CYNDI LAUPER, CHAKA KHAN, RICHARD MARX and SMOKEY ROBINSON will all appear on a new US TV show 'Celebrity Duets' which will pair up celebrities for duets with each performance being voted for by a panel of judges and TV viewers until an eventual winner emerges.

REM are to release a 2-CD and DVD anthology, 'And I Feel Fine', chronicling their IRS Records output between 1984 and 1987. The CD part of the release contains classic tracks from the era packaged with a 21-track rarities disc containing previously unreleased songs, live recordings, alternate takes, and mixes. The DVD, entitled 'When the Light Is Mine', features TV performances, interviews, and outtakes alongside all 11 videos the band made for IRS.

DEACON BLUE will release a new single 'Bigger Than Dynamite' on October 9th preceding their forthcoming compilation album 'Singles'.

SCRITTI POLITTI are lining up US dates to support this week's US release of their new album 'White Bread Black Beer' according to Billboard Magazine. The album has been reviewed in the REVIEWS section of http://www.remembertheeighties.com/!

ELECTRONIC, fronted by NEW ORDER singer BERNARD SUMNER and THE SMITHS guitarist JOHNNY MARR, are to release a best of retrospective 'Get The Message - the Best of Electronic' on September 18th. See NEWS on http://www.remembertheeighties.com/??for the full tracklisting.

MADNESS have announced new dates in Portugal, Belgium, Monaco and Marbella in August. See GIGS for all the dates.

SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES recently remastered and expanded seminal albums 'Join Hands' and 'Juju' have both been reviewed in the REVIEWS section.

EDIE BRICKELL has reunited with THE NEW BOHEMIANS to record a new album, 'Stranger Things' which will be released at the end of July.

KYLIE MINOGUE has announced two more London shows as part of her 'Showgirl - Homecoming' tour. The shows will take place on January 5th and 6th. See GIGS for all the dates.

DURAN DURAN singer SIMON LE BON is among guests featured on the new album from dance artist Ferry Corsten. Le Bon provides vocals for a track entitled 'Fire' which will also be released as a single. The album also contains a collaboration with HOWARD JONES and a reworking of 808 STATE's 'Cubik'.

BOW WOW WOW, THE BANGLES, A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS, LOVERBOY, EDDIE MONEY, SCANDAL and RICK SPRINGFIELD have all released career retrospectives under the banner 'We Are The 80s'. Each release will feature a combination of hits, album tracks, b-sides and rarities and are produced in conjunction with VH-1's 'We Are The 80s' series. Rick Springfield will also headline a series of live 'We Are The 80s' US concerts with Loverboy, Eddie Money and Scandal as special guests, see GIGS for all the dates. THE BANGLES' current bassist ABBY TRAVIS releases a new solo album, 'Glittermouth', this week and will be launching the release with a free performance at the El Cid club in Silver Lake, California on July 30th.

GRANT LEE PHILLIPS' album 'nineteeneighties', featuring startlingly original versions of songs by THE CURE, NEW ORDER, THE SMITHS, REM, JOY DIVISION, PSYCHEDELIC FURS and THE PIXIES among others, has been raved about by http://www.remembertheeighties.com/ in the REVIEWS section this week!

THE DAMNED will release their classic 'Final Damnation' album in CD/DVD format on August 31st. The concert features the band's 1988 reunion of original members at London's Town & Country Club. See NEWS on http://www.remembertheeighties.com/??for the full tracklisting.

HALL AND OATES are currently working on a Christmas album which will feature a combination of Christmas classics and original tracks. The duo have also announced a series of gigs in the US and Canada for August and September. See GIGS for all the dates.

"Many thanks to all of you who have purchased a copy of 'Meltdown For The Mindless', the new album from LOTUS EATERS frontman PETER COYLE that has been released on??the This Is Not Retro label... if you're a fan of intelligent, melodic music (the names PREFAB SPROUT, BLUE NILE, AZTEC CAMERA, PETER GABRIEL, DREAM ACADEMY and BLACK have all cropped up as comparisons if you need a 'category' to place the release in!) then you should have a look at the Peter Coyle INTERVIEW page and follow the links there to download??the FREE 'Meltdown For The Mindless' PODCAST which includes audio samples. You can of course also buy the album in the online SHOP! Visit: http://www.remembertheeighties.com/"

Thanks to http://www.remembertheeighties.com/??for all the news this week.