We are excited to announce that the UK’s biggest airport, Heathrow, have launched their Christmas advert using the Demon Music Group controlled track, Chas & Dave’s “I’m Going Back” for the ad’s soundtrack.

You can view the advert here:
https://www.facebook.com/HeathrowAirport/videos/1275544512486706/

The ad, entitled ‘Bear For Home’ has attracted much attention in the press and even TV’s Zooey Deschanel has shared the holiday feels with her 6.2 million Facebook followers.

To date, the video on Heathrow’s official Facebook page has reached 7 million views, with 151k shares and 77k likes whilst the official Heathrow YouTube video is currently at 3.5 million views.

The ad has been covered in the Telegraph, Mail Online, Evening Standard, Express, Metro and has even reached CBS to name but a few.

Yahoo News has stated that the ad “might just be the best Christmas ad of the year” and the opinion polls on The Telegraph’s website certainly indicate that the public agree!

The ad has been a big hit on Twitter, prompting many people to tweet their own pictures of family members arriving home for Christmas using the hashtag #BestGiftOfAll

Bear For Home will be hitting UK TV screens soon! For more information on the ad, you can visit Heathrow’s Microsite

Geno! Geno! Geno! This fantastic picture was taken at the Canterbury gig last Saturday. The live double album is out on Friday! http://amzn.to/2ekE4Q2

UPDATE 01/01/2018

The Optimal email address has now closed and there are no further replacements available. Any residual stock with our retailers should be the corrected version. You can identify the corrected box set as it will have a BBFC ’12’ certification on the back.

UPDATE 28/11/2016

We apologise that it’s been a while since our last update but we have been meticulously going through all your comments and feedback.

All replacement discs will start shipping from today (delivery times will vary depending on your location). Unfortunately, due to the high volume of emails that Optimal have received, they are unable to reply to everyone individually so you will not get a further email to say your discs have been shipped. We have been told that everyone who has sent Optimal an email have had their discs shipped. Please allow at least a week for delivery.

New stock will arrive at Amazon UK on the 15^th December so if you are ordering after this date, you will receive the corrected package.

Below are the most frequent comments we’ve received with our feedback. We have worked closely with Steve Coy and a Dead Or Alive expert to check through and proof-listen all of the issues below. We believe we have done everything in our power to correct the faults where it was possible and resolve the situation.

Sophisticated Boom Boom CD 1
Track 8 Wish You Were Here
Track 9 Misty Circles
Issue: Is cut short in the blending of these two tracks
Response: This issue has been corrected

Track 15 That’s The Way (I Like It) [7″ Version)
Issue: Plays at a slower speed 
Response: This issue has been corrected

Sophisticated Boom Boom CD 2
Issue: The following tracks have been ripped directly from the Cherry Pop release and it is confirmed that all were sourced from Vinyl from the curator of that project.
Response: Having investigated this, we acknowledge we have been given that master directly from the repertoire owners. We have been able to source alternative masters for some of the tracks but for others, there are unfortunately no other sources available to us.

Track 1 Misty Circles [Dance Mix] Unfortunately, there are no other sources available to us
Track 2 What I Want [Original Dance Mix] Unfortunately, there are no other sources available to us
Track 3 I’d Do Anything [Megamix] This issue has been corrected
Track 3 That’s The Way (I Like It) [Extended Version] This issue has been corrected

Track 12 Keep That Body Strong (That’s The Way) and track 09 That’s The Way (I Like It) [Dub]
Issue: Despite edsel claiming the dub version is different, these are the same track. 
Response: Having investigated this, we acknowledge that despite being provided two differently titled and slightly different masters from the repertoire owner, these are the same track. However, to avoid any delays in having to re-license the entire project without this second version, we have decided to leave on both of them. Keep That Body Strong (That’s The Way) is the correct title of both.

Youthquake CD2
Issue: Love Come Back To Me plays at slower speed
Response: This issue has been corrected

Mad, Bad, And Dangerous To Know CD 1
Track 11 I Want You [7″ Mix]
Issue: Sourced from vinyl.  Audio is extremely noisy at the start.  
Response: Unfortuantely, there are no other sources available to us

Track 12 Brand New Lover [Edit]
Issue: Audio is slow and is most likely taken from the ‘That’s the way I like it’ hits CD where the fault is exactly the same. 
Response: This issue has been corrected

Rip It Up CD 1
Track 12 Baby Don’t Say Goodbye [The Powerful Club Twelve]
Issue: Sourced from Vinyl as a low bit rate mp3
Response: This is as per the source material provided by the repertoire owners. Unfortunately, there are no other sources available to us.

