Well, hello everyone.
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Just thought I’d drop you all a line to keep you updated on the business we call “Show”.
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I’m writing this from sunny California, so I do apologise if you are in the UK with the rain.
But don’t worry! Because once September is here, I have some new shows so yet another excuse for you to get 'Dolled Up' and come along and enjoy yourself! I’ll have lots of new stories to tell...
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I’m off to Vegas next week... To see Bette Midler! Can't wait!
Yes, I’m sure she’s looking forward to seeing me too...
Anyway I’ll tell you all about it when I see you...
Got loads of gossip of course!
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So, we took my 12 year old daughter and her friend to see The Jonas Brothers here in LA (she’d been to see Demi Lovato the week before - don’t ask...). Anyway, we walked across the street – aka “jay-walked”, when from nowhere, a cop car put it’s siren on, and through the loud speaker we heard “get off the street, or face arrest!” Blimey! Steady on!
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So this weekend was my good friend Julia Fordham’s birthday, she lives out here. Her party was set in a lovely big ‘back yard’ – more like a park! – there is so much space out here. Julia sang, as did Judith Owen, and an amazing girl from New Zealand, called Kara Grainger. She’s like Bonnie Raitt, great singer and guitarist, please do check her out. www.karagrainger.com
So I got up and sang a couple of tunes, it was great fun – Val McCallum on guitar, (from Elvis Costello’s band – and guess who his dad is?) brilliant! Jeff Young on keyboards, (Steely Dan/Jackson Browne) Mike Clarke on drums and the wonderful ex-Wilsation, Colin Ryan on guitar (also lives here). We even had Derek Smalls on bass would you believe?
Another great singer, Celia Chavez and myself, were singing backing vocals for Kara on “I Shall Be Released”, when all of a sudden the cops turned up telling us that the neighbours had complained about the noise and wanted to press charges!!!
What’s going on here!!!?? I Shall Be Released indeed! Were they not invited? Anyway, two LAPD experiences in two days... I must be getting a reputation – could be good for record sales....
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I’d recommend you check out a new band – Purplemelon – four young guys I’ve befriended from the UK who are kicking up a storm here. I predict a great future for them. They’re all very talented AND gorgeous too...
www.myspace.com/purplemelonspace
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Girl Talk got together for a charity bash at the 606 Club in London in June – great fun singing those songs together again... and the lovely Ian Shaw invited me to sing with him on BBC Radio 3 a few weeks back. It was a London theme so I sang Waterloo Sunset – it’s on the website if you want to hear it.
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These forthcoming gigs are intimate affairs. I’ve been going out with the band the last couple of years so time for a change, bringing it down to me and the uniquely talented Adrian York at the piano. Some are listed as Mari Wilson’s Threesome which will include the irresistible Matt Backer on guitar. Who knows, there may even be the odd tuba player... but suffice to say that I will enjoy singing some new and unexpected cover versions - some known, some obscure and some surprises – ooh that’ll have you thinking.
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The Love Thing, my one-woman musical, still hangs in there. Looking to get it out for all the world to enjoy. We are constantly developing, improving and putting finishing touches to it. Can’t say too much more as yet but will inform y’all asap!
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Friday 4th & Saturday 5th September I’ll be at Pizza on the Park,
Friday 11th September– Fleece Jazz @ Stoke by Nayland Club,
Friday 26th September – The Old Town Hall, Hemel Hempstead
Sunday 1st November – Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London.

Legendary singer songwriter, Marc Almond, celebrates the release of his new album, ‘Orpheus In Exile’, by meeting fans at HMV’s flagship Oxford Street store, in London’s West End on Monday 7th September 2009. Marc Almond, whose career has spanned almost 30 years and sold in excess of 35 million records, will be at the store from 6.00 pm to meet fans and sign copies of his new album which is released the same day. For the new ‘Orpheus In Exile’ album, Marc has joined creative forces with Russian producer and musical arranger Alexei Fedorov who shares both Marc's love of Kozin - the Soviet era's much-loved, exiled then forgotten singer of Gypsy Folk and Russian Torch Song Romances - and his aim to help bring his repertoire to a new audience. The songs have been specially translated for Marc and have never been sung in English before.

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Marc Almond will be appearing on the Steve Wright show on Radio 2 this afternoon.
You can listen live now or later with the recent show archive, both available from this link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/steve-wright-in-the-afternoon/

Marc also appeared on the Radio 4 show Front Row last week. You can listen to this via this link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00m6581

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Marc Almond Live At The London Palladium, Soho Jazz Festival 1986.
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One of Marc's all time favourite performances is now available on CD. The album features eleven tracks, some of which have never been released, in a full colour slip case with full colour picture disc. This is a limited edition 'official bootleg', it is not of studio quality but has been extensively cleaned and enhanced to provide the best quality possible. Scheduled to start shipping on 24 August, you can pre-order now to ensure dispatch as soon as it's available.

Visit the Shop at www.marcalmond.co.uk for further info and to place your order.

HAIRCUT 100 are to reform for a performance at NICK HEYWARD's upcoming Christmas show at London's Cadogan Hall in December. See GIGS for details.

OMD will be recording a rare acoustic session for Absolute Radio in London in September. RememberTheEighties.com will be giving away tickets for the show so watch this space.

ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN will release a new studio album on October 12th. 'The Fountain', the band's first album since 2005, will be preceded by a single 'I Think I Need It Too' on September 28th. The Bunnymen will also play four shows around the UK in October, see GIGS for all the details.

