K's SPECIAL - VA - Sophisti-pop: 214 Soul, Jazz, New Wave Classics (Super Deluxe Edition) [2023] (12xCDs)

 

K's SPECIAL - 

VA - Sophisti-pop: 214 Soul, Jazz, New Wave Classics (Super Deluxe Edition) [2023] (12xCDs) 

Sophisti-pop was a popular genre in the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s that expertly mixed soul and jazz music with new wave textures like synthesizers. While the genre certainly had crossover hits, it was most popular in Britain, where the music was almost exclusively made. While the idea of the genre frankly, sounds rather unappealing, I find the genre cool and, well, sophisticated. It’s fashionable, smooth, and intricate, with most of the songs being well-crafted and lightly funky. The best songs in the genre aren’t pretentious or too smooth and boring, keeping just enough of that new wave edge to provide flavor and intrigue. A cousin of soft rock, sophisti-pop is a lot more fashionable and synth-based, as well as being far more British.

Bands like Simply Red, Sade, ABC, and Pet Shop Boys popularized this genre and kept the sound alive for quite some time, but unfortunately, it didn’t last. Thankfully, the genre has been steadily making a comeback, with popular bands like The 1975 making tributes to this classy and smooth genre in recent years.  The term has been applied retrospectively to describe acts who blended elements of jazz, soul, and pop with lavish production. Music so classified often made extensive use of electronic keyboards, synthesizers and polished arrangements. Artists also utilized cutting-edge studio technology and perfectionist recording methods. The genre has been described as mellow, romantic, and atmospheric.

Stylus Magazine suggested that acts were influenced by the work of Roxy Music (such as 1982's Avalon, often cited as the first sophisti-pop album) and Bryan Ferry's mid-1980s albums, Bête Noire and Boys and Girls. Sweetwater named major artists in the genre as including the Blue Nile, Prefab Sprout, the Style Council, Scritti Politti, Everything but the Girl, and Danny Wilson. AllMusic added Simply Red, Sade, Basia, and Swing Out Sister. Writer Iain Munn added to the list Level 42, the Blow Monkeys, and Joe Jackson's 1984 album Body and Soul.

For genre highlights, Roxy Music's Avalon, The Beautiful South's Welcome to the Beautiful South and 0898 Beautiful South, The Blue Nile's Hats and A Walk Across the Rooftops, Prefab Sprout's Steve McQueen, The Style Council's Café Bleu and My Favourite Shop, Simply Red's Stars, ABC's The Lexicon of Love, Scritti Politti's Cupid & Psyche 85 and Sade's Diamond Life and Love Deluxe are all considered sophisti-pop masterpieces.

A great article:    https://inbetweendrafts.com/an-introduction-to-sophisti-pop/

So, after exhaustive and extensive online research, plus my own recollections and memories, here is my personal compilation of what I consider to be the 214 best and most important tracks from the sophisti-pop era.  This fully packed 12CD set contains many rare and extremely hard to find tracks, with a number featured in their original 7" and 12" single mix form. Only the original studio mixes are included. No later (2000 and beyond) remixes, or live versions here! Compiled as always using the very latest and highest quality digital remasters, with a considerable number of tracks sourced from the original master tapes for superior sound quality and enjoyment.

So, let’s dive into a world of turtle-necks, skinny ties, and perfume scents as we explore 214 classic songs of sophisti-pop!

