In Memoriam: Rap Star "Rob Base" Dies Aged 59

The legendary rap artist Rob Base, best known for the 1980s hip-hop classic "It Takes Two", has died after a bout of cancer aged 59. The musician, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, created the hit song with his musical partner DJ E-Z Rock, and it is credited with helping to take hip-hop to mainstream success in dance clubs and the pop charts.

 

Base died "surrounded by family after a private battle with cancer" on Friday, just days after his 59th birthday, according to a post on his official Instagram account. "Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives," it said. "Rob's music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world. "Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten."

 

A Harlem native, Base was part of a hip-hop duo with DJ E-Z Rock, a musical force that sprung to fame in 1988 with the release of It Takes Two. The song quickly climbed to number three on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

 

The track has been sampled by Snoop Dogg and the Black Eyed Peas, and appeared in films like the 2009 hit romantic comedy The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. It was also featured in the iconic video game series Grand Theft Auto in its San Andreas release in 2004. 

 

His partner; DJ E-Z Rock - whose real name was Rodney Bryce - died in April 2014 from diabetes related complications, aged 56. He and Base became friends in the fourth grade, according to Rolling Stone. They released their first single, DJ Interview, in 1986, before dropping their smash hit It Takes Two.

 

Base told Rolling Stone in a 2014 interview the song's creation was spontaneous and that he was shocked by its success. "With It Takes Two, we were at a friend's house and we were just going through a bunch of records," he said. "We had to go to the studio that night and we didn't have anything prepared, but we found and liked the Lyn Collins sample that night and went to the studio," Base continued. "We didn't think that it would cross over and be as big as it became.

New Music: Coming On Strong

            

Bloc Party announce their groundbreaking new album, Anatomy Of A Brief Romance, alongside releasing the first single "Coming On Strong". Produced by the legendary Trevor Horn, Anatomy Of A Brief Romance is a chronological portrait of an intoxicating love affair, from furtive first glances across the gym floor to the gut-wrenching heartbreak of a final farewell. Also is a record unlike any they have ever made before. The first single is the second track on the album, featuring a thumping beat and a woozy guitar riff, accompanied by a video directed by Charlie Pryor

New Music: Go Fuck Urself

           

Fat Dog come back swinging with '80s banger new single "Go Fuck Urself" the South London come out swinging with the  '80s-tinged "Go Fuck Urself", which centres around airy synths and pulsating electro-pop beats. "Some jokers play the same old game / No one to annoy / Find a mirror and the person to blame,” frontman Joe Love casually sings, before building to the nostalgic, tongue-in-cheek chorus: “Go and fuck yourself/ I’m going to take you all down/ before I take myself". The track is co-produced by Love alongside Oli Bayston and comes with a gritty new music video, which shows Love mentally preparing to enter the wrestling ring according to director Nine Screens.

Rocktrospectiva: Peter Gabriel's Most Accessible Yet Ambitious Work "So" Turns 40

Released on 19 May 1986 "So" was the fifth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel. After working on the soundtrack to the film Birdy, producer Daniel Lanois was invited to remain at Gabriel's Somerset home during 1985 to work on his next solo project. Initial sessions for So consisted of Gabriel, Lanois and guitarist David Rhodes, although these grew to include a number of percussionists.

Although Gabriel continued to use the pioneering Fairlight CMI digital sampling synthesizer, songs from these sessions were less experimental than his previous material. Nevertheless, Gabriel drew on various musical influences, fusing pop, soul, and art rock with elements of traditional world music, particularly African and Brazilian styles. It is Gabriel's first non-eponymous album, So representing an "anti-title" that resulted from label pressure to "properly" market his music. 

Often considered his best and most accessible album, So was an immediate commercial success and transformed Gabriel from a cult artist into a mainstream star, becoming his best-selling solo release. The album's lead single, "Sledgehammer", was promoted with an innovative animated music video and achieved particular success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and subsequently winning a record of nine MTV Video Music Awards. It was followed by four further singles, "Don't Give Up" (a duet with Kate Bush), "Big Time", "In Your Eyes", and "Red Rain".

Preparing for So, Gabriel considered Bill Laswell and Chic's Nile Rodgers as potential producers. He eventually asked his Birdy collaborator Daniel Lanois to stay at Ashcombe and work with him further. Work on the album began in earnest in February 1985, with "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" as the first song; the first six months would be spent on writing and developing song sketches. The songs were usually recorded in the studio with Gabriel, Lanois and guitarist David Rhodes playing together to a drum machine, based on an idea or chord structure Gabriel had. Lanois recalled they had "a nice starting point [as] in that kind of scenario, it's not a good idea to have a lot of people around because you get nervous that you're wasting other people's time".

Once they had the songs' foundations, bass and drums were overdubbed - primarily with Tony Levin, and Manu Katché, respectively. According to Lanois, he usually liked "to capture as much of the live playing as possible in any session, but these [sessions] were really the reverse... It was like overdubbing the rhythm section on top of a demo. That was the spirit of the record."

Towards the end of recording, Gabriel became "obsessed" with the track listing and created an audio cassette of all the song's beginnings and ends to hear how the sounds blended together. He wanted to have "In Your Eyes" as the final track, but its prominent bassline meant it had to be placed earlier on the vinyl edition as there is more room for the stylus to vibrate. With later CD releases, this restriction was removed and the track was placed at the end of the album. So was completed in February 1986 and cost £200,000 to make. It was overdubbed at Power Station Studios in New York (as well as all horn section parts having been recorded there), despite Gabriel considering sending it via a computer-telephone set up, reasoning, "that's a lot of information to send via phone. Isn't it amazing though? You can send a song idea around the world to musicians then beam parts back by satellite".

So has been described as Gabriel's most commercially accessible and least experimental album, one that features pop songs and incorporates art pop and progressive pop throughout. Like his previous albums, its basis is in art rock, although on So, Gabriel develops an increased focus on melody and combines this with elements of soul and African music. Gabriel began with around 30 compositional ideas and 20 recorded tracks, which he later winnowed down to twelve songs that were "within finishing distance". The songs are highly influenced by traditional world music, particularly African and Brazilian music, with Gabriel incorporating rhythms and drum beats from these regions. 

