underground New York party 'The Loft’.
• Sampled by hip-hop heavyweights such as The Notorious B.I.G / P Diddy, and The Pharcyde.
• Also available on Limited Edition Pink Vinyl

Dieses Album „25 - The Long Mixes“ ist ein besonderes Geschenk für die Fans von Bad Boys Blue.
Viele 80er-Fans und Fans von BBB lieben lange Versionen, die auch „Maxi-Version oder 12-ZollMixe“ genannt werden. Nun, hier sind diese Versionen ein wenig überarbeitet, mit neuem Mixing und neuem Mastering, die noch nie zuvor veröffentlicht wurden!
Alle Klassiker von Bad Boys Blue sind auf dieser speziellen Vinyl-Edition mit Hit-Remixen von „You’re A Woman“, „PRETTY YOUNG GIRL“, „I WANNA HEAR YOUR HEARTBEAT“, „A WORLD WITHOUT YOU (MICHELLE)“, „ HUNGRY FOR LOVE“, „WHEN OUR LOVE WAS YOUNG“ und „DON'T WALK AWAY SUZANNE“...
Acht erweiterte Remix-Hit-Versionen, darunter drei bisher unveröffentlichte Tracks für Bad Boys Blue- und 80er-Fans!

Buh Records presents Primera Secuencia, the debut album by Ballet Mecánico, the project of Fernando Pinzás. After his time in the synth-punk band Varsovia, Pinzás embarks on a new phase as a solo artist and producer, exploring electronic styles from the 1980s like synthpop, Hi-NRG, Italo disco, and techno pop. The album blends synthesizers, programmed sequences, and pulsating basslines to create a nostalgic yet danceable soundscape. Set against the backdrop of the pandemic and social movements in Peru, each track tells a story, featuring guest vocalists from the Peruvian independent scene, including Susana Fátima (Gomas), Noelia Cabrera (Blue Velvet, Silveria), Kat Kathia, Luxsie, Luminiscencia, Anabhell (Las Ratapunks), Laura Rosales (Solenoide), and Elva Cío (Specto Caligo). Singles No Cederé and Testamento define the project's dark and ethereal pop aesthetic. No Cederé, featuring Susana Fátima, critiques societal notions of success over an Italo disco and Hi-NRG beat. The track includes a remix by Italoconnection, the duo of Fred Ventura and Paolo Gozzetti, who take it into a hypnotic, spacey realm. Testamento, with Luminiscencia, reflects on the emotional weight of the pandemic, blending synthpop and ethereal pop. Other standout tracks include La ciudad de los incendios, a dystopian vision of Lima with dark disco rhythms, and Como la última vez, a synthpop-driven, melancholic song featuring Noelia Cabrera.

“I GOT A FEELING” was penned by Holland/Dozier/Holland for the Four Tops and first appeared on their 1966 album On Top. Great as that is – what’s not to like about the Four Tops – it is Ms. Randolph’s 1967 cover, and debut Motown recording, that stole the hearts of the emerging Northern Soul scene at the turn of the Seventies. A non-hit at the time, it has come to represent the sound that underpins and defines a Northern Soul dance record. Almost sixty years on it still fills the floor, compelling young and old to spin, stomp or shuffle to its joyous beat.

Our flip-side – “My Love Is Your Love (Forever)” – is best known by the Isley Brothers and is perhaps the most treasured of their rare soul recordings (also available from Outta Sight, SEV014). Barbara’s unreleased take was completely unknown to the scene until Universal America unleashed it as a digital download in 2015.

Barbara Randolph only released two singles for Motown on their Soul imprint. Perhaps Berry Gordy couldn’t see past her acting career? Whatever the reasoning at the time, a further 15+ songs were recorded and sadly remained in the vault until after Barbara’s passing in 2002.

The Spanish musical group Barrabás was formed and led by drummer and producer Fernando Arbex. During their successful period in the 1970s and 1980s they released several funk, rock, jazz and disco influenced titles. After a four-year break they returned by releasing their album Piel de Barrabás. The use of synthesizers increased in their energetic dance sound. The record spawned two singles, “On the road again” and “Please Mr. Reagan, Please Mr. Breznev”. The last one was promoted by a big campaign in Spain and eventually got a lot of airplay on the radio stations.

Piel de Barrabás is available as a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on flaming (yellow & orange mixed) vinyl. The package includes a lyrics sheet.

BETTY MOORER, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, first came to prominence as one of the founding members of the group the Esquires alongside her brothers Gilbert and Alvis. After almost 10-years with the group Betty left, circa 1965, and recorded one 45 for Wand Records which was released in April 1969. It was to be her parting gift to the recording industry and what a legacy! The top side, “Speed Up”, was also recorded by The Impalas later that year but it is Betty’s original and definitive version that captured the hearts and souls of the UK Northern Soul fans at the time and by the mid-Seventies had become an anthem. The B-side is no slouch either as Betty funks it up with a killer version of the Isley Brothers “It’s Your Thing”.

