Spandau Ballet / Gold: The Best Of compilation to be issued on vinyl
First time on vinyl • 2014 studio tracks added • Hadley snubbed
Spandau Ballet‘s Gold: The Best Of compilation is set to be issued on vinyl for the first time in June.
The collection was originally issued in 2000 and featured 18 songs from the band’s first six studio albums. When it was reissued in 2008 (as a CD+DVD set) both Raw and Be Free With Your Love (from 1989’s Heart Like A Sky) were left off and She Loved Like Diamond (from 1982’s Diamond) was added, making it a 17-track collection.
Left off! The Tony Hadley penned “Soul Boy”
For this new 2LP vinyl reissue, there is another track-listing rejig. It adheres to the 2008 presentation, but this time, two of the three new studio tracks from 2014’s ‘The Story’ best of (This Is The Love and Steal) are added. The Tony Hadley penned Soul Boy is notable by its absence. With Hadley now departed, the reason for that is pretty obvious, but it’s a shame, because on merit, I think it deserves a place ahead of the other two songs.
So Gold has gone from 18, to 17 and now back up to 19 tracks for this new the double vinyl version. It should be released on 8 June 2018.
Spandau Ballet / Gold 2LP vinyl
Side 1
1. Gold
2. True
3. Only When You Leave
4. This Is the Love*
Side: 2
1. Lifeline
2. Communication
3. Instinction (Edit)
4. Chant No 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)
5. To Cut a Long Story Short
6. The Freeze
Side 3
1. Musclebound
2. Paint Me Down
3. She Loved Like Diamond
4. Round and Round
5. Highly Strung
Side 4
1. Fight for Ourselves
2. Steal*
3. I’ll Fly for You
4. Through the Barricades
*new additions
Anyone know how we determine if this album is analog or digitally sourced?
This is from the official Spandau Ballet website discography page…
Gold: The Best of Spandau Ballet
04 Sep 2000
1 Gold
2 True
3 Only When You Leave
4 Lifeline
5 Communication
6 Instinction
7 Chant No.1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)
8 To Cut A Long Story Short
9 The Freeze
10 Musclebound
11 Paint Me Down
12 She Loved Like Diamond
13 Round and Round
14 Highly Strung
15 Fight For Ourselves
16 I’ll Fly For You
17 Through The Barricades
Great, but I think we have established beyond doubt that there were variants.
Plus, in general the last person you want to ask about dates, releases, versions is the artist / management / label.
I used to co-run a wikipedia type site for an particular artist and their off-shoots and we always knew more than the particular artist such that the artist would reference us whenever facts were needed. We were the ones who devoured the releases, bought the variants, knew which version was which. It would be good if companies used people like us more often and it’s why Paul’s collaborative releases are considered among the best, because we care, we know. There isn’t a release that goes by without someone saying such and such a mix is missing or *even worse* they have labelled a mix incorrectly. Calling the “Diversion” the “Inversion” or the US remix getting muddled with the b-side remix.
No pressure then, for my next one, which I’m hoping to tell everyone about, fairly soon!!
Raw and Be Free With Your Love were never on the 2000 version, and She Loved Like Diamond always was. The 2008 version had the same tracklisting. I have both editions.
What’s this then? https://www.discogs.com/Spandau-Ballet-Gold-The-Best-Of-Spandau-Ballet/release/267152
Discogs must be incorrect. I never saw a version with those tracks on. Wikipedia doesn’t mention any version like that either (though I know Wikipedia can’t be relied upon for absolute accuracy).
I bought it when it was new out in 2000 and the tracklisting was identical to the 2008 version, the only difference in the latter being the addition of the DVD. An earlier 1991 (different) compilation probably had those two tracks on though.
Just looked at Wikipedia again and it does state:
“The track listing below is for the standard U.S. version of the album. Certain alternate releases featured “Raw” and “Be Free With Your Love,” two tracks from the band’s Heart Like a Sky album (which was not released in the U.S.), in place of “She Loved Like Diamond.” “
The UK version didn’t include those tracks either, unless supermarkets such as Sainsburys (where I would have bought it from – in the days when supermarkets were the cheapest at £9.99 compared to HMV etc) were selling a non-UK edition.
