12"/80's [Import]

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 8, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Import
• Label: Universal UK
• ASIN: B0006OR0TO
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,457 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. A Forest - The Cure

2. Walk Out to Winter - Aztec Camera

3. Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go? – Soft Cell

4. Tears Are Not Enough - ABC

5. Promised You a Miracle - Simple Minds

6. To Cut a Long Story Short - Spandau Ballet

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Love Action - Human League

2. Wood Beez - Scritti Polliti

3. Fade to Grey - Visage

4. Situation - Yazoo

5. Quiet Life - Japan

6. It's My Life - Talk Talk

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Pull Up to the Bumper - Grace Jones

2. I'm a Wonderful Thing (Baby) – Kid Creole and the Coconuts

3. Diggin' Your Scheme - The Blow Monkeys

4. My Bag - Lloyd Cole

5. The Honeythief - Hipsway

6. Sinful - Pete Wylie

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

The ‘80s was the decade of the 12" single. The remix was invented and the 12" single was for many the format of choice commercially.

Too long for radio play, these 12"s became the regular play-list of the Saturday night club DJ – tracks such as Human League's "Love Action," Grace Jones' "Pull Up To The Bumper" and The Cure's "A Forest" were often played back to back in the same DJ set and the general public's 12" record collections became similarly eclectic.

Eighties’ music is experiencing resurgence in popularity with an increasing number of ‘80s influenced artists such as Franz Ferdinand, Goldfrapp, Dogs Die In Hot Cars, Mylo and Scissor Sisters creating demand and huge media interest in this decade's music. There has never been an album retrospective focusing on this era of popular music culture until now.

Triple-disc set featuring tracks by The Cure, Human League, Blondie, Grace Jones, and Grandmaster Flash – 12"/80s is the definitive Eighties’ 12" collection!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some rareties, some oddities, some missing stuff, July 20, 2005

By 

Daniel W. Kelly (NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 12"/80's (Audio CD)

How I live for these compilations of 12" singles from the 80s. But they're never everything we can hope for. I got some goodies, like the US 12" mix of Promised you a Miracle, Our Lips are Sealed, and Money's too tight to Mention. But then there is what is actually the ALBUM Version of Situation by Yazoo, so we didn't need it here, the US remix of "shout", while I'm still waiting for the UK mix from the 12" to make it to CD for a change, a really odd mix of Kiss Me rather than the original 12", a 12" of Fade to Grey that STILL isn't the one I have on vinyl, and a version of Honeythief that also doesn't match my 12" vinyl. But there are still some good hard-to-find mixes on here, and you're sure to find something to please you. Track times for those seeking that exact version they want are:

CD1:

1. a forest (4:43)
2. walk out to winter (7:41)
3. tainted love (8:54)
4. tears are not enough (7:31)
5. promised you a miracle (6:00)
6. to cut a long story short (6:27)
7. never stop (4:42)
8. love is a wonderful colour (6:44)
9. Our Lips are sealed (6:04)
10. Precious (5:52)
11. Spellbound (4:39)
12. she's in parties (5:46)

CD2:

1. love action (5:11)
2. wood beez (5:54)
3. fade to grey (5:36)
4. situation (5:43)
5. quiet life (4:48)
6. it's my life (6:08)
7. kiss me (5:30)
8. my ever changing moods (5:41)
9. money's too tight to mention (8:36)
10. obsession (5:35)
11. wordy rappinghood (6:28)
12. I'm in love with a german film star (3:58)

CD3:

1. pull up to the bumper (7:17)
2. I'm a wonderful thing (6:09)
3. digging your scene (6:25)
4. my bag (6:37)
5. honeythief (4:25)
6. sinful (8:05)
7. shout (7:59)
8. hip hop be bop (5:23)
9. ever so lonely (6:20)
10. down to earth (6:00)
11. wonderful life (4:58)
12. dr. mabuse (6:33)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vinyl, Wax and Plastic!, November 9, 2005

By 

Mars Velvet (Green Tree, Blue Earth...Deep Space) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 12"/80's (Audio CD)

According to a British study of music buying trends during the mid 1980s, 12 inch singles were mostly bought up by boys who didn't want to fork the money for an album when they could have countless mixes of the same song! I am afraid I fell into that category. I loved my 12inchers... great mixes, cool covers and bsides... brilliant!

I wasn't put off much by the shoddy packaging.... life is imperfect...and the music is what counts......although a booklet with the covers of the original 12"s would have been nice. Most of the music is a cross-section of what was popular in the UK from 1980-1986.

There was quite a variety. The proto-ska percussion of Fun Boy Three's "Our Lips are Sealed" an instant classic and a fine mix. The over the top Soft Cell hit "Tainted Love" attached to their version of "Where Did Our Love Go" which is so hard to find and it really makes the song to have these two melodies welded together!!

The gold lame slickness of ABC with great brass and bangs on "Tears are Not Enough", the quiet dark whisper of The Cure in the atmospherics the mix to "A Forest" provides. Yazoo who blended soul with electronics on the US hit "Situation" with extended keyboard styling. Animotion's killer hit "Obsession" is longer and sexier in the mix!

That crazy bird that came to be known as Kid Creole with his funk fusion fun in the mix to "I'm a Wonderful Thing Baby"! The arty dance party of Japan's mixture of "Quiet Life". The musik electro of Propaganda's "Dr. Mabuse". The party is not a party without Grace Jones' purring dancefloor mania of "Pull Up to the Bumper" 12"mix style. And the primal scream of Tears For Fears' "Shout" US mix which has that great accapella bit at the beginning. Great!

If you used to pile up your 12inch singles before going to any party then you will enjoy this set as much as I did....great tunes, brilliant mixes, fab memories!

Enjoy!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the better entries, February 17, 2010

By 

muzikfan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 12"/80's (Audio CD)

Thus far, I can say that there are 4 great 12" 80s comps; in no particular order: pop, electropop, 2, and this. The other two (dance and grooves) I have leave something to be desired... (especially dance)

It starts off with what MAY be a long version, but I doubt it. Then, you get really good songs. The only thing that I can say, the longest song at 8:54 is Soft Cell's "Tainted Love/Where did our love go", which in my opinion is weak as a medley. Now if it were just Tainted love, then that'd be something. A good compilation with good songs, and being one of the first, UNTOUCHED by their annoying hip-hop theme crap. Yes, people, this looks, feels, and sounds like the 80s! I'm just an 80s music connoisseur, so I can't be uber-specific. I love most of the songs they chose, and I love finding those gems that are just so addictive. If you like 80s music, buy this and the others; you won't be sorry. Even if you don't, if you like music, you'll find something that appeals to you.