Various Artists - Now Yearbook 1985-1989: The Final Chapter / Various - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Four CD set. Welcome to THE VAULT for 1985. A collection that digs deeper into the year's musical landscape - uncovering singles that may not have always reached the highest chart positions but remain essential to the rich and diverse pop story of 1985. Some were overshadowed at the time, some were highlights from albums that had already sold huge amounts, some found greater success internationally - but all deserve their place in this continued celebration of 80s pop. Includes tracks by Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Ferry, Sting, Go West, Scritti Politti, ABC, Heaven 17, OMD, Adam Ant, Midge Ure, Blancmange, The Style Council, Simply Red, Fine Young Cannibals, Cocteau Twins, Jesus And Mary Chain, The Dream Academy, Matt Bianco, The Colourfield, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, The Clash, Miquel Brown, Hazell Dean, Laura Branigan, Eddie Murphy, Billy Joel, John Mellencamp, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, The Power Station, Chris Rea, Marillion, Patti Labelle, Tina Turner, Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, Whitney Houston, and many others.

Bulbous Monocle focuses it's lens further into the legacy and archives of the Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. These Things Remain Unassigned-a phrase coined by Brian Hageman, one of the band's musical snake appendages emanating from it's Medusa crown-is presented as a double LP (gatefold jacket with a twelve page libretto). It gathers together the band's singles, compilation tracks, outtakes and never before released gems encompassing the arc of TFUL's musical corpus. Every track has been surgically remastered by Mark Gergis (Porest / Sublime Frequencies / Mono Pause) with his signature craftsman approach. This collection is an auditory and visual feast. The extensive booklet included features band ephemera, concert flyers, photographs, and commentary about each track from Mark Davies. Beyond the rare singles and unreleased tracks from the TFUL archives, are cover versions from such disparate artists and composers as Ennio Morricone, Krzysztof Komeda, The Residents, The Shaggs, Caroliner Rainbow and Pérez Prado. Inch... In addition to these compilation one-offs, there were also a few studio recordings that were never quite completed or released. Throw in an alternate mix or two and the handful of singles that came out on various labels over the years, and you end up with what I feel works well as it's own body of work, a bunch of adopted oddballs that somehow fit together as a family. I hope you'll agree with me that these things are now no longer unassigned, but part of a somewhat cohesive whole, stitched together into something mysterious and glistening.Inch -Mark Davies (2023)

Four CD set. 1982 was a stellar year in pop music. We have already included a fantastic selection on the 1982 Yearbook, the 80-84 Final Chapter, and the 'vinyl extras' so far in our appreciation of the year. Those tracks were generally the bigger hits of the year, with their chart achievement a factor in their inclusion - however - that's not the whole singles story of the year, and our celebration of 1982 wouldn't be complete without shining a light on some of that year's singles that have been compiled much less frequently over the past 40 years. Welcome to THE VAULT for 1982. Some of the tracks included were Top 40 hits, some missed the chart completely. Some were representative of massive selling albums, and some were big hits in the U.S. and not in the U.K, but all are part of the wonderful pop story of 1982. Includes tracks by The Cure, Bauhaus, David Sylvian & Ryuichi Sakamoto, The Police, The Who, Steve Winwood, Elton John, Elvis Costello, The Clash, Theatre Of Hate, The Teardrop Explodes, Mike Oldfield, Culture Club, Spandau Ballet, Level 42, Bananarama, Toyah, Visage, Blancmange, Zaine Griff, Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force, George Clinton, Dazz Band, Blue Rondo A La Turk, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, John Mellencamp, and many others.