Ronny’s Pop Show 11 – CD 2 (CBS, 1988)

Review
The companion to Ronny’s Pop Show 11 – CD 1 but sold separately. The opening song is the German language version of Freiheit’s Keeping The Dream Alive; So Lang’ Man Träume Noch Leben Kann and credited to Münchener Freiheit. A real Christmas vibe. “Children the air!” – it’s Tiffany’s I Think We’re Alone Now. Next comes salvation, in the form of New Order. Touched By The Hand Of God emerged in December ’87 and was mixed by Arthur Baker. It rarely turns up on compilations and is almost forgotten now. A new chapter after Substance. Someone compile Touched By The Hand Of Dub now.

Sinéad O’Connor’s spiky breakthrough Mandinka is still as fresh today; The Lion and The Cobra still spinning on my turntable in 2015. Meanwhile The Proclaimers’ Letter From America takes on a even greater poignancy nowadays with the desperate attempts of those who wish to make a new life in Europe. First heard while sweeping the L&N floor, this song will forever remind me of that busy supermarket job and the thrill of additional funds to buy records. Equally evocative is Samantha Fox’s supreme ballad True Devotion, a surprisingly mature sound. You also get the breakthrough from Bros, the foreshadowing When Will I Be Famous? and Sinitta’s bubbly pop of G.T.O.

The second half of the disc sees a move towards serious club heat. B.V.S.M.P. and I Need You; slowed-down and funky as hell. Stock, Aitken and Waterman drop another dance bomb – first there was Roadblock, now it’s Packjammed (With The Party Posse) featuring a mid-section sample of some well known SAW smashes such as Love In The First Degree, Say I’m Your Number One and Never Gonna Give You Up. Check out Krush’s supremely great House Arrest; super vocal from Ruth Joy and a killer bassline. Pioneering stuff. The tempo drops again on Joyce Sims’ urgent pleading Come Into My Life.

T’Pau re-recorded China In Your Hand for its single release. However it’s the slower and longer Bridge Of Spies version that’s here. Given that the 7″ mix is so readily available on CD, this surprising curveball does not bother me and actually makes for an interesting diversion. Elsewhere LL Cool J’s rival Kool Moe Dee drops some vintage wisdom on How Ya Like Me Now; once again it’s the longer album cut. Wind it down with Sandra’s beautiful Stop For A Minute – a Michael Cretu production. Lastly- just visiting this planet – it’s Jellybean’s cover of Babatunde Olatunji’s Jingo. Drums of passion.

Favourite tracks
The Proclaimers – Letter From America

New Order – Touched By The Hand Of God

Lest we forget
Samantha Fox – True Devotion