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Alison Moyet / Alf reissue due in Nov

By Paul Sinclair

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alf

Alison Moyet‘s 1984 album Alf will be reissue as a two-CD deluxe edition in November along with her three other Sony albums.

All the reissues are being put out by BMG, rather than Sony (for some reason) and the double-disc edition of Moyet’s debut includes the album remastered from the original tapes and comes with a bonus disc featuring remixes and B-sides.

Since this album has never been reissued and there has never been any kind of Alison Moyet rarities anthology, more or less everything on this bonus disc is new to CD. Content includes both 12-inch remixes of Love Resurrection, both 12-inch mixes of Invisible and the ‘new version’ of For You Only (in seven-inch and Extended versions). That last song was only issued as a single in the US and a few territories in Europe. It eventually surfaced in the UK on the B-side to Is This Love? retitled ‘Europa Mix’. The Europa Mix was identical the Extended New Version, so the shorter single-length ‘New Version’ is unreleased in the UK until now.

Like the two other singles, the biggest hit from the album, All Cried Out (#8 on the UK charts in Autumn 1984) was issued in two 12-inch variants. ‘The Remix’ (second 12-inch issued – QTA4757) features on the bonus disc, but the standard ‘Extended Version’ (TA 4757) doesn’t, because the album version of Alf has historically always used this extended version of the song (running time is 6.50). This brings us to the major omission from this deluxe edition and that is the seven-inch version of All Cried Out. It really, REALLY should have been included, since it’s what most people would have bought back in the day and it was what was played (a lot) on the radio. You get both remixes, but not the actual standard version of the song.

B-sides Hitch Hike (with Darts) and Baby I Do are present and correct as are the single and ‘Jazz Version’ of non-album 45 That Ole Devil Called Love. The B-side to that single also features in standard and extended versions.

The two live tracks were recorded at the Dominion Theatre (for Radio One in Concert) and featured on a special 7-inch double-pack of That Old Devil Called Love.

We’ve waited so long for this, it’s great news that it is finally coming out, however, nothing beyond the officially released discography has been explored. If Wet Wet Wet‘s Picture This can be issued as a 4-disc super deluxe edition box set then perhaps Alison Moyet’s team may have underplayed their hand with this key long-player from the early-to-mid eighties. You get the feeling Moyet’s fans – and pop fans in general – like this record more than she does, which may well have influenced the decision to not over-indulge when it came to the reissue.

Raindancing (1987), Hoodoo (1991) and Essex (1994) are all being issued at the same time, in the same two-disc format. These will be ‘casebound book’ type presentations.

Despite being officially announced, these aren’t going to be available to pre-order for another week or so, but the track listings are below.

All four Sony albums are released as two-CD deluxe editions on 25 November 2016.

track_listing

alf

Alf 2CD deluxe edition

Disc One – original album

  1. Love Resurrection
  2. Honey For The Bees
  3. For You Only
  4. Invisible
  5. Steal Me Blind
  6. All Cried Out
  7. Money Mile
  8. Twisting The Knife
  9. Where Hides Sleep

Disc Two – bonus tracks

  1. Love Resurrection (U.S Long Version)
  2. All Cried Out (The Remix)
  3. Invisible (Extended Version)
  4. For You Only (Extended New Version)
  5. Love Resurrection (Love Injected Remix)
  6. Baby I Do
  7. Invisible (Transparent Mix)
  8. Hitch Hike
  9. For You Only (New Version)
  10. That Ole Devil Called Love
  11. Don’t Burn Down The Bridge
  12. That Ole Devil Called Love (Jazz Version)
  13. Don’t Burn Down The Bridge (Extended Version)
  14. Twisting The Knife (Live)
  15. That Ole Devil Called Love (Live)

raindancing

Raindancing 2CD deluxe edition

Disc One – original album

  1. Weak In The Presence Of Beauty
  2. Ordinary Girl
  3. You Got Me Wrong
  4. Without You
  5. Sleep Like Breathing
  6. Is This Love?
  7. Blow Wind Blow
  8. Glorious Love
  9. When I Say (No Giveaway)
  10. Stay

