daydreaming

Some evenings, after a glass of wine or two, it's quite easy to find myself stuck in a YouTube k-hole. On rare occasions, such mindless web maneuvers turn up pure gold.

Last night, I had one such experience trawling through video clips on the interwebs. Apparently, about a year ago, Nick Laird-Clowes, the man with the most fabulous name in the history of pop - next to Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot (Google that shizzy, children) - emerged from the mist with a new song.

The leader of The Dream Academy premiered "Mayday" on "The Guardian" website in May 2009 and made it available for download. He even lensed a low budget video for the spry, politically bent tune.



Great to have him back! I don't know how this song avoided being picked up on my radar for so long.

"Mayday" was written with Pink Floyd powerhouse Dave Gilmour who produced TDA's debut elpee. News of a proper solo album has been floating about and it looks like the fruits of Mr. Laird-Clowes' labor will see the light of day next year. Huzzah! He's been away far too long.

As the long shadow of John Lennon's 70th birthday continues to cloak the world, it reminds me of, appropriately enough, "Love", one of The Dream Academy's last singles. In fact, the Lennon cover was the first single from their third and final longplayer, the sumptuous "A Different Kind Of Weather".



Hare krishna, ladies and gents!

electro stigmata

The promotional campaign for "History Of Modern" continues unabated with the release of second single, "Sister Marie Says". Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark have lensed a typically meaningful video with the requisite religious imagery associated with the song.



It appears Andy and Paul opted out of appearing in this one. Surely, they could have shot a simple performance in a schoolyard and cut it into various parts of the vid. Admittedly, I am a child of the original age of music video. Pardon me, if I'm a bit of a purist. Forgive me, if I go astray.

a better bet

Everyone's favorite Aussie pop rocket has thrown a little spanner in the works. Rather than plucking the title track of her current longplayer as her next single, Kylie Minogue has opted for the Nerina Pallot track, "Better Than Today". It was always rumored to be a single considering Kylie premiered it on last year's tour of North America.

No word on whether a re-released edition of "Aphrodite" will appear at the front end of next year when the self-proclaimed showgirl launches her "Les Folies" tour across Europe.

Second single, "Get Outta My Way", underperformed considering the massive television and press promotion around it. It certainly deserved better than a #12 placing in the UK singles chart.

Personally, I think they waited too long after the success of "All The Lovers". By the end of November, Kylie should've been up to the fourth single from "Aphrodite". Then a new song for a proposed, deluxified reworking of the album would've made sense after they had squeezed every last promotional effort from the original issue.

Remixes of "Better Than Today" have been completed by 7th Heaven. More reswizzling is to be expected from a few other production teams in the coming weeks.

unlock that funky chain dance

The mighty electronic funk collection, Heaven 17, are about to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut, "Penthouse And Pavement". I do believe I feel a bit faint. How could thirty years have slipped through the ether so quickly?

Next month, to mark the occasion, H17 are about to launch a tour of the UK where they will play the entire album in a live setting for the very first time ever! I would sell a testicle to attend those shows. Unfortunately, in the wake of opening a brand new business, I won't have any time in my schedule to travel across the great Atlantic. Sad face, indeed.

A few days ago, Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory appeared on "Later...With Jools Holland" for a brief bit of promotion in the run up to the soon-to-be-released, expanded edition of "Penthouse And Pavement". Check out their performance of "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" where these electro gentlement show the children how it's done!



Is there a better interviewer for musicians than Jools Holland?

During the evening, as they mentioned in their short interview, they played their signature tune, "Temptation", which, in fact, appeared on "The Luxury Gap", the follow up to "P&P".



It appears H17 have resurrected the original version of "Temptation" for their live, electro extravaganza rather than perform the Brothers In Rhythm production that saw the song revisit the UK charts in 1992.

My brain is exploding like a hamster in a microwave just thinking about how amazing the "Penthouse And Pavement" shows are gonna be.

Before I soil myself, here's the tracklisting for the forthcoming expanded edition of the groundbreaking elpee which is scheduled to hit the "shops" on November 22. The original album reached #14 on the UK album chart way back in 1981.

