Have we lost what it takes to advance?

Such is the question posed in "Sleeping Satellite" as covered by Kim Wilde on her latest album, "Snapshots", a collection of her fave raves. It does make you wonder about the validity of such a project. What is the motivation? Laziness? Lack of inspiration? No faith in original material? Just good fun?

Whatever the reason, at least KW has taken the opportunity to record some unexpected covers. And now, as part of an old fashioned double a-side single, Kim has decided to release "Sleeping Satellite" alongside "It's Alright".

She spent a few euros on a video, too. Amazing that she was able to squeeze out some cash from the label for two clips!



Love those retro looking, fingerless, black lace gloves!

And here's the original from Tasmin Archer which was a #1 hit in the UK way back in 1992.



The full, official tracklisting for "Snapshots" includes the following fourteen nuggets.

1. It's Alright (originally recorded by East 17)
2. In Between Days (originally recorded by The Cure)
3. About You Now (originally recorded by Sugababes)
4. Sleeping Satellite (originally recorded by Tasmin Archer)
5. To France (originally recorded by Mike Oldfield)
6. A Little Respect (originally recorded by Erasure)
7. Remember Me (originally recorded by Diana Ross)
8. Anyone Who Had A Heart (originally recorded by Cilla Black)
9. Wonderful Life (originally recorded by Black)
10. They Don't Know (originally recorded by Kirsty MacColl)
11. Beautiful Ones (originally recorded by Suede)
12. Just What I Needed (originally recorded by The Cars)
13. Ever Fallen In Love (originally recorded by The Buzzcocks)
14. Kooks (originally recorded by David Bowie)

it's alright

Oh, dear. Over the last twenty years, there are two words the mere mention of which strike fear in the hearts of music lovers - "covers album". And now, thirty years into her career, everybody's favorite love blonde, Kim Wilde, has decided to fondle her favorite tunes and put them on display with her twelfth longplayer, "Snapshots".

One of the nice surprises about the first single plucked from Kim's new elpee is that it isn't an obvious choice.



Well, it doesn't blow me away but it's alright. Literally. KW has reached back into the 90s for some inspiration in the shape of "It's Alright", an anthemic choon originally recorded by East 17. It was a #3 hit in the UK singles chart way back in 1993. That's nearly twenty years ago for those that feel like counting.

If you look closely at the video, you will see Kim's brother, Rick, on keys and Nick Beggs, member of Kajagoogoo, on bass. Oh, the life of a trainspotter.

Here's the original hit by Brian Harvey and co.



Nice hats, lads.

I'm not a fan of covers albums, but I quite like her "interpretation" of the East 17 "classic". Good thing she left out the rap in the middle eight.

Of course, KW is no stranger to cover versions. Her stellar rendition of "You Keep Me Hangin' On", a hit in the 60s and 70s by The Supremes and Vanilla Fudge, respectively, was revived by Kim in the 80s. She hit #2 in the UK with it in 1986 and then topped the US singles chart with it the following year.



"Snapshots" will be available from all fine "shops" on August 21.

Wilde life

Kim Wilde is a lovely creature. Happy to have her amongst the "pop"ulation once again.

On November 19, she will release "Real Life", the second single from her current longplayer, "Come Out And Play".

While we wait for the video to be produced to perfection, Kim stopped by one of Germany's most popular programs to perform an acoustic version of her latest platter.



She is a charming thing, indeed! Glad to see her trademark pout is still in place.

the lowdown on Kim Wilde

Just yesterday, I was blathering on about artists that get a warm reception on the European continent, but are somehow snubbed by radio in the UK.

After the success of the album, "Never Say Never", Kim Wilde contemplated the possibility of it being a single moment rather than a return to former glories. Four years on, it seems the time is right for Kim to release her latest offering, "Come Out And Play", which will hit the "shops" on August 27. The first single, "Lights Down Low", is garnering lots of favorable attention.

The new album is receiving widespread press and interest in Germany much like its predecessor. However, like her previous longplayer, it won't see the light of day in the UK. A little strange considering KW has played hundreds of show across her homeland over the last half decade.

