NOW Yearbook – THE VAULT: 1986 (4CD)

1986 was another fantastic year in pop music. Across the releases on Yearbook 1986 and its’ ‘Extra’ we’ve already celebrated many of the year’s biggest hits – the tracks that dominated the charts … but as ever, that’s only part of the year’s story…

Welcome to THE VAULT for 1986. A collection that digs deeper into the year’s musical landscape – uncovering singles that may not have always reached the highest chart positions but remain essential to the rich and diverse pop story of 1986. Some were overshadowed at the time, some were highlights from albums that had already sold huge amounts, some found greater success internationally – but all deserve their place in this continued celebration of 80s pop.

77 tracks across 4-CDs – NOW Yearbook – The Vault: 1986, available as a special edition 4CD set in ‘hardback book’ packaging, complete with a 28-page booklet featuring notes about each track.

Disc One opens with ‘Only Love Remains’ a classic ballad from Paul McCartney, a Top 40 hit and the third U.K. single from his ‘Press To Play’ album, and is followed by another beautiful song, ‘The Miracle Of Love’ from Eurythmics, from their ‘Revenge’ album…Nine years later Annie Lennox would have a huge hit with ‘No More “I Love You’s”’ and the original version is featured here from The Lover Speaks. Next up, Sting with the final single – ‘Moon Over Bourbon Street’ – from his debut ‘The Dream Of The Blue Turtles’ and Chris Rea with the single version of the title track from his 1986 album – that would become a bigger hit two years later in a remixed version. Power-pop gems from The Bangles, Belinda Carlisle, Billy Idol and Daryl Hall are followed by Paul Young, Wax and Nick Heyward and a run of synth-pop tracks from Nik Kershaw, Howard Jones, Thompson Twins, Ultravox, Belouis Some and Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark before the first disc closes with the superb ‘Ocean Blue’ from ABC.

1986 saw David Sylvian release his second solo album ‘Gone To Earth’ and from it the first single ‘Taking The Veil’ opens the second disc. Talk Talk follow with ‘Living In Another World’ whilst members of Duran Duran feature in the next two tracks: Arcadia with ‘The Flame’, the last single taken from their album ‘So Red The Rose’, and John Taylor with his first solo single ‘I Do What I Do’, taken from the soundtrack for the film ‘9½ weeks’. China Crisis and It’s Immaterial follow ahead of a stellar run of alt-pop featuring The Mission, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Siouxsie And The Banshees and Cocteau Twins, plus Mint Juleps covering ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ and Everything But The Girl’s ‘Come On Home’, the first single from their third album ‘Baby, The Stars Shine Bright’. Pop icon Sandie Shaw released the fantastic ‘Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? and is featured along-side Big Audio Dynamite, The Stranglers and The Housemartins. Sophisticated pop from Fine Young Cannibals, The Blow Monkeys, and Simply Red lead into the disc’s closing track, a stunning song from Elton John, ‘Cry To Heaven’.

Disc 3 kicks off with hi-energy dance-pop from The Communards with ‘Disenchanted’ ahead of Jimmy Somerville’s former band Bronski Beat with their final Top 20 hit ‘C’Mon C’Mon’ before Swiss duo Yello with ‘Goldrush’ from their acclaimed ‘One Second’ album, and Grace Jones with ‘I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect For You)’. Funk/R&B crossover pop from Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Cameo feature along with the second single from Hollywood Beyond and a U.S. smash for El DeBarge. Jazz influenced tracks from Matt Bianco and Carmel are next ahead of Dee C. Lee, Maxi Priest and UB40. U.K. soul stars Loose Ends and Ruby Turner featuring Jonathan Butler lead to a closing trio of huge hit ballads in the U.S. charts for Billy Ocean with ‘Love Zone’, Lionel Richie with ‘Love Can Conquer All’ and the Top 5 smash ‘Words Get In The Way’ from Gloria Estefan.

The final cd as usual celebrates singles that were better known outside the U.K. and some fantastic U.S. hits were produced in 1986, but opens with a song that was a U.K. hit in 1984 but re-recorded to become a U.S. Top 30 single two years later; ‘Mothers Talk’ from Tears For Fears… Wang Chung and Stacey Q enjoyed Top 3 success, and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam scored their first Top 10 hit with ‘All Cried Out’. U.K. band The Fixx achieved their fourth U.S. Top 20 single, plus another U.K. act The Outfield hit the Top 10, while Canadian group Glass Tiger took ‘Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)’ to U.S. #1. Up next massive chart stars Pat Benatar, Heart and Boston who saw ‘Amanda’ become their first American chart-topper in ’86. Don Johnson, Meat Loaf, ZZ Top, Mr. Mister and Huey Lewis & The News are all featured alongside The Moody Blues with ‘Your Wildest Dreams’ which saw the band back in the U.S. Top 10 for the first time since 1972. Mike + The Mechanics’ second single ‘All I Need Is A Miracle’ gave them a Top 5 smash, and Billy Joel enjoyed his 27th U.S. Top 40 single with ‘A Matter Of Trust’…and the sign-off for this collection is done in superb style from Bruce Springsteen with his defining live cover of ‘War’, a Top 20 hit in both the U.S. and the U.K.