In The Evening...

An interesting re-issue is coming out on CD on January 13th:

Sheryl Lee Ralph is a very successful actress, singer and philanthropist who has appeared in many Broadway musicals, Hollywood films and television shows since the beginning of the 1980's. Ralph first came to prominence having created the role of Deena Jones in the incredibly successful and award winning Broadway musical Dreamgirls for which she was nominated as Best Actress at the 1982 Tony Awards. This role was recently reprised on the silver screen by Jennifer Hudson who won an Oscar for her efforts. Ralph has since secured both Tony and Drama Desk best Actress awards for her performances in subsequent Broadway shows. 

As a result of the success of Dreamgirls Ralph ventured into the recording studio in 1984 to provide us with her acclaimed debut album In The Evening. Produced by Trevor Lawrence (I'm So Excited) , In The Evening immediately struck a chord with the U.S. music buying public who helped the title track and lead single peak at #6 on the Billboard Dance charts.

Tracklist:

1. You're So Romantic

2. In the Evening

3. Give Me Love

4. Evolution

5. Back to Being in Love

6. Be Somebody

7. I'm Your Kind of Girl

8. B.A.B.Y

9. Ready Or Not

10. I'm So Glad That We've Met

11. In the Evening (12" Version)

12. You're So Romantic (12" Version)

13. In the Evening (Swedish 12" Remix)

14. You're So Romantic (Swedish 12" Remix)

15. In the Evening (Instrumental)

I adore the title track, but I have never heard the whole album. I just might get this...

The Collection...

Belinda Carlisle is releasing a new best of CD/DVD on March 17th.

The Collection will feature the recent songs "Sun" and "Goodbye Just Go", along with all her biggest solo hits. The DVD includes 18 promo videos.

Tracklist:

Disc 1:

1. (We Want) The Same Thing
2. Heaven Is A Place On Earth
3. Live Your Life Be Free
4. Leave A Light On
5. I Get Weak
6. Big Scary Animal
7. Runaway Horses
8. Mad About You
9. Half The World
10. Sun
11. Little Black Book
12. Circle In The Sand
13. In Too Deep
14. Summer Rain
15. Do You Feel Like I Feel?
16. World Without You
17. La Luna
18. Vision Of You
19. Goodbye Just Go

Disc 2:

1. (We Want) The Same Thing (DVD - Promo Video)
2. Heaven Is A Place On Earth (DVD - Promo Video)
3. Live Your Life Be Free (DVD - Promo Video)
4. Leave A Light On (DVD - Promo Video)
5. I Get Weak (DVD - Promo Video)
6. Big Scary Animal (DVD - Promo Video)
7. Runaway Horses (DVD - Promo Video)
8. Mad About You (DVD - Promo Video)
9. Half The World (DVD - Promo Video)
10. Sun (DVD - Promo Video)
11. Little Black Book (DVD - Promo Video)
12. Circle In The Sand (DVD - Promo Video)
13. In Too Deep (DVD - Promo Video)
14. Summer Rain (DVD - Promo Video)
15. Do You Feel Like I Feel? (DVD - Promo Video)
16. World Without You (DVD - Promo Video)
17. La Luna (DVD - Promo Video)
18. Vision Of You ['91 Mix] (DVD - Promo Video)

Electric Songbooks Of 2013...

2013 is almost over, and it's time to take a look back at the Galaxy's favorite albums of the year.



Kim Wilde released what I consider to be her best album in more than 20 years. Wilde Winter Songbook really deserves several listens. Her covers of tracks like "White Winter Hymnal" and "Winter Song" are fabulous - but the new songs (written or co-written by Kimmy herself) are the ones that steal the show. An album that deserves much more widespread appreciation.
Favorite tracks: "Song For Beryl", "Burn Gold (Silent Night)", "Hope", "White Winter Hymnal", "One".