Track 13 Something In My House [Short Version]
Issue: Is not the short version and is a repeat of the 7” Remix 
Response: This issue has been corrected

Rip It Up CD 2
Issue:
Tracks are audibly easily identified as coming from a vinyl source and is sourced from a low bit rate MP3.
The high hat and cymbal sounds are a dead giveaway.
The audio is overly processed which brings out the faults from the vinyl transfer.

Track 1 Baby Don’t Say Goodbye [Club Mix]  This issue has been corrected
Track 2 Baby Don’t Say Goodbye [Instrumental] This is as per the source material provided by the repertoire owners. Unfortunately, there are no other sources available to us.

Track 9 You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) [Blue Sky Mix]
Issue: Skips a at 3 seconds into the track. 
Response: This is as per the source material provided by the repertoire owners. Unfortunately, there are no other sources available to us.

Nude CD2
Issue: Baby Don’t Say Goodbye [extended mix] sound quality
Response: This issue has been corrected

Nukleopatra – CD2
Issue: The “Rebel Rebel” extended mix has been mentioned as a problem in the corrections message, but not if it is actually being corrected. It has been lumped in with “International Thing” and only the latter has been said to be resolved.
Response: This issue has been corrected

Issue: Track 12 International Thing (Nu-NRG 12″ Remix). This is not the correct mix and is the Album version from 
Response: This issue has been corrected

Disc 12 Fan The Flame (Part 1)
Issue – Track 1 ‘Fan The Flame’ (feat. Gina X) / Track 2 ‘Unhappy Birthday’.
Response: Steve Coy included this previously unreleased version of ‘Fan The Flame’, which had only been used in their live shows, as he wanted it to act as an opening prelude for the album, which he re-sequenced. Despite it being a completely stand-alone track, we did try to create a segueway to make it even more unique for this album, which unfortuantely didn’t work. However, as it wasn’t supposed to be segued into anything (as its context is as a live track), we have kept this disc as is.
‘Unhappy Birthday’, which was the original Track 2 on the 1990 Japanese release, remains as Track 2 on this new UK version.

So, in total, the following 11 discs will be replaced:

Sophisticated Boom Boom CD1
Sophisticated Boom Boom CD2
Youthquake CD1
Youthquake CD2
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know CD1
Rip It Up CD1
Rip It Up CD2
Nude CD2
Nukleopatra CD2
DVD1
DVD2

ORIGINAL ISSUES 28/10/2016

We have carefully read through all of the comments and e-mails we have received, and we are now in the process of rectifying all issues that were raised. To ensure that the changes we have made are correct, we have enlisted the help of an expert to act as a second pair of eyes and ears, and are satisfied the changes below address the issues that have been highlighted.

Thank you for the feedback – it is appreciated.

Demon will be offering replacement discs of 8CDs and 2DVDs to all customers who e-mail to the following e-mail address deadoralive@optimal-media.com

This is the process:

• Subject line of the e mail should be ‘Dead Or Alive’
• If you have purchased more than one copy and need multiple replacements, please write the number in the subject line, for instance “Dead or Alive x 2”
• Attach your proof of purchase
• Customers to not write anything in the body of the e-mail apart from their name and full postal address including post code/zip code
• The replacement discs will be ready to ship from the 28/11/2016
• Optimal (the manufacturer) will ship the packages via DHL/UPS and they estimate a delivery time of 2-3 days depending on location

Below are the issues that were identified and the actions that have been taken:-

Disc 1 – Sophisticated Boom Boom – CD1

Track 1 – ‘I’d Do Anything’
Issue – Finishes with an extra “do do do” which sounds odd on play back.

We have corrected this error and are remanufacturing this disc

Disc 2 – Sophisticated Boom Boom – CD2

Track 5 – ‘What I Want’ (1984 Dance Mix)
Issue – Plays the same as Track 2 ‘Original Dance Mix’. Upon seeking advice from an expert we have now corrected this and will re-manufacture this disc

Track 9 – ‘That’s The Way I Like It’ (Dub)
Issue – plays the same as Track 12 – ‘Keep That Body Strong (That’s The Way)’.

Despite being extremely similar, these versions are different. We understand that the (Dub Version) was an earlier version of ‘Keep That Body Strong’. From a historical perspective, we are keeping this in place.

