Culture Club - Colour By Numbers

Culture Club

Colour By Numbers

1983

New Romantic New Wave Soul

England

Tracklist:

"Karma Chameleon" – 4:12
"It's a Miracle" – 3:25
"Black Money" – 5:19
"Changing Every Day" – 3:17
"That's the Way (I'm Only Trying to Help You)" – 2:45
"Church of the Poison Mind" – 3:30
"Miss Me Blind" – 4:30
"Mister Man" – 3:36
"Stormkeeper" – 2:46
"Victims" – 4:55


     Colour by Numbers is the second album by New Wave band Culture Club, released in 1983.
     The album features several international hits such as "Church of the Poison Mind" and the worldwide hit "Karma Chameleon" which had sales of over one million in the United Kingdom alone. Colour by Numbers showcased the vocal talents of Helen Terry alongside Boy George, and chartwise improved upon the successful formula of Culture Club's début album Kissing to Be Clever.
     In 1989, Colour by Numbers was ranked #96 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s. The album is also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
     The album has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and, like its predecessor, contained several hit singles. Released worldwide "Church of the Poison Mind" went Top 10 in UK, USA, Canada, Australia and many European countries. "Karma Chameleon", however, was the signature track from the album and charted #1 almost everywhere. "Victims" was released in Europe and Oceania and was a hit in several countries, including top five hit in the UK and Australia. "Miss Me Blind" was released in North America, South America, Japan, and Australia to great success (Top 5 in US and Canada), and "It's A Miracle" was issued next almost everywhere, becoming a Top 10 or Top 20 hit in several markets. "Mister Man" was released as a single in South Africa.
     The album went gold, platinum, or multi-platinum in many countries. The album went 4x platinum in the United States at its time of release (more than 4 million copies sold). In Canada, Culture Club was the first group to have a diamond album in that country (10x platinum or one million copies sold).
     In an interview in 1998, the four members of Culture Club agreed that "Colour By Numbers" was their best work. It was remastered in 2002 and 2003, for the Culture Club box set and for a re-release of the album. In 2005, the album was also released in Japan in a cardboard sleeve, similar to the original vinyl artwork, featuring also the remastered tracks and five bonus songs like the 2003 version.

SPK - Metal Dance 12''

SPK

Metal Dance 12''

1983

Industrial Noise Synthpop

Australia

Tracklist:

01. Metal Dance (12'' mix)
02. Will to Power



     SPK, formed in 1978 in Sydney, Australia, was a 1980s and early 1990s industrial music and noise music group. One member, Graeme Revell, would later go on to become a successful Hollywood movie composer.
     The group was formed when Revell (aka Operator, Oblivion, EMS AKS) met up with Neil Hill (aka Ne/H/il). They were both working at a psychiatric hospital when they became inspired by the manifesto of the German radical Marxist group known as the Sozialistisches Patientenkollektiv (SPK). The band also recruited two teenagers, David Virgin and Danny Rumour, who helped create the first recordings of SPK in 1979. The following words, inspired by the SPK manifesto, are used on one of the band's first recordings, Slogun (1979): "Kill, Kill, Kill for inner peace/ Bomb, Bomb, Bomb for mental health/ Therapy through violence!" Dominik Guerin (aka Tone Generator) joined in 1980, and was later to concentrate on the band's notorious visual content. Guerin and Revell recorded the first album, Information Overload Unit (1981), in a Vauxhall squat (during the Brixton riots in London) with the help of Revell's brother Ash (aka Mr.Clean) and Wilkins (guitar/bass). After the recording of SPK's second album, Leichenschrei ("The Scream of the Corpse")(1982), they were joined by Sinan Leong, who had initially auditioned for a planned SPK side-project, Dance Macabre. She and Revell were later to marry. In the first week of February 1984, just short of his 28th birthday, Neil Hill committed suicide two days before his wife Margaret Nikitenko died as a result of complications from anorexia.
     Other musicians working with SPK included Danny Rumour and David Virgin of Sekret Sekret, who were on the band's first recordings that were done in 1979, James Pinker and Karel van Bergan, who toured the U.S. in 1982 with Guerin and Revell, Brian Williams of Lustmord, John Murphy of Forresta di Ferro (better known as Kraang) and Derek Thompson, who later had a brief stint in The Cure and went on to record as Hoodlum Priest. Thompson claims that he left SPK when founder member Revell wanted to take the band in what Thompson perceived as a more commercial direction.
     The meaning of the SPK abbreviation is deliberately unclear; the album covers suggest several different alternatives. The most well known is Sozialistisches PatientenKollektiv, but there are also others, such as Surgical Penis Klinik, System Planning Korporation, SePuKku, Selective Pornography Kontrol, Special Programming Korps and SoliPsiK.
     The most notable recordings of SPK are early: Information Overload Unit, Leichenschrei and AutoDaFe. SPK's music is best described as disturbing and psychologically disorienting, in line with their nihilistic, subversive philosophy. Live performances included video backing (some of which was issued in two Twin Vison videos, Despair and Two Autopsy Films), transgressive performances with animal carcasses and other attempts to make the audience uncomfortable. The group issued manifestos, such as DoKuments 1 and 2, "The Post-Industrial Strategy", which appeared in RE/Search's Industrial Culture Handbook. There is a clear dichotomy between early industrial SPK (1978–83) and the more commercial music later favoured by Graeme Revell. Later releases, such as Machine Age Voodoo (1984), were more synthpop-oriented than industrial. Still later, the group moved into electronic orchestral work, with the release of Zamia Lehmanni: Songs of Byzantine Flowers (1986).

