Tina Turner, who has died at the age of 83, was one of the most important and influential music stars of the 20th century. A performer since the 1960s, she achieved superstardom in her forties, with a string of era-defining singles, including Private Dancer, What’s Love Got To Do With It, We Don’t Need Another Hero and Let’s Stay Together.

Her 1984 LP Private Dancer was her fifth solo album and was such a success (it won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year) that it was considered, as Billboard wrote, “one of the greatest comebacks in music history”.

Of course, she didn’t start out as a solo star. The woman born Anna Mae Bullock began her career with Ike Turner’s Kings Of Rhythm band in 1957, appearing on her first record, Boxtop, in 1958 (credited as ‘Little Ann’). Later, after beginning a relationship with Ike (and after being renamed Tina, as it rhymed with Sheena, Queen of the Jungle), they became the singing duo Ike & Tina Turner, releasing such hits as River Deep, Mountain High, It’s Gonna Work Out Fine, Proud Mary and Nutbush City Limits. They disbanded in 1976, when the pair split.

Her first years as a solo artist found her struggling, but her fortunes changed in 1983, when David Bowie told Capitol Records that she was his favourite singer. A version of Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together, produced by Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh from Heaven 17, followed, peaking at No 6 in the UK, before entering the US Top 30 the following year.

1984’s Private Dancer LP was a phenomenon, staying in the American Top 10 for nine months. It even led to Hollywood knocking on her door. In 1985 she appeared in a leading role opposite Mel Gibson in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, a film in which she also contributed to the soundtrack (We Don’t Need Another Hero – UK No.3 and US No.2). In 1986 she released her sixth album, Break Every Rule, which went Top 5 in the UK and US and spawned the singles Typical Male and Two People.

In 1993, a Hollywood biopic was made. What’s Love Got To Do With It headlined Angela Bassett as Tina and Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner and the movie further established her as one of the world’s biggest stars. 

Her final album was 1999’s Twenty Four Seven though she continued to perform into the 21st century. 

Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Tina Turner is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. 

The singer had suffered a number of health issues in recent years including cancer, a stroke and kidney failure. Her death on 24 May inspired tributes from across the cultural spectrum.

Tina Turner was raw. She was powerful. She was unstoppable. And she was unapologetically herself—speaking and singing her truth through joy and pain; triumph and tragedy. Today we join fans around the world in honoring the Queen of Rock and Roll, and a star whose light will never… pic.twitter.com/qXl2quZz1c

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 24, 2023

There will never be another like Tina Turner. The voice, the legs, the energy — unmatched. My heart goes out to her family and all who loved her.

You were able to overcome the worst of life and create the best of life. Godspeed, Tina. You were, and you are simply the best. pic.twitter.com/IMLztacdMX

— Nancy Sinatra (@NancySinatra) May 25, 2023

Tina Turner was one of Elvis' favorite performers. When she took the stage, it was pure magic. I remember how she held an audience with an energy that was undeniably pure Tina! She has left a remarkable legacy and will be sorely missed by all. pic.twitter.com/qd1R9Y5ye7

— Priscilla Presley (@Cilla_Presley) May 25, 2023

"I was a benefactor of the energy, creativity and talents of Tina Turner. A woman who started in rural Nutbush, TN cotton fields and worked her way to the very top. Tina was a great inspiration to me when I was starting out and remains so to this day. Love you Tina. RIP.” —DH pic.twitter.com/2sqg0biujc

— Debbie Harry/BLONDIE (@BlondieOfficial) May 24, 2023

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July 3, 1973 – David Bowie retired Ziggy Stardust, his most celebrated alter-ego, in front of 5000 disbelieving fans onstage at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. Fifty years later, Ziggy will finally go global with a digitally restored version of Ziggy Stardust The Motion Picture showing at over 1,000 cinemas worldwide.

The original Ziggy Stardust tour in 1972/73 only visited the UK, USA and Japan, making this new uncut version of the film the first chance for European fans to finally see Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars up close – and in 4K HD with 5.1 sound.

Original Spiders drummer Woody Woodmansey says: “In hindsight, there are so many places that we didn’t get to, and there were some places that were totally into us. Germany was particularly strong and we had an underground type of following in France. People needed to see the live show for things to properly kick off and we didn’t manage that. But our schedule was so rammed, I can’t see how we could’ve done that.”