…There is a Spanish edition on Amazon (even “The Best Of” on the cover is in Spanish) which has those two tracks on.
To summarise, there are a few variants, including versions with Raw and Be Free With Your Love, and the new 2LP vinyl is yet another edition
Never mind another spandua ballet compilation ,head over to pledge and order tony,s new studio album!Looking foward to it as the quality of the new songs on his live cd from a few years back was very strong.Good luck to spandua replacing tony it won,t be easy but that,s as it should be.
Tony has been talking about this ‘new’ solo album for about 10 years now, certainly before the first Spandau reunion. I hope its been worth the wait.
So now they’re releasing “carboot classics” for vinyl collectors, what releases are next? Will smith and backstreet boys on vinyl?!
Is it just me, or are their necks being photoshopped to look slightly more wonky each time this gets reissued?
NO – it’s not just you!
If the track listing has been rejigged, then it is a new compilation, why not give it a new title and cover? Lazy.
Best compilation was the original Singles Colleciton anyway.
Probably because the ‘Gold’ compilation has an existing ‘brand’ which has some value, for better or for worse.
Spandau Ballet – The Twelve Inch Mixes is the best compilation by these New Romantics! Shame it has gone the way it has with Tony Hadley leaving. His ‘performance’ on Benidorm was certainly not his finest hour. Still yet to find out if the band will continue without him in similar way that UB40 featuring Ali Astro and Mickey have done. If so, Who will be the new Spandau lead singer or will Gary Kemp take over on lead vocals? We shall see!
You mean the way UB40 have continued without Ali, surely?
So hope so as Gary Kemp has soulful voice
Good point Jim Breeds My Thoughts exactly!
Should be on clear vinyl.
Everyone can see through sour-grapes…
Poor “Foghorn” Hadley as Smash Hits used to call him.
I saw Tone perform at Ronnie Scott’s in Brum pre the reunion. He signed Spandau stuff for people but when presented with the recently released compilation putting Martin in the middle, declined, saying “I’ll sign proper stuff but I’m not signing *that*.” with much venom.
Brilliant, I love that. Right up there with Lennon scribbling out ‘McCartney’ on the songwriting credit of Beatles singles.
I hope all the Spandai fans got to watch Martin Kemp’s stint on Bake Off. His Live Aid cake was a highlight.
I see they’ve put him front and centre in the cover photo. Style triumphs over substance.
I am getting old, that was THE most confusing post I have ever read on this site, had to re-read several bits to hold on to the thread.
Maybe the Gold Vinyl option was dismissed due to Abba Gold already having done that….
Sorry but now I’m confused. The post was very clear I thought: reissue of greatest hits on vinyl, slight adjustment to track listing. Have I missed anything?
It was clear I thought. Chris, stop confusing everyone ;)
It’s me, don’t worry and no need to hand in your press pass just yet, Paul. It was the Hokey-Cokey of adding and taking away tracks that I found hard to grasp.
It took me an half-an-hour to work out what had been added to The Struts “Everybody wants” album on re-issue, so losing the thread of The Kemp / Hadley Axis of evil was not a surprise to me.
It’s why I am still using windows 7, learning curves are getting steeper.
Have they also rejigged the team photo to put the Melchester Rovers duo centre stage?
Hurray for Mrs Kemp’s boys!!!
I really liked Soul Boy. Saw him sing that one in Bristol several years back, thought it was the strongest of the new songs they penned for The Story album.
Quite. And it has the autobiographical factor in its favour. Petty to exclude it.
Saw SB in Boston a few years ago when they were touring on the “Soul Boys of the Western World” film. Tony sounded amazing and “Soul Boy” was one of the best songs of the night. Lame that they’d leave it off. “This is the Love” is a great track, but “Soul Boy” should have gone on before “Steal.” I’m sorry, but they are not Spandau Ballet without Tony Hadley – no more than INXS was INXS without Hutchence or Queen was Queen without Freddie.
One minute Tony H is moaning about his involvement in Spandau, the next hes on an ITV sitcom singing Spandau songs.
He’s also ‘duetted’ with Jane McDonald. How the mighty have fallen…
Not on gold vinyl? Missed opportunity?
True ;)
It will be ! When the black ones have sold out !!!