Discography

     Albums
Information Overload Unit - LP/CD - 1981
Leichenschrei - LP/CD - 1982
Machine Age Voodoo - LP - 1984
Zamia Lehmanni: Songs of Byzantine Flowers - LP/CD - 1986
Digitalis Ambigua: Gold & Poison - LP/CD - 1987
Oceania - LP/CD - 1988

     Compilations
Auto-Da-Fé - LP/CD - 1983
Box - CD - 1992

     Singles, EPs, cassettes
"No More/Kontakt/Germanik" - Single - 1979
"Factory"/Retard/Slogun" - Single - 1979
"Mekano/Kontakt/Slogun" - Single - 1979
"Meat Processing Section" EP (Slogun/Mekano) - Single – 1980
"See Saw/Chambermusik" (as SoliPsiK) - Single - 1981
"At The Crypt" - Cassette - Sterile Records - 1981
"Last Attempt at Paradise" - Cassette - 1982
"Dekompositiones" - 12"EP - 1983
"From Science To Ritual" - Cassette - 1983
"Metal Dance" - Single - 1984
"Junk Funk" - Single - 1984
"Flesh & Steel" – Single - 1985
"In Flagrante Delicto" - Single – 1986
"Off the Deep End" - Single - 1987
"Breathless" - Single - 1987
"Digitalis Ambigua: Gold & Poison" - Single - 1987

     Videos and films
"Despair" - SPK Video by Twin Vision - 1982
"Two Autopsy Films" - SPK Video by Twin Vision - 1983
"Despair" - Digitally extracted DVD by Twin Vision - 2007

Michael Cretu - Legionäre

Michael Cretu

Legionäre

1983

Synthpop

Romania

Traclist:


1 Legionäre
2 Total Normal
3 Spiel Auf Zeit
4 Frau Aus Stein
5 Goldene Jahre
6 Zeitlose Reise
7 Data-Alpha-4
8 Karawanen
9 Der Planet Der Verlorenen Zeit

     Michael Cretu, born 18 May, 1957, Bucharest, is a Romanian musician. He is known also as Curly, MC or Curly M.C. because of his fair curled hair (creț means "curly" in Romanian). His peak musical activity was with the Enigma project, which was mainly based in Germany.
     He worked with many musicians along his career. The first one to mention is his future wife Sandra Lauer (Sandra Cretu from marriage in 1988), musician Peter Cornelius, guitar player Manfred Thiers and Jens Gad, Frank Peterson, David Fairstein, D.J André Tanneberger (from the A.T.B. Music Poject), Peter Ries, singer Ruth-Ann Boyle & Andru Donalds, latter one produced the single Mishale in 1995.
     In 2002, Crocodile-Music, Cretu's management company stated 100 million Cretu-produced records had been sold worldwide. By the year 2008, Michael Cretu's Enigma project had sold over 50 million studio albums according to his official site.
     He owns A.R.T. Studios, a recording studio facility located near the resort on the Balearic Islands, where he lived with his wife and their two teenagers, Nikita and Sebastian born in 1995. He and Sandra divorced in 2007. Cretu has been reported as living in Germany since that time.
     Cretu's second solo album, titled Legionaire, was released in 1983, also in English and German versions. This album had German-language lyrics and was sung by Michael. It was co-produced and supervised by Harald Steinhauer and mastered by Armand Volker.

The Body Electric - Presentation and Reality

The Body Electric

Presentation and Reality

1983

Synthpop

New Zealand

Tracklist:


01 Imagination
02 Babies On Parade
03 Illusion
04 Interior Exile
05 Zanzibar
06 Dreaming In A Life
07 You Left Me Waiting
08 Night Pictures
09 Compelling

     One of the first electronic bands in New Zealand, and hugely influential, The Body Electric were formed in 1982 by Alan Jansson, although he was credited on first releases as Alan Jimson, and Andy Drey. During their initial rehearsals, they were then joined by actor-turned-singer Garry Smith. The group's debut single, Pulsing, was picked up by radio programmers and spent 27 weeks in the charts. Not entirely indicative of their sound, the track has a novelty quality to it. Following the success of Pulsing, Andy Drey was replaced by Spines bassist Wendy Calder and the group released two more minor hits (Dreaming In A Life and Imagination) and a full length album before splitting in 1984.

     Jansson went into record production in Auckland and had a global hit with OMC in the 1990s, and Smith was later the manager of The New Zealand Ballet Company.

