Week 36

Working Week combines the strong elements of contemporary jazz with Latin influences. They also add a touch of gospel for good measure. The only missing track that would have been the crowning jewel for this collection was Rodrigo Bay. This track can only be found on the 1986 motion picture soundtrack Absolute Beginners (movie, video-like musical about British or U.K. teens in the early 60's with musical and screen appearances by David Bowie and Sade). Rodrigo Bay would have shown just how seamlessly and vibrantly Working Week could mix Latin, jazz, and cha-cha rhythms for a tropical partying frenzy. Still, this collection offers the 10 minute Latin and jazz musical opus of Venceremos which includes vocal and musician contributions by Tracey Thorn (Everything But the Girl) and Stuart Matthewman (Sade). This compilation is guaranteed to stay fresh in anyone's eclectic music collection.

British jazz-dance outfit Working Week was formed in 1983 by guitarist Simon Booth and saxophonist Larry Stabbins, who previously teamed in Weekend. The duo debuted the following year with "Venceremos (We Will Win)," a tribute to Chilean protest singer Victor Jara featuring vocal contributions from Robert Wyatt and Everything But the Girl's Tracey Thorn; singer Julie Tippetts assumed the spotlight on the follow-up, "Storm of Light," with the full-length Working Nights appearing in 1985. Guest singers continued revolving in and out of the Working Week lineup prior to the permanent addition of Juliet Roberts in time for 1986's Companeros; in the wake of 1987's Knocking on Your Door, however, Roberts left the group, with another round of guests lending vocal input to Fire in the Mountain two years later. New frontwoman Yvonne Waite was installed for 1991's Black and Gold.