JAZZ POP
VA - Digging Your Scene, New Pop And All That Jazz 1982-1987 (4 x CDs)
Digging Your Scene captures a moment when British pop stepped away from post‑punk austerity and embraced sophistication, rhythm and emotional colour. Between 1982 and 1987, a new kind of pop emerged — stylish, literate, jazz‑inflected, and shaped by musicians who wanted melody without blandness, groove without formula, and elegance without losing edge. This compilation gathers that world in motion, revealing how diverse the movement truly was.
The set opens in smoky, late‑night territory: Everything But The Girl, Robert Wyatt, Scritti Politti, Joe Jackson, Blue Rondo À La Turk. These tracks blend jazz phrasing with pop clarity, creating music that feels both urbane and intimate. Furniture, Weekend, Carmel and Mari Wilson add theatrical flair, turning everyday stories into small dramas carried by brass, brushed drums and cool‑blue harmonies.
As the mood widens, the compilation shows how New Pop absorbed influences from Latin rhythm, soul, art‑rock and dance culture. Working Week, The Special AKA, Malcolm McLaren and Jah Wobble bring global textures; David Sylvian, China Crisis and Virna Lindt add atmospheric depth; Alison Moyet and Fine Young Cannibals push toward emotional intensity. The sound becomes a blend of groove, intelligence and experimentation, pop that moves with confidence but thinks deeply.
Later selections highlight the era’s polished charm. Swing Out Sister, Heaven 17, ABC, Basia, The James Taylor Quartet and Mondo Kané deliver bright arrangements shaped by horns, synths and crisp rhythm sections. These tracks show how New Pop evolved into a mature, radio‑friendly style without losing its sense of craft.
What makes Digging Your Scene compelling is its sweep. It doesn’t treat New Pop as a narrow genre; it reveals a cultural moment when British musicians embraced sophistication and curiosity, creating songs that felt modern, stylish and emotionally resonant. For collectors, it’s a beautifully curated map of an era often overshadowed by louder movements. For listeners, it’s a reminder that the early‑to‑mid eighties produced some of the most inventive, elegant pop of its time, music built for night streets, quiet rooms and the thrill of discovery. (B)
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Track lists
CD1
01 Everything But The Girl - Night and Day 2:56
02 Robert Wyatt - Shipbuilding 3:06
03 Scritti Politti - Rock-A-Boy Blue 5:52
04 French Impressionists - Pick Up The Rhythm 2:05
05 Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out 4:26
06 Blue Rondo A La Turk - The Method 5:25
07 Weekend - Weekend Stroll 3:23
08 Paul Haig - The Song is You 2:36
09 Higsons - Run Me Down 3:48
10 Furniture - Why Are We in Love 5:10
11 Jah Wobble - Sunshine 3:25
12 Malcolm McLaren - Merengue 3:54
13 Republic - My Spies 3:43
14 JoBoxers - Why Don't You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too) (Live at The Phoenix Theatre) 2:08
15 Carmel - Bad Day (Recorded Live in The Studio) 6:39
16 Swallow Tongue - Saari 4:40
17 Jah Wobble; Edge; Holger Czukay - Snake Charmer 6:15
18 Kalima - The Smiling Hour 4:37
19 Mari Wilson - Glamourpuss 4:41
CD2
01 Matt Bianco - Matt's Mood (Extended Version) 5:32
02 Pale Fountains - Southbound Excursion 2:34
03 Soft Cell - L'Esqualita 7:12
04 Everything But The Girl - Each and Every One 2:50
05 Working Week - Venceremos (We Will Win) (Jazz Dance Special 12') 10:15
06 Madness - One Better Day 4:09
07 Special AKA - Housebound 4:14
08 David Sylvian - The Ink in The Well 4:27
09 Tracie - (I Love You) When You Sleep 2:55
10 Friends Again - Thank You for Being an Angel 4:00
11 Pleasure Ground - Life of Jade 3:45
12 Level 42 - Seven Days 4:24
13 Bronski Beat - It Ain't Necessarily So 5:24
14 A Certain Ratio - There's Only This 4:22
15 In Embrace - Chocolates for Breakfast 4:00
16 Kane Gang - Giving Up 4:14
17 Colourfield - Castles in The Air (Instrumental Version) 3:56