The Eventim Apollo Hammersmith (formerly the Odeon) will host the global premiere of the newly restored version of the film 50 years to the day on July 3, 2023. The evening will also include an on-stage conversation with Bowie collaborators and contemporary musicians that will precede the film screening. They will address the original show’s legacy and Ziggy’s pan-generational resonance.

The Q&A at Eventim Apollo will be hosted by award-winning editor, Mercury Music Prize judge and Echo Velvet’s Creative Director Phil Alexander who said: “It’s rare that you can pin-point a precise moment in music where culture genuinely changes. The night of July 3, 1973, when David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars played Hammersmith Odeon, is one of those moments.

“The impact of David’s decision to retire Ziggy onstage and split the Spiders was an act  that led to creative rebirth and whole lot more. The idea of Ziggy and the band returning to that same stage, allows Bowie fans to unite and enjoy a once in lifetime experience. It will be the closest anyone has come to being there back in ’73, and we intend to make sure we celebrate the events of that fateful night with a good few surprises.”

The newly restored film will allow fans to finally see the complete set that was played on that July night for the first time and features the performance of legendary guitarist Jeff Beck whose performance was cut from the original version of the film.

Renowned filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker (Monterey Pop, Bob Dylan Don’t Look Back, Depeche Mode 101) captured the momentous event back in ’73 filming Bowie and The Spiders From Mars backstage and onstage. The digital restoration of the new version of the film has been overseen by his son, Frazer Pennebaker. Ziggy Stardust The Motion Picture provides Bowie fans with the opportunity to unite and relive the iconic moment that changed popular culture forever.

Global cinema tickets available from today, for details on your participating local cinemas visit www.davidbowie.com

Tickets are on sale for the Eventim Apollo Hammersmith now from https://www.eventimapollo.com & www.davidbowie.com

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ABBA’s debut album Ring Ring has been re-released today. You can now order the album here.

Reaching record shops in Sweden on 26 March 1973, Ring Ring offered a wealth of great pop tunes. There was, for instance, People Need Love, the very first ABBA single, and He Is Your Brother, a popular number on ABBA’s 1977 tour of Europe and Australia.

• Read more: Ranked! Top 40 ABBA songs

Crucially, on the title track the ABBA sound was born, as the group discovered how attractive the sound of multi-layered vocals was, and how exciting a song could be if you made use of all the possibilities of the recording studio.

The public responded well to Ring Ring – the song and the album. Famously, for two consecutive weeks in April 1973, the Swedish Ring Ring single was at No.1, the English-language version at No.2, and the Ring Ring album at No.3 on the combined singles-and-albums chart used in Sweden at the time.

The Ring Ring album was originally credited to Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida – the name ABBA didn’t quite exist yet. The group itself almost didn’t exist, as the two ladies were still pursuing solo careers, and the two men were busy with many different projects when the album was recorded. But its huge success sealed the deal: from now on they would be ABBA.

To celebrate this milestone, the LP Ring Ring and its singles have been released today.

• 2LP 45 RPM remastered at Abbey Road Studios in a gatefold sleeve featuring obi-strip and certificate of authenticity.
• 5×7″ Colour Singles Box Set (D2C Exclusive)
• Individual 7″ Picture Discs:
•         He Is Your Brother / Santa Rosa
•         People Need Love / Merry-Go-Round
•         Ring Ring (English) / She’s My Kind of Girl
•         Ring Ring (Swedish), Åh, vilka tider
•         Love Isn’t Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough / I Am Just A GirlWant more from Classic Pop magazine? Get a free digital issue when you sign up to our newsletter!

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Andy Rourke, bassist for The Smiths, has died aged 59.

The news was announced by guitarist Johnny Marr on social media this morning (19 May).

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer.
Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans. 
We request privacy at this sad time pic.twitter.com/KNehQxXoFz

— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) May 19, 2023

Rourke joined The Smiths from the band Freak Party, which comprised Johnny Marr – whom Rourke had known from school – on guitar and Simon Wolstencroft, later of The Fall, on drums.

Rourke was temporarily let go by the band in early 1986, due to his heroin addiction, rejoining two weeks later just before they released their masterpiece, The Queen Is Dead.

Not only the most talented bass player I've ever had the privilege to play with but the sweetest, funniest lad I've ever met. Andy's left the building, but his musical legacy is perpetual. I miss you so much already. Forever in my heart mate.

