JAPAN will release a definitive retrospective album, The Very Best Of Japan, on March 27th. The album will be the first Japan collection to feature material recorded for the Hansa label as well as for the Virgin label. On the same date, the band will release a DVD of the same name featuring seven promo videos, and the band's 1983 Oil On Canvas show.
PAUL WELLER will play a tiny London show as a warm-up for his appearance at the Brit Awards, where he will perform and receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. The show will take place at Gibson Studios on February 13th.
ABC are close to completing work on their new studio album with thirteen tracks nearing completion, including "Ride," "Sixteen Seconds To Choose," and "Penitance Song." The line-up features MARTIN FRY and DAVID PALMER, and while STEPHEN SINGLETON, the third member of the classic ABC line-up is not involved, he will be releasing a solo album shortly. Meanwhile, frontman MARTIN FRY is to guest in an upcoming BBC TV show Just The Two Of Us in the UK where pop stars will be paired with celebrities and the couples will then perform in front of a live crowd. The show will be a primetime weekend show for BBC1 and is due to start in a few weeks time.
WHEN IN ROME have been reformed by original keyboard player MICHAEL FLOREALE who is working under the WIR name with new vocalist Jayden Frost. The duo will soon release a new album entitled Blue, and are lining up US shows later in the year.
THE JAM mainman RICK BUCKLER takes to the road this week with his new band THE GIFT, performing a range of covers including material from his former band.
DEAD OR ALIVE are back in the UK charts with "You Spin Me Round Like A Record." The song is currently number 5, and was a number one hit in 10 countries 21 years ago. It also went top 10 in the US.
Frontman PETE BURNS was back in the UK press recently because of his appearance as one of the housemates in Celebrity Big Brother. On January 7, fans of the show watching the live feed and internet stream saw Burns perform the song. The TV appearance was his first in many years. DEAD OR ALIVE also features Steve Coy. Coy is the producer, drummer and songwriter for the act and also handles all of their business affairs.
Material courtesy: remembertheeighties.com & undercover.com
Photo courtesy: deadoralive.net