"Penthouse And Pavement"

CD 1

1. (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
2. Penthouse And Pavement
3. Play To Win
4. Soul Warfare
5. Geisha Boys And Temple Girls
6. Let's All Make A Bomb
7. The Height Of The Fighting
8. Song With No Name
9. We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time

CD 2

1. Penthouse And Pavement (Original Demo)
2. (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (Original Demo)
3. Play To Win (Original Demo Instrumental)
4. Soul Warfare (Original Demo)
5. Are Everything (Original Demo)
6. BEF Ident (Alternate Version)
7. Decline Of The West (Alternate Version)
8. Rise Of The East (Alternate Version)
9. Music To Kill Your Parents By (Alternate Version)
10. Uptown Apocalypse (Alternate Version)
11. A Baby Called Billy (Alternate Version)
12. Rhythmic Experiment 1
13. Rhythmic Experiment 2
14. Boys Of Buddha Experiment
15. At The Height Of The Fighting (Original Rhythm Track)
16. Rhythmic Loop Experiment
17. Funky Experiment
18. Song Experiment
19. Heavy Drum Experiment
20. Play To Win (Original Demo with Vocals)

The first disc features the original album. The second disc includes twenty - count 'em! - previously unreleased tracks. A DVD featuring this year's BBC documentary on the band will also be included. The entire re-issue has been lovingly curated by Martyn Ware and promises to be an electro delight. Absolutely brillopads!

together we're blazing

And so the leaks begin! The full version of "Together", the new single from Pet Shop Boys from their forthcoming hits collection, "Ultimate", has hit the interwebs.



It's an electro waltz! The chorus is anthemic. The verses are a bit anemic. But that's all on just the first two listens after a very long day.

"Together" is a bit sparse in the arrangement. Nothing grand about it. A simple, straightforward pop song with very few clever bits. However, do believe the bass synth bit around the 1.14 mark reminds me of "Killer" by Seal.

Stacked up against the 18 classics on "Ultimate", "Together" has a lot to live up to. Still, Chris and Neil write perfect tunes for power pop people.

On the surface, the song sounds a bit uplifting. Upon closer inspection of the lyrics, a dark element is revealed. I try not to interpret lyrics. Songs can evolve on their own and mean different things at various times.

However, the cover art for the single, a pair of handcuffs, hints at the clever lyrical turns hidden beneath the clean, electro sheen of the production. Perhaps it has something to do with relationships between political or financial associates who work "together" in order to scale greater heights despite anyone - include each other - that might get in the way of their ambitions. Something sinister this way comes, kittens!

Róisín and the Celtic queen

Róisín Murphy has taken some time away from the spotlight to have a baby. After the amazingness of her previous longplayer, "Overpowered", her coterie of rabid fans hoped she would follow it up soon(ish).

Unfortunately, she left her label. However, during her pregnancy, she tossed out few jams without committing to a full length elpee. The idea of promotion was off the table while she was with child. We got the quirky "Orally Fixated". Then she presented the funkiness of "Momma's Place". Both were a little more raw than expected, but they showed her insistence on making quality dance records.

Róisín has been threatening us with a third track, "Demon Lover", for a while. Apparently, it's a blazing tune. I guess we must wait a little longer to hear it. In the meantime, she recorded to tracks on Crookers' album, "Tons Of Friends", which was released earlier this year.

Now, Róisín lends her golden throat to a new track from Mason's debut album, "They Are Among Us". "Boadicea" is a throbbing electro number that wouldn't have felt out of place on "Overpowered".



No word on when "Boadicea" or its parent album will be released.

In certain parts, "Boadicea" reminds me a bit of "I Travel" from Simple Minds.

I smell a mash-up!

FYI, Boadicea was the queen of a Celitc tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire. Thank you, Wikipedia. They explained it much more succinctly then I ever could. My Roman history is a bit hazy after remaining dormant for nearly two decades.

one hit to the body

Robyn is a clever, little minx. She switched things up on us when we weren't looking.

The third installment of her "Body Talk" series is, in fact, a compilation of ten tracks from the two previous volumes with five new songs added to the tracklisting.

Furthermore, the elpee is simply titled "Body Talk". No suffix. No mention of a third part. Somehow I feel cheated. Maybe it's my expectations getting in the way.

The running order for "Body Talk" was revealed today along with the colorful artwork and curious design style typically associated with the series.