The album opener was "Red Rain" Gabriel wanted the album to "crash open at the front". Despite disliking "metal" percussion instruments, he was persuaded by Lanois to allow the Police's Stewart Copeland to play cymbals and hi-hat on its opener, " Gabriel sangs – in his upper register, with a throaty, gravelly texture – of a destructive world with social problems such as torture and kidnapping. Next "Sledgehammer" was the final track to be conceived. Most of Gabriel's band had packed away their equipment and were ready to leave the studio, but he asked them to reassemble to quickly run through a song he had an idea for. "Sledgehammer" was partially inspired by the music of Otis Redding, and Gabriel sought out Wayne Jackson, whom Gabriel had seen on tour with Redding in the 1960s, to record horns for the track. Opened by a shakuhachi bamboo flute, its beat is dominated by brass instruments, particularly Jackson's horn, and features lyrics abundant with sexual euphemisms.

So's most political statement, "Don't Give Up", was fuelled by Gabriel's discontent with rising unemployment during Margaret Thatcher's premiership and Dorothea Lange's photograph "Migrant Mother". Gabriel ensured the song, which follows a narrative of an unemployed man and his lover, was written as a conversational piece. He initially sought Dolly Parton to portray the woman; although Parton declined, his friend Kate Bush agreed to feature. Bush serves as the song's respondent, she assumes a comforting role and with delicate vocals, sings lines such as "Rest your head/ you worry too much". The album's first side culminates with "That Voice Again", in which Gabriel explores the concept of conscience, examining the "parental voice in our heads that either helps or defeats us". The song was written after Gabriel's initial discussions with Martin Scorsese about scoring The Last Temptation of Christ 

The second part opened with "In Your Eyes" which has been described as Gabriel's greatest love song. Inspired by the Sagrada Família and its architect Antoni Gaudí, Gabriel sings over a drumbeat of only feeling complete in the eyes of his lover. The track features vocal contributions from the Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour, who sang the song in his native Wolof. Gabriel became interested in the late American poet Anne Sexton after reading the anthology To Bedlam and Part Way Back. He dedicated So's sixth track to her, calling it "Mercy Street" after "45 Mercy Street", a poem released in another posthumous collection. "Mercy Street" is set to one of several Forró-inspired percussion compositions that Gabriel recorded in Rio de Janeiro. When these compositions were unearthed in the studio, they were accidentally played back ten per cent slower than the original recording, giving them a grainy quality that Gabriel and Lanois thought highlighted the cymbal and guitars. It features two harmonious Gabriel vocals; one a shadow vocal an octave below the main vocal. Intended to give a sensual, haunting effect, this was hard to capture except when Gabriel first woke up.

The dance song "Big Time" has funk influences and is built on a "percussive bass sound". Its lyrics satirise the yuppie culture of the 1980s, materialism and consumerism and are the result of Gabriel's self-examination, after he considered whether he may have desired fame after all. "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" was originally recorded for Peter Gabriel (or Melt). The song relates to the experiment on obedience carried out by the American social psychologist Stanley Milgram, intended as a reference to the obedience citizens show to dictators during times of war.

While "We Do What We're Told" was the final song on initial LP versions of the album, the cassette and CD releases close with "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)". "Excellent Birds" was composed with American musician Laurie Anderson. They recorded the song and they filmed music video over a period of three days — which was relatively quick by Gabriel's standards — for inclusion on the 1984 global satellite television broadcast Good Morning, Mr. Orwell.

So was released on 19 May 1986. It topped the charts of seven countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom, where it became Gabriel's second number one album. In the United States, So became one of Geffen Records' most commercially successful releases, peaking at number two and remaining on the chart for ninety-three weeks. In April 1986, "Sledgehammer" was released as the album's lead single and became Gabriel's first and only number one on the Billboard Hot 100, displacing his former band Genesis' first and only US number one "Invisible Touch". The success of "Sledgehammer" can be seen, in part, due to its hugely popular and innovative stop motion music video, designed by Aardman Animations. Gabriel would go on to say in an interview for Rolling Stone that he believed the video exposed So's songs to a wider audience, bolstering the album's success. Two high-charting singles followed, "Don't Give Up", which rose to number nine on the UK Singles Chart and a less successful seventy-nine in America, while "Big Time" peaked at number thirteen in the UK and number eight in America. "In Your Eyes" saw moderate success in America, where it reached twenty-six on the Hot 100, while "Red Rain" peaked at forty-six in the United Kingdom.

So received mostly favourable reviews from music critics. So had "all the usual hallmarks of rhythm and vocals" associated with Gabriel. Other praised the record as Gabriel's most accessible and streamlined album ever", adding that it was "one of the best albums released this year, both commercially and artistically." A record of considerable emotional complexity and musical sophistication" and felt that the mainstream pop music scene would be encouraged to innovate by the album. Althought others  were les positive by saying the album results were mixed. 

Nevertheless, "So" is often regarded as Gabriel's best album, as well as one of the best albums of the 1980s. It enabled Gabriel to transform from a cult artist, acclaimed for his cerebral, experimental solo work, into a mainstream, internationally known star.

So Track List:  

 

1. Red Rain 

2. Sledgehammer 

3. Don't Give Up

4. That Voice Again

5. In Your Eyes

6. Mercy Street

7. Big Time 

8. We Do What We're Told (Milgrams's 37)

9. This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)

Rocktrospectiva: The Polished But Underrated "Walkabout" Turns 40

Released on 19 May 1986 "Walkabout" was the 4th., studio album by the English new wave band the Fixx, released by MCA Records in the US on 19 May 1986, followed by a UK release on 15 September 1986. The album spawned two singles "Secret Separation" & "Built For The Future", the first single, spent two weeks atop the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in July 1986; it was the band's second No. 1 single on the chart.

The album was produced by Rupert Hine, singer Cy Curnin started working on the album while temporarily living in Africa. Walkabout was the first album to include bass player Danny Brown as an official member of the band, the album contained layered, synthesized textures and ponderous songs, in order to displayed a bit more ambition than the average band's album, yet its best moments arrive when the band focused on pop songs, such as the trancy "Secret Separation" and the nice and great tune along "Built For The Future", it was a really good throughout album and the songs aren't repetitive and there was a decent hidden track "Peace On Earth (Do What You Can)" also the band finished off with another great closing song, the ehtreal and entrancing "Camphor". 