— Mike Joyce (@mikejoycedrums) May 19, 2023

Marr described Rourke’s contribution to that album as “something no other bass player could match”.

The Smiths broke up in 1987, with Rourke going on to play on several Morrissey singles, including Interesting Drug, The Last Of The Famous International Playboys and November Spawned A Monster. 

Desperately sad about Andy Rourke. Obviously a great bassist, and his attitude to getting back among it with Blitz Vega showed he was in it for the music. He seemed a lovely man. RIP. pic.twitter.com/8ZvSpBCAaW

— John Earls (@EarlsJohn) May 19, 2023

Their relationship came to an end, however, in the mid-90s, in a clash over royalties from The Smiths, with Rourke and Joyce instigating legal proceedings against Morrissey and Marr.

Rourke settled out of court for £83,000 and 10% of future royalties while relinquishing all further claims. Joyce, meanwhile, pursued the claim was awarded damages of around £1 million.

In the years after, Rourke played with such artists as Ian Brown, Badly Brawn Boy and The Pretenders and formed the band Freebass with bass players Mani (ex-The Stone Roses) and Peter Hook (ex-New Order). He also performed in the band Blitz Vega with former Happy Mondays guitarist Kav Blaggers.

I’ve just read this tweet from @matosman and I am so saddened to hear this news! Andy was a superb musician and a lovely guy. I haven’t been able to read any other news about details yet but I send my deepest condolences and thoughts to his friends and family. RIP #AndyRourke https://t.co/nL8V6dTDlz

— Stephen Street (@StreetStephen) May 19, 2023

Such sad sad news about Andy Rourke – He was an inspirational musician with a style that made so many of us pick up a bass guitar; and the driving force for Manchester Versus Cancer. Our thoughts are with everyone who knew him. Travel well x pic.twitter.com/6hrrfl9bhx

— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) May 19, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsHlf64UYzY

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Blur have announced a surprise new studio album, The Ballad Of Darren, set for release on 21 July.

Appearing on Steve Lamacq’s 6Music show, the band previewed the new album by playing lead single The Narcissist.

Produced by James Ford and recorded at Studio 13, London and Devon, The Ballad of Darren is the band’s ninth studio album, their first since the chart-topping The Magic Whip in 2015, with artwork featuring an image by British photographer Martin Parr.

In a press statement, frontman Damon Albarn said: “This is an aftershock record, reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now.” Guitarist Graham Coxon adds: “The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job.”

Bassist Alex James also reflected on the band’s latest reunion: “For any long term relationship to last with any meaning you have to be able to surprise each other somehow and somehow we all continue to do that.”

Dave Rowntree added: “It always feels very natural to make music together. With every record we do, the process reveals something new and we develop as a band. We don’t take that for granted.”

Today’s surprise announcement comes ahead of the band’s return to the place where it all began – Colchester in Essex – for their first ever performance at local landmark Colchester Arts Centre tomorrow (19 May). It marks the start of a short run of warm-up performances that will see Blur visit Eastbourne Winter Gardens on 21 May, The Halls in Wolverhampton on 26 May and O2 City Hall Newcastle on 28 May.

The warm-up dates kick off a summer of highly-anticipated live shows. The band’s first ever show at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday 8 July sold out in minutes – with a second Wembley Stadium show added for Sunday 9 July.

• Read more: Blur albums: the complete guide

The complete tracklisting for The Ballad of Darren is:

1. The Ballad
2. St Charles Square
3. Barbaric
4. Russian Strings
5. The Everglades (For Leonard)
6. The Narcissist
7. Goodbye Albert
8. Far Away Island
9. Avalon
10. The Heights

The Ballad of Darren will be available as a digital download and stream (10 tracks as above); Standard CD (10 tracks) and Deluxe CD (12 tracks, with expanded packaging), Standard Vinyl LP – 12” heavyweight black vinyl; and exclusive to blur.co.uk – a deluxe vinyl pressed on 12″ clear vinyl with black swirls, in a gatefold sleeve, with poster, bonus 7” vinyl, album CD (12 tracks) and integrated booklet, including exclusive handwritten notes, sketches and lyrics; and Cassette (10 tracks).

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Seal has announced a very special 30th anniversary UK tour for September 2023.

