NewsHalfway to Heaven: Blow Monkeys triple-set hits collection on the way
29/04/13 Update: Sony informed us today that Track 3 “You Don’t Own Me” will not be featuring on this compilation, due to clearance issues.
Sony music will release a Blow Monkeys three-disc set on 17 June 2013 that comprises a single disc ‘best of’, a further CD compiling highlights of frontman Dr. Robert‘s solo career, and a final disc that features a remastered recording of The Blow Monkeys’ 1984 Hammersmith Palais concert in its entirety.
The best of is brought right up to date by the inclusion of Chained, a track from the new album Feels Like A New Morning, and fans will be pleased that You Don’t Own Me from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack also finds a place here.
Halfway To Heaven continues the fertile release schedule for Blow Monkeys-related product. Last year saw early albums Limping For A Generation and Animal Magic reissued as two-CD deluxe editions and in 2013 we have Feels Like A New Morning and this new collection. It doesn’t stop there either. Cherry Red will carry on with the archive releases, with the now-topical She Was Only A Grocer’s Daughter next on the list.
- • UK Order: Halfway to Heaven: The Best of The Blow Monkeys
- • USA Order: Halfway to Heaven: Best of
- • CANADA order: Halfway to Heaven: the Best of
- • GERMANY order: Halfway to Heaven: the Best of
Halfway To Heaven track listing:
CD1 – The Best of The Blow Monkeys
- 1. Digging Your Scene
- 2. It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way
- 3.
You Don’t Own Me (from the Dirty Dancing Original Soundtrack) - 4. Wait (featuring Kym Mazelle)
- 5. Choice? (featuring Sylvia Tella)
- 6. Celebrate (The Day After You) (featuring Curtis Mayfield)
- 7. Wicked Ways
- 8. Out With Her
- 9. La Passionara
- 10.Forbidden Fruit
- 11. He’s Shedding Skin
- 12. Springtime For The World
- 13. Wildflower
- 14. Slaves No More
- 15. Be Not Afraid (featuring Cheb Khaled)
- 16. Chained
- 17. Save Me
- 18. Staring At The Sea
- 19. Heaven Is A Place I’m Moving To
CD2 – The Best of Dr Robert
- 1. Birds Gotta Fly
- 2. The Coming Of Grace
- 3. Staring Down The Bird
- 4. Realms Of Gold (Demo)
- 5. Halfway To Heaven
- 6. Circular Quay (featuring Paul Weller)
- 7. Have No Roots (featuring Paul Weller)
- 8. Blueskies (Marius De Vries Mix)
- 9. Sycamore Tree
- 10. A Single Summer
- 11. Ode To Bacchus
- 12. This Is Nowhere
- 13. Don’t Let It Slip
- 14. Further Adventures Of The Fen Tiger
- 15. Flatlands
- 16. Hercules Broom
- 17. Lucifer’s Friend
- 18. I Can’t Remember The Last Time I Cried
- 19. The Sky Is Falling
- 20. Digging Your Scene (Acoustic)
CD3 – Live from the Hammersmith Palais (1984)
- 1. Resurrection Love
- 2. Man From Russia
- 3. Atomic Lullaby
- 4. He’s Shedding Skin
- 5. Waiting For Mr Moonlight
- 6. Trashtown Incident
- 7. It’s Not Unusual
- 8. Limping For A Generation
- 9. Professor Supercool
- 10. Go Public
- 11. Man From Russia (Reprise)
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Reviews
[…] Available for under £12 this set is competitively priced and has plenty to offer casual and devoted fans alike. Full track listing can be found here. […]
I’m not interested in getting this. The old compilation (Choices?) has more ‘hits’ and then I have a bunch of CD singles to knock up a 12″ mix compilation…
[…] A three disc set which features a new Blow Monkeys hits collection (including a track from the recent Feels Like A New Morning), a best of Dr. Robert’s solo material, and a complete 1984 Hammersmith Palais gig. […]
[…] DR: It’s a big package. It’s three CDs. It’s going to be the best of the band, again, but I’ve helped to choose a few different ones for it; best of my solo stuff, and a live gig they found from the Hammersmith Palais in 1984, which is pre-Digging Your Scene, so pre-hits – Basically Limping [For A Generation]. It’s coming out in July. I’m helping them with it now. There has been some shitty compilations over the years, so this is going to be quite nice. And there was a good chance to put some of my solo stuff out there, as well, the best of, because that hasn’t really been well heard. [Since the interview Sony have officially announced this as Halfway To Heaven]. […]
Erm… Why is “You Don’t Own Me” crossed off the tracklist? I loved their version! Was genuinely happy to see that on the tracklist. And now I’m a bit sad…
Some last minute clearance issue which meant Sony couldn’t include it. Definitely not on the compilation, unfortunately.
Several key tracks are missing like Atomic Lullaby,This Is Your Life,It Pays To Belong and Springtime For The World. These couldve been easily included instead of the live disc and maybe some 12″ mixes. Then this wouldve been worth buying !
Mildly surprised they are getting a push, they were never big saleswise and theyre not a band i would rush to hear new stuff by, good luck to them though.
Interesting that Wait is on the Blow Monkeys cd rather than the Dr Robert solo cd.