Reviews were mixed some nice some other not so really, many praised the album and considered it as a honest effort done by the group so far, marked by a deliberate attempt to 'uncomplicate' the group's sound, without sacrificing the poignancy of the social messages in the songs. Althought others wrote that "the Fixx were capable of creating polished but ultimately passionless and perfunctory pop-funk ... this is not a record that anyone's going to remember five years from now."

Walkabout Track List: 

 

1. Secret Separation

2. Built For The Future

3. Treasure It

4. Chase The Fire

5. Can't Finish

6. Walkabout 

7. One Look Up

8. Read Between The Lines 

9. Sense The Adventure

10. Camphor (with hidden CD track "Peace On Earth (Do What You Can) 

Rocktrospectiva: The Comic Masterpiece "Bigmouth Strikes Again" Turns 40

Released on 19 May 1986 "Bigmouth Strikes Again" was a song by the English rock band the Smiths from their third album The Queen Is Dead. Written by Johnny Marr and Morrissey, the song featured self-deprecating lyrics that reflected Morrissey's frustrations with the music industry at the time. Musically, the song was inspired by the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and centres around a guitar riff that Marr wrote during a 1985 soundcheck.

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" was released as the lead single from the album, bypassing Rough Trade's preferred choice, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out". The single reached number 26 in the UK Singles Chart and has since seen critical acclaim along with several versions recorded by other artists.

The song began as a lyric written by Morrissey in the summer of 1985. The lyric was the final one of three written about Morrissey's frustration with the music industry, the previous two being "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" and "Rubber Ring". "Bigmouth Strikes Again" specifically reflected Morrissey's negative experiences with the music press at the time. When asked by the NME about the song, Morrissey replied, "I can't think of one sentence [I regret saying]. We're still at that stage where if I rescued a kitten from drowning, they'd say: 'Morrissey Mauls Kitten's Body'. So what can you do?"

Morrissey intended the lyrics of the song to be humorous; he explained, "I would call it a parody if that sounded less like self-celebration, which it definitely wasn't. It was just a really funny song". Drummer Mike Joyce commented, "What a fantastic title – one of Mozzer's better ones. And with this song, you can see why he made journalists cream their pants. Listen to the lyrical content. He was a one-off." Johnny Marr based the song's music on a guitar riff he had written during a soundcheck of the band's 1985 tour. He described the song as being "as close as getting to the sound of my heroes as we came".

Initially the band had asked Kirsty MacColl to contribute backing vocals, but Marr found her harmonies "really weird" and they were left off the final recording. Instead, the backing vocals were recorded by Morrissey and altered to a higher pitch. This is credited to "Ann Coates", a reference to the Manchester district of Ancoats.

Though "Bigmouth Strikes Again" was initially planned to be released as the debut single from The Queen Is Dead in autumn 1985, by spring 1986, Rough Trade head Geoff Travis pushed for the band to release "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" instead.

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" was released as a single in May 1986, with the non-album instrumental song "Money Changes Everything" as the B-side. Marr later reused the music from "Money Changes Everything" for Bryan Ferry's 1987 hit single "The Right Stuff", which featured new lyrics from Ferry.

The single version's sleeve cover contains a photograph of James Dean by Nelva Jean Thomas. On the 12″ single, the band quoted Oscar Wilde's famous line "Talent borrows, genius steals" on the runout groove.

There was a live version of the song appeared as the closing song on the band's only live album, Rank. Another live version, recorded at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, in August 1986, was released in 2017 to promote a collector's edition of The Queen Is Dead.

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" has seen critical acclaim since its release. Several publications have ranked the song as one of the band's best songs. Others called as their most iconic song. A comic masterpiece and one of the most outstandind song ever recorded by the iconical band. 

Track List: 

 

7" RT192 

1. Bigmouth Strikes Again

2. Money Changes Everything

 

12" RTT192

1. Bigmouth Strikes Again

2. Money Changes Everything

3. Unloveable 

New Music: Back Of A Truck

           

Rostam's new album American Stories is out now and shares the follow-up single "Back Of A Truck." It comes with beautiful video directed by Antony Muse, starring Milo Cassidy and Offering Rain on a road trip rom New York City to Provincetown, MA. It's instilled in me the fervent desire to fall in love and go on a road trip. Rostam co-wrote "Back Of A Truck" with Tobias Jesso Jr. The song blends the twang of pedal steel courtesy of Daniel Aged with Middle Eastern microtonal melodies played by Amir Yaghmai on electric saz.

News/Reissues: Pixies Complete B-Sides

Pixies have announced an expanded and remastered reissue of the 2001 compilation Complete B-Sides. The original set collected the bonus tracks from the indie-rock pioneers' classic first run of singles, with highlights including a raucous live cover of Laurel Near's "In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song)", originally taken from the 1988 single, "Gigantic"; the Kim Deal-sung "Into The White" (B-side of Here Comes Your Man, 1989); and a fantastic cover of Neil Young's "Winterlong", first released on Dig For Fire (1990).

Complete B-Sides: 1988-97 has been remastered from the original analogue tapes and includes an additional six live tracks. The first two – "Planet Of Sound" and "Tame" were originally released on the 1991 ‘Alec Empire’ single and were recorded at the band’s 26 July 1991 Brixton Academy gig. The remaining four bonus live tracks – "Debaser", "The Holiday Song".  "Cactus" and "Nimrod's Son" – were first released on the 1989 promo Pixies Live and were recorded on 10 August 1989 at Cabaret Metro, Chicago (they were also released as the 1997 EP Debaser: Live, released to promote the band’s Death To The Pixies compilation)

The reissue will be the first time Complete B-Sides has been reissued on vinyl – a 2LP set on either black or clear vinyl. It will also be available as a 2CD edition. And in keeping with the 2024 reissue of At The BBC, the artwork has been given a makeover, using photographs from the archive of Simon Larbalestier, the photographer responsible for the striking imagery on the band’s classic run of albums.