Xmal Deutschland - Incubus Succubus 12'' / Incubus Succubus II 12'' / Qual 12'' / Schwarze Welt 7''

Xmal Deutschland

Incubus Succubus 12''

1982

Gothic Rock

Germany

Tracklist:

01. Incubus Succubus
02. Zu Jung Zu Alt
03. Blut Ist Liebe

Xmal Deutschland

Incubus Succubus II 12''

1983

Gothic Rock

Germany

Tracklist:

01. Incubus Succubus II
02 . Vito

Xmal Deutschland

Qual 12''

1983

Gothic Rock

Germany

Tracklist:

01. Qual
02. Zeit
03. Sehnsucht

Xmal Deutschland

Schwarze Welt - 7''

1981

Gothic Rock

Germany

Tracklist:

01. Schwarze Welt
02. Die Wolken

     Xmal Deutschland (pronounced: iks-mul doychlunt) was a musical group from Hamburg, Germany. Founded in 1980 with a completely female line-up, they became successful outside their native country. The lead singer of the band is vocalist Anja Huwe. Xmal Deutschland's last album was released in 1989.
     Xmal Deutschland (often written as X-Mal Deutschland) was formed in 1980 by Anja Huwe (vocals), Manuela Rickers (guitar), Fiona Sangster (keyboards), Rita Simon (bass guitar) and Caro May (drums) in Hamburg, Germany. Their first single, "Großstadtindianer" was released a year later on Alfred Hilsberg’s ZickZack label. The band also contributed the to the label compilation Lieber Zuviel Als Zuwenig (ZZ 45). Around this time Rita Simon was replaced by Wolfgang Ellerbrock.
     In 1982 the band released the Goth classic "Incubus Succubus". Drummer Caro May left the band and formed a new band, and the vacant drummer position was filled by Manuela Zwingmann the same year. While German audiences were less than receptive at first, a United Kingdom tour opening for the Cocteau Twins resulted in a label deal with independent label 4AD Records. Their debut album, Fetisch and the singles "Qual" and "Incubus Succubus II" were released in 1983, all 3 making the UK Independent charts, even though the band wrote and performed in German.
     Manuela Zwingmann left the band after one year, being replaced by Peter Bellendir. This lineup, Huwe/Rickers/Sangster/Ellerbrock/Bellendir proved to be the longest running. 1984 saw the release of the single "Reigen" and the album Tocsin, followed by a world tour through 1985.
     The Sequenz EP was essentially a remake of a John Peel session, which had been originally recorded April 30, 1985, and was broadcast May 13, 1985. The EP contained the tracks Jahr Um Jahr II, Autumn (the band’s first English lyrics, apart from brief snatches of English that appeared in Qual, Young Man and Tag für Tag) and Polarlicht but omitted Der Wind, which was played at the Peel sessions.
     1986 saw the release of Matador, produced by Hugh Cornwell of The Stranglers. Xmal Deutschland also opened for The Stranglers at a concert at Wembley Arena in London. Their follow-up album, Viva was recorded in Hamburg and was released in 1987, followed by the single "Sickle Moon". Viva contains a large number of English lyrics, among others a poem by Emily Dickinson. It was during this time that the band were interviewed by Jamie Meakes for the infamous underground Goth Fanzine 'House Of Dolls'.
     After the release of Viva, Manuela Rickers, Fiona Sangster and Peter Bellendir left the group. Anja Huwe and Wolfgang Ellerbrock continue to work with Frank Z. (Abwärts) on guitar. Producer Henry Staroste played keyboards, and German studio drummer Curt Cress completed the line-up that would record the 1989 LP Devils and the singles "Dreamhouse" and "I’ll be near you". This also proved to be the last release of Xmal Deutschland, showing a change of direction towards mainstream pop. 1990 saw a few scattered live appearances by the group, but eventually the group split up.


Discography

     EPs and singles:
1981 7" Großstadtindianer
1982 12" Incubus Succubus
1983 12" Qual
1983 7" Incubus Succubus II
1983 12" Incubus Succubus II
1985 7" Sequenz
1985 12" Sequenz
1986 12"/CD The Peel Sessions (30.04.85)
1986 7" Matador
1986 12" Matador
1987 7" Sickle Moon
1987 12" Sickle Moon
1989 12" Dreamhouse
1989 12" I'll be near you
     Albums:
1983 Fetisch
1984 Tocsin
1987 Viva
1989 Devils

45 Grave - Sleep In Safety

45 Grave

Sleep In Safety

1983

Deathrock

USA

Tracklist:

1) Insurance From God
2) Evil
3) Partytime
4) Violent World
5) Slice O' Life
6) Phantoms
7) Dream Hits II
8) Bad Love
9) Surf Bat
10) Riboflavin
11) Procession
12) 45 Grave
13) School's Out
14) Partytime (Single Version)
     Tracks 13 and 14 only appear on the 1993 remaster of this album.

