More Bright Record Never Reissued

BETTE BRIGHT & THE ILLUMINATIONS - MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK (1978)

 

After Deaf School disbanded, Bette Bright went on solo with her backing band, The Illuminations. Band members were Henry Priestman (formerly with band Yachts), Rusty Egan (Rich Kids) and Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, Rich Kids). Their first single was a cover of the Angels' smash hit coupled with a cover of the Sam & Dave classic. It wasn't included on the album.

 

WU (53 mb)

Bright Record Never Reissued

BETTE BRIGHT - RHYTHM BREAKS THE ICE (1981)

 

Criminally underused in Deaf School, Bette Bright (real name, Anne Martin) blossomed into an exciting performer on this solo effort, thanks partly to the help of clever friends.

Rhythm Breaks the Ice was produced by fellow Deaf School graduate Clive Langer and his partner, Alan Winstanley, the team behind Madness' phenomenal success. (Bright intertwined the family trees by marrying that band's singer, Graham McPherson, in 1981.) Her backing band on this album - still called The Illuminations - looked very much like the band Clive Langer & the Boxes: Clive Langer (guitar/sitar), Ian Broudie (guitar), James Eller (bass); Mr Jo Allen and Martin Hughes (drums); and Ben Barson, brother of Madness-keyboarder Mike Barson (keyboards). Here they balanced studio smarts with the need to emphasize Bright's plaintive tones, and came up with a canny modern-day variation on Phil Spector. The full, smooth sound has a kaleidoscopic quality, continually shifting to highlight the key element in the arrangement - guitar, marimba or whatever - and providing Bright with a perfect launching pad for her soaring style.

 

WU (261 mb)

Power Pop Perfection (Original Mix)

THE SOMELOVES - KNOW YOU NOW (1988)

7" mix exclusive to this limited edition single. Different from the LP or CD version.

It was included on the Someloves anthology "Don't Talk About Us" released in 2006. For info, the dynamic range DR of the CD edition is 6. The 7" vinyl dynamic range DR is shown below.

 

WU (77 mb)

Philly Power Pop. Never Reissued

THE WISHNIAKS - ALL DRESSED UP AND NOWHERE TO GO (1992)

 

Prior to The Trolleyvox, and hailing from Philadelphia Andrew Chaffen played with his band The Wishniaks. The Wishniaks proceeded to release an EP and two albums: Catch 33 (1990) and the spanish only released All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go (1992), plus two singles, and a bunch of covers on tribute records. They even bribed MTV into playing their video twice at 1:30 in the morning. All this activity made them rather exhausted and grumpy, and so they called it a day. People keep inquiring about the Wishniaks and so Andrew Chaffen formed The Trolleyvox and released four albums.

WU (202 mb)

Reunion without Carmen

RASPBERRIES - REFRESHED (2000)

 

It's hard to picture power pop masters the Raspberries without singer Eric Carmen, but that's exactly what happened to the group during the early 21st century. After an attempt at a reunion (with Carmen) failed to materialize during the late '90s, the other Raspberries - original member/guitarist Wally Bryson, plus latter-day members Scott McCarl (guitar) and Dave Smalley (bass) - decided to go through with a reunion despite Carmen's non-participation. Highlights include the Beatlesque "When Is Your Dream?," the up-tempo "Pop Teasers," and the obligatory love song, "Someone Like You."

WU (148 mb)

Bay Area Popsters Anthology

THE RUBINOOS - EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT (2007)

 

An essential anthology of the famous popsters.

The out-of-print 3 cd set is now fetching high prices.

CD1 (549 mb)

CD2 (509 mb)
CD3 (340 mb)

Wayne Kramer (1948-2024)

WAYNE KRAMER - RAMBLIN' ROSE (1978)

 

While Wayne Kramer was in the penitentiary, Stiff Records and Chiswick Records had gotten together and they had put out two tracks as a benefit for Wayne Kramer, and they were gonna give all the money when Wayne Kramer got out of prison. The single (with a numbered pic sleeve) had to be paid no more and no less than £1.00.

WU (60 mb)

More from Scott Kempner (and his Gang)

THE DEL LORDS - FRONTIER DAYS (1984, Expanded 2010)

 

The group’s debut album, Frontier Days, proved that Scott Kempner (former Dictators who passed away in 2023) knew enough to hold on to several of the Dictators’ key virtues (quick wit and hard rock passion) while adding a few touches of his own (left-leaning politics with a strong blue-collar stripe, a sound that blended the best of blues, country, and no-frills barroom rock), while Eric “Roscoe” Ambel hadn’t lost touch with the streamlined kick-ass rock & roll that was the hallmark of his former boss, Joan Jett.

In 2010, Frontier Days made its belated CD debut in a new edition from American Beat Records. For the reissue, Frontier Days was expanded with five bonus tracks, featuring demos of “Shame on You” and “Heaven” — the latter appeared on the group’s second album, Johnny Comes Marching Home - and rough takes of “Wastin’ Time Talkin’,” “Love Among the Ruins,” and “Love on Fire.”. The new version also includes liner notes from Scott Kempner on how the band came together and the recording of Frontier Days; it’s great reading for fans of the band, and folks who’ve been carefully protecting their aging vinyl copies of the album will definitely want to pick up the CD release. AMG.