Pet Shop Boys released Electric in July and the album is ending up on several year-end lists by music magazines. Like always, the boys delivered an excellent album, although I personally prefer most of their previous albums over this one. That said, it's still a fantastic record that especially pleased the fans of "Dance-Pet Shop Boys".
Favorite tracks: "Love Is a Bourgeois Construct", "Vocal", "Fluorescent", "The Last To Die".



Alison Moyet made a spectacular comeback in 2013 with her hit album The Minutes, which became her highest charting album since 1987 in the UK.

Released in May, the album was met with spectacular reviews. Rightly so, since this album is pretty perfect! Produced and co-written by Guy Sigsworth, this is probably the album fans of the singer had been waiting for - it certainly delivers!
Favorite tracks: "Changeling", "Horizon Flame", "When I Was Your Girl", "Filigree", "Love Reign Surpreme".



Abba legend Agnetha Faltskog made a surprise comeback with A, her first album since 2004 and the first of original material since 1987. Even more surprising is how good it is!

Her voice still sounds beautiful, the songs are well crafted and overall it is a beautifully produced album. A most welcomed comeback.
Favorite tracks: "When You Really loved Someone", "Bubble", "Perfume In The Breeze", "Dance Your Pain Away", "I Was A Flower", "I Should've Followed You Home".



Erasure released their first holiday-themed album this year. Much like the Kim Wilde album, Snow Globe is not strictly a Christmas album, though it does feature some standards. And like Kimmy's album, the songs that really shine here are the new ones, along with a couple of traditional works. The overall tone is dark and moody, yet bright and uplifting. Another excellent album from the boys.
Favorite tracks: "Gaudete", "Sleep Quietly", "Bells Of Love", "Make It Wonderful","Loving Man".



The album of the year, hands down, was for me the long awaited comeback album from Cher!

Filled with both high energy dance songs and beautiful ballads, Closer To The Truth is one of the best albums of the diva's long career. It became a hit for her, charting in the Top 10 in the UK, Canada, Germany, Russia and of course the US where it became her highest charting solo album to date! The comeback of the year!
Favorite tracks: "I Hope You Find It", "My Love", "Dressed To Kill", "Woman's World", "I Walk Alone", "Take It Like A Man", "Sirens", "Red", "Favorite Scars" - OK, the whole album ;)





There are a few albums that came out this year that I still haven't had the change to listen to. I can't say I expect much from the Lady Gaga and Britney Spears albums, but I am really looking forward to hearing the ones from Goldfrapp, The Neighbourhood, OMD and Celine Dion (yes, I have heard a few tracks from the Celine album and I like them surprisingly much...).

EDIT:

OK, heard the Lady Gaga album - it's even worse than Born This Way! I really enjoyed her first two albums, but the last two have left a lot to be desired! The Celine album however is much better with some outstanding tracks!

Next year should bring us new albums from Kylie Minogue (!), Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Bruce Springsteen, Blondie, Toni Braxton (with Babyface), Tori Amos, Frank Ocean, Garbage, Ladytron and of course princess Lana Del Rey. Time will tell if Madonna will join the list...

Merry Christmas!...

Christmas time is here! And here is one of my all time favorite Christmas songs. 



"December Song (I Dreamed Of Christmas)" by George Michael was released four times between 2008-2011, peaking at #14 in the UK. One of Mr Michael's finest moments, me thinks.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

May your every New Year dream come true

Sweet December song

The melody that saved me

On those less than silent nights

When snow would fall upon my bed

White sugar from Jesus

And take me to the day

She could always smile

The Virgin Child would always show, you see

Just to save me

(Just to save me)

There was always Christmas time

To wipe the year away

I guess that morning they'd decided

That the war would have to wait

There was always Christmas time

Jesus came to stay

I could believe in peace on Earth

And I could watch TV all day

So I dreamed of Christmas

Maybe since you've gone

I went a little crazy

God knows they can see the child

But the snow that falls upon my bed

That loving that I needed

Falls every single day

For each and every child

The Virgin smiles for all to see

But you kept her from me

There was always Christmas time

To wipe the year away

I guess that morning they'd decided

That the war would have to wait

There was always Christmas time

Jesus came to stay

I could believe in peace on Earth

And I could watch TV all day

So I dreamed of Christmas, yes, I dreamed like you

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

May your every New Year dream come true

Merry Christmas to all my readers and I hope you all have a wonderful time over the holidays. Thanks for visiting the Galaxy this year. See you in 2014!