Demon Records is proud to reissue this album as part of the Gary Crowley’s Lost 80s project. This Classic LP
reissue is presented on double 140g translucent blue vinyl.
Blue Rondo A La Turk were a lively 6 piece British latin/jazz/pop group, formed in 1981 by singer/lyricist Chris
Sullivan, and disbanded in 1984 when several members moved on to form the hit-making band Matt Bianco.
‘Chewing The Fat ‘ is the debut album, originally released in 1982 and includes the charting singles ‘Me And
Mr. Sanchez’ and ‘Klacto Vee Sedstein’
Included in the release is a bonus LP of official remixes on vinyl for the first time.
“If there was one band I wanted to be in back in 1982 it was Blue Rondo A La Turk. Named after the classic
Dave Brubeck song, they were a bunch of sharp suited hedonists with a philosophy straight out of Spinal Tap,
have a good time, all the time! Thinking about it though they probably would have left a lightweight like me
for dead in some Soho gutter after the first couple of drinks on a night out. Known and loved for their
infectious blend of salsa, funk, pop and cool bop and swing as well as their renowned live performances, why
they didn't break through to the nations charts remains one of pop's great conundrums. But those who
knew, knew and for energy and sonic pleasure this, their debut album "Chewing The Fat" takes some beating
and I'm thrilled it's available once again on vinyl under our GC Lost 80s moniker. It really is a wonderful
reminder of their collective talent that was sadly never given time to flourish.

BLUTHARDINO, Komponist, Arrangeur und Multiinstrumentalist von MONDO SANGUE, erhebt mit DISCO VOLANTE 80 seinen Retro-Sound in völlig neue Sphären und erweitert die filmische Epik seiner Band mit Einflüssen von Soul, Funk und spacigem 80er-Jahre House. Herausgekommen ist ein vorwiegend instrumentales Producer-Debutalbum. Der groovende Retro-Cocktail eines Sound-Wizards, der hier einmal mehr ein enormes Gespür für den Sound der 70er und 80er Jahre beweist. Gesangliche Unterstützung gibt"s von Indie-Ikone FUTURE FRANZ und - erstmals auf französisch - von Bandkollegin YVY POP.

Brass Construction’s self-titled 1975 album is a important funk/soul album, which contains the classic “Movin’” (peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart). The driving rhythms and positive message showed how the band were able to create fresh songs in the days of rock and punk. The nine-piece group centred around Randy Muller and blended Caribbean, African and American music together to their stew of soul and funk music. Besides the success of “Movin’” the other album single, “Changin’”, reached the number one spot in the Hot Dance Club Play chart. This gem is essential in every soul/funk collection.

Monocle, Classic Pop and Record Collector reviews confirmed.
Attitude and Gay Times Features confirmed Bright Light Bright Light has been a staple of the international LGBTQ+ music scene for over ten years, having released three prior albums and touring as both a solo artist and has support alongside pop royalty like Elton John, Cher, Erasure, Ellie Goulding and The Scissor Sisters. He also collaborated with Elton on his 2016 banger “All In The Name” which he also performed with the music legend on The Graham Norton Show. He also collaborated with Elton on his 2016 banger “All In The Name” which he also performed with the music legend on The Graham Norton Show. For the past four years he has curated, hosted and served as the DJ for regular afternoon dance parties (which he affectionately calls the “Romy & Michele’s Saturday Afternoon Tea Dance”) at Manhattan’s Club Cumming and Brooklyn’s
C’Mon Everybody. Aside from using his music as a powerful platform for equality, he has also actively fundraised for The Trevor Project, Ali Forney Center, Hetrick-Martin Institute, ACLU, and Elton John AIDS Foundation over the years.

Johnny Tillotson burst onto the pop scene in 1959 with the classic 'Poetry In Motion' to be followed by other country flavoured biggies such as 'Send Me The Pillow You Dream On', 'Jimmy's Girl' and 'It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin' - all were hits in Britain. Born in Florida, Johnny's big break came when in 1958 he was signed to the small Nashville label, Cadence, together with another unknown act at the time - the Everly Brothers. Johnny has always regarded himself as a
country singer and many of the songs featured here are his own compositions recorded at the height of his career. His style is remarkable in that it has blended the best of country and pop qualities without losing the validity of the basic essentials of either. He had his own style and he has held on to it without making any concessions to a fickle industry that swings from one personality to another at the drop of a needle. We hope you'll enjoy this album of his best recording

CANDY & THE KISSES burst onto the Northern Soul scene with their first single, and all-time classic, “The 81” co-written and produced by the late, great, Jerry Ross. A number of their songs have found favour over the years including “Out On The Streets Again” and the rare promo B-side “Tonight’s The Night”, and now our OVO… “Are You Trying To Get Rid Of Me Baby”. This storming unreleased dancer first came to our attention courtesy of Kent Records and their 1986 Magic Touch album. The song was originally known by the Crystals on U.A. which has grown in popularity and value in recent times.
VALERIE SIMPSON is better known as one half of music bis. royalty Ashford & Simpson who need little introduction. She co-wrote our topside and “Mr Creator” which she demos here to great effect. The song was taken up by The Apollas on Warner Bros. and went on to become a Northern Soul all-time classic.

