Album: Reimagines the Eighties
Artist: Trevor Horn feat. The Sarm Orchestra
2019 BMG
CD: 538443242
Robbie Williams: vocals (1)
Gabrielle Aplin: vocals (2)
Seal: vocals (3)
Matt Cardle: vocals (4)
Steve Hogarth: vocals (5)
Rumer: vocals (6)
Simple Minds (Jim Kerr/Charlie Burchill/Mick MacNeil): (7)
All Saints: vocals (8)
Tony Hadley: vocals (9)
Trevor Horn: vocals (10, 11)
Rev. Jimmie Wood: vocals (12)
Jamie Squire: vocals (13)
The Sarm Orchestra (all)
partial additional credits not listed:
Ash Soan: drums (1, 4-8, 10, 13)
Alan Clark: ?
Lol Crème: backing vocals (1), ? (13)
Stephen Lipson: guitar solo (1)
Simon Bloor: guitar (10), ? (13)
Joby Burgess: tympani (2-4, 10), percussion (2-4)
Horn: bass (13)
Cameron Gower-Poole: ? (13)
Izzy Chase: backing vocals (13)
Hayley Sanderson: backing vocals (13)
Phil Palmer: guitar (?)
Produced by Horn
Arrangements by Julian Hinton
Orchestra conducted by Hinton
Engineered by Joel M Peters, Tim Weidner, Gower-Poole
Mixed by Peters
Mix assisted by Sam Baker
Orhcestra engineered by Mat Bartram, Nick Taylor
Orchestra assisted by Scott Bradley, Olly Thompson
Assisted by Josh Tyrell, Jonny Leslie, Nick Spencer, Gabrielle Stök,
Baker
Recorded at Sarm Steeles Rd, Sarm West Coast, Angel Studios, Sarm
Music Village, Air Edel
Orchestra contracted by Susie Gillis for Isobel Griffiths Ltd.
Management: Ric Salmon
Illustrated by Antoine Corbineau
Photography: Shoot and Turn Photography
Tracks:
1. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" [Ian Stanley/Roland
Orzabal/Christopher Hughes] (4:16; originally by Tears for Fears)
2. "Dancing in the Dark" [Bruce Springsteen] (4:23; originally by
Bruce Springsteen)
3. "Ashes to Ashes" [David Bowie] (4:17; originally by David Bowie)
4. "The Power of Love" [Holly Johnson/Mark O'Toole/Brian Nash/Peter
Gill] (4:27; originally by Frankie Goes to Hollywood and produced by
Horn)
5. "It's Different for Girls" [Joe Jackson] (originally by Joe
Jackson)
6. "Slave to the Rhythm" [Bruce Woolley/Simon Darlow/Stephen
Lipson/Trevor Horn] (originally by Grace Jones and produced by Horn)
7. "Brothers in Arms" [Mark Knopfler] (originally by Dire Straits)
8. "Girls on Film" [John Taylor/Roger Taylor/Nick Rhodes/Andy
Taylor/Simon Le Bon] (originally by Duran Duran)
9. "What's Love Got to Do With It" [Terry Britten/Graham Lyle]
(originally by Tina Turner)
10. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" [Trevor Rabin/Trevor
Horn/Jon Anderson/Chris
Squire] (originally by Yes and produced by Horn)
11. "Take on Me" [Morten Harket/Magne Furuholmen/Pal Waaktaar]
(originally by A-ha)
12. "Blue Monday" [Gillian Gilbert/Bernard Sumner/Peter Hook/Stephen
Morris] (originally by New Order)
13. "Cry" (originally by Godley & Creme and co-produced by
Horn); Japanese bonus track
CD 2 (Japan only): instrumental versions
14. "Owner of a Lonely Heart"
15. "Girls on Film"
16. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
17. "Dancing in the Dark"
18. "Ashes to Ashes"
19. "It's Different for Girls"
20. "Slave to the Rhythm"
21. "Brothers in Arms"
22. "Take on Me"
23. "Blue Monday"
Notes: (*****) Trevor Horn Reimagines the Eighties
(initially announced as The Eighties Reimagined and as a
15-track album) sees Horn re-visit classic '80s pop songs, mostly
that he wasn't involved in, with the 65-piece Sarm Orchestra, a
rhythm section and various guest singers. The album was released 25
Jan 2019 on BMG. There is a Japanese 2CD version (UMA-1114) in
'mini-LP' format. A vinyl release later in 2019 is under
consideration.