Complete B-Sides: 1988-97 will be released on 26 June via 4AD.

 

Track List:  

CD1:  

 

1. River Euphrates

2. Vamos (Live)

3. In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song) (Live)

4. Manta Ray

5. Weird At My School

6. Dancing the Manta Ray

7. Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)

8. Into The White

9. Bailey’s Walk

10. Make Believe

11. I’ve Been Waiting For You

12. The Thing

13. Velvety (Instrumental)

14. Winterlong

15. Santo

16. Theme From Narc

17. Build High

18. Evil Hearted You

19. Letter To Memphis (Instrumental)

 

CD2

 

1. Planet of Sound (Live)

2. Tame (Live)

3. Debaser (Live)

4. Holiday Song (Live)

5. Cactus (Live)

6. Nimrod’s Son (Live)

New Music: Upside Down

           

The Australian-British artist Natalie Imbruglia returns with her first new music in five years with the single "Upside Down". It is the first taste of her seventh studio album Algorithm, released on 4 September. Written and produced by Imbruglia with Anu Pillai and David Sneddon, "Upside Down" is a sparkling, jangly pop track shot through with synths and guitars, in many places giving a throwback feel to late 1990s-early 2000s pop. The animated video has been directed by Dan Cadan.

New Music: In The Stars

           

The Rolling Stones have been transported back to the 1970s by deepfake technology in the video for new single "In The Stars" The rock legends are preparing to release their 25th studio album ‘Foreign Tongues’ on July 10 via Polydor/Universal Music and it is set to feature guest appearances from Paul McCartney, Robert Smith, Steve Winwood and the band’s late drummer Charlie Watts, about the video, it has been created by Deep Voodoo using deepfake technology to transform the Stones into their '70s selves, as they play the track alongside musicians and dancers from across the eras, all united by the band's timeless hedonistic energy. The video stars Marty Supreme’s Odessa A’zion,  and has been directed by Francois Rousselet.

Film: The 80s Cult Classic Original "Top Gun" Movie Turns 40

Released in the United States on May 16, 1986. Top Gun a US action drama film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an article titled "Top Guns", written by Ehud Yonay and published in California magazine three years earlier. It stars Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He and his radar intercept officer, Lieutenant (junior grade) Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), are given the chance to train at the United States Navy's Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer and Tom Skerritt also appear in supporting roles.

The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its visual effects and soundtrack, but criticism for its screenplay and military propaganda. Despite this, four weeks after its release, the number of theaters showing it increased by 45 percent,  and it overcame initial critical resistance to become a huge commercial hit, grossing $362.3 million dollars globally against a production budget of $15 million. Top Gun was the highest-grossing domestic film of 1986, as well as the highest-grossing film of 1986 worldwide. 

40 years have passed since Top Gun was released in theaters, to turn a cultural phenomenon and became one of the most well-known action movies of all time, earning a spot in the Library of Congress for its cultural and historical impact. Tom Cruise had already made a name for himself  but it was Top Gun that cemented his stardom.  Cruise was cast as Pete Mitchell, aka Maverick, a talented but cocky and reckless pilot.  When his best friend, Nick  aka Goose Bradshaw, played by Anthony Edwards, who died in an accident, Maverick has to overcome his guilt and eventually graduates and then helps the other pilots in combat again.

Since then, Top Gun turned into a lasting phenomenon that a sequel was developed decades later, and it too became a blockbuster hit.  Top Gun: Maverick saw  Cruise reprise his role as Mitchell, dealing with Goose's death once again, now that he has to teach Goose’s son, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, played by Miles Teller. Top Gun: Maverick has even more stars than its predecessor. 

Even four decades later, Top Gun still remains part of the cultural zeitgeist especially from the 80s The movie spawned a truly dedicated fanbase that “Top Gun Day” was created to honor the film. Also The Top Gun soundtrack is one of the most popular soundtracks to date, reaching 9× Platinum certification and No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for five non-consecutive weeks in the summer and fall of 1986.

The film maintained its popularity over the years and earned an IMAX 3D re-release in 2013, while the retrospective critical reception became more positive, with the film also emerging as a cult classic. Additionally, the soundtrack to the film has since become one of the most popular film soundtracks to date.

Rocktrospectiva: The 80 Quintessential "Top Gun: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" Turns 40

Released on 15 May 1986, "Top Gun: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" was the official soundtrack from the film of the same name which actually was released the day after.

The album reached number one in the US charts for five nonconsecutive weeks in the summer and autumn of 1986. It was the best selling soundtrack of 1986 and one of the best selling of all time. The album spawned eight singles ""Danger Zone", "Take My Breath Away", "Mighty Wings" "Heaven In Your Eyes", "Playing With The Boys", "Hot Summer Nights", "Top Gun Anthem" & "Lead Me One." , the album still remains a quintessential artifact of the mid-'80s", and its hits "still define the bombastic, melodramatic sound that dominated the pop charts of the era."

Back in 1999, the album was reissued as a "Special Expanded Edition" with additional songs, and in 2006, it was reissued again as Music From and Inspired by Top Gun: Deluxe Edition, containing additional songs not in the film. 

Talking about the soundtrack, Toto was originally intended to perform the track "Danger Zone", but legal conflicts between the film's producers and the band's lawyers prevented this. Bryan Adams was approached to perform it, but refused any involvement in the film, feeling that it glorified war and, as such, not wanting any of his work linked to it. Adams also refused to allow his song "Only the Strong Survive" to be featured in the film. REO Speedwagon was approached but declined, due to not being allowed to contribute any of their own compositions to the soundtrack. Corey Hart also declined, preferring to write and perform his own compositions. Eventually, the film's producers agreed that "Danger Zone" would be recorded and performed by Kenny Loggins.

Members of Toto also wrote and intended to perform a song called "Only You" that would have been used as the film's love theme instead of "Take My Breath Away", but legal conflicts prevented doing so. The Motels were originally considered to perform "Take My Breath Away", and a demo version exists on their 2001 compilation Anthologyland.