A-HA are planning to expand their forthcoming European tour and play a show in Japan before Christmas and then tour play Australia in January followed by concerts in the USA, Canada and South America in March before returning to Europe in May and June to play a number of festivals.

THE CURE's ROBERT SMITH, NEW ORDER's BERNARD SUMNER and PROPAGANDA's CLAUDIA BRUCKEN are among vocalists who have recorded new vocals for tracks on 'Reordered' an album of reworkings of Blank & Jones mixes by Mark Reeder. The album is due for release in September, see NEWS for the full tracklisting.

KIM WILDE's classic albums 'Kim Wilde' and 'Select' are both to be reissued in September as digital download editions featuring the original albums in remastered editions alongside a number of bonus tracks.

BAUHAUS frontman PETER MURPHY has announced a London show at the IndigO2 on October 11th as part of his 'Secret Cover' tour.

MORRISSEY has added another UK date to his upcoming winter tour with the announcement that he will play a London show at Alexandra Palace on November 5th.

DURAN DURAN's much anticipated DVD/CD release 'Duran Duran - Live In Hammersmith '82' and their 2-CD special edition of their 'Rio' album will both be released on September 7th. The live set will include the band's live set alongside Top Of The Pops performances and videos, while the 'Rio' release - which will also be available as a limited vinyl edition - will include the UK version of the album, the original US Harvest album remixes, demos, B-sides and remixes. See NEWS for the full tracklistings of both albums.

LOVE AND ROCKETS are the subject of a new tribute album that will include versions of their songs interpreted by a number of artists including FRANK BLACK, The Flaming Lips and the Dandy Warhols. 'New Tales To Tell, A Tribute To Love and Rockets' will be released digitally on July 28th followed by a physical release date of August 18th.

THE SPECIALS have added more dates to their winter tour of the UK and Ireland with the announcement of shows in Dublin and Belfast and at Liverpool Music Week.

KAJAGOOGOO and LIMAHL will be the subject of a new retrospective from EMI which is to be released on September 7th. The album, which marks the recent reunion of the original line-up, will feature remastered versions of all Kajagoogoo's key tracks from 1983 to the present day alongside the best of Limahl's solo material and a DVD of previously unreleased footage of the band. Kajagoogoo will tour the UK in September, see NEWS for the album tracklisting and GIGS for all the dates.

MADONNA will release a new single on September 28th. The track, 'Celebration', will also be one of two new tracks to feature on a new Madonna compilation of the same name. The album will be available in single and double CD editions and a DVD featuring videos from across Madonna's career will be released at the same time.

A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS will play at the forthcoming Headliners Festival in London which takes place at various venues around the city on September 17th and 18th and also features sets from Doves, Esser, Frankmusic, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Biffy Clyro. The band also have a UK tour coming up, see GIGS for all the dates.

TEARS FOR FEARS' CURT SMITH will be playing a free show as part of Los Angeles' Sound Of Summer series of concerts on August 20th when he will be playing a solo set in the city's Pershing Square.

Many thanks to www.remembertheeighties.com!

BANANARAMA will play a seven-song live set at London club G-A-Y on September 12th which they will follow with a special signing session at the club. The duo will release a new single, 'Love Comes', on September 6th which will include a 2009 mix of their classic hit 'Cruel Summer'. The band have also put the new video for 'Love Comes' on YouTube.

NENA will release a new album 'Wir Sind Wahr' - her first collection of original material since 2005 - on September 25th. The release will be preceded by a new single on September 4th.

SPANDAU BALLET songwriter GARY KEMP will publish his autobiography 'I Know This Much: From Soho to Spandau' on September 3rd...

TEARS FOR FEARS' fifth album 'Raoul and the Kings of Spain' will be reissued in a remastered edition with bonus tracks on August 17th. See NEWS for the full album tracklisting.

SPARKS have written a radio musical based on the life of film director Ingmar Bergman for Sweden's Sveriges Radio. 'The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman' will be broadcast for the first time on the channel on August 14th.

KATRINA AND THE WAVES' 'Walking On Sunshine', remixed by Sleaze Sisters, is included on 'Gayfest 2009' a new compilation album released this week. The album also includes a 'Sleaze Sisters Euro Mix' of SAMANTHA FOX's 'Touch Me'.

ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN are rumoured to have written a song with Coldplay's Christ Martin for inclusion on their forthcoming new album 'The Fountain' which will be released in October. The band have also announced a short run of US dates for october, see GIGS for all the details.

DEAD OR ALIVE frontman PETE BURNS has written and recorded two new tracks - 'The Art' and 'Never Marry An Icon' - with The Dirty Disco for a forthcoming digital release.

ANIMOTION's first two albums - 1984's 'Animotion', which featured the international hit 'Obsession', and 1986's 'Strange Behaviour' - will be reissued by Cherry Red on August 17th in expanded editions both of which feature a selection of remixes and alternative versions. See NEWS for the full tracklisting of both albums.

KAJAGOOGOO, FIVE STAR and WOMACK & WOMACK are all to appear on the 80s night at Pontins Camber Sands' 48 Hours Across the Decades' party on Saturday October 3rd. The show follows a 70s line-up on October 2nd featuring Boney M, Showaddywaddy and The Real Thing...

FUN BOY THREE's debut album 'The Fun Boy Three' - which includes a number of tracks performed with BANANARAMA - will be reissued on September 21st in an expanded edition featuring six bonus tracks including a cover of the Gershwin classic 'Summertime' alongside a selection of b-sides and 12" remixes. See NEWS on the website for the full album tracklisting.

Many thanks to www.remembertheeighties.com!