Exclusive Review of New Digital Releases
Here is the second part of Paul Simper’s exclusive reviews for Spandauballet.com to celebrate the recent digital release of Spandau‘s first four studio albums, Journey’s To Glory, Diamond, True and Parade. The celebrated journalist, author and commentator on the 80’s exclusively reviews 10 personal choice “deep cuts” from the fantastic Spandau catalogue!
Confused
The classic pop single that never was, ‘Confused’ was the one song to survive from Spandau’s earlier incarnation as late ‘70s power-pop outfit, The Makers. With its Kinks influences it belonged to another era but very nearly became Spandau’s second single.
She Loved Like Diamond (Re-record 2010)
Great Steely Dan-style percussive reinvention of the sluggish original which earned its place back in the Spandau catalogue on the Reformation tour.
Glow (BBC Session 15-3-81)
Recorded at the BBC’s Studio B15 two months before the band’s first visit to New York in ‘81 this hell-for-leather version with Steve Norman on bongos, congas and timbales is a rare snapshot of Spandau’s early live sound as they headed from electro pop to funk.
Pharaoh
A slowed down funk successor to Musclebound this is the neglected gem on side two of Diamond that might even have become a single if the band weren’t already looking towards the pop sensibilities of True.
Paint Me Down (Remix)
Assigned with the unenviable job of following up the classic Chant No.1, this slow grinding funk track, splashed with guitar heroics, saluted the epic dance tracks being delivered in the early 80s by the Gap Band. This version was part of a four disc collectors boxed set remixed for the clubs.
Gold 12”
There’s a slow build but plenty of drama in this epic 12 inch. The very best of the later Spandau 12 inches once the band had moved beyond using the format to fashion dance remixes to represent them on the club scene.
Pleasure
The third Spandau album was to be called Pleasure with Dollar and ABC producer Trevor Horn at the helm. When plans changed this song still survived and opened the album.
Foundation
Bursting with singles, the album True could have potentially spawned another monster hit with this funky pop song but in the end it was decided not to muddy the waters with a return to clubland after pure pop like Lifeline and Communication.
Gently
As rare as hen’s teeth, a Spandau original B-side, this was the flip of Instinction which harks back to Gary Kemp’s musical more folky beginnings with an old schoolmate Jess Bailey and anticipates his 1995 solo album, Little Bruises.
True (new mix)
A perfect illustration of the unique power of a great pop intro. It was the band’s co-producer Tony Swain who at the last minute placed that unmistakeable guitar riff and backing vocals at the front of the track – without them, as is heard here, who knows whether this would have become one of US radio’s most played hits.
Paul Simper, formerly of No.1 magazine, Melody Maker & New Sounds New Styles
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