Various Artists - NOW Yearbook 1987 [4CD Special Edition]

NOW

£15.61

Format: 4CD - Special Edition
Catalogue No.: CDYBNOW87
Barcode: 0198028067522
Release Date: 30 Aug 2024
Genre: Pop

NOW is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series – and looks back to 37 years ago – with 80 tracks on 4 CDs, to celebrate an incredible year of Pop singles… NOW – Yearbook 1987. This format is Special Edition 4CD set housed in ‘hard-back-book’ packaging, including a 28-page booklet featuring a summary of the year and a track-by-track guide.

Kicking off with a run of huge hits that truly underline just how stellar a year for the singles chart 1987 was: George Michael opens the collection with the title track from his debut solo album ‘Faith’, and is followed by the years’ Christmas #1, Pet Shop Boys with their version of ‘Always On My Mind’, and ‘True Faith’, a defining single in the rich discography of New Order. Dance music was evolving and M/A/R/R/S with their #1 ‘Pump Up The Volume’ was one of the first sample-led club tracks to become a mainstream hit and would be instrumental in paving the way for how dance music was often constructed going forward. In their fifth year of hits Eurythmics continued to deliver stunning singles and ‘Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)’ still sounds breathtakingly original today… Established hitmakers Duran Duran, A-ha and ABC were sharing the charts in 1987 with a great line-up of new pop bands, including here, Curiosity Killed The Cat, Johnny Hates Jazz and Wet Wet Wet – all enjoying their first hits. With use in tv ads for jeans, soul classics originally released in the ‘60s became even bigger hits in 1987: Ben E. King with ‘Stand By Me’ and Percy Sledge with ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’. The year saw continued success for the Pretenders and Alison Moyet, whilst Suzanne Vega and Swing Out Sister consolidated chart success from the previous year, the superb ‘Wonderful Life’ from Black was a hit on re-release, Rosie Vela debuted with ‘Magic Smile’ – and closing the disc, T’Pau’s second hit ‘China In Your Hand’ became the UK’s 600th #1 single.

A second appearance for George Michael opens Disc 2 – this time in partnership with Aretha Franklin on their #1 ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)’ ahead of Whiney Houston’s floor-filler and second #1 ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)’ and the lead track from the hugely popular film ‘Dirty Dancing’ – ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’ by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes. Next up ‘87’s biggest selling single – ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, the debut for Rick Astley, and another huge hit for writers and producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman….roles they also performed on Mel & Kim’s #1 ‘Respectable’ and ‘Toy Boy’ from Sinitta, and who were also producers on Bananarama’s ‘Love In The First Degree’, and Dead Or Alive’s ‘Something In My House’. Man 2 Man had a huge HI-NRG hit with ‘Male Stripper’, The Communards continued their run of hits with a cover of ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ and Boogie Box High took disco classic ‘Jive Talkin’ into the Top 10. 1987 saw Top 40 debuts for Living In A Box, Jellybean (& Elisa Fiorillo) and the first solo track from Shalamar singer Jody Watley. Donna Summer continued her massive run of hits with ‘Dinner With Gershwin’, and one of the most successful debuts was from Sananda Maitreya with his album ‘Introducing The Hardline…’ which included Disc 2 closer ‘Wishing Well’.

Disc 3 opens celebrating the gothic rock and huge Jim Steinman production on ‘This Corrosion’ from The Sisters Of Mercy, before a stunning run of legendary artists and timeless songs including Paul Simon, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Kiss, Iggy Pop and the #1 cover of ‘La Bamba’ from Los Lobos that topped the charts in 15 countries including the UK and the US. Beastie Boys debuted with an anthem that fused rock and rap, and The Cure and Siouxsie And The Banshees continued to add new hits to their already impressive track record, whilst The Jesus And Mary Chain enjoyed their biggest chart hit to date with ‘April Skies’. Steve Winwood had a hit with the remix of ‘Valerie’, Crowded House scored their UK chart debut, Elkie Brooks was back in the Top 10 for the first time in 10 years, and taking the disc to its’ close, two fantastic covers of ‘Love Letters’ and ’Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye’ from Alison Moyet and Simply Red.

