ERASURE have completed work on their new album and are anticipating an October release. The album of new material will be titled 'Nightbird' and will be preceded by a new single 'Breathe'.

ADAM & THE ANTS are to reissue their back-catalogue albums 'Dirk Wears White Socks', 'Kings Of The Wild Frontier' and 'Prince Charming' on July 4th, each with a host of extra tracks which include demos, unreleased material, and remixes. ADAM & THE ANTS will also release a new DVD 'Digital Tenderness - 1977 to 1996' later this year featuring the band's videos possibly alongside other archive footage.

DURAN DURAN's classic single 'Wild Boys' has been covered by pop act Phixx... meanwhile this week Duran Duran release their first three albums 'Duran Duran', 'Rio' and 'Seven & The Ragged Tiger' remastered and in a three-disc CD box-set. Each album has been packged in high-quality gatefold sleeve which is a CD sized version of the original vinyl album sleeves, and all three albums are contained in a custom made box.

HEAVEN 17 will release a new album in August. 'Before After' will be the band's first new material since 1997's 'Bigger Than America'.

JOHN FOXX is working on a collaborative project with former KRAFTWERK mainman KARL BARTOS - more details are expected to follow but it is possible that the duo will tour with the project.

SOFT CELL will release a DVD compilation of twelve of their videos on July 26th. 'Non-Stop Exotic Video Show' features the promos for 'Entertain Me', 'Bedsitter', 'Frustrations', 'Torch', 'Seedy Films', 'Secret Life', 'Tainted Love', 'Youth', 'Memorabilia', 'Sex Dwarf (Intro)', 'What', 'Say Hello Wave Goodbye'. The DVD extras include the full audio version of 'Sex Dwarf' set to animation created especially for this release. Meanwhile Soft Cell frontman MARC ALMOND is set to publish a new book charting his journey through mid life. 'In Search Of The Pleasure Palace: Disreputable Travels' will be published on July 15th.

LLOYD COLE has revealed the proposed tracklisting for the forthcoming 20th Anniversary reissue of the LLOYD COLE & THE COMMOTIONS album 'Rattlesnakes'. The 2-CD set will feature the original album on one disc, and a series of b-sides, rarities and live tracks on the second.

PET SHOP BOYS' hit 'It's A Sin' is featured in a new play from Alan Bennett that has just opened at London's National Theatre. The song has been used with the full blessing of Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant who attended the first night of the show and the opening night party.

NEW ORDER have been talking about the recording of their forthcoming album and have revealed that is going to be a dance record more in the vein of 1989's 'Technique' than their last studio album 'Get Ready' made in 2001. The band have over twenty songs recorded although so far only eight of them have had the vocals added. Meanwhile frontman BERNARD SUMNER appeared onstage with The Doves last week to perform an acoustic version of 'Bizarre Love Triangle' at a tribute to former New Order manager Rob Gretton who passed away five years ago.

The Neasden Queen Of Soul, The Nymphet Of The Nail Varnish, Miss Bee Hive; these are only a few of the acronyms used by the British press to describe vocalist Mari Wilson. Taking her cue from Peggy Lee, Julie London, Diana Ross, Freda Payne and several others, the London Burrough Of Brent High Board Champion, followed by an ever-growing entourage of backup singers and musicians took their act to the offices of Compact Records and promptly hit it big. Her second single, Beat The Beat, was heard on the radio by Bryan Ferry who called it 'the strangest thing I'd heard in five years,' and promptly invited Mari to support the Roxy big band on the Avalon tour. Concerts and television appearances continued, and Mari's Compact career peaked when she recorded the theme to Dance With A Stranger, starring Miranda Richardson and Rupert Everett. After Compact faded from the face of the earth Mari began to pursue a career as a jazz singer, performing anywhere and everywhere.

ALBUMS:
Showpeople	Marigold	Just What I Always Wanted	Beat The Beat
SINGLES:
Dance Card	Beat The Beat	Baby It's True	Just What I Always Wanted (7")
Just What I Always Wanted (12")	Beware Boyfriend (7")	Beware Boyfriend (12")	Cry Me A River
Wonderful	Ain't That Peculiar	Let's Make This Last	Dance With??A Stranger

1991:
	CD: The Rhythm Romance CDs: The Rhythm CDs: My Funny Valentine CDs: I'm Coming Home

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Morrissey entered the official British charts at #3 with his first single in years, Irish Blood, English Heart. It's his biggest hit to date! The album You Are The Quarry entered the album charts at #2!

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PET SHOP BOYS' track 'Jack & Jill Party' - written for DEAD OR ALIVE frontman PETE BURNS - is nearing completion after being mixed by producer Bob Kraushaar. The single will be released on the PSB's own Olde English label and will feature three versions of the track; a single version, an instrumental, and an extended dance mix. 'Jack & Jill Party' will be released on June 7th and will be available on the Pet Shop Boys' Olde English label via their official website.

ICEHOUSE are making another track form their forthcoming album available for download from their website. The track is entitled 'Chemicals' and will be included on their forthcoming album 'Bi -Polar Poems' which is still in production.

ERASURE singer ANDY BELL is rumoured to be working on his autobiography for publication in October. Meanwhile Erasure are working on a new studio album and Bell is also working on some dance-influenced music that he is expected to release as a solo artist.

KAJAGOOGOO have been working on the forthcoming reissues of their albums 'White Feathers', 'Islands' and 'Crazy People's Right To Speak'. The albums are now remastered and each set of bonus tracks has been finalised and a release date is expected very soon!

BANANARAMA have almost completed work on their new album, and are hoping to release the record later this year. The duo are currently working with the Swedish production team Murlyn who are responsible for hits from Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin and Sugababes among others. BANANARAMA will also have their first five albums reissued in June. 'Deep Sea Skiving', 'Bananarama', 'True Confessions', 'WOW!' and 'Pop Life' will be remastered and issued with bonus tracks and mixes although none of the tracklistings is available so far...

KYLIE MINOGUE has provided the voice for Florence the cow in the forthcoming animated film 'The Magic Roundabout'. Robbie Williams provides the voice of Dougal the dog for the film that is due for release this Christmas.

SOFT CELL singer MARC ALMOND features on a limited edition 7" vinyl single by electro producers and DJ's Punx Soundcheck. The singer has written two tracks - 'Vanity, Poverty, Revenge' and 'Neo-Burlesque' - for which he has also provided vocals. The release is limited to 500 copies and was released on May 8th.

ERASURE mainman VINCE CLARKE has collaborated with HEAVEN 17's MARTYN WARE on two very different collaborations. The duo have decorated a garden shed for 'The Other Flower Show' an exhibit at London's Victoria & Albert Museum 'exploring the theme of flowers, gardens and nature' which will run from 28th May to July 11th. The pair, working under their 'Illustrious Company' banner, are also working on an eighteen-minute musical composition for The Royal Ballet for a forthcoming piece based on the Diaghilev ballet 'Petrushka' about the secret life of puppets. The performance will feature 20 dancers from the Royal Ballet and ERASURE's ANDY BELL will sing a 2 minute acapella piece at the end, to accompany the death of Petrushka.