Disc Two – bonus tracks

  1. Is This Love? (L.A. Mix) (Produced by Dave Stewart)
  2. Blow Wind Blow (Long Version) 
  3. Weak In The Presence of Beauty (Extended Mix) F
  4. To Work On You 
  5. Take My Imagination To Bed 
  6. Ordinary Girl (Remix) 
  7. Palm Of Your Hand (Cloak & Dagger) 
  8. Ordinary Girl (Dance Mix) 
  9. Love Letters
  10. This House (Original Mix)
  11. Love Letters (Extended Version)
  12. The Coventry Carol (From Olympics benefit album ‘A Very Special Christmas’, 1987)
  13. Love Resurrection (Live At Wembley Arena, 13th May 1987) 
  14. Ne Me Quitte Pas (Live At Wembley Arena, 13th May 1987) 
  15. You And Me Previously unreleased demo.
  16. Let’s Get Personal (with James Brown)

hoodoo

Hoodoo 2CD deluxe edition

Disc One – original album

  1. Footsteps
  2. It Won’t Be Long
  3. This House
  4. Rise
  5. Wishing You Were Here
  6. Hoodoo
  7. (Meeting With My) Main Man
  8. Back Where I Belong
  9. My Right A.R.M.
  10. Never Too Late
  11. Find Me

Disc Two – bonus tracks

  1. Take Of Me
  2. Back Where I Belong (Polite Mix)
  3. Back Where I Belong” (Soft Mix)
  4. Come Back Home
  5. Hoodoo (Extended Version) (remix by Francois Kevorkian)
  6. Hoodoo (Starlight Dub) 
  7. Hoodoo (Single Version) (remix by Francois Kevorkian)
  8. Hoodoo (Instrumental) 
  9. It Won’t Be Long (Live At The Town & Country Club, London, 17th July, 1991) Previously unreleased.
  10. Wishing You Were Here (Live At The Town & Country Club, London, 17th July, 1991) Previously unreleased.
  11. Never Too Late (Live At The Town & Country Club, London, 17th July, 1991) Previously unreleased.
  12. Find Me (Live At The Town & Country Club, London, 17th July, 1991) Previously unreleased.
  13. (Meeting With My) Main Man (Live At The Town & Country Club, London, 17th July, 1991) Previously unreleased.
  14. Dig A Hole Previously unreleased demo.

essex

Essex 2CD deluxe edition

Disc One – original album & bonus tracks

  1. Falling
  2. And I Know
  3. Whispering Your Name
  4. Getting Into Something
  5. So Am I
  6. Satellite
  7. Ode To Boy
  8. Dorothy
  9. Another Living Day
  10. Boys Own
  11. Take Of Me
  12. Ode To Boy II
  13. Whispering Your Name (Single Mix)
  14. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Single Mix)
  15. Blue (Original Version)
  16. Solid Wood (Single Mix)
  17. Our Colander Eyes (Single Mix) Rare – withdrawn single.
  18. My Best Day (featuring Lightning Seeds)
  19. Make A Change (featuring Tricky)

Disc Two – bonus tracks

  1. Falling (Infinite Dub)
  2. It Won’t Be Long (Acoustic)
  3. Whispering Your Name (Extended Remix)
  4. Whispering Your Name (Remix) (remix by Vince Clarke)
  5. Getting Into Something (Midnight Mix) 
  6. Dorothy (Acoustic)
  7. Ne Me Quitte Pas (Acoustic)
  8. Never Too Late (Remix)
  9. Never Too Late (Extended Remix)
  10. Life In A Hole
  11. Rock And Roll (Live At The Mean Fiddler, London, 3rd April, 1992)
  12. Sunderland Glynn
  13. Beautiful Previously unreleased.
  14. How Long (Alternate Version) Previously unreleased.
  15. Blue (The Essential Mix)
  16. Our Colander Eyes (Pete Glenister Demo) Previously unreleased.
  17. Blue (Playing The Field Edit) Previously unreleased.
  18. There Are Worse Things I Could Do

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57 Comments

57 thoughts on “Alison Moyet / Alf reissue due in Nov”

  1. Pingback: Alison Moyet deluxe editions now available for pre-order | superdeluxeedition

  2. This would happen. She’s so over-acclaimed, I’m surprised these things weren’t out years ago. It won’t help “Alf”-an overrated, dated mishmash of style over substance as it was then. “Raindancing” is a huge improvement, but even that has a couple of dodgy stodge on it. But why they all need 2 discs I’ll never know, I can only assume it’s to do with the untouchable critical glow she basks in, much like with the even worse Eurythmics. All Kim Wilde’s RAK/EMI albums just got 1 disc and that was it and even worse, the 12″s of several early singles are no different to the 3 minute 7″s.