The final disc presents an exceptional run of pure pop… starting with a second appearance on this Yearbook for Pet Shop Boys, this time with Dusty Springfield on the sophisticated pop of ‘What Have I Done To Deserve This’… and also a second appearance for A-Ha with ‘Cry Wolf’ ahead of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Level 42, The Blow Monkeys, and Hue & Cry , along with ‘Crockett’s Theme’ an instrumental hit for Jan Hammer from the soundtrack of one of the year’s biggest TV shows ‘Miami Vice’. Disc 4 is also home to some fantastic cover versions re-visioned for 1987’s charts including ‘Ever Fallen In Love’ from Fine Young Cannibals, ‘Respect Yourself’ from Bruce Willis, and Boy George with his first solo single and #1 ‘Everything I Own’ plus hits from Maxi Priest and Nick Kamen. Dance-pop from Kim Wilde & Junior, Pepsi & Shirlie and Bananarama lead towards ‘Some People’ a Top 3 single for Cliff Richard, Karel Fialka’s ‘Hey Matthew’, and the #1 charity supergroup ‘Ferry Aid’ with ‘Let It Be’. The beautiful ‘Once Upon A Long Ago’, the single release from Paul McCartney’s ‘All The Best’ collection leads into a track that, in recent years makes an appearance in the charts every Christmas - 1987 was the release year for ‘Fairytale Of New York’ – and so, the Yearbook for 1987 closes on this truly timeless classic from The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl.

NOW – Yearbook 1987 – A celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of a truly magnificent year in Pop.

Tracklisting:
CD1:
1. George Michael - Faith 
2. Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind 
3. New Order - True Faith
4. M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up The Volume 
5. Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - Beethoven (I Love To Listen To) 
6. Duran Duran - Skin Trade
7. a-ha - The Living Daylights
8. ABC - When Smokey Sings
9. Curiosity Killed The Cat - Down To Earth
10. Johnny Hates Jazz - Shattered Dreams 
11. Wet Wet Wet - Wishing I Was Lucky
12. Ben E. King - Stand By Me
13. Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman 
14. Swing Out Sister - Surrender 
15. Alison Moyet – Is This Love?
16. Rosie Vela - Magic Smile 
17. Suzanne Vega - Luka 
18. Black - Wonderful Life 
19. Pretenders - Hymn To Her
20. T'Pau - China In Your Hand

CD2:
1. George Michael & Aretha Franklin - I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) 
2. Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) 
3. Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - (I've Had) The Time Of My Life (From "Dirty Dancing" Soundtrack)
4. Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up 
5. Bananarama - Love In The First Degree 
6. Mel & Kim – Respectable
7. Sinitta - Toy Boy 
8. Spagna - Call Me 
9. Dead Or Alive - Something In My House
10. Male Stripper - Man 2 Man
11. The Communards - Never Can Say Goodbye 
12. Boogie Box High - Jive Talkin’
13. Living In A Box - Living In A Box
14. Was (Not Was) - Walk The Dinosaur 
15. Jellybean & Elisa Fiorillo - Who Found Who
16. Jody Watley - Looking For A New Love 
17. Donna Summer - Dinner With Gershwin
18. Alexander O'Neal - Criticize 
19. Five Star - Stay Out Of My Life 
20. Sananda Maitreya - Wishing Well 

CD3
1. The Sisters Of Mercy - This Corrosion 
2. Paul Simon - The Boy In The Bubble 
3. Los Lobos - La Bamba
4. Sting - We'll Be Together 
5. Bruce Springsteen - Brilliant Disguise 
6. Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead Or Alive 
7. Kiss - Crazy Crazy Nights 
8. Iggy Pop - Real Wild Child (Wild One) 
9. Beastie Boys - (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) 
10. Siouxsie And The Banshees - This Wheel's On Fire
11. The Jesus And Mary Chain - April Skies 
12. The Cure - Why Can't I Be You? 
13. Billy Idol - Mony Mony
14. Tina Turner - What You Get Is What You See 
15. Steve Winwood - Valerie
16. Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over 
17. Marillion - Sugar Mice
18. Elkie Brooks - No More The Fool
19. Alison Moyet – Love Letters
20. Simply Red - Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye 

CD4:
1. Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield - What Have I Done to Deserve This?
2. a-ha - Cry Wolf 
3. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Watching The Wildlife 
4. Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme (From "Miami Vice II" Soundtrack)
5. Fine Young Cannibals - Ever Fallen In Love 
6. Level 42 - Running In The Family
7. The Blow Monkeys - It Doesn't Have To Be This Way 
8. Hue & Cry - Labour Of Love 
9. Bruce Willis - Respect Yourself 
10. Maxi Priest - Some Guys Have All The Luck 
11. Boy George - Everything I Own 
12. Bananarama - I Heard A Rumour 
13. Pepsi & Shirlie - Heartache 
14. Kim Wilde & Junior - Another Step (Closer To You)
15. Nick Kamen - Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever 
16. Karel Fialka - Hey Matthew 
17. Cliff Richard - Some People
18. Ferry Aid (Zeebrugge) - Various Artists - Let It Be 
19. Paul McCartney - Once Upon A Long Ago 
20. The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York