Judas Priest was also approached to allow their song "Reckless" in the film but declined when the proposed contract stipulated that the filmmakers have exclusive rights to the song, which would have necessitated the band omitting the song from their forthcoming album Turbo (1986). Former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing later called their opting out of the film "a big mistake". The band offered the producers three other songs for the soundtrack, all of which were rejected.

ABC members Martin Fry and Mark White were invited to see the director's rough cut version of Top Gun in 1986. "They were looking to offer a few British bands soundtrack opportunities. Mark and I weren't impressed with the film and chose not to contribute any music to it."

Bobby Blotzer of Ratt proposed using the song "Reach for the Sky", an outtake from Ratt's 1984 album Out of the Cellar. Although the rest of the band seriously considered the idea, they declined under the belief that their long-time fans would not like the song and would accuse the group of selling out. Although the song title "Reach for the Sky" would become the title of the band's 1988 album, the track itself was never officially released until 2024, being remastered and finally released in honour of the 40th anniversary of Out of the Cellar.

The Cars' song "Stranger Eyes" from their 1984 album Heartbeat City was featured in an early teaser trailer for the film, though it was absent from the film's final cut.

For the soundtrack, synth-rock was the orderat the time, plus a Harold Faltermeyer score, and a couple of classics from the 1960s, besides of that, Top Gun was aimed primarily at 1980s teenage audiences. But remains one of the key pop soundtracks of the 1980s, often dismissed by snootier critics or rock music fans, even thought the soundtrack still produced shrivers amongst music enthusiasts 40 years later.

 

Top Gun: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Track List: 

 

1. Danger Zone

2. Mighty Wings

3. Playing With The Boys

4. Lead Me On

5. Take My Breath Away

6. Hot Summer Nights 

7. Heaven In Your Eyes 

8. Through The Fire

9. Destinantion Unkown

10. Top Gun Anthem 

News: The Rolling Stones Announces New Album

The Rolling Stones new studio album is called Foreign Tongues and will be released in July. It contains 14 songs tracklisting not yet confirmed, recorded at London’s Metropolis Studios with superstar producer-of-choice, Andrew Watt.

The album features some special guests, including Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, The Cure’s Robert Smith and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Charlie Watts also makes an appearance, captured during one of his final recording sessions. The lead single is "In The Stars" is now available.

The album is available on CD or as a 2LP set. Both formats also come in box set with a blu-ray audio that features a Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and Hi-Res Stereo Mix of Foreign Tongues. The album’s cover art was created by Nathaniel Mary Quinn.

New Music: Melodramatic

           

Legendary Scottish band Trashcan Sinatras continue the countdown to their first album in a decade with the release of their new single, "Melodramatic" the song upbeat composition is gently charged with a leading bass line and honey-dripping vocal harmonies, blends with searching lyrical themes. Cautiously feeling his way into exploring self-awareness, anxiety and the complex relationship between mind and body, acerbic frontman and lyricist, Francis Reader draws expansive ideas over the intricate sounds of a band celebrating 40 years together this year, displaying their prowess as one of Scot-pop's pioneering collectives. Reader explains: I was trying to write something about hypochondria but, probably because I was looking at the subject too narrowly, it became a song about solipsism; about the ‘mind and body mystery’ in general. It’s destructive to always be looking inward, always worrying about oneself, measuring meds and moods and the effect you’re having on people. Music video captured by Stephanie Gibson and crafted by How It Is Nowadays

Rocktrospectiva: The Fairly Over Produced "Spellbound" Turns 35

Released on 14 May 1991 "Spellbound" was the 2nd., studio album by the US singer, Paula Abdul. The production was handled by Peter Lord, Paisley Park, V. Jeffrey Smith, Don Was, and Jorge Corante.With Spellbound, Abdul balanced dance pop and fun funk while walking a tightrope.

The album, although receiving mixed reviews citing that it showcased her limitations as a singer, became a commercial success and topped the US Billboard 200, alongside cracking the top-ten in Australia, Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Six singles in total were released, including the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles "Rush Rush" and "The Promise of a New Day", the latter becoming her sixth and to-date final number one single. Other singles included the US top-ten hit "Blowing Kisses in the Wind", "Vibeology" and  "Will You Marry Me?", and the Canada exclusive single "Alright Tonight". 

Spellbound won a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package. The album art was art directed by Melanie Nissen, designed by Inge Schaap, and lettered by Margo Chase.

It was a tough time for the artist, she started to receive negative backlash accusing her she can't sing, remember it was the days when pop music was in a terrible moment, Milli Vanilli were trashed for lipsyncing, Martha Wash the soul empress diva was sueing C+C Music Factory and the Italian oufgir Black Box, also certain labels for using her uncredited voice on their hits. Ya Kid K had its own battle with Technotronic and many others, so Abdul was expecting to be the next to be exposed, by early 1991, Yvette Marine sued the pop star and her label Virgin Records with a multi-million dollar lawsuit alleging that Marine, not Abdul, actually sang lead on parts of Forever Your Girl.

This took a dealy on the released of the album but eventually things worked out, indeed, so to silenced all her detractors that accused her "she can't sing", Paula put her voice front on the catchy ballad "Rush Rush", her work with a vocal coach showed impressive growth and helped her to earned a No. 1 with this beautiful ballad whose video—Rebel Without A Cause look a like video starring Keanu Reeves earned heavy rotation on the MTV. 

The next single was the danceable "Promise Of A New Day" was her next No.1 in a row, then the sentimental a less dynamic "Blowing Kisses In The Wind" peaked at No. 6 in which the artist tried to impressed audiences with her now well-trained major and minor modes on her singing also supported with a video in which Paula appeared with a choreography nearly ballet-inspired. Things again groove-up with the fantastic "Vibeology" peaked at No. 16, showcasing Paula's energetic style just like in her debut album.

And finally the cheesy ballad "Will You Marry Me" peaked at No. 19 that was released just ahead of her 1992 wedding to Emilio Estevez. Other catchy tunes were "Rock House" & "My Foolish Heart", the Prince contribution "U" which actually was an unreleased rocker from 1979 by the artist, and the reggae-inspired "Alright Tonight", the album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and despite critics were reluctant to her, the masses on the other hand helped to cemented Abdul's carreer in the history of pop music. 