     45 Grave is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1979. The original group broke up in 1985 but vocalist Dinah Cancer subsequently revived the band. 45 Grave are noted as one of the first bands to mix punk rock with horror-themed lyrics, thereby positioning them as progenitors of the horror punk subgenre. Their unique appearance and morbid theatricality also distinguished them as innovators of goth rock as well as "deathrock," a term used to identify a subgenre of punk rock incorporating horror elements and spooky atmospherics.
     The band was formed in Los Angeles, California during the punk rock movement. The original lineup consisted of Dinah Cancer on vocals, Paul Cutler on guitar, Rob Ritter (also known as Rob Graves of The Bags) on bass, and Don Bolles (of The Germs) on drums. The band evolved out of an industrial music band called Vox Pop, who recorded two singles and played around the Los Angeles area, specifically in the punk institution the Masque. Vox Pop contained all of the members of 45 Grave as well as others, such as Jeff Dahl. Vox Pop continued to coexist with 45 Grave until early 1981. The band's name, despite rumors to the contrary, was lifted from a button.

     Sleep in Safety is the 1983 debut album by the American deathrock band 45 Grave. It is the band's only studio album. The album was remastered in 1993 on Restless Records with two additional bonus tracks.
Stylistically, the album contains punk rock and gothic rock influences, and is representative of the deathrock genre. While not straight horror punk, it utilizes tongue-in-cheek lyrics (such as on "Riboflavin") and sound effects and audio excerpts from horror films (evident on "Slice O' Life"). The album is often considered a landmark in deathrock and American gothic rock and one of finest examples of its genre.

     Personnel
Dinah Cancer - Vocals
Paul Cutler - Lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
Paul Roessler - keyboards, backing vocals
Rob Graves - Bass, backing vocals
Don Bolles - drums, backing vocals

Irene Cara - What a Feelin'

Irene Cara

What A Feelin'

1983

Dancepop Euro Disco

USA

Tracklist:


01. Flashdance... What a Feeling (Radio Edit) [03:59]
02. Why Me? (12" Mix) [07:05]
03. Breakdance (Radio Edit) [03:29]
04. The Dream (Hold on to Your Dream) [04:51]
05. You Took My Life Away [03:55]
06. Keep On [03:31]
07. Romance '83 [03:58]
08. Cue Me Up [03:26]
09. Receiving [03:44]
10. You Were Made for Me [04:23]
11. Talk Too Much [04:03]
12. Breakdance (Extended Remix) [05:27]
13. The Dream (Hold on to Your Dream) (Extended Remix) [06:51]
14. Flashdance... What a Feeling (Extended Remix) [07:12]
15. Flashdance... What a Feeling (Instrumental) [08:04]

     Irene Cara (born March 18, 1959) is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.

     The 1980 hit movie Fame catapulted Irene Cara to stardom. Cara was originally cast as a dancer, and when production heard her voice they re-wrote the role of Coco Hernandez. As Coco Hernandez, she sang both the title song "Fame" and the film’s other single "Out Here on My Own". These songs helped make the film's soundtrack a chart-topping, multi-platinum album. Further history was made when at the Academy Awards that year: It was the first time two songs from the same film were nominated in the same category and both sung by the same artist. Thus, Cara had the opportunity to be one of the few singers to perform more than one song at the Oscar ceremony. "Fame", written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford, won the award that year.

     Cara earned Grammy nominations in 1980 for Best New Female Artist and Best New Pop Artist, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical. Billboard Magazine named her Top New Single Artist, while Cashbox Magazine awarded her both Most Promising Female Vocalist and Top Female Vocalist.

     Asked by the Fame TV series' producers to reprise her role as Coco Hernandez, she declined so as to focus her attention on her recording career. As a result, Erica Gimpel assumed the role.

     What a Feelin' is Irene Cara's second album and most successful to date. Unlike her R&B heavy debut, this album is dominated by Dance-pop and Euro disco songs produced by the legendary producer Giorgio Moroder. Many of the songs were co-written by Cara herself. Includes the major hit singles, "Dream (Hold On to Your Dream)" (US #37), "Flashdance... What a Feelin'" (her only #1 hit in the US), "Why Me?" (US #13), "You Were Made for Me" (US #78) and "Breakdance" (which was her third and last Top 10 single in the US, reaching #8).

     Cara lives in Florida and works with her band Hot Caramel. Their album called Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel was released on April 4th, 2011.

Greg Hawkes - Niagara Falls

Greg Hawkes

Niagara Falls

1983

Minimal Synth New Wave

USA

Tracklist:


A1 Niagara Falls   3:42
A2 Twenty-Seven Shirts 3:55
A3 Ants In Your Pants 3:12
A4 Llamas   1:55
A5 The Missing Link 1:50
A6 Block Party 3:53
B1 Jet Lag   3:00
B2 Beep Beep 1:41
B3 Bee System 4:31
B4 Voyage Into Space     3:43
B5 Let There Be Lights 3:54