    Sandra, Voice Of The Beehive, China Crisis, Til Tuesday, Alphaville are top 80s acts that STILL don’t their album reissued, or maybe just one in a couple of cases. As for Kirsty MacColl, that only happened AFTER she horribly passed and even then, her barely known locked away but completed “Real” album stays locked away by Polydor/Universal. I’ve requested it several times and they pretend to answer, but have no intention (predictably) of doing anything about it. Much of the blame can go to ex-hubby producer Steve Lilywhite, who should have fought for it, and actually found it in 2004 but only pulled a few tracks from it for a boxed set in her name released in 2005.

    1. You asked why they need two discs well it’s quite simple really as the all the extra stuff wouldn’t fit on one disc. I don’t understand your comment about her being overrated and what that dig about the Eurythmics all about ?

    1. They are all available to preorder on Amazon now at £11.35 each. I ordered the first two but according to Amazon Alf is not being released till the 2nd Dec unlike the rest which are the 25th Nov.

  5. I noticed that the bonus track “Take Of Me” appears on both the Hoodoo and Essex reissues. I remember that it was a b-side on the cd single of “It Won’t Be Long” in 1991 and then a bonus track on the US cd version of Essex in 1994, but I don’t recall there being a difference in the versions. It seems odd to include it on both reissues so I wonder if there might be an alternate version? Anyone know about this?

  6. For the record, the ‘new version’ of For You Only was also released as a single here in New Zealand. And while it didn’t crack the Top 40, it received a LOT of airplay at the time. I remember being very disappointed when I heard the LP version. It sounds incredibly sparse in comparison. Really excited to be getting this on CD finally!

  7. Alison Moyet should have released a 12″ Album like Howard Jones

    Suggested tracklist

    Side 1
    That Ole Devil Called Love (Jazz Version)
    Love Resurrection (Long Version)
    All Cried Out (The Remix)

    Side 2
    For You Only (Extended New Version)
    Invisible (Extended Version)
    Don’t Burn Down The Bridge (Extended Version)

  10. Track 18 on Essex is a little bit cheeky. That is a Lightning Seeds track that features Alison, not the other way around.

    Quite a few of these tracks have already been released on some (mustn’t talk about) unofficial CD singles and one of them has an extended mix of Honey For The Bees on it. Does anyone know if that was that ever going to be a single and then presumably shelved?

  11. I’ve got an amazing alternate version of ‘Ode to Boy’ that was included on a free music magazine compilation CD. It’s so much better than album version, I’m surprised it’s not part of this release.

  12. Thanks so much BMG, what took you so long? I have been after a remastered from the original tapes version of ALF by Alison Moyet like forever, not to mention the additional three other albums slated for release. ALF was Alison’s first solo record and was a big hit. I jammed and jammed to that album and wore my vinyl out, yes I am that old. I sometimes feel that the record labels don’t really know what a goldmine they have with some of these artists so when they release critically acclaimed albums like ALF, it is a sensation. I know I plan to get ALF and the other four releases and can’t wait until November!

  14. Fantastic news! To have this and Dead Or Alive in the space of a few weeks is amazing stuff. These are so long overdue and while the track lists look to be quite ‘safe’ (am sure there must be more unreleased gems from each of those era’s as well as the missing mixes already noted) it does bode well for any future releases of Moyet material and the news that both Moyet and Dead Or Alive are now working on new albums has made my year!

  15. Question for collectors…

    During the Hoodoo era, in Europe, we had 12inch discs for:

    It Won’t Be Long
    Wishing You Were Here
    Back Where I Belong (Promo)
    This House

    The USA had a 12inch Promo for Hoodoo.

    Does anyone know if the Hoodoo single ever had any European releases?

    Cheers.

  16. Woohoo! This makes my year. I have been waiting for deluxe versions of these four albums for years.

    A little disappointed the Ode to Boy remixes aren’t included. I don’t particularly like them, but the completist in me needs them on CD.

    Also would be nice to have the rejected Essex album at some point, but I’m not holding my breath for that.

  17. In the words of Alan Carr: Chatty Man, “What a week it’s been!”

    First Kate Bush, then Yazz, now Alison Moyet – a great week for me (but a terrible week for my wallet when the releases drop!)

    Plus with Crowded House, Dead Or Alive, DJ Shadow and great deals on Blondie and Graham Parker, it’s actually been a great 4-6 weeks.

