Stewart/Gaskin CD releases

Up From The Dark
(CD, 1986 - U.S. 14 track compilation)

Rykodisc were the world's first CD-only company. A deal to release Dave & Barbara's music in the USA & Canada was struck with Rykodisc in 1984, but due to the shortage of CD pressing facilities at the time 'Up From The Dark' wasn't released till 1986. The album includes a mixture of the duo's 1982 Trident Studios recordings (marked *) and some later work, including the beautiful ballad 'Do I Figure In Your Life' originally recorded by The Honeybus in 1968 and the quirky 'Henry & James', a great favourite with US audiences. After Rykodisc was bought by Chris Blackwell of Island Records, 'Up From The Dark' was deleted - however, all its tracks are available on other Stewart / Gaskin albums.

I'm In A Different World
Leipzig
It's My Party
Lenina Crowe *
(Do I Figure) In Your Life
Busy Doing Nothing
(I Know) I'm Losing You *
Roads Girdle The Globe
When The Guards are Asleep *
The World Spins So Slow
Siamese Cat Song *
Do We See The Light of Day *
Henry And James
As Far As Dreams Can Go *

Broken Records - The Singles               
(CD, 1987 - Japanese compilation of 6 singles, with their 'B' sides)

An enterprising A & R man (yes, they do exist) at MIDI Records in Tokyo heard Dave & Barbara's UK singles and signed the duo to a 2-album Japanese deal. The first release was Broken Records - The Singles, a compilation of the first six Stewart/Gaskin singles along with their 'B' sides. This was Dave & Barbara's first exposure to a Japanese audience, and due to good airplay on the Tamla classic 'I'm In A Different World' and a concerted push from MIDI, the album was a great success. Broken Records - The Singles was subsequently released in Europe with different cover artwork by Germany's Line Records.

I'm In a Different World
Leipzig
It's My Party
Johnny Rocco
Siamese Cat Song
Busy Doing Nothing
Rich For A Day
Waiting in the Wings
The Emperor's New Guitar
The Hamburger Song
Henry And James
The World Spins So Slow

As Far As Dreams Can Go
(CD, 1988 - 2nd Japanese compilation)

The second Japanese album release was an eclectic mixture of early Trident Studios recordings plus the 'A' and 'B' sides of Dave & Barbara's 7th. single 'The Locomotion' c/w 'Make Me Promises'. Together with the tracks on Broken Records - The Singles, it comprised all of the duo's recorded catalogue at that time. Highlights (both with a transportation theme) include XTC's mad driving song 'Roads Girdle The Globe' and a charming version of the Little Eva classic 'The Locomotion' whose imaginative twists and turns put other cover versions of the song in the shade. This album was also well received by Stewart / Gaskin's Japanese audience.

The Locomotion
Lenina Crowe
(I Know) I'm Losing You
Roads Girdle the Globe
(Do I Figure) In Your Life
When The Guards Are Asleep
Make Me Promises
Do We See The Light Of Day
As Far As Dreams Can Go

The Big Idea
(CD / cass, 1989 - Dave & Barbara's Sgt. Pepper; took 3 years to record!)

By 1986, Dave & Barbara had reached a level of musical sophistication where aiming their work at the UK singles-buying market no longer seemed a smart career move. The duo decided to concentrate instead on making albums, and work began on a project which was to take three years to complete: the awesome 'Big Idea' album. Every track is a labour of love, with no 'fillers'. Starting with a lush and emotional exploration of Billy Bragg's touching Tamla Motown homage 'Levi Stubbs' Tears', and continuing with the ballad 'Grey Skies' (about the English weather, and England), 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' (a savagely deconstructed electronic version of the old Dylan song), 'Mr. Theremin' (a tribute to the Russian inventor - see 'The Theremin'), The Big Idea goes from strength to strength, culminating in the monumental 'New Jerusalem', a sonic epic complete with 25-voice Welsh choir, the pipe organ of St. Georges Hanover Square and drums recorded in the Grand Canyon. Students of audio technology may be interested to know that the synthesizer solo played by Dave Stewart at the end of 'New Jerusalem' was recorded by two studio assistants whirling microphones on 8-foot leads around their heads like lassoes.

Levi Stubbs' Tears
My Scene
Grey Skies
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Heatwave
The Crying Game
Deep Underground
Shadowland
Mr Theremin
New Jerusalem

Spin
(CD / cass, 1991. Pop music for grown-ups!)

In contrast to the dense, layered textures of The Big Idea, Spin is a lighter album with more of a pop sensibility, but the musical depth and imagination which runs through all Stewart / Gaskin's work is there in abundance. Starting with a somewhat mad, harmonically twisted but still funky version of Rufus Thomas' R & B classic 'Walking The Dog' (beloved of Dave since his schooldays), the album contrasts tender ballads like 'Star Blind', 'The Cloths Of Heaven' (based on a poem by W.B.Yeats) and Joni Mitchell's 'Amelia' with cheerful up-tempo songs like 'The 60's Never Die' and 'Trash Planet'. There are affectionate (if irreverent) versions of some great 1960s singles (8 Miles High / Cast Your Fate To The Wind / Louie Louie), plus a sad but lovely tribute to the legendary record producer Joe Meek (England's Phil Spector), 'Your Lucky Star'. Throughout, Barbara Gaskin gives some of her best ever vocal performances, delivering the ballads in her distinctive soft, breathy style and belting out the rockers like a good 'un.

Walking The Dog
The Cloths Of Heaven
8 Miles High
Amelia
Trash Planet
Golden Rain
Your Lucky Star
Cast Your Fate To The Wind, Louie Louie (medley) - to hear a section of this song, press the sound button!
The 60's Never Die
Star Blind
plus 3 bonus tracks

Selected Tracks
(CD, 1993 - Euro "best of" compilation)

The short-lived European compilation Selected Tracks was put together at the request of Stiff Records' licencees Musidisc (France) and Disky Records (Holland). The album comprises five tracks from 'Spin', three from 'The Big Idea', five 7" single 'A' sides', one 'B' side ('Make Me Promises'), and the great Tamla Motown song from the 1982 Trident Studios sessions, 'I Know I'm Losing You' (also covered by Dave's grandfather Rod). A good introduction to the poppier side of Dave & Barbara's music, featuring some of their most radio-friendly songs (sadly now deleted).

Levi Stubbs' Tears
Walking The Dog (remix)
The Cloths Of Heaven
Subterranean Homesick Blues
It's My Party
8 Miles High
I'm In A Different World
Leipzig
The Crying Game
The Locomotion
Make Me Promises
(I Know) I'm Losing You
Busy Doing Nothing
Your Lucky Star
Cast Your Fate To The Wind, Louie Louie (medley) - to hear a section of this song, press the sound button!

Walking The Dog (remix)
CD Single, 1992

In 1992 Line Records (Germany) made an abortive attempt to break into the UK pop market with a CD single of Dave & Barbara's 'Walking The Dog'. This featured a remix of the old R&B stomper plus the lovely 'The Cloths Of Heaven' and a bonus track, the ever-enjoyable 'The Locomotion'. The 'Walking The Dog' CD single remains a very collectable item.

Walking The Dog (remix)
The Cloths Of Heaven
The Locomotion

Visitors' Book

Go back to Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin's home page.

pages produced by Creative Pitch