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Archive for the ‘Music - Albums’ Category

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Grange Hill – The Album

Posted by Big Boo on December 22nd, 2008

It seems that despite the fact that Grange Hill may have disappeared from our screens after all these years the BBC are not quite ready to turn their backs on it yet, as they’ve just released a three disc CD set comprising over 60 classic eighties tracks entitled Grange Hill – The Album.

Obviously Grange Hill’s was at its most popular during the 1980’s, so despite the show running up until recently this album is firmly rooted in the eighties. As well as the obligatory Grange Hill theme tune (apparently officially called Chicken Man fact fans) you’ll find hits from such acts as Adam and the Ants, Queen, Madness, The Human League, Shakin’ Stevens, Wham!, Culture Club, David Bowie and many more (as they always say on the adverts for such albums). You’ll even find Toni Basil’s Mickey and Rupert and the Frog Song on there too!

However, be aware! Make sure you don’t get the confusingly same titled Grange Hill – The Album by mistake. This is actually the album made by the cast of the show in 1986 and is usually available for bargain bucket prices. It’s only highlight is probably the Zammo’s-drug-taking inspired single Just Say No, and even then I’m not sure highlight is the correct word to use.  It’s easy to tell the difference.  The one you want has a picture of the classic sausage on a fork comic book scene, whilst the other has the lame Danny Kendall created “GH” school badge on the front.  Speaking of which, does anyone know why the original Grange Hill school badge looked like two letter S’s made out of knotted rope?  That always confused me…

Buy Grange Hill - The Album at Amazon.co.uk
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Raiders of the Pop Charts

Posted by Big Boo on August 8th, 2008

Raiders of the Pop ChartsBefore the Now That’s What I Call Music albums grabbed the pop music compilation market by the throat and refused to let go, compilation albums tended to be released by companies such as Ronco or K-Tel and were basically one off affairs bringing together a number of popular songs. One of the strongest examples of this was the rather good Raiders of the Pop Charts, which was produced by Ronco, also well known for their household gadgets.

In 1983 Indiana Jones fever had yet to subside, so the marketing men decided to piggy back on the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark by putting a guy in a leather jacket and holding a whip on the front cover. They even unashamedly stole the logo from Indy as well!

Despite all this though the compilation was actually very good, with a large number of well known and well loved songs. It featured hits by bands such as Culture Club, The Pretenders, Madness and Heaven 17. It even found room for a few of the more novelty songs of the time, including Tony Basil’s Mickey. Probably the most bizarre feature of this compilation though was that it was split into two parts which were sold separately.

The compilation did very well, and I reckon the makers of the Now albums at least used it partially as a model for their own efforts. Raiders of the Pop Charts hit the top of the UK album charts in January 1983, and also holds the current record for the largest jump up the UK album charts, when it climbed 37 places from number 40 to number 3 at the very beginning of 1983.

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Thriller – Michael Jackson

Posted by Big Boo on February 21st, 2008

Thriller - Michael JacksonLove him or hate him, there’s no denying that Michael Jackson is one of the worlds most successful music stars, and his sixth solo album, Thriller, has a lot to do with that. Thriller was released in 1982 and to this day is the album that has sold the most copies worldwide, clocking in at 104 million copies!

The number of sales is set to get larger since the album has also just been re-released as the Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition, which has some remixed versions of the songs on it and also comes with a DVD packed with extras, including the much loved 15 minute video to the single Thriller.

It’s no wonder the album was so popular as it is packed with many of Jackson’s best loved hits, including the titular Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean and Girl Is Mine, one of his duets with Paul McCartney. In many ways these songs are probably the most representative of Jackson at the height of his fame, before his nickname of Wacko Jacko started to over shadow his reputation as one of the greatest singers, and dancers for that matter, of the decade.

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Now That’s What I Call Music Compilations

Posted by Big Boo on October 11th, 2007

Now That’s What I Call MusicThe first Now That’s What I Call Music compilation album was released in 1983, and it’s appearance completely changed the way compilation albums were viewed. It wasn’t the first compilation album by any means. I remember my Dad having several Top of the Pops albums (I don’t think this had anything to do with the BBC TV show) which he had bought when he was growing up. However, the NOW albums, as they are generally called today, changed the way such compilations were viewed from being a selection of tunes you may have heard of to a collection of current hits that you were most likely familiar with.

One of the biggest problems facing compilation albums was the number of songs you could fit on an album. Remember this was before compact discs and downloadable MP3s music had taken over from vinyl records and cassette tapes, so all the NOW albums were sold on two records or tapes. Double albums had existed before, but they were few and far between and rarely were compilations of songs by many different bands and singers – or “various” as most compilations now get classified! The biggest step NOW made was to release on two albums, giving the average teenager access to 30 or so top songs for little more than the price of a regular album.

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