It seems the UK music scene is becoming more insular much in the way the US has been for over a decade. It should be pointed out that an artist signed in one territory doesn't mean it can automatically be picked up in another by the same or sister label. That's why a lot of albums don't get released outside the territory from which they were signed.

In the US, an album or artist from overseas costs more in royalties paid out to the local company where their deal was signed. So it's more fiscally responsible to promote an act in the territories where they were signed. On top of this, the cost of mounting a promotional campaign for an act signed in another country double or triple depending on the length and scope of it.

All technical BS aside, let's take a look at the video Kim lensed for her brand new single, "Lights Down Low". Sonically, it's a return to a more muscular, rock sound accompanied by gritty synth lead lines which is more in line with where started nearly 30 years ago.

pout and play

Love blonde and perfect pouter, Kim Wilde, is about to return with "Come Out And Play", her eleventh longplayer and the follow up to "Never Say Never" which was released in 2006.

First single is "Lights Down Low", a muscular, rockin' number with some electro flashes throughout to keep things au current. Let's take a listen.



The single will hit the "shops" on August 13 with the album to follow shortly thereafter.

Best of all, Kim collaborates with two of her 80s contemporaries. She shares the mic with Glenn Gregory from Heaven 17 on "Greatest Journey" and Nik Kershaw on "Love Conquers All.

I'm super jazzed about the Nik Kershaw pairing. I clearly remember loving the sound of their combined voices on "Let It Be", the Ferry Aid single from 1987. I always thought they would work together immediately after that charity project. Sadly, it was not be. Glad they finally got around to it. Huzzah!

The following is the tracklisting for "Come Out In Play".

1. King Of The World
2. Lights Down Low
3. Real Life
4. Greatest Journey
5. I Want What I Want
6. Love Conquers All
7. Hey! You!
8. Suicide
9. This Paranoia
10. Loving You More
11. Get Out
12. My Wish Is Your Command
13. Jessica

Wilde times revisited

I've always had a soft spot for Kim Wilde. She's had an odd trajectory for a pop career. She has flitted through different styles, more than occasionally landing on solid gold. Some of her best efforts received little fanfare in her homeland while becoming wildly (pardon the pun) successful in other parts of the world.

Of course, a certain Ms. Ciccone would continually raise the bar for female stars of the pop variety. This provided a challenge for Kim in order to avoid comparisons in the middle of the Madonna zeitgeist.

After three moderately successful elpees and eight chart singles with RAK, Kim Wilde moved over to MCA. She resided there for the remainder of her career through the 80s and 90s with varying degrees of success.

Now, after reissuing her self-titled debut, sophomore longplayer, "Select" and fan favorite, "Catch As Catch Can", with a lorry load of bonus tracks, Cherry Red are turning their attention to Kim's first two MCA releases, "Teases & Dares" and "Another Step".

In 1984, "Teases & Dares" was released to muted response. This was Kim's fourth album in as many years. The image on the sleeve was more Barbarella than new wave beauty. Even after three singles, of which only one cracked the top 20, Kim, along with her brother, Ricky, who penned many of her hits, went back to the drawing board. Still, "Teases & Dares" performed marginally better than her final RAK release.

"The Second Time" was the first single from her MCA debut. It was retitled "Go For It" for US consumption. I remember buying the single after seeing the video for it on MTV. I remember it sounding apocalyptic at the time.



Unfortunately, it barely scraped into the top 30 in her homeland. But it turned out to be one of her biggest hits in Germany. A territory that would be good to Kim many times over the years.

Second single, "The Touch", suffered a worse fate by not even cracking the top 50 in the UK. I've never seen the video for it until this day. I can certainly see why this disco Cinderella adventure, complete with drag queens as evil stepsisters, never helped the song's chart run.



The rockabilly thump of third single, "Rage To Love", restored her chart fortunes and peaked at a respectable #19 while failing to crack the top 40 in Germany. This is a clear example of how some singles perform better in some countries while sinking without a trace in others.