     Greg Hawkes (born October 22, 1952) is a musician best known as the keyboardist for the Rock band The Cars.
     Hawkes, a native of Fulton, Maryland, attended Atholton High School where he played in a band called Teeth. He then attended Berklee College of Music for two years, majoring in composition and flute. He left to play in various bands, including Martin Mull and his Fabulous Furniture, where he played flute, saxophones and clarinet. He also played in a band called Richard and The Rabbits, which included future Cars bandmates Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr.
     Greg Hawkes' most notable involvement is with The Cars. Hawkes pushed the limits of available technology and sequencing helping to forge the sound of the 1980s. While The Cars were known commercially as a Rock and New wave band, he had the biggest impact on the Synthpop and New wave sound of The Cars hits such as Drive. His signature sounds include the Prophet-5 "touch sync" sound heard on "Let's Go" and "Hello Again" as well as arpeggiated and syncopated synth lines such as on "Shake it Up" and "Heartbeat City".
     In 2010, Hawkes reunited with the surviving original members of The Cars to record their first album in 24 years, titled Move Like This, which was released May 10, 2011.
     Hawkes also played with Ric Ocasek as a solo artist, often playing both keyboards and bass guitar. He released a solo album, Niagara Falls, in 1983. He also plays guitar, percussion instruments, saxophone, clarinet and ukulele. He recently came out with a solo album on the ukulele, The Beatles Uke.
     Hawkes received a writing credit for "Service with a Smile" on Virginia-based progressive rock band Happy the Man's second LP Crafty Hands in 1978.
     Hawkes lives in Lincoln, Massachusetts, where he works as a session musician. He was a member of The New Cars, a quasi-reformation of The Cars that also featured original guitarist Elliot Easton. Filling in for other original Cars members were singer/guitarist Todd Rundgren, Utopia bassist/vocalist Kasim Sulton and former Tubes drummer Prairie Prince. Atom Ellis filled in at bass when Kasim was touring with Meat Loaf. The band toured through the 2006–2007 season. A live album with three new studio tracks, It's Alive!, was released in June 2006.
     Before The Cars reunited in 2010, Hawkes played with The Turtles (starring Flo and Eddie) and Todd Rundgren.

Boys Brigade - Boys Brigade

Boys Brigade

Boys Brigade

1983

New Wave

Canada

Tracklist:


01 The Passions Of Love
02 Melody
03 Exodus
04 Saigon
05 The Cut-Up (Breaking Glass)
06 Into The Flow
07 Africa
08 Mannequin
09 Anger (The Hunter)


BOYS BRIGADE was a Canadian New Wave band formed back in 1980 in Toronto from the ashes of punk band called ARSON. It started as a four piece band and later on became a six piece band which consisted of MALCOLM BURN (vocalist and keyboardist) , TONY LESTER (guitarist and vocalist) ,WAYNE LORENZ (bass guitar) , BILLIE BROCK (drummer/bu vocals) and DAVID PORTER and JEFF PACKER (percussionists/ bu vocals).

Wang Chung - Points On The Curve

Wang Chung

Points On The Curve

1983

New Wave

England

Tracklist:


1. Don't Let Go
2. Dance Hall Days
3. Devoted Friends
4. Talk It Out
5. Even If You Dream
6. Don't Be My Enemy
7. Waves
8. Look At Me Now
9. Wait


     Points on the Curve is Wang Chung's second album and first album since changing their name from Huang Chung and switching from Arista to the Geffen record label. It was ranked #30 on The Billboard 200 album charts on July 14, 1984 and features the number 1 dance single "Dance Hall Days" and includes the hit singles: "Don't Let Go", "Don't Be My Enemy", and "Wait".
     The title Points on the Curve is apparently a reference to a chord in geometry. In this case, the chord is a musical chord.
     The group found their greatest success in America, with five Top 40 hits in the US, all charting between 1983 and 1987 (including the #2 hit "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" in 1986). In 1984 their first top 40 hit was "Dance Hall Days". In the summer of 1984 it went to #16. The song "To Live and Die in L.A." nearly reached the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1985, and "Let's Go!" went top 10 in 1987.
     The name Wang Chung was summarized by the band early on saying the definition was "perfect pitch" and later, on American Bandstand, they claimed it was the sound a guitar made.

     Members
Jack Hues
Nick Feldman
     Past members
Darren Costin
Dave Burnand (a.k.a. Hogg Robinson)

Peter Baumann - Strangers In The Night

Peter Baumann

Strangers In The Night

1983

Progressive Electronic Synthpop

Germany

Tracklist:


01 Strangers in the Night
02 Metro Man
03 King of the Jungle
04 Be Mine
05 Time Machine
06 Taxi
07 Cash
08 Glasshouse
09 Groud Zero
10 Welcome

     Peter Baumann (born January 29, 1953 in Berlin) formed the core line-up of the German electronic group Tangerine Dream with Edgar Froese and Christopher Franke in 1971. While touring with the band, Baumann composed his first solo album in 1976. Shortly thereafter, in 1977, he left the band and started his own solo career.
     When he was eight, the Berlin Wall was built, and Baumann entered the American/German Community School in Berlin, where he learned English and was first exposed to American culture. At age 14, Peter joined a cover band and performed at G.I. clubs. Then, in 1971, at age 18, he met Christopher Franke, and ended up joining Tangerine Dream in replacement of their former organist Steve Schroyder.
     Two years later, Tangerine Dream signed with Virgin Records and their first album on the label, Phaedra, became a Top 10 seller on the Melody Maker charts. As a result of this and other recording successes, Tangerine Dream toured the world for eight years. They also made successful forays into film scoring.
     Baumann had temporarily left Tangerine Dream twice, first in 1973 (returning in time for Franke & Froese to shelf their current work on Green Desert and the three to start anew on what was to become Phaedra), and again in 1975, leaving Michael Hoenig as a temporary substitute for an Australian tour. His departure in 1977, shortly after the completion of the band's first U.S. tour, was final and led to a brief solo career.
     During the 1980s, he founded a record label, Private Music, specializing in instrumental music in a style popularly referred to as New Age. Artists signed to the label included Yanni, Patrick O'Hearn, Jerry Goodman, Suzanne Ciani, and former bandmates Tangerine Dream. In 1996, the label was sold to Windham Hill Records' parent company, BMG, who continue to distribute some of the back catalogue of its more successful artists. Baumann has since kept a low profile from the music business, devoting his time to studying Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, religions and philosophies. He has since founded the Baumann Foundation and developed a philosophical theory focused on human suffering and liberation called Natural Enlightenment.


