After a bit of a pause - and we're still waiting for the vinyl Now Yearbook 1971 - Now Yearbooks Vault series resumes in the mid 1980's when I was listening to the radio a lot, buying discounted singles and as it was 1986, making a start on a cd collection.
The vintl edition has some 44 tracks across 3-LPs – pressed in gorgeous purple vinyl – from the 4 cd set but as this was how I listening music for most of the year vinyl's where it's at when it comes to the memories.
The series resumes in 1986 where some singles were overshadowed at the time, some were highlights from albums that had already sold huge amounts, some found greater success internationally – but some like me bought them anyway.
Record One opens with ‘Only Love Remains’ a classic ballad from Paul McCartney, a Top 40 hit and the third U.K. single from his ‘Press To Play’ album, and is followed by another beautiful song, ‘The Miracle Of Love’ from Eurythmics, from their ‘Revenge’ album…Billy Idol continued his run of hits with ‘To Be A Lover’ and in the U.S. Tears For Fears enjoyed a hit in ’86 with a re-recorded version of their 1984 U.K. hit ‘Mothers Talk’ whilst Wang Chung hit the Top 3 with ‘Everybody Have Fun Tonight’… Bronski Beat had their final Top 20 hit with ‘C’Mon C’Mon’ and to finish the first side their former singer Jimmy Somerville features with his new band The Communards and their second single ‘Disenchanted’… flip the LP over and 1986 saw David Sylvian release his second solo album ‘Gone To Earth’ and from it the first single ‘Taking The Veil’. Talk Talk follow with ‘Living In Another World’ whilst members of Duran Duran feature in the next two tracks: Arcadia with ‘The Flame’, the last single taken from their album ‘So Red The Rose’, and John Taylor with his first solo single ‘I Do What I Do’, taken from the soundtrack for the film ‘9½ weeks’. Grace Jones features with ‘I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect For You)’ ahead of Swiss duo Yello with ‘Goldrush’ from their acclaimed ‘One Second’ album, and closing LP1, Big Audio Dynamite with ‘C’Mon Every Beatbox’.
Record Two starts in superb style is Bruce Springsteen with his defining live cover of ‘War’, a Top 20 hit in both the U.S. and the U.K. followed by power-pop from Mike + The Mechanics, The Bangles and Chris Rea with the single version of the title track from his 1986 album – that would become a bigger hit two years later in a remixed version. Sting is up next with the final single – ‘Moon Over Bourbon Street’ – from his debut ‘The Dream Of The Blue Turtles’ ahead of jazz influenced tracks from Carmel and Matt Bianco – and the side closes with The Housemartins and ‘Sheep’ … whilst over on the other side… a stellar opening of alt-pop featuring Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie And The Banshees and The Stranglers. Pop icon Sandie Shaw released the fantastic ‘Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? And Everything But The Girl’s ‘Come On Home’, the first single from their third album ‘Baby, The Stars Shine Bright’ is featured ahead of the closing trio of sophisticated pop from Fine Young Cannibals, ABC and Nick Heyward with ‘Goodbye Yesterday’ from his Postcards From Home album.
Record Three opens with a run of synth-pop tracks from Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Howard Jones, Ultravox and Nik Kershaw, a style that was slowly leaving the charts plus Paul Young, Dee C. Lee and the side’s closing track, a stunning song from Elton John, ‘Cry To Heaven’…and over on the final side Billy Joel enjoyed his 27th U.S. Top 40 single with ‘A Matter Of Trust’, ahead of huge U.S. hits for Daryl Hall, Belinda Carlisle, Heart and Pat Benatar, and to finish, two legendary vocalists: Aretha Franklin with ‘Another Night’ and Lionel Richie with ‘Love Will Conquer All’ which gave him his twelfth consecutive solo Top 10 hit in the U.S.
1986 was diverse, sometimes too diverse but this adds nicely to my original Now and Hits albums with things that missed UK hit centred compilations
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