Celebrating three decades of his landmark self-titled debut album Seal (1991) and eponymous follow-up Seal II (1994), he’ll be performing his greatest hits live in concert across some of the country’s most iconic venues.

Expect to hear all of the classic songs from his incredible repertoire including “Crazy,” “Future Love Paradise,” “Killer” and “Kiss From A Rose.”

The tour will also see Seal team up with long-time producer and collaborator Trevor Horn, who will take on the role of musical director for the shows.

Currently on the US leg of his worldwide tour, Seal will be hitting the UK this September for a run of unforgettable live shows.

Tickets go on sale 9.30am on Friday 19th May and will be available from www.gigsandtours.com / www.ticketmaster.co.uk

SEAL UK TOUR DATES 2023

Tue      12        September      Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Wed    13        September      Sheffield City Hall

Thu      14        September      Wolverhampton The Civic at The Halls

Sat      16        September      Manchester Opera House

Sun     17        September      London Palladium

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• Read more: Seal interview

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We talk to 80s Classical producers Cliff Masterson and Steve Anderson about this must-see musical event…

Tell us about the genesis of the project. How did it come about?

Cliff Masterson: Steve and I have worked on a lot of shows over the years where we combine orchestral elements with live pop artists. Back in 2018 we were sitting back stage at one of our classical dance music shows and we started to discuss which songs in the set were getting the best reaction. In that particular show there were some remixed versions of 80s songs and the idea of creating a whole orchestral show around some of our favourite 80s artists was born! We decided to reach out to some artists we had previously crossed paths with and they all loved the idea of re-working some of their classic songs into super-sized symphonic versions.

Steve Anderson: Cliff and I both grew up around 80s music and felt that a show combining the original artists with new epic symphonic orchestral arrangements was something we wanted to see.

How do you choose which song is most suitable for an orchestral treatment?

CM: The 80s was an incredible time for music and the songs from that era really lend themselves to an orchestral treatment. Many songs already had orchestral elements on the records, so it was easy to hear how these and many others could be re-imagined and re-worked into exciting new symphonic arrangements.

SA: It’s all about songs that people have a genuine love for but also suit the symphonic treatment.

Will there be deep cuts in the setlist or are the selections mostly based on an artist’s biggest hits?

CM: Our only rule is that the songs in the set have to connect with the audience. That generally means we work with the artist’s biggest hits but there are some along the way that just call out for the orchestra. Human Racing by Nik Kershaw is a good example – it wasn’t Nik’s biggest hit but the song’s genius harmonic structure was a joy to explore and develop in an orchestral context.

SA: Our show is very much a greatest hits – the audience wants to hear the classics but the big difference is they are performed in versions that are unique to our show.

Are the artists themselves involved in the creative process of the arrangements?

CM: In the words of one of our artists, these songs are the crown jewels! We are very sensitive to making sure the songs are represented in a way that the artists approve of, so I create detailed orchestral mock ups of the arrangements to share. We then listen to any feedback and make the appropriate changes – we really want the artists to be as proud of our versions as their original recordings, which is a BIG ask! One of the suggestions Howard Jones made after hearing the What Is Love arrangement was to repeat the 4 bar instrumental section and make something special out of it. I turned it into a Bond-like, brass celebration and Howard loved it!

SA: Yes, the whole thing is a collaboration and we send versions back and forth until they are happy. It’s incredibly important to us as its their legacy so we want to be sure they have a good time on stage performing songs they have sung a lot before.

What do you think the orchestra brings to these pop classics?

CM: These song are already incredible pieces of work. I like to think that adding the orchestra brings a fresh dimension to them. It’s a fine line as I don’t want to do anything to break the “nostalgia spell” but instead, to amplify the warm, fuzzy feeling that listening to a song from your youth can bring. I try to write orchestral parts that add colour and depth to the songs without getting in the way of what is already there. As someone that grew up in the 80s, these songs mean just as much to me as the audience and I am very careful not to step over the line.

SA: Just pure symphonic, epic energy which there is already a lot of in the original productions. Also they have a ball doing it, we very much encourage 80s themed make up, accessories etc as well.

Is there anything about the 80s in particular that makes these songs suitable for this kind of orchestral treatment?

CM: Songs from the 80s were well crafted and written around interesting chord structures, they had a real sense of excitement throughout the arrangement. This means there is a lot of scope to take concepts and themes hinted at on the original records and develop them into fully symphonic renderings.