1. Fembot
2. Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do
3. Dancing On My Own
4. Indestructible
5. Time Machine
6. Love Kills
7. Hang With Me
8. Call Your Girlfriend
9. None Of Dem
10. We Dance To The Beat
11. U Should Know Better
12. Dance Hall Queen
13. Get Myself Together
14. In My Eyes
15. Stars 4-Ever

Still no studio version of "Hyperballad" or "Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart". Missed opportunities, my Swedish sex kitten! Instead of adding all the previously released material, I think Robyn should have recorded the two covers and an acoustic version of "Dancing On My Own". That would've brought everything full circle.

I know what you're thinking. I am a marketing genius and Robyn should bring me in as a consultant for a big stack of cash. So glad we're on the same page.

It also appears that Robyn will be recording more new music in between her scheduled tours throughout the next year. Sounds like she's on a creative jag. Huzzah! But remember, darling - quality not quantity. Just make it bangin', babe.

Hurts stay stylish

Everyone's favorite, moody duo, Hurts, have unveiled the cover art for "Stay", the third single plucked from their debut longplayer, "Happiness".



I have a question. How come the artwork for their single sleeves are gorgeous yet the album cover looks like someone was practicing their newly acquired Photoshop skills?

Look for "Stay" to hit all fine "shops" on November 12 as a digital download and two CD singles.

If they wanna do it up right, they'll put all the mixes on the second CD while adding their sophisticated cover of Kylie Minogue's "Confide In Me" on the first one. They can pay me for that bit of genius when the single crashes out in the lower end of the UK top 40.

testicular torture

Now that I've got your attention with the title of my latest post, I would like to point out that Scissor Sisters are absolutely, mindblowingly brilliant!

Please note Exhibit A for further proof. Dave Grohl is suing ver Scissters.

I think I peed a little.

synths and sin

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark have announced "Sister Marie Says" as the second single from their current longplayer, "History Of Modern". Smart lads! It's the Liverpudlian combo's most obvious single choice.

As well as some nifty b-sides, "Sister Marie Says" will come packaged with some top shelf remixes from Monarchy, Kinky Roland and Mirrors. Monarchy are fresh from remixing, "White Knuckle Ride", the latest single from Jamiroquai. Kinky Roland twiddled the knobs on Boy George's forthcoming elpee, "Ordinary Alien". And Mirrors are about to head off to support OMD on their European tour.

Sounds like another amazing single package from Andy and Paul. A video for the single has been lensed. It is scheduled to hit the interwebs next week. Huzzah!

sirens sing and swim in sound

Clips from the new Bryan Ferry longplayer, "Olympia", are turning up everywhere, children.

Here's a brief look inside the bonus DVD that comes with the deluxe edition of the album. This clip brings the listener inside the studio during the recording sessions for "Song To The Siren" which was originally recorded by Tim Buckley on "Starsailor", his elpee from 1970.



Sweet baby jeezus! Johnny Greenwood, Nile Rodgers and David Gilmour all on one song? Guitar gods ahoy!

The promotion for this album has had an unusually long lead time. Still, there hasn't been one leak. Information has been drip fed along the way since last May.

Not many artists or the "people" with whom they surround themselves have the kind of measured patience required for a solid publicity campaign in these interwebbed days of instant gratification. Kudos to Team Ferry!

diva deluxe

Here's a tasteful look at the gorgeous deluxe edition of "Olympia", the forthcoming longplayer from Bryan Ferry.



Sorry, I drooled a little bit. Let me clean up after myself.

crying at the discotheque

As if by magic, "Indestructible", the new single from Robyn, has appeared on the interwebs.



Another tear stained, dancefloor epic! Not quite as special as "Dancing On My Own" and "Hang With Me", but still lovely and moving.

"Indestructible" will hit the "shops" on November 15, followed two weeks later by its parent album, "Body Talk Pt. 3".

Theo, Adam and the sirens of the sea

Single number three, "Stay", is about the be unleashed by melodramatic, English duo, Hurts. The song is accompanied by a production of epic proportions. I believe they call it bombast.

What did Theo and Adam do on their summer hols? They lensed a video for "Stay" at the seaside with beautiful women draped in gauze linens. How sophisticated.



Those boys are so moody. Crack a smile, lads. By the look of things, I think they may have watched one too many Ultravox vids.

