Joyride (2022)

Matt Bianco is a UK group formed in 1982 by Mark Reilly (vocals), Danny White (keyboards) and the late Kito Poncioni (bass), all originally members of the band Blue Rondo A La Turk. For their first album "Whose Side Are You On?" they hired unknown polish vocalist Basia Trzetrzelewska. Her vocal arrangements gave the album a jazzy dimension that Reilly and White couldn't anticipate and hits like "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed" and "Half a Minute" turned Matt Bianco into one of the biggest acts of the 1980s. Forty years later the group is releasing this new double album: "The Essential Matt Bianco", including thirty tracks from throughout their career, lovingly re-imagined and re-loved. Meaning these favourite tracks from the Matt Bianco catalogue are either re-recorded or remixed and have been interpreted for where we are now in 2022. This album will be extensively toured with concerts around the world.

The Four Seasons, featuring the remarkable and unmistakeable voice of Frankie Valli, were one of the most popular and successful groups of the 1960s on both sides of the Atlantic, and one of the few American groups to withstand the onslaught of the British Invasion to carry their chart career through into the 1970s. When they had their first big hit as The Four Seasons in 1961 with “Sherry”, they were by no means new to the pop scene and both Frankie Valli and the group had paid their dues for the best part of a decade, honing their skills in a variety of guises on an equally bewildering array of record labels. This great-value 58-track 2-CD set features most of Frankie Valli’s early recordings, both solo and with various groups before they became The Four Seasons in 1960, and then presents their early successes under that name. It comprises selected A & B sides as Frankie Valley, Frankie Valley & The Travellers, The Four Lovers, Frankie Valli & The Romans, The Village Voices, Billy Dixon & The Topics, Johnny Halo, Hal Miller and The Rays, and The Four Seasons for the Corona, Mercury RCA, Epic, Okeh, Cindy, Decca, Topix, Gone and Vee-Jay labels. It also features the tracks from The Four Lovers album “Joyride” and the Four Seasons album “Sherry &11 Others”. Quite apart from setting the scene for the rest of their career as the Four Seasons, this collection of doowop and rock ‘n’ roll from the era when Frankie and his colleagues were exploring the potential of their talent, is hugely entertaining and offers a real insight into what lay behind The Four Seasons’ success.

Here comes Pop-Up Dynamo! from PG Roxette, the new era of Roxette. Per Gessle continues the adventure he and Marie Fredriksson began, over 35 years ago. Together with members from the classic Roxette band and a sound echoing somewhere between "Look Sharp!" and "Joyride"; Gessle returns to the musical peak of his life with a new album.

Iron Fist is repositioned as a vital snapshot of Motörhead at a crucial period when they found themselves caught in the tornado ignited by success and, in true Motörhead style, careered into their next phase at such velocity it transcended logic or reason to become this trio’s final kamikaze joyride. Forty years later, with fall-out long dissipated and a proper mastering job that avoided it at the time, Iron Fist sounds like prime Motörhead with the gloves and seat-belts off. For sheer velocity, it could be fastest of them all, the ferocious title track earning such an accolade in Kerrang! in its tribute spread to Lemmy after he passed away. By 1982, punk had been and gone, the new wave of heavy metal sounded squeaky and cliched next to its grubby godfathers and, while still trouncing all opposition, Motörhead retained that essential ability to laugh at everything, including themselves as they made lightning raids on every sense and orifice with everything cranked to overload. The Iron Fist album; brand new remaster created from the original tapes, deluxe 24 page, 2CD mediabook. Includes a full live show from Glasgow Apollo released for the first time, plus previously unreleased album demos.

It’s oddly satisfying when an artist’s name embodies the music they make: think The Beach Boys’ sunkissed sonic bliss, the colossal tumult of Einstürzende Neubauten (‘collapsing new buildings’ in German), or the Southern-tinged blues rock tremor that characterises Brittany Howard’s voice in Alabama Shakes. TRAAMS also evoke their namesake, with a semi-industrial mechanical pulse underlining all their best work from the controlled propulsion of 2020’s ‘The Greyhound’ to the clattering menace of ‘Swimming Pool’, from their 2013 debut Grin. On new album Personal Best, however, the Chichester trio leave behind some of their noisier predilections in favour of an even more regimented chug, buttressed by squeaks of feedback and stately bass reports.

With their hooky brand of dance-oriented pop/rock, Sweden's Roxette rose to fame as one of the biggest global pop acts of the '80s and '90s. Second in Sweden only to ABBA in terms of commercial success, the duo sold over 75 million records around the world, earning number ones in several countries with 1988's Look Sharp!, 1991's Joyride, and 1994's Crash! Boom! Bang!. They dominated the charts with songs like "The Look," "Listen to Your Heart," "Joyride," and "It Must Have Been Love," all four of which hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

As half of the duo Roxette, Per Gessle became one of the most successful Swedish artists of his generation, if not the rock era. With a knack for catchy hooks, Gessle worked diligently to find international success with his music. When the power pop band Gyllene Tider failed to do so – still becoming one of the best-selling bands in Sweden – he disbanded the group and tried a solo career. When he finally formed Roxette with Marie Fredriksson in 1986, he achieved that worldwide success, which included U.S. number ones like "The Look" and "It Must Have Been Love."

64 scorching hot summer pop classics to soundtrack your favourite season!3CDs of fabulous hits from Wham!, Duran Duran, The Beach Boys, Boney M, Spandau Ballet, Four Tops, Steps, Kool & The Gang and many more!