     Albums
Romance '76 (1976) (LP)
Trans Harmonic Nights (1979) (LP)
Repeat Repeat (1981) (LP)
Strangers In The Night (1983) (LP)
Phase by Phase: A Retrospective '76 - '81 (1996) (CD)
     EP
Bicentennial Present (7" single) (1976)
Biking Up The Strand (7" single) (1979)
Realtimes (7" single) (1981)
Daytime Logic (Extended Dance Mix) (12" single) (1981)

Marek Biliński - Ogród Króla Świtu

Marek Biliński

Ogród Króla Świtu

1983

Progressive Electronic

Poland

Tracklist:


1. Ogród w Przestworzach 4:57
2. Wśród Kwiatów Zapomnienia 4:28
3. Błękitne Nimfy 6:00
4. Śpiew Rajskich Ptaków 2:09
5. Fontanna Radości 6:37
6. Taniec W Zaczarowanym Gaju 3:08
7. Król Świtu 8:30



     He is one of the most famous Polish composers and multi - instrumentalists, using the newest, electronic keyboard instruments. He is an alumni of the Academy of Music in Poznan (Music College in Poznan).
He acquired his popularity on the music market thanks to his bestseller album "The Garden of the King of Dawn" and video clip "Escape from Tropics", which were accepted by TV audience as the best clip of 1984. In those times he had already procured his succeeding “Golden Disc" and many concerts in Poland and abroad (he gave performances inter alias in Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, Prague, Moscow and Kuwait). Moreover, he was awarded the first prize for the most popular multi-instrumentalist for five consecutive years (1981 - 1985).
     For the next 4 years (1986-1990) he was a lecturer in the Academy of Music in Kuwait. At this period of time he created compositions with Arabic influences. The most well known composition in Poland that emerged from this period of time was the symphonic fantasia "Faces of the Desert". This composition was supposed to be used in the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Kuwait’s independence, but the Iraqi invasion precluded realization of the event. After the Persian Gulf War, the "Faces of the Desert" (which was visualized by photos of artist-photographer Jacek Wozniak ) represented Kuwait on the Global Exhibition EXPO’92 in Seville, Spain.
     After returning to Poland he regained his place in instrumental music. He transferred his earlier albums to compact discs. In 1994 he produced a new CD called "The Child of the Sun". Inspired by his music, choreographer Ewa Wycichowska created the ballet called “The Child of the Sun” which was performed by the Polish Theater of Dance. The premiere of this event took place in The Great Theater in Poznan at the end of November 1995.
     Among other performances, he presented a recital called "Music Tales" for TVP2 (Polish TV Station 2). As a composer, musician and juror he often takes part in radio and TV programs.
     His music appeared in cinema and television films (inter alias "Friend of Merry Devil" and "Close encounters with Merry Devil" directed by Jerzy Lukaszewicz.). Likewise his music was used in "The Wheel of Fortune" quiz show, in the Gala of the Polish Phonographic Industry Awards -"Fryderyk’96", "Fryderyk’97" and on CD-ROM discs in Poland and abroad, mainly in "The Minden Pictures Collection" in USA.
     In collaboration with another composer, Wojciech Trzcinski, Marek Bilinski had written a music for a drama, "Brother of Our God", written by Karol Wojtyla - present Pope John Paul II, and directed by Andrzej Marja Marczewski.
     Marek Bilinski was awarded as the best composer and virtuoso of synthesizers in 1995 in the Polish professional magazine "Music".
     In 1998 he was commissioned to write a suite, "Reflection: I - Toscania, II - Loara, III - Bolero, IV - Seville", in celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the artistic work of Agnieszka Duczmal and her Chamber Orchestra "Amadeus". This piece was composed for chamber orchestra and percussion and each movement bears the names of the places where the orchestra performed. The premiere of the suite occurred in November 1998 at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. "Reflections" were received very enthusiastically by the audience.
     As the first in Poland and in this part of Europe, following the steps of Jean - Michel Jarre, he performed great outdoor concerts of music and light in Szczecin ('93) and Krakow ('94), which were viewed together by 50,000 spectators.
     Other Concerts of this type were the following:
In July 1996 during the Festival of Euro-Eko Meeting in Zlotów, Marek Bilinski presented an very unusual concert - " The Beginning of the Light", with international musicians: Hannibal Means (tenor)- USA, Sarhan Kubeisi (ethnic percussion instruments) - Syria, Edyta Kulczak (soprano)- Poland, Stanislaw Skoczynski (percussion instruments) - Poland and others. With laser, light and picture most of his important compositions were played at the concert. TVP1 recorded and showed the entire concert on September 1st 1996. It was recognized as one of the most interesting artistic events of the year.
     In March 12, 2000 in Gniezno he performed a concert, "Gniezno - 2000 - Sound - Fire - Light - Color", in honor of Five European Presidents Summit. Marek Bilinski shared the stage with Michal Grymuza, Wojciech Pilichowski, Michal Dabrówka, Piotr "Jackson" Wolski and others. They used the biggest drums in Europe for this occasion. The show was on live transmission by TVP1.