"Stay" is another massive sounding tune. Their debut longplayer, "Happiness", is full of them. I suggest you splash a little cash for a copy. Totally worth it.

this is hardcore

Well, it really comes as no surprise. Swedish siren, Robyn, has announced the release of "Indestructible" as the first single from "Body Talk Pt. 3". The song appears in acoustic form at the close of "Body Talk Pt. 2". She did the same with "Hang With Me", the first single from the second installment of the "Body Talk" series after it appeared acoustically on part one. She's a clever minx.

"Indestructible" will be released on November 22 followed by its parent elpee one week later. The final edition of the "Body Talk" trilogy will feature fifteen tracks. In a little twist, it will only including five new songs. The other ten tracks will be culled from parts one and two. That's a bit of a swindle. The five new tunes better be superior nuggets of pop amazingness.

I think lady Robyn should have included studio recordings of "Hyperballad" by Björk and "Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart" by Alicia Keys, both of which she performed live this year. It certainly would've made for a more compelling purchase than sticking previous released material on "Body Talk Pt. 3".

teasing together

Have you heard the sneaky little teaser clip for Pet Shop Boys' new single, "Together"? If you have not, now you don't have any excuses.



Electro in three quarter time! It could only happen here.

Just a little reminder that "Together" will be released on two shiny CDs and one invisible, digital file bundle on November 29.

genetic re-engineering

Messrs. McCluskey and Humphries have resurrected the OMD moniker and their collaborative relationship. "History Of Modern" is the first fruits of their labor since they reconvened five years ago and sees Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark return with the bristling, electronic, three minute(ish) pop symphonies that became their calling card 30 years ago.

Instead of trading on past glories, OMD has lovingly constructed a new chapter about their love affairs with art, architecture, science, technology, machinery, friendships and heartbreak. The CD is split into two sections, sides one and two, which are intended to recreate the vinyl sequencing experience of an album.

Side one of their eleventh longplayer starts off rather unexpectedly with opener, "New Babies: New Toys". A driving, hollow, fuzz bass rips from the speakers followed by a stadium sized synth riff. In fact, it almost sounds more like 1979 with its somewhat aggressive, slightly punkish bravado. Andy cuts right through with a snarling, distorted vocal.

Finally, when the full scope of the lyrics has been revealed, it's pretty clear OMD are less than thrilled with the current state of the pop music landscape. Featured lyric:

There’s no heaven
There’s no hell
Cream will float
But shit will sell
Step aside
Avoid the smell
I surrender
Ring the bell

It has a youthful and deeply sincere quality to it without Andy coming across like someone's curmudgeonly father. In fact, his voice has the effervescence and vitality of someone in their twenties.

He follows that sentiment with the following:

They don’t want you
They don’t need you
They just use you
They just bleed you

Scathing! Andy knows a thing or two about the more manufactured side of pop music. He was the brain behind Atomic Kitten who had a #1 hit in the UK with “Whole Again” during the peak of Girl Power. Zeitgeist in a bottle, my friends!

Side note, OMD never climbed higher than #3 on the charts. They hit it twice - first with "Souvenir" in 1981 and then again, ten years later, with "Sailing On The Seven Seas".

The first single plucked from "History Of Modern" is "If You Want It". It's a pleasant song with a big chorus and trademark, angelic, choral vocal samples which, if memory serves me correctly, were originally derived from a mellotron.

The song is definitely from the blueprint of late period OMD hits like "Walking On The Milky Way", which is ironic considering most of the album has more to do with their electronic beginnings. However, it stands on its own as a fine addition to the band's singles output.



Next up are two different tracks called "History Of Modern". Labeled in two parts, part one hearkens back to the band's earlier, Kraftwerk inspired sound. In fact, Kraftwerk, the foundation that formed part their original manifesto over 30 years ago, remains a sonic touchstone throughout the album.

Part two of the song begins with the chime of church bells followed by warm, rich synth pads and tinkly keyboards. It's a fine example of their mid-period style - an epic and achingly beautiful beat ballad which grows over the course of the song. Definitely a contender for single release. Not sure how the two parts lock together. Hopefully, a few more listening will reveal their connection.

"Sometimes" channels mid-period OMD once again with operatic voices, sparkling keyboards, and a sweet chorus melody sung by in a creaky voice which reminds me of "La Femme Accident" from their excellent "Crush" album.