Carol Douglas is an American singer known for her contributions to the disco music scene in the 1970s.

During this time, she was signed with Bob Reno's Midland Records where she recorded a string of successful hits, including “Doctor’s Orders”.

This new compilation record showcases the best of Reno's four-to-the-floor 70s productions and remixes, remastered and pressed on fluorescent pink vinyl.

Bliss, the latest release of french producer Cezaire is an 8 tracks project blending hip-hop, funk and soul sounds.

Chelsea Wilson is a Melbourne based vocalist, songwriter, broadcaster and producer. Her highly anticipated new album “Chasing Gold” sees Chelsea move into rare-groove territory, fusing her love of early disco, epic pop and jazz. Produced by ARIA nominated composer/ bassist Ross McHenry (The Shaolin Afronauts), the album features lush string orchestration arranged by Ross Irwin (The Bamboos) and backing vocals by Jason Heerah and Thando. The debut single “Real Love” has garnered international airplay including spins on BBC6, Delite Radio, Starpoint, Mi-Soul and Jazz FM in the UK, hitting #12 on the UK Soul Chart.

Ches Was born in Barbados, and from that faraway small group of islands comes this outstanding piece of Caribbean Soul. Like many of the artists we love, Ches had his fair share of travels and troubles. He dedicated his whole life to music pursuing that ideal of living by the dream we all keep sticking to when it comes to soul music. After the teenage years spent listenting to the sound of the American Black Music legends of the times, whose frequencies made it to the radio stations in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, he decided to pack up and go big studying music in New York City thus finding he was gifted with songwriting, where he always puts soul, jazz and a touch of reggae music. Wirl label (West Indies Record Ltd.) was his recording home with which he released a number of tunes both solo and with his band The Outfits. He then traveled far and wide, spending a couple of years in Canada (another proof of Canada’s music industry solid ties with the sound from the islands), eventually ending up where Funk Investigators’ patrol member Yann Vatiste has found him and secured the license for this release. Stay tuned for more tales about this man, he might be closer to you than you think.

The greatest hits of Nile Rodgers & Chic live at Paradiso on double vinyl. Includes the worldwide classic titles Everybody Dance, I Want Your Love, Upside Down, We Are Family, Le Freak, Good Times and many others. As always with Chic, the sound is excellent and music is just perfect!

"In 1996, Chic embarked on a global tour to celebrate their triumphant return to the stage. Dubbed the “Chic-ism Tour,” it was named after their latest album. The tour made a memorable stop in Japan at the iconic Budokan Stadium. This legendary concert featured guest stars Slash (from Guns N’ Roses), Sister Sledge, and Steve Winwood. Unfortunately, it marked Chic’s final performance as their partner, Nile Rodgers’ partner, Bernard Edwards, passed away the day after this recording"

Warm launch their new reissue label RE:WARM on Record
Store Day by heading south of the equator with a New
Zealand 7” double-header!
Dalvanius and the Fascinations’ “Voodoo Lady” from 1977
which originally was swept aside as a b-side takes over one
side. A perfect slice of south pacific disco to set any dance
floor alight. Whilst on the flip, Golden Harvests’ AOR vocal
gem “I Need Your Love” from 1978 will immediately get stuck
in your head wherever you might go. Over the past eighteen
months’ Warm’s Ali Tillett and Micky Browne have been
discussing records and sharing insights into each other’s
record collections. Off the back of this RE:WARM is born as an
outlet to showcase music from both their collections that they
felt deserved to be revisited and shared with the world as a
lot of it had previously been overlooked or worse still,
undiscovered.

Born Bangalter in 1947, Daniel Vangarde is a French songwriter and producer. In 1967, he met Jean Kluger who became his publisher. In the 1970s, their tandem stood out in those fields, for a plethora of popular French artists such as Petula Clark, Claude François, Joe Dassin, Dalida, Régine, Sheila and Ringo. 1975 saw the birth of Vangarde’s label, Zagora, and his first and only solo LP. Later on, Vangarde and Kluger were responsible for a number of hit songs by The Gibson Brothers, Ottawan and La Compagnie Créole. With or without Kluger, Vangarde also wrote and produced songs that remained underground, under several monikers (Starbow, Who’s Who, Soul Iberica Band, Yamasuki, Rocky & Vandella…) and for various artists. Let’s open these incredible cosmic disco funk vaults! Available on Double Vinyl (featuring 2 exclusive tracks) & CD .