Critics were mixed due its overproduction and focused again on Paula limitations as a singer, despite the gross incomes as a result of her succesful worldwide tour, she couldn't escape for being selected as one of the worst artists of 1991, and "Spellbound" a serious contender for the top 5 worst recordings of 1991. In 2003, Slant Magazine included Spellbound in its list of "50 Essential Pop Albums".

 

Spellbound Track List: 

 

1. The Promise Of A New Day

2. Rock House

3. Rush Rush

4. Spellbound

5. Vibeology

6. U

7. My Foolish Heart

8. Blowing Kisses In The Wind 

9. To You

10. Alright Tonight

11. Will You Marry Me?

Rocktrospectiva: The Introspective "Older" Turns 30

Released on 13 May 1996, "Older" was the 3rd., studio album by English singer-songwriter George Michael, released on 13 May 1996 in Europe while the US released occurred one day later, was the first album released by DreamWorks Records. It was Michael's first studio album since 1990's Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 – the five-and-a-half-year gap was due to the legal battle that Michael experienced with his former record company Sony Music. Michael dedicated two years to the recording of Older, and the album found him exploring new musical territories in a more serious fashion compared to his previous work. The album spawned six singles "Jesus To A Child", "Fastlove", "Spinning The Wheel", "Older", "Star People '97", & "You Have Been Loved." 

At the time of release, the album was a huge commercial hit, particularly in Europe. In the UK, the album was particularly notable for producing a record six top three hit singles in a two-year span. 

Following the release of Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990), George Michael accused record label owners Sony Music of failing to promote the album as well as lacklustre support for his charity recordings (particularly contributions to the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series) and requested to be released from his contract. A bitter legal battle ensued through the courts, ultimately resulting in a loss to Michael. During the court battle, Michael stated that he would refuse to release any new material through Sony under his name should he lose the lawsuit. Whilst essentially holding true to his word, Michael was not completely absent from the recording world during the six years between Listen Without Prejudice and Older.

After a huge hit with a live duet with Elton John on "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (that reached number one in both the UK and the US), Michael contributed several tracks to the charity album Red Hot + Dance in 1992 (with one song, "Too Funky", being released as a single and reaching worldwide top 10 positions). The same year, he performed live at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium; in 1993, an EP of Michael's performances with Queen and Lisa Stansfield, entitled Five Live was released, and reached No. 1 in the UK.

The new album found Michael experimenting with new musical styles and expanding his artistic horizons. Particularly notable was the jazz flavour of the album's sound. The album marked a departure from the synthesised production of his previous projects, delivering a more organic sound with the inclusion of brass and strings. Michael was particularly inspired by the music of Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Jobim. Another big influence was the album's producer, Jon Douglas, who has mixed several George Michael songs as B-sides. They first met when Douglas produced Lisa Moorish's version of "I'm Your Man" in 1995, to which Michael provided backing vocals.Michael and Douglas began to work together soon after, and they co-wrote "Spinning the Wheel" together and also co-wrote and produced "Fastlove". Douglas also played keyboards on those tracks. The album is dedicated to Jobim and Anselmo Feleppa, Michael's partner who died from AIDS-related complications in 1993.

The album was a huge commercial success, especially in the European markets. In the UK the album debuted at No. 1.,  becoming one of the biggest debuts ever in British history (it currently ranks as the 23rd fastest-selling album in the UK). The steady sales of the album were the result of good promotion market and the release of six hit singles throughout a two-year period. All of these singles (except for the one for the title track) were released and promoted as EP's, in two available formats, most of them containing previously unreleased material

In the United States, however, the album somewhat stalled and was received with lukewarm success. There (and in Canada), the album release was particularly notable as it was the first album released by the now-defunct DreamWorks Records. Despite leading singles "Jesus to a Child" and "Fastlove" reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, debut sales for the album were disappointing. The album debuted and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200.

Older was particularly notable for the release of its six singles. All of them reached the UK top 3, hitting a record for the most singles in the British top 3 released from a single album. At the time of release of the fifth of them, "Star People '97." The Older album has now proved itself to be far and away his most commercially successful recording ever. Five singles now lifted and every single one has been a top 3 hit. Compare this with the two top 3 hits produced by Faith and Listen Without Prejudice's scant total of one top tenner and one single which missed the top 40 altogether. This sustained single success has, of course, been achieved with a little help from marketing tricks such as remixes – or in this case a new recording of the album track which gives it a much-needed transformation into a deserved commercial smash."

Critics reviewed the album as a serious bid for artistic credibility, contrasting it with his earlier, more upbeat work. He notes a shift from catchy dance-pop to pretentious ballads, the album reflected Michael's struggles and quest for artistic maturity, on the other hand, several critics thought that the artist pursuit of artistic maturity, suggesting it has led to a decline in the album's quality. 

The album was re-released on 1 December 1997 in a CD box set titled Older & Upper including two discs, both in gold (instead of the original black from Older)

 

Older Track List:  

 

1. Jesus To A Child

2. Fastlove

3. Older

4. Spinning The Wheel

5. It Doesn't Really Matter

6. The Strangest Thing

7. To Be Forgiven

8. Move On

9. Star People

10. You Have Been Loved

11. Free 

In Memoriam: Legendary "Donald Gibb" Dies At 71

Donald Gibb, known for his iconic role as the brutish football player Ogre in the 1984 campus comedy classic "Revenge of the Nerds," has died at 71. His son, Travis, confirmed Gibb passed away Tuesday in Texas following health complications. Gibb's character, Frederick Aloysius Palowaski, was a key antagonist, part of the jock fraternity that tormented the "nerds" like Lewis Skolnick and Gilbert Lowe. 

 

Ogre and his teammates famously kicked the nerds out of their dorm after their own frat house burned down, setting up the film's central conflict. Gibb reprised his role in "Revenge of the Nerds II" and "IV." His extensive career spanned over 90 screen roles, including early appearances in films such as "Stripes" and "Conan the Barbarian," and TV series like "The A-Team" and "Magnum P.I."

