Tears Run Rings

This is the first expanded edition re-issue of Marc Almond’s 4th solo album, “The Stars We Are”, since its original release in September 1988. This re-issue is a three disc set that, on its first disc, couples the original 10-track album with its initial release’s CD and cassette only bonus tracks and with the B-Sides of its associated singles. A second CD features all known extended and remix versions of the album tracks. A third disc, a DVD (Region 0, PAL), compiles all six of the promotional videos filmed for the album, including the Tim Pope directed ‘Bitter-Sweet’ and the alternate U.S. version video of ‘Tears Run Rings’ as directed by Peter ‘Sleazy’ Christopherson of Coil and Throbbing Gristle fame.

Marc Almond is captured in a performance at the Lokerse Festival in Belgium on August 7, 2000, in this video. Accompanied only by guitarist Neal X and keyboard player John Green, the singer begins with four consecutive songs from his most recent album at the time, Open All Night, before turning to his back catalog for such solo hits as "Tears Run Rings," "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart," "A Lover Spurned," "Jacky," "My Hand over My Heart," "The Days of Pearly Spencer," "The Idol," and "Child Star," then filling his encores with his early Soft Cell hits "Tainted Love," "Bedsitter," and "Say Hello Wave Goodbye." The unadorned stage with only modest lighting and special effects (a small fan blows dry ice around), plus the small ensemble require Almond to exert himself before an audience that seems (from the few glimpses of it), attentive but not particularly enthusiastic, at least until the end. Beginning in a leather coat, the bleach-blond singer is soon down to a sparkly black shirt, unbuttoned to display his tattoos, as he gesticulates grandly and, gradually, the music takes on more of a hard disco sound that gets his listeners dancing more.

Another year and another label for Marc Almond, along with a newly stripped-down band, La Magia, with Willing Sinner vets Annie Hogan, Billy McGee, and Steve Humphreys on drums. Even more so than Stories of Johnny, this is Almond with an eye and ear on making a commercial record while still being himself, and the result is much better than expected.

'' 1000 Original Hits '' is the title of a compilation series published by EMI Plus (Europe). This release contains portions of this series, released in 2001, containing works performed from 1980 to 1989.