    But as a paranoid/pessimistic person, I get the horrible feeling I’m now going to have a terrible 4-6 weeks very soon…

  18. That’s true. The dub version of “whispering your name” should be on the second disc of “essex”. all copies of the promo vinyl 12″ i heard are not in a good quality. Sadly.
    With all the other missing promo 12″ versions “essex” would better a 3cd set. but i’m very happy with “alf” – especially with “the remix” !!
    maybe a few demos would be good to hear from “alf” because i love all the things
    producers jolley/swain did ( bananarama / imagination ). I’m sure that they did demo’s and alternative / dub versions like they did with imagination and bananarama. But they must save material for a “super deluxe edition” of “alf” in the future. I still think that a 12″ version of “honey for the bees” is possibly in the vaults… it sounds so edited on the “alf” album… but all together this is very good news from the alison moyet front !!

    1. Let’s hope Paul may be able to curate an Alison Moyet box set at some point, similar to the one he created in respect of Paul Young a couple of years ago. In addition to the missing remixes, consideration could be given to the 1985 BBC concert that was broadcast on radio which featured wonderful versions of “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted” and “That’s The Way Love Is” as well as the original version of the Essex album (produced by Pete Glenister) that was rejected, hence the re-recording with Ian Broudie. It would also be great to include the Mike Hedges sessions from the mid-90’s.

  19. I was lucky enough to see Ms Moyet when she played Nile Rogers’ FOLD festival at Fulham Palace in the summer. She was fab, and the audience loved her. Her set was all too short.

    I wonder if she’ll receive any royalties from these reissues?

  22. @Paul S, thank you for this post. I definitely will get the first 2 albums & perhaps when the price is right (lower) will get the other 2 for the Kevorian mixes & other mixes.

    Agree with the others, original label/record company always opted for original album with no bonus on CD1! While Cherry Red/Pop & Demon/Edsel will do that, giving us the fans more bonus tracks.

    A boxset with bonus CD is nice but I’d prefer a 2CD/3CD-set Remixes & Rarities :D

  23. Great to see these finally reissued. I worked on rereleasing these numerous times several years back ; every time we got close they were blocked. Lovely to see them finally unleashed!!

  25. If the record company would have a brain -which I know they don’t safe for a few people- they would issue this also as a box set with all 4 expanded albums including a additional bonus disc of the unreleased remixes mentioned above. Would be a big seller for sure. Make it a ltd edition. Will be sold out in a heartbeat. The entire SDE.com community have been waiting for these reissues. Do it right for once.

  26. Am excited about these releases for sure. Will be able to ‘recycle’ quite a bit of vinyl and CDs (I need the space). Is nice to see something come out that has been wished for repeatedly on this site over the years.

    Was reviewing the tracklistings earlier in the week and the following seem to be missing:
    All Cried Out – Extended Version (6:51) which Paul explained above. Is interesting that this version was featured on so80s4 since it was already on the album release (which I didn’t know before).

    Don’t Burn Down The Bridge (Live) 5:02 from the Sleep Like Breathing 12″

    Rise (Live) and Wishing You Were Here (Live) from one of the Whispering Your Name CD singles

    F.O.S. from the US Whispering Your Name CD single (as pointed out above)

    Whispering Your Name (The Whispers In The Morning Mix) 6:08 by Paul Goodyear from one of the Aussie CD Singles

    Whispering Your Name (Dub) from the UK promo 12″ (as pointed out above)

    The Ode To Boy mixes as pointed out above. The Factory Mix from the CD is over 9 minutes so maybe that is why it was omitted.
    Factory Mix (on CD single and 12″)
    N.Y.-L.A. Mix, N.Y.-L.A. Dub, Factory Dub 2 from the 12″

    First Time (Are You Sure It’s Your…..) – Mark Saunders First Time Every I Saw Your Face remix from one of the First Time… and Solid Wood CD singles

    First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Attica Blue Mo Wax white label 12″

    Ne Me Quitte Pas states ‘Acoustic’; is this the same version on the Essential compilation?

    The 11 live tracks from the 2CD version of the 1996 Singles compilation

    Others?

  27. I think Alison has come around a little on the first couple albums.

    I don’t think it’s necessarily the songs as the production and the process she went through to make them.

    They were very mid-80s slick, which is why I think she reworked some of them slightly on her last tour.

    I have noticed the last few years she is more open to what the fans want, and while she continues with new music, she knew her fans from the last 35 years want these original four remastered/reissued.

