Penthouse And Pavement + The Luxury Gap

Original members of Sheffield’s Human League, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh left and formed Heaven 17 in 1980. Debut album Penthouse And Pavement contained the singles 'Play To Win', 'Penthouse And Pavement', and 'The Height Of The Fighting'. Their second album The Luxury Gap featured the Top 5 hits 'Temptation' and 'Come Live With Me', as well as 'Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry' and 'Let Me Go'. 

These new Heavyweight Vinyl editions have been expertly mastered by Barry Grint at AIR Mastering from the original stereo tapes using precision half-speed mastering. 

Also available on 2-Disc Deluxe CD featuring the original album, while bonus Disc Two contains non-album A- and B-sides, original demos and 12” versions.

Message from NINA:

During my time developing Scala Hearts with Ricky Wilde, Radio Wolf was creating a batch of new instrumentals for himself. He wrote this track intended to be part of an EP with a Japanese / Western Theme. Think - Kill Bill, Yakuza, Tokyo Vice, Manga and your favourite cult action movie rolled into one.

After I heard it, I was obsessed, instantly! I loved the sexy wilde vibe! Radio Wolf asked me "do you want to be the narrator and do some chanting?" In a creative burst of energy, he wrote a poem in the style of a diary entry or mythical legend about a mysterious character coming to a civilization in need of rescue. The 'TOKYO COWBOY' can be anyone with a selfless and heroic spirit. The title simply came from his fascination of juxtaposing cultures; Japan meets the West. He visited Japan when he performed with a band called SOHODOLLS many moons ago, and he grew up watching Japanese cinema. He loved Japanese art!

Before I committed to becoming a singer, I wanted to be an actress, so we thought it would be cool to have a bit of fun and do something different - I would do some "acting" and do a voice-over as if I was telling the story for the audience. I conceptualized a character who is disillusioned by the violent and enraging experiences her home has endured while at the same time possibly falling in love with this mysterious 'TOKYO COWBOY'.

A big motivator for why we have decided to release this song as a Single, is that when we performed it during our European Tour with CANNONS, the audience went crazy for it and they were coming up to us asking what the title of this song was and where they could find it.

I hope it's a hit with you like it was with a live audience.

Message from Ships Have Sailed:

Storytime: when I was young, my life was chaotic, uncertain, always shifting and full of more stress than a child should have to deal with.

My dad wasn't around, my mom was dealing with five kids trying to make ends meet, there often wasn't enough food to go around...life was hard, but I had a group of friends that slowly gravitated together.

We connected about music among other things and we used to take these hikes...literally just climb up to the top of a mountain with some food, water and tents and just camp overnight...laying up and gazing at the stars. These were some of the most peaceful moments I knew growing up...allowing me to just lay there, often in silence but ever present, feeling a sense of kinship and belonging that I didn't feel in my own home and looking out into the great unknown with wonder and, most importantly, hope.

I still speak to these friends on occasion...and I probably should reach out more often - perhaps one or more of them is reading this at this very moment, wondering if I'm talking about our memories together. I am.

Not only that, but our new song "Reflections" which is now yours in two unique versions (I'm cleverly calling it a 'Double A-Side') was intended to capture the feeling I used to cling to on those mountain tops when I was younger.

Life is better now, and I'm so grateful. I've found a 'mountain top' where I can exist, belong, create, and remember all the people and events that allowed me to get here...not the least of which were the friends I mentioned.

Will