SOTD...

Over here it's Christmas tomorrow! It's snowing outside and today is all about putting finishing touches, last minute shopping and enjoying the season.

Hopefully you guys have been good but not been too good this year, or you might find yourself in the same dilemma as Miss Eartha Kitt...

Saturday Night...

Madonna made an appearance on the 2013 Christmas episode of “Saturday Night Live” this weekend.

She played herself on The Barry Gibb Talk Show sketch with Justin Timberlake (as Robin Gibb) and Jimmy Fallon (as Barry Gibb).

SOTD...

Here is another track from the absolutely wonderful Kim Wilde album Wilde Winter Songs, which came out a few weeks ago.

Kimmy has been making videos for every song on the album - a fun treat for fans. Here is "Hope":

SOTD...

Diana Ross is my queen of Christmas. Not only is her 1965 Christmas album with The Supremes (although the other two girls had very little to do with it) sheer perfection, but she also released a few holiday projects in the mid-90s that I very much enjoy (her version of "Amazing Grace" is THE version). For me, Christmas without Miss Ross just wouldn't be Christmas at all...




Here is the diva with what I consider to be the definitive version of "Silver Bells", along with her rather stunning live performance of "Amazing Grace".

To Love Again...

The rarest Diana Ross solo album is finally coming out on CD!

Ross was released in 1978. The album was a mixture of older tunes Ross recorded and newer recordings, side A consisting of four tracks recorded in 1978 and Side B of material recorded between the years 1971 and 1975, but remixed and/or extended specifically for the Ross album. The album was put together while Diana was filming The Wiz, in order to have some product out while she was busy working on the film.

While alternate versions of most of the recordings contained on the album have re-surfaced on a number of Motown/Universal Music compilations over the years, the original album in its original form was only available on vinyl, making it the only one of Ross's studio albums for the Motown label not to have been re-released on CD until it finally came out in Japan last year.

A more accessible (and cheaper) alternative will be offered on February 24th when Culture Factory release the album on CD. They have previously released The Boss and Evening With in beautiful, glossy LP replica versions so fans should expect the same treatment for this one. You can pre-order now by clicking here

Tracklist:

"Lovin', Livin' and Givin'" (Kenny Stover, Pam Davis) (Extended Remix) – 5:11
Recorded 1978. Produced by Hal Davis. Arranged by Art Wright. Edited version originally issued on first pressings of soundtrack album Thank God It's Friday (Casablanca), May 1978. Overdubbed remix issued on subsequent pressings. Re-remixed for album Ross, scheduled as US Motown single October 1978 (cancelled). Released as A-side single in the UK, Continental Europe and Scandinavia b/w "You Got It" (UK), "After You" (Germany and Scandinavia) and "Top of the World" (France and Italy).
"What You Gave Me" (Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson) – 4:57
Recorded 1978. Produced by Hal Davis. Arranged by Art Wright. Edited version (3:39) released as 7" single b/w "Together" (1978 Remix). Also released as Motown US promo 12" single 12 TMG 1135, including extended remix (6:06) b/w "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (Album version), commercially released as Motown blue vinyl 12" single 1C 052-62 325 YZ b/w "Lovin' Livin' and Givin'" in Germany.
"Never Say I Don't Love You" (Greg Wright, Karin Patterson) – 3:50
Recorded 1978. Produced by Greg Wright. Arranged by Greg Wright, John Barnes.
"You Were the One" (Greg Wright, Karin Patterson) – 4:01
Recorded 1978. Produced by Greg Wright. Arranged by Greg Wright, Jimmie Haskell, John Barnes.
"Reach Out I'll Be There" (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland Jr.) (1978 Extended Remix) – 5:30 Recorded 1971. Produced by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson. Arranged by Paul Riser. Edited version (3:59) originally released as Motown single, April 1971 b/w "They Long to Be Close to You" and original full-length version (4:50) on album Surrender, June 1971.
"Sorry Doesn't Always Make It Right" (1978 Remix) (Michael Masser) – 3:28
Recorded 1974. Produced by Michael Masser. Arranged by Lee Holdridge, Michael Masser. Originally released as Motown US & UK single, February 1975, b/w "Together".
"Where Did We Go Wrong" (1978 Remix) (Ron Miller, Tom Baird) – 4:24
Recorded 1973. Produced by Michael Masser. Arranged by Ken Hirsch. Outtake from 1973 album Last Time I Saw Him.
"To Love Again" (1978 Remix) (Gerry Goffin, Michael Masser) – 4:04
Recorded 1975. Produced by Michael Masser. Arranged by Lee Holdridge, Michael Masser. Outtake from Mahogany OST sessions, 1975.
"Together" (1978 Remix) (Michael Masser and Pam Sawyer) – 3:31
Recorded 1975. Produced by Michael Masser. Arranged by Gene Page. Originally released as B-side of Motown US & UK single "Sorry Doesn't Always Make It Right", February 1975.

Sadly, as this is not a part of the fabulous Hip-O-Select series (which seems to have slowed down a lot), there are no extra/unreleased tracks. Still, a good way to own this album on CD until an expanded version sees the light of day - that is if the mastering is any good, but the Culture Factory releases have a bit of a reputation for bad mastering, it seems. I have not played my Diana CD's from them yet so I can't comment...

SOTD...

It's almost the weekend, which means no more work for me before Christmas! Instead, loads of decoration and gift wrapping duties await, along with festive songs like this one.

Yes, it's princess Kylie, dressed up in her best winter coat and performing her version of "Let It Snow". And indeed it looks like we will have a white Christmas over here :)

SOTD...

Time to revisit again the fabulous RuPaul Christmas album from 1997.

"Christmas Nite" finds our queen in a storyteller mode, and of course it's absolutely hilarious!



And as a bonus: a rare Christmas song from 2005, which appeared on the CD single of "People Are People". She just can't wait 'til Christmas - when everyone is gay ;)

SOTD...

Aqua released a Christmas song back in 2009. "Spin Me A Christmas" does of course come complete with a typical Aqua music video :)

SOTD...

OH-MY-GOD! The day is finally here - my final test is over (I think I did very well) and no more school for me for quite some time! This calls for a very, very perky Christmas song. Enter Bananarama, who released their only solo Christmas song to date in 2010.

"Baby It's Christmas" is quite frankly, fabulous (in a shameless, Eurodance way). Sadly it became their first UK single not to be released on a physical format. No video and no label support, but at least it was released (in the US it appeared on a Christmas compilation CD).

SOTD...

The final week before Christmas has just started and I am currently studying for my final test, which is tomorrow. After that I can finally start to really focus in Christmas preparations, and not a moment too soon!



The Song Of The Day is taken from one of my absolute favorite Christmas albums, Enya's And Winter Came. It is her most recent album (and one of her very best), released in 2008. The album became very successful like all her previous ones, entering the top 10 in the UK, US, Germany, France, Russia, Australia and several other markets and selling more than 3 million copies (almost a million in the US alone).

The first single from the album was the beautiful "Trains And Winter Rains":

SOTD...

Erasure have just released the music video for their next single from Snow Globe. "Make It Wonderful" is rather fabulous and should please most fans of the duo.