    And I’m sure she will be happy with the $$ too! LOL

    Really wish they would do the Yaz stuff again – they did that box that was A) really expensive and B) not in print very long.

    And the individual CD’s aren’t even available anymore as remasters.

  29. Since All Cried Out (7″) is widely available on several compilations I’m not too bummed about it.
    I wish these albums would also be released as a boxset though.

  32. From the website; ‘Stay tuned for news in 2017 of Vinyl releases’

    I’ll purchase at least the first two albums on vinyl, and all four CD sets. Exciting!. I hope the packaging is high quality. A pity Alison isn’t signing any of these but then given the popularity of her early albums she’d probably end up with severe RSI

  34. I found the second 12″ of Invisible in a record store in Vancouver a few years ago for 33c, didn’t even know about it until then. Loved the first two albums but only had Raindancing on cassette, which I didn’t bring with me to Canada. Finally managed to find a Canadian vinyl Pressing for $5 and since then have found two for $1-2 after years of searching for the initial one. These releases look interesting.

  37. Absolutely incredible!!!! We have waited years for this. Even on the last tour AM said this was still stuck in the record company pipeline. To see this released now is a dream come true for all fans!

    Naturally the content is incredible. The first two releases are great as most of the content is not on CD. The single version of ‘All Cried Out’ is already on CD so I don’t mind it being omitted, but I agree it’s inclusion would have made a more complete set.

    With regards Hoodoo and Essex, these are great but most of the previously released material is on CD anyway but it’s nice to have them compiled here. Yet is it great to have the CD debut of Getting Into Something (Midnight Mix). However, sadly Whispering Your Name (Dub) is missing which was only available on a 12inch promo.

    Also, it’s odd Ode to Boy remixes haven’t been represented here! The Factory Mix is already on CD, but these only appear on vinyl; N.Y.- L.A. Mix, N.Y.- L.A. Dub, Factory Dub 1, Factory Dub 2.

    It’s awesome to have some new unreleased material from these eras, but a little more research could have made an awesome set of releases a little better!

    :-)

  38. My body does one GIANT sigh of relief. FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I love Alison Moyet and these albums were obviously way overdue. I’m glad they added all the remixes and then some. Couldn’t be happier. I will be getting all 4 of them for sure.
    A great week with Alison Moyet, Hipsway and Yazz reissues. Thank you Paul.

  40. Finally they’re coming!

    Curious as to why This House was on Raindancing; was this track originally recorded for that album?

    Nice to see most of the single versions too (Essex takes the cake for this, bar the single version of Getting Into Something).

    I like the sound of the packaging too. Loving the casebound book sets, and I look forward to seeing these in those sets as well. So glad to see these!

    1. This House was originally the Bside of That Ole Devil Called Love. It was totally re-recorded and has some different lyrics and a different ending on the new version during the Hoodoo era. The video is beautiful as are all of the Hoodoo videos.

  42. In a way I like it that they kept the albums as they were originally released. On the other hand, it would have been nice if non-album tracks would have been moved from the second to the first disk, so the second disk could be fully used for remixes, live versions, etc. That way all the missing tracks/mixes could have been included (except for ‘Essex’, because there are just too many versions and mixes to fit on two cd’s).
    I think at least ‘F.O.S.’ (b-side to ‘Whispering your name’) should have been included. This way, at least a version all released songs would have been presented on these re-issues.
    Nevertheless, I’m very much looking forward to the new editions of all four albums.

    1. I always prefer to have all the actual tracks (b-sides and outtakes) on CD 1 right after the original album. Makes for a much better listening experience IMO. Then when I’m in the mood for remixes I put on CD2.

  43. With regards to BMG releasing these instead of Sony, it would appear according to BMG’S website that when SonyBMG separated again BMG retained the rights to some artists work such as Kylie Minogue AND Alison Moyet.

    Kylie isn’t so much a surprise as she was signed to deConstruction, a previously BMG label, however since Alison was a CBS artist, later Columbia both Sony Labels, it does seem surprising that BMG would have retained her rights. But most of the time I don’t really understand how it all works anyway.

      1. They were going to do these on Sony, but for whatever reason that didn’t happen. I actually did a bit of consultancy on Alf two or three years ago!!

  44. been waiting all week to order this! all 4 are must haves!
    Paul, thanks 4 highlighting the omission of key 7″. shame it ain’t complete
    still it’s 32 years since Alf…

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