NOW 12" 80s: 1981

NOW Music are excited to present the next in our latest series - 'NOW 12'' 80s'. The 12-inch single was a dynamic and increasingly essential part of the release schedule as the decade progressed. Incorporating extended (sometimes full album) versions, remixes, and re-inventions - they not only gave the dancefloor a longer version, and the listener an alternative take, but also highlighted the artistry of the producer - bringing together all kinds of elements to create new soundscapes woven together with the original track, either vocal or instrumental, to present another reason to be excited on release date. Across 4 CDs, 46 extended, full-length, or remixed versions reflect a year of seismic change in the Pop Charts and on the dancefloor for the 12-inch single - the previously dominant genre, Disco, now shared the space with remixes that embraced Pure Pop, New Wave, Rap, Electro, and Synth-driven New Romantic hits that shone a light on the new post-Disco club scene. Of the 12 artists on Disc 1, 9 of these enjoyed their first Top 20 hit in 1981 and the 12-inch single was an essential part of the release, offering a taste of the new club culture. First big Chart hits from Duran Duran, The Human League, and Japan feature alongside Ultravox, Spandau Ballet and Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark continuing the success they found in the previous year. Freeez, Haircut 100 and ABC all produced extended cuts that accentuated their cool dance credentials - and Visage - a focal point of the London club scene - released three hit singles, all of which are included in their 12-inch version on this collection. Blondie's 'Rapture', and Tom Tom Club's 'Wordy Rappinghood' were among the first crossover Pop tracks embracing Rap, and the post-Punk New Wave scene introduced new artists including Altered Images, Bow Wow Wow, and Simple Minds. The Specials took 'Ghost Town' to #1 just before they split - and one of the decades' biggest Pop groups, Bananarama, made their debut.and Disco certainly wasn't dead - Huge hits included here from Odyssey, Earth, Wind & Fire, Yarbrough & Peoples, Shalamar, and The Whispers kept the floors filled, while emerging stars including Sharon Redd and Hi-Gloss brought fresh U.S. club mixes, and established superstars utilised the 12-inch version to underline their dancefloor relevance - including the years' biggest U.S. hit 'Physical' from Olivia Newton-John (not released originally in the UK in its full 12-inch version). Pure Pop smashes from Dollar, Ottawan and Modern Romance all enjoyed success with extended 12-inch versions - and the years' craze for medley's including the nearly 12-minute 'Stars On 45 Volume 2', and the full version of 'Hooked On Classics' are all here as part of the rich Chart story of 1981 - but if a run of tracks serves as a great example of why 1981 was such a pivotal year in the history of Pop and of the 12-inch single, then the opening of the final disc here really encapsulates this explosion of diversity and creativity, with 'Fade To Grey', 'Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go', 'Don't You Want Me', 'Girls On Film' and 'The Freeze'. By 1982, many of these artists were established Chart stars and were joined by more emerging stars creating stellar Pop. 1982 would be another rich and defining year in the story of the Singles Charts and one in which the 12-inch single became an essential and expected format for releases, but that's for next time. NOW 12-inch 80s: 1981 - 4 CDs - 46 tracks - an extended celebration of the magic of 1980s Pop.

Disc 1
1: Planet Earth (Night Version) - Duran Duran
2: The Sound of the Crowd (12" Version) - The Human League
3: Quiet Life (Extended Version) - Japan
4: Visage (12" Dance Mix) - Visage
5: All Stood Still (12" Version) - Ultravox
6: Glow (12" Version) - Spandau Ballet
7: Southern Freeez (12" Version) - Freeez
8: Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) [12" Version] - Haircut 100
9: Tears Are Not Enough (12" Remix) - ABC
10: Play to Win (12" Version) - Heaven 17
11: Bedsitter (Extended Version) - Soft Cell
12: Extended Souvenir - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Disc 2
1: Rapture (Special Disco Mix) - Blondie
2: Wordy Rappinghood (Extended Version) - Tom Tom Club
3: Don't Slow Down (Extended Version) - UB40
4: Ghost Town (Extended Version) - The Specials
5: Aie a Mwana (US Extended Version) - Bananarama
6: Happy Birthday (Dance Mix) - Altered Images
7: Chihuahua (12" Version) - Bow Wow Wow
8: Spellbound (12" Mix) - Siouxsie and the Banshees
9: The American (Extended Remix) - Simple Minds
10: The Art of Parties (12" Version) - Japan
11: Mind of a Toy (Dance Mix) - Visage

Disc 3
1: Physical (Long Version) - Olivia Newton-John
2: Can You Handle It? (Full Length Version) - Sharon Redd
3: You'll Never Know (Full Length Version) - Hi-Gloss
4: Pull Up to the Bumper (Party Version) - Grace Jones
5: Backfired (Extended Version) - Debbie Harry
6: Don't Stop the Music (Long Version) - Yarbrough and Peoples
7: Let's Groove (Holiday Version Remix) - Earth, Wind & Fire
8: Going Back to My Roots (12" Version) - Odyssey
9: Make That Move (12" Version) - Shalamar
10: It's a Love Thing (12" Version) - The Whisperers
11: Nights Over Egypt (12") - The Jones Girls
12: How 'Bout Us (12" Version) - Champaign

Disc 4
1: Fade to Grey (12" Version) - Visage
2: Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go (Extended Version) - Soft Cell
3: Don't You Want Me (Extended Dance Mix) - The Human League
4: Girls On Film (Night Version) - Duran Duran
5: The Freeze (Special Mix) - Spandau Ballet
6: I Could Be Happy (12" Mix) - Altered Images
7: Hand Held in Black and White (Extended Version) - Dollar
8: Everybody Salsa/Salsa Rappsody (Disco Mix) - Modern Romance
9: Hands Up (12" Version) - Ottawan
10: Stars On 45 Volume 2/More Stars (12" Version) - Stars On 45
11: Hooked On Classics (Long Version) - Louis Clark and the Royal Philarmonic Orchestra

Number of Discs: 4

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