     In June 21, 2003 in Old Town of Gdansk on the bank of Motlawa, he gave a multimedia performance, "St. John’s - Night". Marek Bilinski played with Piotr Cugowski, Marek Raduli, Mieczyslaw Jurecki, Mariusz "Fazi" Mielczarek, Tomasz Losowski, Ryszard Bazarnik, Krzysztof Krzyskow. The whole music program was embellished by the dancers on the boats.
     Marek Bilinski’s compositions deduces from the best standards of classical and romantic music. His talent and knowledge unite tradition with vision of modern world sounds.

Victrola - Maritime Tatami 7''

Victrola

Maritime Tatami 7''

1983

Minimal Synth New Wave

Italy

Tracklist:

A.Maritime Tatami
B.Game Of Despair



     Victrola was a minimal wave duo (Eze and Carlo) from Messina but based in Florence.
     This Grreat record, the only one that the band released (not considering 'Into The Gloves' track, included in the famous 'Gathered' compilation'), is in my top 5 of the Italian New Wave period.

Heaven 17 - The Luxury Gap

Heaven 17

The Luxury Gap

1983

Synthpop

England

Tracklist:


1 Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry
2 Who'll Stop The Rain
3 Let Me Go
4 Key To The World
5 Temptation
6 Come Live With Me
7 Lady Ice And Mr Hex
8 We Live So Fast
9 The Best Kept Secret



Heaven 17 are an English synthpop band originating from Sheffield in the early 1980s. The trio comprises Martyn Ware (keyboards), Ian Craig Marsh (keyboards) (both previously with The Human League) and Glenn Gregory (vocals). Although most of the band's output came out in the 1980s, they have occasionally reformed to record and perform since then, playing their first ever live gigs in 1997.
     Taking their name from a fictional pop group mentioned in Anthony Burgess's novel, A Clockwork Orange, Heaven 17 formed when Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware split from their earlier group, The Human League, and formed the production company British Electric Foundation (BEF).

     The Luxury Gap is the second album by Sheffield band Heaven 17. It is their biggest selling album, peaking at number 4 in the UK charts and was certified Platinum (300,000 copies sold) by the BPI in 1984.
     In contrast to their debut album, Penthouse and Pavement, the singles charted strongly, especially "Temptation" which reached number 2 in the singles chart and was the 32nd biggest selling single of 1983. Other hits included "Come Live With Me" (UK#5) and "Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry" (UK#17).

1000 Ohm - You Lose 7''

1000 Ohm

You Lose 7''

1983

New Wave

Belgium

Tracklist:

01.You Lose
02.The Station Hall



     Founded by Frank Van Bogaert back in 1980, 1000 Ohm was one of the most succesful Belgian 80’s New Wave bands. Key members were Johan Van Herck on keyboards, Koen Van Assche on drums, Erwin Vermeulen on Bass and Frank on keyboards and vocals. Their best known track and still a New Wave Ever Green up to this day is the 1981 track A.G.N.E.S. Although the band had more successes like the 1985 charting hit “The Claim”, it’s A.G.N.E.S. the band is mostly being remembered for . In 1987 Frank decided to pull the plug to concentrate on what was to become a very succesful career as producer-sound engineer, later followed by a succesful career in the Electronic music scene. He is now even being considered as one of the main players in the traditional electronic and ambient music scene.

Members
Frank Van Bogaert : Vocals/keyboards/guitars
Johan Van Herck : Keyboards/backing vocals
Koen Van Assche : Drums/percussion
Erwin Vermeulen : Bass

The Tenants - The Tenants

The Tenants

The Tenants

1983

New Wave

Canada

Tracklist:


Look The Other Way
Schoolgirl
I Love Romance
Sheriff
Winner
How Do You Sleep At Night?
You Don't Know What I've Been Thru
Connect The Dots
What's In It For Me?
Forget About Forgetting


     Formed in Scarborough, ON in late 1981, the band's origins started when Andy McLean, a Brit holidaying in Canada met fellow guitarist and vocalist Gary Brown. They struck a friendship and Brown soon introduced him to some friends he'd just formed a band with, drummer Derek Gassyt, bassist Lewis Mele and Fraser MacDougall on keyboards. Literally within weeks they began doing the local circuit around Toronto.
Capitalizing on the new wave sound of the day, they were noticed by manager Dave Kirby and signed with CBS Records practically overnight, having only played a couple dozen shows as a band. By the time they entered Phase One Studios the next year, Brown and McLean had collaberated on a couple dozen tunes. Produced by Paul Gross, the band's self-titled debut was released in early 1983, and contained an off-the-cuff live feel the execs thought properly represented the band, which it didn't. Feeling the pressure to keep the album to its originally intended low budget, the best of the bunch were picked.