 

In Revenge of the Nerds, Frederick Aloysius Palowaski, aka "Ogre" — along with a group of fellow college football teammates from the fictional Adams College — torment the nebbish freshmen Lewis Skolnick (Robert Carradine), Gilbert Lowe (Anthony Edwards), Booger (Curtis Armstrong) and their fellow classmates, dubbed “nerds,” under the guidance of the team’s coach, Harris (John Goodman).

 

The players, who lost their Alpha Beta frat house to a fire, kick the  "nerds" out of their freshman dorm at the beginning of the film. The group of math and computer whizzes, however, concoct a plan of revenge to put the jocks back in their rightful place – in the gym. Gibb also starred in sequels Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise in 1987 and Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love in 1994. The actor did not, however, appear in the 1992 TV movie Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation. 

 

Donald Gibb recalled in an interview with Youngstown Studio in 2025 that he landed the role of Ogre in Revenge of the Nerds thanks to the help of his friend, stunt coordinator Terry James, after he was initially told he looked too old to play a college student. As such, Gibb said, the casting director was pushing for a different actor to play Ogre. However, Gibb added, since Revenge of the Nerds director Jeff Kanew really wanted him for the part, James came up with a plan to give the actor another chance.

 

In all of a sudden, I get a call from my buddy and he says, 'If you can get down here, shaved, you know — get down here as fast as you can,' Gibb told Youngstown Studio. As such, Gibb told the outlet, he had shaved, but he also had "blood squirting out" of his face from close cuts and pieces of toilet paper to cover them up. After he cleared the mess away, Gibb said he went into another interview  clean shaven and they went, "Okay, he can play the college guy.”

 

Born Donald Richard Gibb on Aug. 4, 1954, in New York City, Gibb's first screen role came in an uncredited turn as a henchman in the Clint Eastwood action comedy Any Which Way You Can. The bit role in the Eastwood comedy was followed two more high-profile films where Gibb played uncredited roles: as a bouncer in the mud-wrestling bar in Bill Murray’s 1981 comedy Stripes and King Osric’s (Max von Sydow) bodyguard in the 1982 Arnold Schwarzenegger fantasy adventure Conan the Barbarian.

 

Before landing the role of Ogre in Revenge of the Nerds two years later, Gibb appeared in a string of television guest roles in such series as Alice, Simon & Simon, Hardcastle and McCormick, The A-Team and Magnum: P.I. The same year Gibb hit paydirt with Revenge of the Nerds, he also appeared in the comedy Meatballs 2.

 

Amid his work in the Revenge of the Nerds sequels, Gibb appeared in dozens of more TV guest roles on such series as The Facts of Life, Hunter, Night Court, MacGuyver, Cheers, The X-Files, Boy Meets World, Seinfeld, Weird Science and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, as well as the daytime dramas Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless.

 

Apart from the Revenge of the Nerds movies, Gibb appeared in such films as Bloodsport, Bloodsport 2, U.S. Marshals and Hancock. Gibb’s last credited screen role was in the 2026 sports thriller Hands. Gibb also has a role in the forthcoming horror film Burlesque Ghost Hunters, which does not yet have a release date.

New Music: The Weak

            

The Danish post-punk band Iceage have shared the singles "Star" and "Ember," two songs that indicated they'd be going towards a more smoothed-out sound, both were taken from the band's new forthcoming album For Love Of Grace & The Hereafter. Today's new single "The Weak," a little rowdier with some rollicking drums, freewheeling guitar riffs, and a curious stylistically-sloppy flute solo from frontman Elias Rønnenfelt. The video credits are: Footage by Anna Dobos Lyric video by Alex Tults Still images by Ira Rønnenfelt

New Music: This Sphere

           

Dogstar have shared their new single "This Sphere," and official music video from their upcoming album All In Now. The track leans into the band's signature alt rock sound with atmospheric guitars, soaring vocals, and plenty of bass riffs that makes of it an interesting melodic blend of several influences as Interpol and kind of early Radiohead. Video Director and Editor: Carlos Garcia Medina

Rocktrospectiva: The Futuristic "Computer World" Turns 45

Released on 11 May 1981 "Computer World" was the 8th., studio album by German electronic band Kraftwerk, the album spawned four singles "Pocket Calculator", "Computer Love" which was a No. 1 in the UK, "Numbers" & "Computer World". 

The album themed around computer technology and its rise within society. In keeping with the album's concept, Kraftwerk showcased their music on an ambitious world tour. As was the case with the two previous albums, Computer World was released in both German- and English-language editions. 

 

According to Ralf Hütter the band's mastermind: "We live in a computer world, so we made a song about it." Computer World has been described as a futuristic conceptual work that predicts the presence of computer technology in everyday life. Featuring themes such as home computers and digital communication, the album has been seen as both a celebration of computer technology as well as a warning about its potential to exert power on society with social control and digital surveillance. Despite its theme, the production of the album was completely analogue and did not involve any computer technology.

Even the cover album stick to that concept by showing a computer terminal displaying the heads of the four band members. The inner sleeve artwork, created by Emil Schult and photographed by Günter Fröhling, depicts four slightly robotic-looking mannequins (representing the band members engaged in studio activities: performing, recording, mixing), similar to the artwork of the previous album, The Man-Machine, also created by Fröhling. In two photos, the mannequin representing Karl Bartos is seen playing a Stylophone, an instrument which is featured on the track "Pocket Calculator".

The album peaked at No. 15 on the UK Albums Chart. The track "Computer Love" was released as a seven-inch single in the UK in June 1981, backed with "The Model", from the group's previous album The Man-Machine. The single reached No. 36 in the charts. In December 1981 the two songs were reissued as a double A-side twelve-inch single, and reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in early February 1982, although "The Model" received the most airplay. "Pocket Calculator" was released as a seven-inch single in the USA by Warner Brothers in 1981, pressed on a fluorescent yellow/lime vinyl matching the color of the album cover. The flip side featured the Japanese version of "Pocket Calculator", "Dentaku". "Pocket Calculator" charted at No. 38 in the UK Singles Chart.

The album was ranked No. 2 for the 1981 final countdown by NME, however some other contemporary critics were unimpressed and described the content as "predictable" and "gimmicky" and not the presumed step forward by the group.