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Pt.1     Pt.2     Pt.3 

Pt.4     Pt.5     Pt.6 

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Track lists

CD1

01 Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring 6:50

02 Prefab Sprout - Appetite 3:59

03 Abc - All Of My Heart (original 1982 7" Single Edit) 4:49

04 Scritti Politti - Absolute 4:24

05 Thomas Dolby - Airwaves 3:35

06 Alison Moyet - All Cried Out (original 1984 7" Single Edit) 3:35

07 Aztec Camera - All I Need Is Everything (original 1984 7" Single Edit) 3:48

08 Prefab Sprout - All The World Loves Lovers 3:49

09 China Crisis - Arizona Sky 5:24

10 Roxy Music - Avalon 4:17

11 Carmel - Bad Day (original 1983 7" Single Edit) 3:39

12 China Crisis - Bigger The Punch I'm Feeling 4:19

13 China Crisis - Black Man Ray 3:38

14 Nick Heyward - Blue Hat For A Blue Day 4:04

15 Prefab Sprout - Bonny 3:46

16 The Style Council - Boy Who Cried Wolf 5:17

17 Joe Jackson - Breaking Us In Two 4:53

18 Swing Out Sister - Breakout 3:45

CD02

19 Furniture - Brilliant Mind (original 1986 7" Single Version) 3:41

20 The Housemartins - Build 4:45

21 Double - The Captain Of Her Heart 4:34

22 George Michael - Careless Whisper 5:01

23 Prefab Sprout - Cars And Girls 4:26

24 China Crisis - Christian (original 1983 7" Single Edit) 4:31

25 The Kane Gang - The Closest Thing To Heaven 4:48

26 Frazier Chorus - Cloud 8 (paul Oakenfold Future Mix) 6:49

27 Everything But The Girl - Come On Home 3:22

28 Everything But The Girl - Cross My Heart 3:41

29 The Blow Monkeys - Digging Your Scene (original 1986 7" Single Edit) 4:07

30 Deacon Blue - Dignity 3:59

31 Peter Gabriel And Kate Bush - Don't Give Up 6:34

32 Everything But The Girl - Don't Leave Me Behind 3:15

33 Altered Images - Don't Talk To Me About Love 3:49

34 The Blue Nile - The Downtown Lights 6:31

35 Frazier Chorus - Dream Kitchen (original 1988 12" Mix) 4:25

CD03

36 Everything But The Girl - Driving 3:52

37 It's Immaterial - Driving Away From Home (jim's Tune) 4:11

38 Everything But The Girl - Each And Every One 2:45

39 It's Immaterial - Endless Holiday 5:35

40 Sting - Englishman In New York (original 1988 7" Single Version) 4:27

41 The Korgis - Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime (original 1980 7" Single Version) 4:16

42 Elvis Costello And The Attractions - Everyday I Write The Book 3:54

43 Haircut One Hundred - Fantastic Day 3:13

44 Haircut One Hundred - Favourite Shirts (boy Meets Girl) 3:05

45 Fiction Factory - (feels Like) Heaven (original 1983 7" Single Version) 3:31

46 The Lotus Eaters - The First Picture Of You 3:40

47 Black - Fly Up To The Moon 3:05

48 Simply Red - For Your Babies 4:17

49 Sting - Fortress Around Your Heart 4:39

50 Electronic - Getting Away With It 5:15

51 Talk Talk - Give It Up 5:17

52 Dollar - Give Me Back My Heart 5:00

53 Spandau Ballet - Gold (original 1983 7" Single Version) 3:52

54 Prefab Sprout - Goodbye Lucille #1 4:29

CD04

55 Matt Bianco - Half A Minute 3:50

56 Sade - Hang On To Your Love 5:52

57 Talk Talk - Happiness Is Easy 6:30

58 The Style Council - Have You Ever Had It Blue (uncut Version) 4:48

59 The Blue Nile - Headlights On The Parade 6:17

60 The Maisonettes - Heartache Avenue 2:55

61 Frazier Chorus - Heaven 3:53

62 It's Immaterial - Heaven Knows 4:24

63 Simply Red - Holding Back The Years 4:29

64 Hipsway - The Honeythief 3:08

65 Pet Shop Boys - How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously? (extended Mix) 6:05

66 The Style Council - How She Threw It All Away 4:14

67 The Human League - Human (original 1986 7" Single Edit) 3:49

68 Talk Talk - I Believe In You 6:14

69 The Beat - I Confess 4:30

70 Talk Talk - I Don't Believe In You 5:02

