Various Artists - NOW 12" 80's: 1985 - Part 1 Various Artists

NOW Music presents NOW 12” 80s: 1985 – Part One, 4CDs packed with 46 extended, full-length, and remixed 12” versions, capturing the sound of 1985’s dancefloors, airwaves, and pop culture moments. Take a dive into another of the most dynamic and diverse years of the decade.

CD1 begins with Queen’s powerhouse ‘One Vision’ and rolls through huge tracks - ‘Easy Lover’ from Philip Bailey & Phil Collins, Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin’s empowering ‘Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves’, Simple Minds’ era-defining ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’, and The Power Station’s thundering ‘Some Like It Hot’. Rock/Pop crossover smashes come from Billy Idol, Pat Benatar, and ZZ Top, plus Laura Branigan, Tina Turner, and extended sophisticated pop from Bryan Ferry, before finishing with pop-reggae from Scritti Politti with ‘The Word Girl’.

CD2 kicks off with Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s epic ‘An Alternative To Reality’ mix of ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’, followed by the soaring extended version of A-ha’s ‘Take On Me’. Billy Ocean’s ‘Loverboy’, Five Star’s M&M remix of ‘All Fall Down’, Ashford & Simpson’s ‘Solid’, and The Pointer Sisters with ‘Dare Me’ all bring 1985 club-essential cuts. The rest of the disc is pure pop heaven with the ‘Summer Version’ of ‘Tarzan Boy’ by Baltimora, Bananarama, ABC, and the brilliant ‘Stratospheric Mix’ of ‘Don’t Look Down’ from Go West ahead of Nik Kershaw and King ending this disc with the extended mix of ‘Wide Boy’ and the Body And Soul Mix of ‘Love & Pride’.

CD3 delivers dancefloor fire, opening with the ‘Performance Mix’ of Dead Or Alive’s massive #1 ‘You Spin Me Round’ and Hi-NRG anthems from Bronski Beat and Hazell Dean. Electro-pop/80s disco classics from Sheryl Lee Ralph and Animotion, are alongside the ‘Club Mix’ of Bonnie Tyler’s unstoppable ‘Holding Out For A Hero’. Extended synth-driven themes from ‘Miami Vice’ and ‘Axel F’ from ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ bring 80s movies memories, before Chaka Khan and Princess sign off Disc 3, delivering standout vocal-driven smashes.

CD4 opens with a stellar run of brilliance starting with the monumental ‘Shout’ by Tears For Fears, followed by timeless alt-pop from Arcadia with the ‘Consensus Mix’ of ‘Election Day’, Propaganda with the peerless ‘Duel (Bitter Sweet)’, and New Order’s ‘The Perfect Kiss’. Sheila E. had her UK debut with ‘The Belle Of St Mark’, while Shep Pettibone gave Level 42’s ‘Something About You’ a fantastic remix. Howard Jones, Sharpe & Numan, and Stephen Duffy bring polished 12” synth-pop gems, and Red Box closes the collection with the unforgettable pop genius of ‘Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo)’

NOW 12” 80s: 1985 – Part One – An essential celebration of the ‘extended’ year in pop – and coming soon, the second part – as our journey through the decades’ unforgettable 12” singles’ continues..