Even thought Computer World maintains a distinct influence over subsequent releases across a multitude of genres; this influence is particularly noticeable in early and contemporary hip-hop and rap. In 1982, American DJ and rapper Afrika Bambaataa wrote the song "Planet Rock" and recorded chords inspired from Trans-Europe Express. The song's lyrics also included the Japanese number counting "Ichi Ni San Shi" from Kraftwerk's "Numbers".

Cybotron's 1983 release "Clear", from the album Enter, contains multiple auditory elements of Computer World: the musical refrain closely resembles parts of "Home Computer" and "It's More Fun to Compute"; additionally, the track contains musical allusions to other Kraftwerk tracks.

Señor Coconut y su Conjunto, an electronic project of German musician Uwe Schmidt which initially covered Kraftwerk's songs, published a merengue-styled version of "It's More Fun to Compute" on their first LP El Baile Alemán, wrongly labeled as "Homecomputer" on the sleeve. La Roux used the main riff from "Computer Love" in their 2009 song "I'm Not Your Toy" from their self-titled debut album. "Home Computer" is used as background music in the Young Sheldon episode "A Computer, a Plastic Pony, and a Case of Beer".

LCD Soundsystem took "Home Computer" throughout the track Disco Infiltrator. Neil Young's 1983 electronic album Trans was influenced by Computer World.

Computer World Track List:  

 

1. Computer World (Computerwelt)

2. Pocker Calculator (Taschenrechner) 

3. Numbers (Nummern)

4. Computer World 2 (Computerwelt 2)

5. Computer Love (Computer Liebe)

6. Home Computer (Heimcomputer)

7. It's More Fun To Compute

New Music: I Had A Baby Not A Lobotomy

           

The Welsh multi-instrumentalist and producer The Anchoress (aka Catherine Anne Davies) announces her brand new single, "I Had a Baby, Not A Lobotomy" from her forthcoming third studio album, A"s We Once Were". Davies describes the track: "a tongue in cheek litany of all the stupid things people said to me when I had a baby". Propelled by a litany of lyrical barbs, she calls it an anthem for anyone who has ever been written off for daring to procreate.  The single also features guest vocals from Mercury Music Prize nominated Welsh-Cornish musician Gwenno. 
The video has been directed by JJ Eringa.

Rocktrospectiva: The Return To The Form "Sugar Tax" Turns 35

Released on 7 May 1991 "Sugar Tax" was the 8th., studio album by the English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD.  It was the group's first studio album since 1986's The Pacific Age, and the first of three recorded without co-founder Paul Humphreys, who had departed in 1989. Featuring singer Andy McCluskey alongside a new line-up of musicians, Sugar Tax leans towards the then-prevalent dance-pop genre, with McCluskey's songwriting at times being influenced by the breakdown of his relationship with Humphreys. The album spawned four singles "Sailing On The Seven Seas", "Pandora's Box", "Then You Turn Away," & "Call My Name." 

 

Sugar Tax has provoked mixed responses from critics since its release, being described as both the equal of OMD's seminal Architecture & Morality (1981), and a "forgettable" entry in the group's catalogue. It nevertheless became one of the band's biggest commercial successes, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Sugar Tax is the only OMD album on which Paul Humphreys does not receive a songwriting credit. 

 

In the aftermath of the band's 1989 split, Virgin Records gave the OMD moniker to singer Andy McCluskey, while departing members Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper and Malcolm Holmes named their new ensemble The Listening Pool. McCluskey dealt with anxiety about continuing as OMD, stating, "My name doesn't appear anywhere on the album. I was trying to hide behind the corporate identity of OMD because I was terrified that I was on my own because all I'd ever known was working with Paul and then Paul, Malcolm and Martin." His fears were assuaged somewhat by collaborating with new group members Nigel Ipinson and Phil Coxon. Stuart Kershaw, who would join the band as an instrumentalist in later years, co-wrote five tracks.

 

Recording took place at various studios in Liverpool and London. Andy Richards was enlisted as a producer but McCluskey elected to self-produce much of the record with assistance from Coxon and Jeremy Allom in engineering roles. The album is characterised by its extensive use of the Korg M1 workstation. 

 

About the tracks "Was It Something I Said" and "All That Glitters" were directly inspired by OMD's lineup split in 1989,while "Big Town" deals with coming of age in the music industry. "Pandora's Box" was inspired by silent movie actress Louise Brooks, and shares its title with the film Pandora's Box (1929), which stars Brooks in the lead role. "Neon Lights" was a cover of a Kraftwerk song, originally featured on The Man-Machine (1978). "Apollo XI" uses samples from Apollo space missions; a club mix was pressed on white label 12". "Walk Tall" utilises a choral sample from "Miserere" by Gregorio Allegri, and was originally titled "Coming to See You".

 

The record title Sugar Tax refers to the notion of everything sweet having a price, including relationships. The actual "Sugar Tax" track was not completed in time for the album's release, and was instead included as a B-side to "Then You Turn Away". The artwork was designed by Area with photography by Trevor Key, and features an oil sculpture.

 

The album met with mixed reviews on one way critices considered it as a classic OMD, and after a four-year absence marks a triumphant return... McCluskey has managed to distill all the best qualities of a 12-year career into a highly listenable album, a British pop at its finest loaded down with well-rounded synths and expressive vocals. On the other hand, several regarded the record by call it as an item that occasionally OMD managed to find the hypnotic pulse that once made the band tick. But it never really traces it to the dark soul that once set it apart.

 

Despite of that, "Sugar Tax" became one of OMD's most popular albums, achieving sales of three million copies by 2007, also it was the strongest OMD album in years and houses its fair share of career highlights."

 

Sugar Tax Track List:

 

1. Sailing On The Seven Seas

2. Pandora's Box

3. Then You Turn Away

4. Speed Of Light

5. Was It Something I Said

6. Big Town

7. Call My Name

8. Apollo XI" (instrumental, contains sample from JFK "Landing a man on the moon" speech and Apollo 11-related radio transmissions)

9.  Walking On Air

10. Walk Tall

10. Neon Lights (reworking of Kraftwek track from The Man-Machine

11. All That Glitters