CD3
01 Vic Godard - Holiday Hymn 2:57
02 Alison Moyet - That Ole Devil Called Love 3:07
03 China Crisis - Black Man Ray 3:40
04 Virna Lindt - Whistle Wind 4:45
05 Sound Barrier - Mornington Crescent NW1 4:31
06 Sting - Moon Over Bourbon Street 4:03
07 Pressure Point - Mellow Moods 4:37
08 Dexy's Midnight Runners - Listen to This 3:21
09 Dislocation Dance - He's The Man 3:51
10 Dee C. Lee - See The Day 4:23
11 Brilliant - It's A Man's Man's Man's World (The Trans Global Mix) 6:54
12 Fine Young Cannibals - Blue 3:34
13 Communards - Breadline Britain 2:34
14 Friday Club - Window Shopping (Extended Version) 4:27
15 J.B.'s Allstars - Al. Arm 3:37
16 Blow Monkeys - Digging Your Scene (U.S. Mix) 4:49
17 Anthony Adverse - T-R-O-U-B-L-E 2:41
18 Style Council - Have You Ever Had it Blue? (Uncut Version) 4:49
19 Makin' Time - Walk A Thin Line 3:45
CD4
01 Swing Out Sister - Breakout (A New Rockin' Version) 5:52
02 Heaven Seventeen - The Foolish Thing to Do feat. Jimmy Ruffin (Version 1) 3:41
03 Mondo Kane - New York Afternoon feat. Dee Lewis & Coral Gordon and guest star Georgie Fame (Extended Version) 5:44
04 Louis Philippe - Like Nobody Do 2:55
05 Kid Montana - Spooky 3:55
06 Marden Hill - Curtain 2:54
07 RAH Band - Take Some Thyme feat. ?Herb' Hewson 5:32
08 Eighth Wonder - Having it All (Extended Mix) 4:59
09 Stan Campbell - Crawfish (Extended Version) 4:21
10 Florentines - Whisper Not 2:12
11 Basia - Freeze Thaw 3:59
12 ABC - When Smokey Sings (The Detroit Mix) 6:48
13 King of Luxembourg - Something for Sophia Loren 2:23
14 James Taylor Quartet - Alfie 2:39
15 Stock Aitken Waterman - Roadblock 8:03
16 Martyn Bates - The Look of Love 3:52
17 Biting Tongues - Compressor 4:53
18 Night Trains - Open Channel D 4:43
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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.
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Help, where is the usua orange line pointing to the URL ? Just kidding, thanks for the music. Maybe we can call this New Mod ?
ReplyDeleteYou really do know how to seduce your followers!! Thanks again, my friend!!
ReplyDeleteHi AyreEspañol,
DeleteHa! I’ll take that as a compliment.
This era has such a stylish, late‑night shimmer to it, and bringing those jazz‑tinted pop tracks together really lets that mood unfold.
Thanks again, always appreciate your enthusiasm.
Cheers.
Thanks for posting this wonderful compilation – what an amazing scene, musicians inspiring one another – what a spirit!
ReplyDeleteAnd when I hear Tracey Thorn and Robert Wyatt (and Claudia Figueroa) sing “Venceremos (We Will Win)” (definitely a “clarion call”), I get quite wistful.
Hi dan‑the‑man,
DeleteThat spirit you describe is exactly what makes this scene so special. Musicians sparking ideas off one another, borrowing colours, pushing boundaries, and somehow ending up with a sound that feels both stylish and quietly revolutionary.
I agree, Venceremos still hits with that emotional force. Really glad this compilation resonated with you.
Cheers.
As dan-the-man said, those were superb times. Many different genres blending under pop umbrella. Now, some call it sophisti-pop...term that even didn't exist at that time. Thank you BB for this great selection of wonderdul music.
ReplyDelete...wonderful...
DeleteHi StoneRose,
DeleteYou’re right, those were superb times. Genres weren’t fenced off; they overlapped, borrowed from each other. The term sophisti‑pop came much later, but the music itself already knew what it was, stylish, adventurous, and quietly daring.
Thank you for the kind words, I’m really glad this selection brought back that sense of wonder.
Cheers.
great stuff. thanks
ReplyDeleteHi David,
DeleteGlad it connected, that blend of jazz‑shaded pop and sharp songwriting still feels fresh, and the players across these tracks bring real character to the era. Thanks for listening and for the kind words.
Cheers.