Kraftwerk are invoked once more as "RFWK" - shorthand for Ralf, Florian, Wolfgang and Karl, the members of Deutchland's coolest keyboard clan - begins with a pulsing, "Neon Lights" inspired intro and builds into another grand and glorious synth anthem. A touching and passionately delivered tribute to a group that has meant so much to Andy and Paul since they were first introduced to their machine music as Liverpudlian teenagers.

"RFWK" segues immediately into the eerie and fragile “New Holy Ground”, possibly one of the most beautiful and haunting songs in their cannon. The rhythm track is based around the sound of hard heeled steps walking down a long corridor. Accompanied by little more than a cello sample and light piano figure, the steps travel around the recording as if to be coming and going from various directions. With one last step, side one comes to a close.

Surprises abound as OMD travel down a more Moroder-esque road with “The Past, The Present, And The Future” which leads side two of "History Of Modern". If this was the mid-80s, this would be one of five possible singles from the elpee. It begins and ends with the rhythm of a steam engine. Yet another of many self-referential moment as it conjures up memories of "Locomotion", a #5 hit in the UK in 1984. It was also the lead single from "Junk Culture", their superior pop return after the career diverting, experimentation of "Dazzle Ships".

Then comes the obvious single moment. “Sister Marie Says” clearly bites off the synth riff from “Enola Gay”, twists it in its mouth and spits it out as the most quintessential OMD track on "History Of Modern". It's a song that started its life in 1981. However it was discarded at the time for sounding too much like OMD. Lyrics were added to it in the early 90s, but it was shelved again for the same reasons it was a decade earlier. Finally, after more than twenty years, the song finds its rightful place on an OMD album. As Andy has pointed out in numerous interviews, if anyone has a right to sound like OMD, it's them.

Next up is a bit of an oddity for Andy and Paul. Coming across like "White Horse" by Laid Back, "Pulse" is a sleazy track in which Andy sings the verses in low, slurred, breathy, erotic tones as clap happy drum programming and rolling synth bass lines drive the track forward. Certainly, a grower, but after a few listens it has wormed its way into my subconscious. I find myself shouting the chorus and shaking my posterior whenever the song pops up on my trusty iPod. An unexpected pleasure. The song, not my dance moves.

The tempo slows down for "Green" and "Bondage Of Fate", two more plaintive beat ballads. The former was originally written for inclusion on one of the later OMD releases but was never committed to release. Written with Andy McCluskey's co-conspiritor, Stuart Kershaw, who co-wrote many of Atomic Kitten's hits, "Green" was resurrected during the songwriting process for the new longplayer. It was given to Paul Humphreys who deconstructed and reconfigured the song into another singleworthy moment on "History Of Modern".

"Bondage Of Fate" starts out a bit like a sister to "Souvenir". It builds over a waltz time signature with the requisite choirboy samples until half way through when it explodes into a glorious crescendo of sound. Immediately afterward, it crashes out and quietly fades to the end with some softly sung female vocals.

Rounding out side two of this digital platter finds the lads returning to Kraftwerk territory with "The Right Side?" The chorus is a sung like a hymn over a backing track that bares a passing resemblance to another OMD single, "Talking Loud And Clear". As with most tracks on the album, it's presented with a knowing wink without ever ripping themselves off. Toward the end of this eight minute opus, just as you think the song has ended, it bleeds back into the speakers and builds back up toward its close.

As a bonus, OMD added their mash up of their own "Messages" with "Save Me" by Aretha Franklin. It's been going down a storm at the discotheques. The icy synths Quite an unusual addendum to their album, but it's rumored that Andy McCluskey is a mash up fan.



Let's face facts. When bands return or reunite after a lengthy hiatus, it's best if expectations are kept low. However, nearly everyone has embraced the return of OMD with open arms and ears. And for good reason. It's another solid effort and fits nicely alongside their entire discography.

"History of Modern" entered the UK album chart last week at #28. Germany, always suckers for the sound of a synth, awarded Andy and Paul by placing the elpee at #5. Life is a sawtooth wave, old chum.

together forever

Together, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe slide into the 25th anniversary of "West End Girls", Pet Shop Boys' very first hit, with their 43rd single, "Together". It all comes full circle, kittens. Actually, - (Did you see what I just did there?) - it's their 42nd if you don't count "Absolutely Fabulous".

"Together" will hit the "shops" on November 29 across two CD singles and a digital bundle. Each configuration will feature a few little added gems. You can always count on PSB to deliver the goods.