     The album was filled with simple hooks and melodies put to even simpler lyrics, and "Sheriff" became the first single, cracking the top 40, along with an extended dance version, but it was "How Do You Sleep At Night?" that caught the attention of radio stations, and its extended dance single version that tore up the nightclubs. The album went on to sell a quarter million copies while the band toured Canada and the US for the next year and a half, even doing a handful of shows in South America.

     Following the tour, the band switched to Lars Sorensen for management direction out of Seattle, who also guested on the song "Reach Out" on saxophone, the band made their way back to Phase One in late '83 to begin work on their follow up, 1984's VISIONS OF OUR FUTURE. Mele co-wrote three of the tracks and is credited for playing bass on "Getting Closer." But shortly after the recording began, he was replaced by Michael Beer. Again the band's focus was a light-hearted, not too sophisiticated pop approach with some slick production work from Gross. The only difference was this time CBS Records didn't mind spending a few dollars on production. "Something Else" hit the airwaves that summer and again put The Tenants in the top 40. But before a tour could ensue, legal hassles with Sorensen over unused money for the album's production caused a split. Though the record sold another quarter million copies worldwide, the band was held accountable for the missing money.

     This naturally caused strife among the members, and the band officially disbanded before the year's end. Gassyt, Beer and MacDougall later formed Moving Pictures, then they all went on their separate ways a few years later. McLean and Brown turned down a number of publishing deals, and Brown decided to retire all together and opened Certain Circles Recording Studios, as well as dabbling in managing other promising Toronto acts. A few years later he recorded and shopped around some material labelled as The Tenants, although he was the only original member remaining, but got no serious offers.

Formed 1981,    Toronto, ON, Canada

Disbanded 1984

Members Lewis Mele (bass, 1981-83), Michael Beer (bass, 1983-84), Gary Brown (vocals, guitar), Derek Gassyt (drums), Fraser MacDougall (keyboards), Andy McLean (guitar)

Cee Farrow - Red and Blue

Cee Farrow

Red and Blue

1983

New Wave, New Romantic

USA (Born in Germany?)
256Kbps

Tracklist:

A1 Don't Ask Why
A2 Heartbreaking Affair
A3 Touched
A4 Wildlife Romance
A5 Distant Picture
B1 Should I Love You
B2 Paint It Blue
B3 Backwards
B4 Lost And Memorized
B5 Think Of Me



This one's a bit of a mystery. Cee Farrow may have been a former model who may have been formerly known as Chris Farrow - problem here is there's not much biographical info about Cee Farrow out there.

     Farrow returned in 1991 with a single called "Imagination", but apparently caused a tiny stir on the dance charts. But he'll be forever known as the guy who did that song you never heard of when someone tells you the title, but when they play it for you, you totally go "OH MY GOD, I REMEMBER THAT SONG!"

"Should I Love You" peaked at #82 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart and at #91 on the R&B Singles Chart in 1983.

     Christian "Cee" Farrow died in 1995 in West Hollywood California. He had AIDS and died of a brain disease attributed to AIDS. He was married to April La Rue but that marriage really was to help him attain his citizenship in the USA. In the 1980s they worked together on a series of nightclubs the most notorious one probably was "The Apartment" but there were numerous others. He was a regular fixture in the L.A. gay club scene. His battle with HIV was kept super quiet. His death and battle with AIDS/HIV was a surprise to most.

     This bio(?) was compiled from various web sites and forums after a looooooong search.
     I don't really know if any of this is true...

Blue Zoo - Two by Two

Blue Zoo

Two by Two

1983

New Wave Synthpop

England
256Kbps

     Blue Zoo were a British new wave band, between 1980 and 1985.
Formed in 1980, their original band name was Modern Jazz, and they released a single "In My Sleep (I Shoot Sheep)" in that year.
     Band members were: Mike Ansell on bass, Matthew Flowers (formerly of new wave band "Sore Throat") on keyboards, Pete Lancaster on trumpet, Andy O (Overall) on vocals, Tim Parry on guitar and Mickey Sparrow on drums. Steve Pond from Inner City Unit played occasional synthesizer. Parry later went on to become a record producer.
     Blue Zoo had one UK hit single. In October 1982 "Cry Boy Cry" charted and reached number 13.[1] It stayed on the UK Singles Chart's Top 40 for eight weeks.
     They released an album Two By Two (sometimes written as 2x2 or 2By2) in 1983.
     Blue Zoo played their first concert in 28 years at the Ginglik on Shepherd's Bush Green on 22 July 2010.

Tracklist:

01.Cry Boy Cry
02.John's Lost
03.Far Cry
04.Count On Me (You Can)
05.Love Moves In Strange Ways
06.Forgive And Forget
07.I'm Your Man
08.Open Up
09.Can't Hold Me Down
10.Something Familiar