SOTD...

One of the most perfect/demented/inappropriate Christmas albums of all times comes courtesy of film director John Waters.



Good old John decided to collect together several old holiday "classics" on a CD back in 2004. This album has obviously become a staple of Christmas music here in the Galaxy and here are a few of the treats included.

SOTD...

It's getting next to impossible to get up in the morning in the cold and the darkness. And I swear there is a flock of wolves living outside my home these days ;) But: it is almost weekend and here is a rather perky Christmas song to set the mood!

Cyndi Lauper released an excellent album called Merry Christmas...Have A Nice Life in 2008. It featured several new songs along with a few covers. One of the new ones was "Christmas Conga", which you can boogie to right now. Come on now, "Bonga Bonga Bonga, Do The Christmas Conga" - Cyndi commands you!

Over?...

Madonna and her boyfriend Brahim Zaibat have broken up, a rep for the singer has supposedly confirmed to various new agencies. No word on why Madonna and the 25-year-old dancer went their separate ways, but some are speculating the couple ended their three-year relationship because of busy and conflicting schedules.




Zaibat, who worked as a backup dances during Madonna's recent MDNA world tour, is currently competing on the French version of Dancing With the Stars.



Madonna and Zabat's last big red carpet appearance together was at the Met Gala in NYC back in May. The former lovebirds walked the carpet together in coordinating punk-inspired outfits and posed for pics as a couple. The duo was also spotted last week at an NYC Kabbalah center.

God & Games...

Boy George has announced a new single, "My God" as the second single from his comeback album This Is What I Do, which marked his first top 40 album since 1987's Sold.

"'My God' is a celebration of faith and the tale of a man who lost faith and found it," said Boy George. "It could be me - but it might be you!"

While a full music video will accompany the single in due course, the release will also include a cover of Lana Del Rey's "Video Games". "Video Games" is a very unusual pop song," he explained. "It reminds me so much of "The Crying Game" and "Blue Velvet". I also adore Lana Del Rey."

The musician has also announced details of a UK tour for next year, which kicks off in Edinburgh on March 30 and includes a show at London's Indigo2 on April 3.

Tickets - priced between £23.50 and £35 - go on sale on Friday, December 20 at 9am. The full list of tour dates appears below:

March 30 - Edinburgh, Liquid Rooms
March 31 - Manchester, The Ritz
April 1 - Birmingham, Institute
April 3 - London, Indigo2
April 4 - Norwich, Waterfront
April 5 - Bristol, O2 Academy

Here is the "performance" version of the "My God" video, along with his cover of "Video Games".

SOTD...

What do you do when you have no idea what to get that special someone for Christmas? Well, you do what ex-Alcazar member Magnus Carlsson does...

"Wrap Myself In Paper" was released as the first single from his excellent 2006 Christmas album Spår I Snön. The song became a big hit in Sweden, peaking at #2 on the charts.

SOTD...

Cher released a rare treat for fans back in 1999 - a Christmas song!



Her version of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" appeared on the Rosie O'Donnel compilation A Rosie Christmas. The album charted at #20 in the US and topped the Holiday Albums chart.

Sadly Cher's song was not treated to a video - but here is the song.



And some more festive Cher:

There Are Worse Things She Could Do...

Madonna attended the LaGuardia High School’s production of Grease in Manhattan last Friday, in which her daughter Lourdes takes on the role of Betty Rizzo.

According to the NY Daily News, Lourdes gave shout-outs to her mom and dad, personal trainer and performer Carlos Leon. “She would like to thank her parents,” she noted in her bio, “for giving her guidance and love and supporting her passions wholeheartedly.”

Madonna was an appreciative audience throughout the show, at times laughing at her daughter’s antics, and at one point she and her friend took a picture of another actor during the song, “Mooning.” The proud mom had a big bouquet of white roses resting in her lap for her daughter, and she and Leon shared a kiss after the performance.