71 Johnny Hates Jazz - I Don't Want To Be A Hero 3:38

CD05

72 Thomas Dolby - I Scare Myself (original 1984 7" Single Edit) 4:59

73 Donald Fagen - I.g.y. (what A Beautiful World) 6:03

74 Spandau Ballet - I'll Fly For You 5:34

75 The Beautiful South - I'll Sail This Ship Alone (original 1989 7" Single Remix) 4:06

76 Grace Jones - I've Seen That Face Before (libertango) 4:30

77 Prefab Sprout - If You Don't Love Me 3:44

78 Alison Moyet - Invisible 4:00

79 The Blow Monkeys - It Doesn't Have To Be This Way 4:01

80 Talk Talk - It's My Life 3:53

81 Love And Money - Jocelyn Square 3:59

82 Vanessa Paradis - Joe Le Taxi 3:54

83 Fine Young Cannibals - Johnny Come Home 3:37

84 Mari Wilson - Just What I Always Wanted 3:25

85 China Crisis - King In A Catholic Style 4:30

86 Prefab Sprout - The King Of Rock 'n' Roll 4:22

87 Sade - Kiss Of Life (original 1993 7" Single Version) 4:13

88 Isabelle Antena - Laying On The Sofa (mark Kamins 12" Remix) 6:06

89 Level 42 - Lessons In Love 3:56

CD06

90 Heaven 17 - Let Me Go (original 1982 7" Single Version) 4:22

91 The Blue Nile - Let's Go Out Tonight 5:21

92 The Dream Academy - Life In A Northern Town 4:16

93 Prefab Sprout - Life Of Surprises 4:05

94 Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It 4:28

95 Black - Listen 3:59

96 Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies 3:39

97 The Beautiful South - A Little Time 3:00

98 Talk Talk - Living In Another World 6:58

99 Frazier Chorus - Living Room 3:40

100 The Style Council - The Lodgers (or She Was Only A Shopkeeper's Daughter) 3:58

101 The Style Council - Long Hot Summer 7:03

102 Abc - The Look Of Love (part One) (original 1982 7" Single Mix) 3:29

103 Climie Fisher - Love Changes (everything) 4:25

104 Sting - Love Is The Seventh Wave 3:32

105 The Dream Academy - The Love Parade 3:49

106 Haircut One Hundred - Love Plus One 3:33

107 Altered Images - Love To Stay (original 1983 12" Dance Mix) 5:35

CD07

108 David Bowie - Loving The Alien (1985 Single Remix) 4:42

109 The Dream Academy - Lucy September 3:07

110 Danny Wilson - Mary's Prayer 3:46

111 Split Enz - Message To My Girl 4:04

112 Curiosity Killed The Cat - Misfit 4:04

113 Matt Bianco - More Than I Can Bear (whose Side Are You On Uk Album Version) 4:14

114 Roxy Music - More Than This 4:30

115 Carmel - More, More, More (original 1984 7" Single Edit) 3:12

116 The Style Council - My Ever Changing Moods (original 1984 12" Single Version) 5:43

117 It's Immaterial - New Brighton 5:50

118 Basia - New Day For You (original 1987 7" Single Edit) 4:09

119 Donald Fagen - New Frontier 6:21

120 Sade - No Ordinary Love 7:20

121 Frazier Chorus - Nothing 4:22

122 Aztec Camera - Oblivious 3:10

123 Scritti Politti Feat. Miles Davis - Oh Patti (don't Feel Sorry For Loverboy) 4:23

124 Madness - One Better Day 4:06

125 Fun Boy Three - Our Lips Are Sealed (original 1983 7" Single Version) 2:52

CD08

126 The Lotus Eaters - Out On Your Own (original 1984 12" Extended Single Version) 5:25

127 Tears For Fears - Pale Shelter (1983 2nd Single Version) 4:36

128 The Pale Fountains - Palm Of My Hand 3:48

129 Black - Paradise 4:51

130 Sade - Paradise 3:37

131 The Style Council Feat. Tracey Thorn - The Paris Match (café Bleu Album Version) 4:27

132 The Associates - Party Fears Two (original 1982 7" Single Version) 4:05

133 Scritti Politti - Perfect Way 4:02

134 The Dream Academy - Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want 3:08

135 Abc - Poison Arrow 3:23

136 Frazier Chorus - Prefer You Dead 3:28

137 The Beautiful South - Prettiest Eyes 3:47

138 When In Rome - The Promise 3:39

139 Basia - Promises 4:03

140 Deacon Blue - Real Gone Kid 4:04

141 Orange Juice - Rip It Up (original 1983 7" Single Version) 3:46

