VA — 80s Groove: The Ultimate Collection (2015)

Love the 80s Then this album is especially for you — 5CDs of pure 80s Groove greatness!

Having brought you the electronic and pop side of the 80s with 80s Anthems, Union Square Music now presents the more soulful side of the decade with 80s Groove.

Throughout the 80s a smooth dancefloor friendly genre developed that saw beats slowing down and basslines being cranked up. Hit after hit saw clubs up and down the country packed out as Jocelyn Brown, Mantronix, Maze, Simply Red, Mica Paris, Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, Neneh Cherry and many more produced classic after classic, many of them on this fantastic compilation.

It was one of the most funky and feel-good periods of club music, supported by the rise of the music video and the birth of MTV which broadened musical styles and tastes and brought club soul to the mainstream. This soulful side to the 80s was heavily influenced by American soul artists of the such as Luther Vandross, Alexander O\’Neal, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Chaka Khan as well as the new rap stars like Grandmaster Flash and Eric B and Rakim. Even Debbie Harry joined in with a rap on the acclaimed Rapture.

So popular was the slow, more laid-back, sound that even former punks / new wavers such as Paul Weller and Feargal Sharkey got in on the act. The UK also saw its own homegrown soul acts come to the fore with artists like Jaki Graham, Loose Ends and Shakatak all having numerous chart hits while artists like Jazzie B from Soul II Soul and Neneh Cherry created their own very UK take on soul, funk, rap and pop. All these artists foreshadowed the R&B explosion of the 90s but that was a decade away — 80s groovers were far too busy having their own soulful party to worry about the future.

80s Groove is a definitive retrospective of this period, with 60 top 10 hits and 10 No 1\’s five on 5 incredible CDs to transport you back to a classic era in music.

CD 1

01. Mantronix — Got To Have Your Love — Featuring Wondress

02. Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler — Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)

03. Mary Jane Girls — All Night Long

04. Donald Byrd — Love Has Come Around

05. Nu Shooz — I Can\’t Wait

06. Oran Juice Jones — The Rain

07. The Mac Band Feat The McCampbell Brothers — — Roses Are Red

08. Loose Ends — Ha\’ On A String

09. Keith Sweat — I Want Her

10. Joe Smooth — Promised Land

11. Gwen McCrae — All This Love That I\’m Giving

12. Slave — Just A Touch Of Love

13. Womack & Womack — Teardrops

14. The Family Stand — Ghetto Heaven

15. Rebel MC & Double Trouble — Street Tuff (Scar Radio Mix)

16. Beats International feat. Lindy Layton — Dub Be Good To Me

17. Simply Red — It\’s Only Love

18. Joyce Sims — Come Into My Life (Radio Edit)

19. Monsoon — Ever So Lonely

CD 2

01. Neneh Cherry — Buffalo Stance

02. Yarbrough & Peoples — Don\’t Stop The Music

03. Kool & The Gang — Fresh

04. David Joseph — You Can\’t Hide Your Love (From Me)

05. Change — Change Of Heart

06. Mai Tai — History

07. Ashford & Simpson — Solid

08. Levert — Cassanova

09. Kenny Thomas — Outstanding

10. Raze — Break 4 Luv

11. Soul II Soul Feat. Caron Wheeler — Keep On Movin\’

12. Mica Paris — My One Temptation

13. Laura Branigan — Self Control

14. Narada Michael Walden — I Shoulda Loved You

15. Shakatak — Down On The Street

16. Teena Marie — Behind The Groove

17. DeBarge — Rhythm Of The Night

18. Average White Band — Let\’s Go Round Again

19. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — The Message

20. Bobby Brown — Don\’t Be Cruel

21. Jermaine Jackson — Let\’s Get Serious

CD 3

01. Johnny Hates Jazz — Shattered Dreams

02. Tears For Fears — Shout

03. Talk Talk — Life\’s What You Make It

04. Godley & Creme — Cry

05. Blondie — Rapture

06. Animotion — Obsession

07. Grace Jones — Pull Up To The Bumper

08. Yazoo — Don\’t Go

09. Joe Jackson — Steppin\’ Out

10. ABC — The Look Of Love

11. Alyson Williams — Sleep Talk

12. Robert Palmer — Addicted To Love

13. Eric B & Rakim — I Know You Got Soul

14. Ollie & Jerry — Breakin\’. There\’s No Stoppin\’ Us

15. The Sugarhill Gang — 8th Wonder

16. Donna Summer — She Works Hard For The Money

17. Quincy Jones, Feat. Dune — Ai No Corrida

18. The Belle Stars — Iko Iko

19. The Mint Juleps — Every Kind Of People

20. Art Of Noise — Close To The Edit

CD 4

01. The Temptations — Treat Her Like A Lady

02. Shalamar — There It Is

03. Sydney Youngblood — If Only I Could

04. Oliver Cheatham — Get Down Saturday Night

05. Bobby Brown — Every Little Step

06. Cameo — Single Life

07. Harold Faltermeyer — Axel F

08. Colonel Abrams — Trapped

09. The Style Council — Shout To The Top

10. Teena Marie — Portuguese Love

11. Jaki Graham — Round And Around

12. Midnight Star — Midas Touch

13. Aswad — Don\’t Turnaround

14. Smokey Robinson — Being With You

15. Dennis Edwards ft. Siedah Garrett — Don\’t Look Any Further

16. Pepsi & Shirlie — Heartache

17. Swing Out Sister — Breakout

18. The Style Council — Long Hot Summer

19. Level 42 — Lessons In Love

20. Feargal Sharkey — A Good Heart

CD 5

01. The Fat Back Band — I Found Lovin\’

02. Shalamar — A Night To Remember

03. The Whispers — And The Beat Goes On

04. Skipworth & Turner — Thinking About Your Love

05. Gwen Guthrie — Ain\’t Nothin\’ Goin\’ On But The Rent

06. Maze Feat. Frankie Beverly — Joy And Pain

07. Raw Silk — Do It To The Music

08. Change — Let\’s Go Together

09. Donna Allen — Serious

10. Kool & The Gang — Cherish

11. Randy Crawford — You Might Need Somebody

12. The Korgis — Everybody\’s Gotta Learn Some

13. Atlantic Starr — Always

14. Phyllis Nelson — Move Closer

15. The Belle Stars — The Sign Of The s

16. The Maisonettes — Heartache Avenue

17. Forrest — Rock The Boat

18. Sophia George — Girlie, Girlie

19. KC & The Sunshine Band — Give It Up

20. Kelly Marie — Feels Like I\’m In Love