After writing most of Depeche Mode's debut album, SPEAK AND SPELL, Vince Clarke left that band and hooked up with singer/pianist Alison Moyet, whose booming, soulful, R&B-inflected voice could not have been more different from that of Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan. The combination of Moyet's incredible voice and Clarke's electronic pop songs gave Yaz (known as Yazoo outside the US) a unique sound that lasted far beyond its brief lifespan. In fact, this 1999 compilation was actually spurred by the success of a popular television commercial featuring its lovely ballad "Only You." Combining the best parts of the duo's two albums, 1982's UPSTAIRS AT ERIC'S and 1983's YOU AND ME BOTH, with a couple of new remixes, this collection is most notable for including the superior single mix of the dance club classic "Situation." A fine introduction to an influential act.

Ben Sidran presents the classic rhythm and blues performances of the 1980s with his personal insight into each song, the artist and the performances. Artists featured are: Willie Murphy, John Sebastian, Bonnie Koloc, Lady Bianca, Tower of Power, Chick Corea, Valerie Wellington.

Ben Sidran presents the classic rhythm and blues performances of the 1980s with his personal insight into each song, the artist and the performance. Artists featured include: Long John Baldry, John Sebastian, John Mayall, Bonnie Koloc and Chick Corea.

Track Listings
1 : We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue
2 : Home Is Where the Hatred Is
3 : My People... Hold On
4 : You Haven't Done Nothin'
5 : The Creator Has a Master Plan
6 : Sign of the Times
7 : Wade in the Water
8 : The World Is a Ghetto

Billy Valentine is one of the great soul voices working in America (‘the secret weapon of almost every songwriter in L.A.’) – with a history as deep and varied as the Young-Hold Trio, the original touring company of ‘The Wiz’, in collaboration with his brother as ‘The Valentine Brothers’, right up to credits that include Swedish House Mafia. Conceived in the summer of 2020, it is a response to the throes of a global pandemic and the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. More than a covers album, this record uncovers the works of the likes of Cur5s Mayfield, Gil Scot Heron, and Pharaoh Sanders in a new setting. Recorded at EastWest Studios (formally the historic United Western Recorders), produced and mixed by Dave Way, and featuring a stella cast of session musicians, the album is as sonically stunning as it is moving.