142 Sting - Russians 3:56

143 Roxy Music - Same Old Scene 3:59

144 The Blue Nile - Saturday Night 6:27

CD09

145 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Secret 3:58

146 Dee C. Lee - See The Day (original 1985 12" Version) 4:39

147 The Adventures - Send My Heart (original 1984 7" Single Remix) 3:42

148 Johnny Hates Jazz - Shattered Dreams 3:26

149 World Party - Ship Of Fools 4:29

150 The Style Council - Shout To The Top 4:16

151 Bryan Ferry - Slave To Love 4:25

152 Blue Rondo - Slipping Into Daylight 5:16

153 Frazier Chorus - Sloppy Heart 5:58

154 Sade - Smooth Operator 4:18

155 Matt Bianco - Sneaking Out The Back Door 3:47

156 The Style Council - A Solid Bond In Your Heart 3:18

157 The 1975 - Somebody Else 5:47

158 Level 42 - Something About You (original 1985 7" Single Version) 3:43

159 Aztec Camera - Somewhere In My Heart 4:00

160 The Beautiful South - Song For Whoever 4:05

161 Prefab Sprout - The Sound Of Crying 4:44

162 Tears For Fears - Sowing The Seeds Of Love 6:19

CD10

163 The Style Council - Speak Like A Child 3:13

164 Simply Red - Stars 4:08

165 The Blue Nile - Stay 4:58

166 Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out 4:21

167 Love And Money - Strange Kind Of Love (original 1989 7" Radio Edit) 4:16

168 Talk Talk - Such A Shame 5:35

169 Madness - The Sun And The Rain 3:28

170 Scritti Politti - The "sweetest Girl" (original 1981 12" Extended Version) 6:16

171 Black - Sweetest Smile 5:21

172 Sade - The Sweetest Taboo 4:39

173 The Beautiful South - The Table 3:10

174 Roxy Music - Take A Chance With Me (original 1982 7" Single Edit) 3:39

175 Nick Heyward - Take That Situation 3:19

176 The Pale Fountains - (there's Always) Something On My Mind 2:41

177 The Colourfield - Thinking Of You 3:28

178 Black - This Is Life 4:42

179 David Bowie And Pat Metheny Group - This Is Not America 3:51

180 Culture Club - Time (clock Of The Heart) 3:42

CD11

181 The Blue Nile - Tinseltown In The Rain 5:57

182 Black - Too Many Times 5:00

183 Spandau Ballet - True (original 1983 7" Single Edit) 5:40

184 The Questions - Tuesday Sunshine (original 1984 7" Single Version) 4:01

185 Tanita Tikaram - Twist In My Sobriety 4:50

186 Frazier Chorus - Typical! (original 1989 12" Mix) 4:42

187 Working Week - Venceremos (we Will Win) 4:42

188 The Blue Nile - A Walk Across The Rooftops 4:56

189 Frazier Chorus - Walking On Air 3:01

190 The Style Council - Walls Come Tumbling Down! 3:25

191 Go West - We Close Our Eyes 3:41

192 Prefab Sprout - We Let The Stars Go 3:36

193 Floy Joy - Weak In The Presence Of Beauty 3:23

194 Everything But The Girl - When All's Well 3:04

195 Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down 4:06

196 Abc - When Smokey Sings 4:23

197 Nick Heyward - Whistle Down The Wind 3:40

198 Annie Lennox - Why 4:53

CD12

199 Prefab Sprout - Wild Horses 3:41

200 China Crisis - Wishful Thinking (original 1984 7" Single Edit) 4:08

201 Wet Wet Wet - Wishing I Was Lucky 3:41

202 Tears For Fears Feat. Oleta Adams - Woman In Chains 6:30

203 Black - Wonderful Life 4:45

204 Scritti Politti - Wood Beez (pray Like Aretha Franklin) (original 1984 7" Single Version) 3:36

205 Scritti Politti - The Word Girl (original 1985 7" Single Edit) 3:19

206 Joe Jackson - You Can't Get What You Want (till You Know What You Want) 4:54

207 China Crisis - You Did Cut Me 4:18

208 The Lotus Eaters - You Don't Need Someone New (original 1983 12" Extended Version) 5:05

209 Dire Straits - Your Latest Trick 6:29

210 Simply Red - Your Mirror 4:04

211 Deacon Blue - Your Swaying Arms 4:13

212 The Style Council - You're The Best Thing 5:42

213 Sade - Your Love Is King 3:40

214 Talk Talk - Time It's Time 8:14

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