In the liner notes, Horn thanks Salmon for the idea. The album was
recorded over a year at Sarm Music Village, Sarm Steeles Road
studios, Angel Recording Studios, and Air Edel in London, and Sarm
West Coast in Bel Air. Horn first described the project in two Mar
2018 radio interviews. In a May
2018 interview, Cardle said, "We are working on a project with
Trevor Horn, it's his project but I'm involved with it, but it's top
secret so I can't say too much." Presumably he was referring to
this.
The album entered the UK chart at #11 (1 Feb; #5 in Downloads),
having been at #6 in the UK midweek chart (28 Jan 2019). It was at
#53 in its second week (#30 in Downloads), but out of the top 100 by
the third week. Four tracks had early release. Released 24 Oct was
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World". "The Power of Love" followed 23
Nov (streaming sources had a 3:36 edit). (Another cover of "The
Power of Love", by X-Factor winner Dalton Harris with James
Arthur, peaked at #4 in the UK single chart around the same time, on
7 Dec 2018.) Next came "Ashes to Ashes" on 8 Jan, and then "Dancing
in the Dark" on 22 Jan.
The Sarm Orchestra isn't a specific collection of musicians, but a
name for the project. All the strings were recorded in one 12-hour
session. There are no performance credits on the album, other than
the singers, but on social media etc., some instrumentalists
have identified themselves of been identified, as above. The tracks
were mostly recorded before the vocalists were picked. Further songs
were developed for the album, and possibly partially recorded,
including "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurhythmics. Horn said in a 28 Jan
2019 Facebook Q&A that he wished he had done "Don't Stand So
Close to Me" by The Police for the album. A version of (2) with Guy
Garvey singing was recorded, but Garvey didn't like it. (3) was
suggested by and originally sung by Hogarth, but Seal wanted to do
it, so his version was used and Hogarth was switched to (4). (4) had
been suggested by Garvey. (2) was based on an existing arrangement
Hinton had done before the project. (3) was done in 6/8. For (10),
Horn had originally wanted Paolo Nutini. It had originally going to
be the album opener (thus the long intro). The song is sung two
tones lower than Yes's original. For (11), Horn had originally
wanted Il Divo, and he tried the song with various vocalists,
including Crème and professional opera singers, but eventually
decided to use his original demo recording. "Video Killed the Radio
Star" co-writer Bruce Woolley reportedly does backing vocals on (6).
The album doesn't have full performing credits, but I've pieced
together details from interviews etc. For example, Palmer's
website says the album "heavily features Phil on the guitar".
In January 2019, Horn talked of touring the album. He played a sold
out show (capacity 916) in London on 2 Nov 2018 to launch the
project. Performing were Horn (bass, vocals), Clark (Hammond, keys),
Steve Ferrone (drums), Gower Poole (samples, percussion), Kate
Holmes (vocals), Chase (vocals), Phil Palmer (lead guitar), Crème
(guitar, bass, vocals, keys), Simon Bloor (lead guitar, keys),
Hinton (keys, conductor, string arrangements) and an 8-piece string
section (which I think was with Q Strings, Paloma Deike, Jess Cox,
Amy Stanford, Laura Stanford, Miriam Wakeling), with various further
guests. Front of house sound was by Weidner and
organisation by Peters. The show was filmed. Support was by Nathan
Ball. Set: "Owner of a Lonely Heart" intro (string section only),
"Two Tribes" (with Ryan Molloy, lead vocals), "Video Killed the
Radio Star" (with "Check It Out" insert; Horn, lead vocals),
"Dancing in the Dark" (Holmes, lead vocals), "Different for Girls"
(Hogarth, lead vocals), "Ashes to Ashes" (Hogarth, lead vocals),
"Rubber Bullets" (Crème, lead vocals, no strings), "All the Things
She Said" (Chase/Holmes, lead vocals, Crème second bass, no
strings), "Slave to the Rhythm" (Chase/Cardle, lead vocals), "The
Power of Love" (Cardle, lead vocals), "Living in the Plastic Age"
(Horn, lead vocals), "What's Love Got to Do With It?" (Molloy, lead
vocals), "Take on Me" (Horn/Molloy/Cardle, lead vocals), "Cry"
(Molloy, lead vocals, no strings), "Blue Monday" (Wood, lead vocals,
harmonica), "Brothers in Arms" (Horn, lead vocals; MacNeil,
accordion), "Girls on Film" (Chase/Holmes, lead vocals), "I'm Not in
Love" (Cardle, lead vocals; Crème, keys), "Everybody Wants to Rule
the World" (Molloy, lead vocals), "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (Horn,
lead vocals; Crème, bass; Cardle, additional backing vocals),
"Relax" (Molloy, lead vocals), "Money for Nothing" (Molloy, lead
vocals; Wood, harmonica). (HP, 23 Feb 18; updated 7 Jun 20, 14 Apr
22)
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