A box set celebrating 80s British New Jazz is released
A new compilation, entitled “Digging Your Scene: New Pop & All That Jazz 1982-1987”which celebrates the ‘New Jazz’ of those years, is coming for the British label Cherry Red Records. The 4-CD set will be released on June 26th. The collection consists of 73 songs and includes pieces, among others, by Everything But the Girl, Joe Jackson, Bronski Beat, Alison Moyet, Sting, Swing Out Sister And Blow Monkeyswhose 1986 hit single inspired the compilation title.
This release follows the compilation
“Heaven Sent: The Rise Of New Pop 1979-1983”
published in 2024, which documented the influence of jazz and African-American music of the 1950s and 1960s on modern pop in Britain.
As per the announcement from the record label: We celebrate an era in which jazz inspired many pop artists, from bossa nova rhythms to mainstream covers of the classics; from Latin-influenced club hits to heartbreaking ballads. In 1982, a new era of jazz was dawning, and Soho, a hotbed since the 1950s, was where this renaissance began. THE Blue Rondo a Turk they had their first success ‘New Jazz’were led by Chris Sullivanwhich opened the Wag Club on Wardour Street in 1982, a key catalyst for the scene ‘New Jazz’. Among the new artists stood out i Weekendwhich later became the Working Weekwhose 1984 debut single, “Venceremos”was a real battle cry. The Everything But the Girl had embraced jazz influences in their debut single, a cover of “Night And Day” Of Cole Porter.
The film of
Julien Temple “Absolute Beginners”
(with
Eighth Wonder
And
Style Council
in the soundtrack), based on the novel by
Colin MacInnes
of 1959, brought jazz to the general public. When the film was released in 1986, jazz, in its broadest sense, was ubiquitous in British pop, from covers of jazz standards (
Alison Moyet, Bronski Beat
) to the jazz pop hits of
Swing Out
Sister
And
Blow Monkeys
.
Tracklist
DISC ONE
1. Everything But The Girl – Night And Day
2. Robert Wyatt – Shipbuilding
3. Politti Writings – Rock-A-Boy Blue
4. The French Impressionists – Pick Up The Rhythm
5. Joe Jackson – Steppin’ Out
6. Blue Rondo A La Turk – The Method
7. Weekend – Weekend Stroll
8. Paul Haig – The Song Is You
9. The Higsons – Run Me Down
10. Furniture – Why Are We In Love
11. Jah Wobble – Sunshine
12. Malcolm McLaren – Merengue
13. The Republic – My Spies
14. JoBoxers – Why Don’t You Do Right? (Live At The Phoenix Theatre)
15. Carmel – Bad Day (Live In The Studio)
16. Swallow Tongue – Saari
17. Jah Wobble / The Edge / Holger Czukay – Snake Charmer
18. Kalima – The Smiling Hour
19. Mari Wilson – Glamourpuss
DISC TWO
1. Matt Bianco – Matt’s Mood (Extended Version)
2. The Pale Fountains – Southbound Excursion
3. Soft Cell – The Esqualita
4. Everything But The Girl – Each And Every One
5. Working Week – Venceremos – We Will Win (Jazz Dance Special 12” Version)
6. Madness – One Better Day
7. The Special AKA – Housebound
8. David Sylvian – The Ink In The Well
9. Tracie – (I Love You) When You Sleep
10. Friends Again – Thank You For Being An Angel
11. Pleasure Ground – Life Of Jade
12. Level 42 – Seven Days
13. Bronski Beat – It Ain’t Necessarily So
14. A Certain Ratio – There’s Only This
15. In Embrace- Chocolates For Breakfast
16. The Kane Gang – Giving Up
17. The Colourfield – Castles In The Air (Instrumental Version)
DISC THREE
1. Vic Godard – Holiday Hymn
2. Alison Moyet – That Ole Devil Called Love
3. China Crisis – Black Man Ray
4. Virna Lindt – Whistle Wind
5. The Sound Barrier – Mornington Crescent NW1
6. Sting – Moon Over Bourbon Street
7. Pressure Point – Mellow Moods
8. Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Listen To This
9. Dislocation Dance – He’s The Man
10. Dee C. Lee – See The Day
11. Brilliant – It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World (The Trans Global Mix)
12. Fine Young Cannibals – Blue
13. The Communards – Breadline Britain
14. The Friday Club – Window Shopping (Extended Version)
15. JB’s Allstars – Al. Arm
16. The Blow Monkeys – Digging Your Scene (US Mix)
17. Anthony Adverse – TROUBLE
18. The Style Council – Have You Ever Had It Blue? (Uncut Version)
19. Makin’ Time – Walk A Thin Line
DISC FOUR
1. Swing Out Sister – Breakout (A New Rockin’ Version)
2. Heaven Seventeen Featuring Jimmy Ruffin – The Foolish Thing To Do (Version 1)
3. Mondo Kané And Guest Star Georgie Fame – New York Afternoon (Extended Version)
4. Louis Philippe – Like Nobody Do
5. Kid Montana – Spooky
6. Marden Hill – Curtain
7. RAH Band – Take Some Thyme
8. Eighth Wonder – Having It All (Extended Mix)
9. Stan Campbell – Crawfish (Extended Version)
10. The Florentines – Whisper Not
11. Basia – Freeze Thaw
12. ABC – When Smokey Sings (The Detroit Mix)
13. The King Of Luxembourg – Something For Sophia Loren
14. The James Taylor Quartet – Alfie
15. Stock Aitken Waterman – Roadblock
16. Martyn Bates – The Look Of Love
17. Biting Tongues – Compressor
18. Night Trains – Open Channel D