The double CD, remastered reissue of "Teases & Dares" will be available through all fine "shops" and online retailers from July 19. The full tracklisting, complete with single versions, non-album b-sides and remixes, is as follows:

CD 1

Original album:

1. The Touch
2. Is It Over
3. Suburbs Of Moscow
4. Fit In
5. Rage To Love
6. The Second Time
7. Bladerunner
8. Janine
9. Shangri-La
10. Thought It Was Goodbye

B-sides, single versions and bonus recordings:

11. Lovers On A Beach
12. Shangri-La (Alternative Version)
13. Putty In Your Hands
14. Turn It On
15. The Second Time (7" Version)
16. The Touch (7" Version)
17. Rage To Love (7" Version)


CD 2

Remixes:

1. The Second Time (12" Version)
2. Lovers On A Beach (12" Version)
3. Go For It (Extended Dance Version)
4. The Touch (12" Version)
5. Shangri-La (12" Version)
6. Go For It (Dub Version)
7. Rage To Love (12" Version)
8. Shangri-La (Special Remix)
9. The Second Time (US Remix)

Kim returned to the studio in 1985, had a bit of rethink and plotted her next move with her brother. By 1986, she was ready to unleash a more dance oriented direction. The result was "Another Step".

The first single from Kim's fifth elpee was "Schoolgirl" which didn't get released in the UK. It didn't perform particularly well in Germany. It limped into the top 40 and peaked at #38. Check out her Madonna moment around the 2.25 mark.



"Schoolgirl" did decent enough business to build up into what everyone felt was the breakthrough moment for KW.

In September 1986, Kim's cover of "You Keep Me Hangin' On", one of The Supremes' many signature tunes, rocketed to the #2 position in the UK and did one better in the US the following year, becoming her only #1 hit. It sounded bang up to date which had a lot to do with the production bearing more than a passing resemblance to the popular sound of many Stock Aitken Waterman pop concoctions.



She followed "YKMHO" with "Another Step (Closer To You)", a duet with Junior who had a hit six years earlier with "Mama Used To Say".



Surprisingly, Kim wasn't able to follow up her US success. "Say You Really Want Me" fell four positions short of the top 40. In the UK, it was the third single which crept to #29.



Oddly enough, from a chart perspective, "Another Step" did not perform better than "Teases & Dares". However, it was the perfect set up for "Close", her biggest UK success which took her into the top 10 of the album chart and gave her a trio of top 10 singles - "You Came", "Never Trust A Stranger" and "Four Letter Word". Let's hope Cherry Red give "Close" the reissue treatment shortly.

In the meantime, they've given "Another Step" a good dusting down. It has been plumped up with tons of bonus tracks including no less than EIGHT versions of "Say You Really Want Me".

CD 1

Original album:

1. You Keep Me Hangin' On
2. Hit Him
3. Another Step (Closer To You)
4. The Thrill Of It
5. I've Got So Much Love
6. Victim
7. Schoolgirl
8. Say You Really Want Me
9. She Hasn't Got Time For You
10. Brothers
11. Missing
12. How Do You Want My Love
13. Don't Say Nothing's Changed

Single versions and b-sides:

14. Songs About Love
15. Loving You
16. Hold Back
17. Another Step (Closer To You) (7" Version)
18. Say You Really Want Me (7" Version)


CD 2

Remixes:

1. Schoolgirl (Head Master Mix)
2. You Keep Me Hangin' On (W.C.H. Club Mix)
3. You Keep Me Hangin' On (W.C.H. Mix)
4. Another Step (Closer To You) (Extended Mix)
5. Say You Really Want Me (Extended Version)
6. Say You Really Want Me (The Video Remix)
7. Say You Really Want Me (David Todd Remix)
8. Say You Really Want Me (Radio Edit)
9. Say You Really Want Me (Instrumental)
10. Say You Really Want Me (CHR Version)
11. Say You Really Want Me (Urban Version)
12. Megamix

It has taken more than 20 years for these albums, along with Kim's first three longplayers, to finally get a brushing up. Each one is filled with spectacularly sparkling pop moments worthy of your attention, as well as inclusion in your collection.