Disc 3 – Youthquake – CD1

Issue – plays in Mono
Issue – Track 12 – ‘My Heart Goes Bang’ (7″ Version) plays the same as album version

We have corrected the mono error and are remanufacturing this disc
We have sourced a new master for ‘My Heart Goes Bang’ (7″ Version)

Disc 4 – Youthquake – CD2

Issue – plays in Mono
Issue – Track 4 – My Heart Goes Bang [American WIPE-OUT Mix]
Issue – Track 8 – You Spin Me Round [Big Ben Mix]. Sounds like it’s a reconstruction, using a clean intro (lifted from the Performance Mix), and a clean 7″ single version, with the bells/chimes in between coming from a crackly vinyl source

We have corrected the mono error and are remanufacturing this disc

Track 4 – My Heart Goes Bang [American WIPE-OUT Mix] should actually be listed as an ‘Edit’. The full length mix has never been released on CD, however at present we are unable to source a master with the full, unedited 6:45 duration.
Issue – Track 8 – You Spin Me Round [Big Ben Mix] – We were supplied an analogue tape by Sony. We believe the chimes may have been lifted from another source and edited to create this unique mix at the time of production.

Disc 6 – Mad, Bad, And Dangerous To Know – CD1

Issue – There is an awkward gap between ‘Then There Was You’ and ‘Come Inside’ on the original album sequence.
Issue – ‘Brand New Lover’ (Edit) appears to be slower than any other version.

The segue between Tracks 4 & 5 has been fixed and we are remanufacturing this disc
We have sourced a replacement master for ‘Brand New Lover’ (Edit)

Disc 8 – Rip It Up – CD1

Issue – Track 13 ‘Something In My House’ (Short Version) should be an edit of the album version but plays the 7″ remix.

We have sourced a replacement master of the 3.57 “7” short version” and we are remanufacturing this disc

Disc 12 Fan The Flame (Part 1)

Issue – Track 1 ‘Fan The Flame’ (feat. Gina X) / Track 2 ‘Unhappy Birthday’.

Steve Coy included this previously unreleased version of ‘Fan The Flame’, which had only been used in their live shows, as he wanted it to act as an opening prelude for the album, which he re-sequenced.

Despite it being a completely stand-alone track, we did try to create a segueway to make it even more unique for this album, which had it worked, would have been sent to Steve for his approval. However, it wasn’t supposed to be segued into anything as its context is as a live track.

The track ‘Fan The Flame’, had a deliberately, quick, sudden fade in order to create an atmosphere of excitement during the live show, rather than have a long, slow, graceful fade as would an album track.

‘Unhappy Birthday’, which was the original Track 2 on the 1990 Japanese release, remains as Track 2 on this new UK version. Therefore, we will not be re-manufacturing this disc.

Disc 14 – Nukleopatra – CD2

Issue – Tracks 1 and 6 ‘Rebel Rebel’ are exactly the same (they should be different mixes).
Issue – Track 12 should be ‘International Thing’ (NU-NRG 12″ Remix) but plays the album version.

Track 6 is ‘The Hole Mix’, whereas Track 1 is an earlier shorter version of that mix. Track 1 and 6 are identical up until 6:10-ish. Track 1 has an “UGH!” at this point and ends abruptly. Track 6 has no “UGH!”, and starts to fade out instead… so they’re the same mixes, with very slight differences to the endings.

We have sourced a replacement master of the 7.02 ‘International Thing’ (NU-NRG 12″ Remix) and we are remanufacturing this disc

Disc 18 and 19 – DVD 1 & 2
Issues – Cropped, freezing issues.
We have fixed the cropping/freezing issue and are re-authoring these discs.

We would also like to highlight that in the process of putting together this set we have used the Sony and Steve Coy masters. There are no MP3s and vinyl rips used.

FAQs

What about new orders –  Will they be shipped with error free discs or will they also require replacement discs to be arranged?
We are currently re-pressing the discs so all new stock will be the updated version with the fixed discs. We cannot confirm an exact delivery date of the new stock to retailers but we hop this will be around mid-Decemeber.

What about the vinyl? Will this need to be replaced?
Fortunately, we have correct the vinyl edition before it has gone out to retailers so the version you purchase will be the corrected version

Paul Sinclair conducted an interview with Pete Burns around 4 weeks ago and it is published here:

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/interview/pete-burns-tribute-the-last-interview/

We are shocked and saddened by the tragic and sudden passing of Pete Burns. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. A true 80s icon, he will be deeply, deeply missed.

Calling all Lisa Stansfield fans!
Blue Zone’s 1988 album, ‘Big Thing’ will be released in November as a 2CD Deluxe Edition and has been expanded to feature bonus tracks including the early singles Love Will Wait and Finest Thing, rare Bsides and 12” mixes. The 24-page booklet features photos, memorabilia, lyrics and brand new sleeve notes.

Available to pre-order: http://amzn.to/2duQymt

http://www.lisastansfield.net/latest–blog/exclusive-big-news-the-blue-zone-album-big-thing-to-be-reissued

Congratulations to Clarence Avant who was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday Oct. 7th.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7534248/clarence-avant-hollywood-walk-of-fame-star