 

WU (383 mb)

A Tribute To The "Were They or Weren't They?" Canadian Masters

AROUND THE UNIVERSE IN 80 MINUTES (1999, Remastered 2005)

 

The "Were they, or weren't they?" masters Klaatu, are covered with a stellar multiple-artist tribute. among them some of the world's greatest should-be-knowns (Ed James, Jamie Hoover, Jeremy, Blue Cartoon or The Oohs.)

 

WU (524 mb)

Top of 2023 (Episode 24)

THE UNOFFICIAL 2023 DAVID BASH'S TOP 25 (2024)

 

This is the latest collection (the 24th) from the yearly David Bash list which is a Top 150 of the best albums of 2023. The list also includes a top list of EP's, and some compilations, tributes, reissues and more. Once again, the PPA compilation is limited to the first 25 albums of 2023 The list can be read on the International Pop Overthrow page here.

 

WU (608 mb)

WU (204 mb)

Scott "Top Ten" Kempner (1954-2023)

SCOTT KEMPNER - TENEMENT ANGELS (1992)

 

Scott "Top Ten" Kempner co-founded The Dictators in 1972 and was their main songwriter. They imploded after three albums and Kempner then fashioned Americana-inclined rockers The Del-Lords in 1982 releasing four studio albums  during the '80s and a reunion album in 2013. But he also had a solo career (two overlooked studio albums). "Tenement Angels" was the first one.

 

WU (297 mb)

Yellow Pills The Fanzine

YELLOW PILLS ISSUE #8 + FREE E.P. 2 (1997)

 

Jordan Oakes began publishing his seminal power pop 'zine, "Yellow Pills" in the summer of 1990 out of pure teenage puppy love for riffing, jangly guitars, fake British accents and harmonizing voices that ache with pimply adolescent yearning. As Yellow Pills began to notso-quietly circulate, Jordan quickly became the keeper of the keys (G and D, mostly) of all matters pop. So much so that he became something of a minor celebrity himself, greeted at Poptopia by Japanese teenage girls squealing "Yellow Pills! Yellow Pills!"

Issue #8  + free 7" E.P.

PDF (38 pages, full color 400dpi scans) complete with bookmarks

 

WU (102 mb)

Power Pop Nuggets

YELLOW PILLS PREFILL (2004)

 

Again compiled by Jordan Oakes, ten years after the first Yellow Pills volume, Prefill delivers 35 power pop rarities recorded between 1978 and 1982. No big names, except for a few ones as  Shoes, The Toms or a few members who would become more famous as solo artists (Jon Brion or John McMullan)

 

WU (752 mb)

Power Pop Template Vol 1

YELLOW PILLS VOLUME 1 - THE BEST OF AMERICAN POP! (1994)

Jordan Oakes who was publishing his "Yellow Pills" fanzine, compiled this outstanding collection in 1994. It featured some leading names of the genre. A Power Pop Goldmine.

 

WU (466 mb)

Power Pop Template Vol 2

YELLOW PILLS VOLUME 2 - MORE OF THE BEST OF AMERICAN POP! (1994)

 

Released in 1994, three years earlier than the "Poptopia Classics of the '90s", this second volume compiled by Jordan Oakes is a much more cohesive collection than the Rhino one, and it features some unreleased tracks.

 

WU (494 mb)

Power Pop Template Vol 3

YELLOW PILLS VOLUME 3 - MORE GREAT POP! (1995)

 

After two strong volumes, Jordan Oakes compiled this new volume, including some rarities (the Black And Blonde track or a song by Ronnie d'Addario, the father of the Lemon Twigs)

 

WU (495 mb)

Power Pop Template Vol 4

YELLOW PILLS VOLUME 4 (1997)

 

Volume 4 of the continuing power pop series Yellow Pills is one of the best installments, boasting new or unreleased tracks of major names.

 

WU (465 mb)

Poptopia! Part 1

POPTOPIA! POWER POP CLASSICS OF THE '70s (1997)

 

A near perfect collection offering the best of the power pop bands of the decade. Perfect for the ones who'd like to enter the niche and perfect for those who are familiar with the genre.

 

WU (452 mb)

Poptopia! Part 2

POPTOPIA! POWER POP CLASSICS OF THE '80s (1997)

 

The second part of the Poptopia! series includes some major names of the '80s, a decade mixing jangle pop (Let's Active, The dB's) with power pop (The Plimsouls, Phil Seymour). A good place to start, but still inferior to the stellar "Yellow Pills" series (1994-1997)

 

WU (456 mb)

Poptopia! Part 3

 POPTOPIA! POWER POP CLASSICS OF THE '90s (1997)

 

Released in 1997, it was supposed to be an anthology of power pop of the '90s, three years before the decade was finished. So, even though it has its shortcomings, some major bands of the decade are not there, this third part of the series is an excellent compilation that could (should) have been much better.

 

WU (477 mb)

2024

2024 is Here

 

May this New Year brings you better hooks than ever

•?((¯°·._.• ⓗⓐⓟⓟⓨ ⓝⓔⓦ ⓨⓔⓐⓡ •._.·°¯))؟•

This was originally released in 2004 as a 2 CD set

but there also was a third CD which was given away

as a promo when the 2-CD was ordered via the label's online shop.

 

WU1 (569 mb)

WU2 (539 mb)

WU3 (467 mb)

Boxing Day is Back

 BOXING DAY 2023

 

The first real Boxing Day since 2020

 

WU (3 kb)

The text file includes all the links, only the artist and the year of the release are mentioned.