There will be the requisite mixes of the lead track as well as an extended version. How very 80s of them. They are one of the few acts that still produces an extended excursion on the version for their singles. However, they did go off them a bit in 90s when it was de rigueur to issue dull, soulless dance remixes that had SFA to do with the original recording. Thank goodness they came to their senses in the naughties.

Also included in the single "package" will be two covers. First up is "Glad All Over" which was originally a hit for The Dave Clark Five way back in 1963. It hit #1 in the UK and #6 on American shores. Apparently, the song has become a footie terrace anthem for Blackpool FC. "Glad All Over", like "Together", is produced by ex-Xenomania knob twiddler, Tim Powell.

The other cover is "I Cried For Us", which was originally recorded by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Kate is the mother of Rufus Wainwright. Neil sang the song at Kate's memorial concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London last June. PSB produced a studio version which was mixed by Pete Gleadall.

There you have it.

don't stop the dance

With less than a month to go before he releases his thirteenth, solo longplayer, "Olympia", Bryan Ferry tosses out a trippy video for "Shameless", a slinky and seductive number which has a more dance oriented feel than the first single, "You Can Dance". Let's have a look. Shall we?



Amazing what you can do on a small budget these days. For some reason the song reminds me a bit of "Both Ends Burning" by Roxy Music which is not a bad thing at all.

If the song sounds familiar, that's because it originally turned up in a different form on Groove Armada's recent elpee, "Black Light". Compare and contrast.



The promotional campaign leading up to the release of "Olympia" has been a bit unorthodox. But that's the norm rather than the exception these days. The first fruits of Mr. Ferry's labor started out on the dancefloors of continental Europe with the DJ Hell collab, "U Can Dance". Then it was released in the UK as a solo single back in August with the slightly re-modeled title, "You Can Dance", which was re-made for "Olympia".

Simultaneously, Mr. Ferry appeared on the Groove Armada album, which suggested he was moving in a more dance oriented direction. With the new version of "Shameless" having been given the vidular treatment, it seems a bit odd when it appears that the second, official single from his new album seems to be "Heartache By Numbers" which starts out a bit like something by The Killers. Not surprising when you take into consideration that it's the suave and sophisticated singer's collab with Scissor Sisters.

get set with the jet set

There are few things more gruelling than the flight from NYC to LA. The long security lines. The surly flight attendants. The tiny seats which make you feel like herded cattle.

However, five hours of timezone hydroplaning allows me the opportunity to catch up on some new(ish) music. There was no better way to spend part of my journey than listening to "Reconnected Live", the audio documentation of Alison Moyet's return to the concert stage as one half of Yazoo. Together with Vince Clark, she circumnavigated the globe bringing joy to those of us that thought any pairing was only ever going to be the stuff of dreams.

The collection even includes an unreleased track from 1983. "Get Set" is the holy grail of Yazoo rarities and it finally sees the light of day. This previously elusive track is a typically bouncy, electro retro number which fits in perfectly with the entirety of Yazoo's recorded output. It was originally recorded as the theme for the UK television show "Get Ready For Summer".

Unfortunately, it's only featured as a bonus track on the iTunes download configuration of the album. Not sure why labels insist on doing this. Surely, their fanbase would prefer its inclusion on the CD.

Alison Moyet has been keeping quite busy lately. This week, she made a guest appearance at The Buggles' show in London. It was their first ever live performance, and they played their debut longplayer, "The Age Of Plastic", from top to tail. Of course, with Trevor Horn's pedigree, they played a few other Horn related nuggets.

Alison, looking slim and sexy, sang a couple of tunes including Yazoo's "Only You" backed by Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes and their impressive group of musicians. Highlight of the evening had to be Alison stepping in for Grace Jones on "Slave To The Rhythm". No easy task considering Grace's formidable presence, but Alison's powerful pipes certainly compliment the immense production of the song.

This isn't the best visual representation of her take on "Slave To The Rhythm", but it's the only clip of it uploaded to YouTube, so far. I don't think it's possible she could sound more amazing.



As if that wasn't enough, the remastered reissues of Alison's first four solo albums should hit the "shops" shortly. Haven't heard a peep about them since they were announced earlier this year. It would be in Sony's best interest to get them out while her profile is high.

Lastly, Alison is working on a new album with Guy Sigsworth at the helm. Amazeballs in the making!