The Belle Stars 3-Disc Deluxe CD

From the groundbreaking allfemale band Hits included Sign Of The Times, Sweet Memory, Iko Iko, and The Clapping Song. Includes their debut album in full, singles and Bsides, plus 12 versions, remixes and unreleased tracks Also features a 1983 live concert from Birmingham Odeon Formed in 1980 from the ashes of 2 Tones The Bodysnatchers, sevenpiece, all singing, all playing, all female combo The Belle Stars signed to the legendary Stiff Records label in 1981. Between 1982 and 1984 they enjoyed seven UK singles chart entries with the label, and their sole studio album also reached the UK Top 20. All this, and much more are included on this new 3CD collection. Disc 1 kicks off with that selftitled debut album in full, which itself gets off to a roaring start with the monster hit Sign Of The Times a UK No. 3 smash in early 1983. A heady mix of percussive, postpunk and shiny new pop, the album brings together radically updated covers of classic RampB standards Iko Iko, a huge US hit after it was included in the film Rain Main The Snake, Harlem Shuffle, Mockingbird, Needle In A Haystack with strong selfpenned material, including the aforementioned Sign Of The Times and breezy later single Indian Summer. Extras on CD1 are made up from the bands standalone singles, plus their Bsides.CD2 includes more single As and Bs, including the storming follow up to Sign Of The Times, Sweet Memory, plus the bands extended 12 mixes including not just the original Iko Iko 12 but the Bonus Beats club version too.CD3 continues with a full 18song live concert recorded on the 29th April 1983 and the collection signs off with a tantalising glimpse of what might have been with three tracks recorded with Anne Dudley Art Of Noise, ABC, Electronic etc., but which remained unreleased for many years. This new 3disc edition artdirected by the bands original graphics man Simon Ryan is presented in deluxe 7 packaging.