In the 80s, Hollywood turned its back on orchestral film scores in favour of jukebox-style compilations that sold in their millions – but did commerce win out over art? By…
Soft Cell: *Happiness Not Included interview
In this Soft Cell interview for new album *Happiness Not Included, we talked to Marc Almond and Dave Ball about how the global pandemic caused them to re-evaluate their belief in…
Remembering The David Arnold James Bond Project: Shaken And Stirred
Scoring Tomorrow Never Dies wasn’t David Arnold’s first brush with 007 – just a few months previously, the composer had assembled an impressive and eclectic list of contributors for The…
Making Tina Turner: Private Dancer
Clawing her way back from obscurity, the rebirth of Tina Turner in the 80s saw the iconic singer defy music industry prejudices based on age, gender and race to produce…
Making Elvis Costello & The Attractions’ Imperial Bedroom
A regular entry in Best Album run-downs, Imperial Bedroom by Elvis Costello & The Attractions brought some serious love from the critics and musicians alike – and it made the…
Making XTC: English Settlement
The fifth album by XTC, English Settlement, was a landmark as bold as the beast on its cover; a double-album that saw the group expand their sound, turn their backs…
Pepsi & Shirlie interview
As the backing vocalists in Wham!, Pepsi & Shirlie weren’t so much 20 Feet From Stardom as right in the middle of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s success. Living happily…
Making Kate Bush: The Dreaming
She called The Dreaming her “mad” album, and Kate Bush’s belated return to the studio with cutting edge Fairlight sampler at the ready, bore fruits of an entirely different kind… …
Remembering Dead Or Alive: Mad, Bad, And Dangerous To Know
After achieving MTV fame with one of the 80s most iconic pop songs, could lightning strike twice for Dead or Alive with their album Mad, Bad, And Dangerous To Know?…
ABC: Martin Fry interview
As he prepares to mark the 40th anniversary of The Lexicon Of Love with a lavish new live tour, accompanied by Anne Dudley and the Southbank Sinfonia, Martin Fry tells…