SA: Again, the original productions are so detailed and they tend to have a lot of musicality which really suits this approach. Orchestral arrangements featured quite heavily throughout the 80s and also Britpop with the likes of Oasis, Blur and The Verve all employing strings on some of their biggest hits.

It’s an epic show with a long list of performers. Does that present any logistical challenges having so many different artists?

CM: The biggest challenge is working out which songs we don’t have time for! All of our artists have incredible catalogues and have been so giving of their time and talent, we just want everybody on and off stage to have the absolute time of their lives – and with all of the positive feedback we get, we know they do!

SA: Not at all, we embrace it! We run over two acts with every artist in each act building up to their biggest hits. Also they all know each other so it’s a wonderful atmosphere backstage, for us its genuinely like watching our 7 inch singles record boxes we had as kids come to life before our very eyes.

80s Classical returns to Millennium Square, Leeds on Friday 28 July 2023 for its fourth season, bringing some of the most iconic songs of the 80s to life in stunning orchestral versions. This year’s line-up features some of the decade’s biggest stars, including Nik Kershaw, Go West, Nick Heyward, Heaven 17 and Carol Decker. Joining the 50-piece Orchestra of Opera North, the pop legends will perform their smash hits including ‘Wouldn’t It Be Good’, ‘King of Wishful Thinking’, ‘Temptation’, ‘Fantastic Day’ and ‘China In Your Hand’ plus many more. With the incredible atmosphere of a live show and all your favourite tracks, 80s Classical promises to be a truly special night that will have you dancing the night away.

Standing and reserved seated tickets are now available to purchase online from the Millennium Square website at https://bit.ly/80sClassical2023 or by phone on 0113 376 0318.

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The Pretenders are to return with Relentless, their 14 studio album, due for release 1 September 2023 via Parlophone. It’s available to pre-order here.

The album is the band’s first since 2020’s Hate For Sale. It’s preceded by the single Let The Sun Come In, released today, following a premiere on the BBC Radio 2 Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. 

Speaking about the album title, Chrissie Hynde says: “I enjoy seeing the various meanings and origins of a word. And I liked the definition: “showing no abatement of intensity”. It’s the life of the artist. You never retire. You become relentless.”

The news arrives as The Pretenders look ahead to a massive summer of live performances.

Tomorrow night, Friday 12 May, the band will unleash new songs from Relentless as they headline Brighton’s Great Escape Festival, starting a sold-out tour of very special exclusive club shows visiting some of the UK and Ireland’s most intimate venues.

On 30 June The Pretenders will join Guns N’ Roses as special guests at London’s BST Hyde Park, and at huge outdoor shows in Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands, before headline performances at summer festivals including Midnight Sun, Bearded Theory, Black Deer and Kite.

In October the band will land in America to play Ohana Festival, California, by invitation of Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl. More 2023 live activity is soon to be announced.

Relentless is the second consecutive Pretenders album to be written as a collaboration between Chrissie Hynde and the band’s resident guitar hero, James Walbourne. Especially sought after in his own right, having recorded with Dave Gahan, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Rails amongst many more.

Speaking about the Hynde/Walbourne songwriting process, Chrissie Hynde says: “We had developed this method of working remotely and it seemed like we just kept on doing it for this album. This is something that we’ve honed down to an art in the last few years. He always comes up with something I wouldn’t have thought of myself and I love surprises.”

Produced by David Wrench and recorded at Battery Studios in West London, the album’s 12 tracks feature what Chrissie describes as “The Pretenders Collective”. This extended band features James Walbourne (guitars), Kris Sonne (drums), Chris Hill (double bass), Dave Page (bass) and Carwyn Ellis (keyboards and guitars).

Relentless also features a long hoped-for collaboration with the esteemed composer Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead, The Smile), who provides the string arrangement and conducted the 12 Ensemble for the album’s closing track, I Think About You Daily.

‘Relentless’ tracklist

1.     Losing My Sense Of Taste
2.     A Love
3.     Domestic Silence
4.     The Copa
5.     Promise Of Love
6.     Merry Widow
7.     Let The Sun Come In
8.     Look Away
9.     Your House Is On Fire
10.   Just Let It Go
11.   Vainglorious
12.   I Think About You Daily

Pretenders 2023 live dates 

12th May Great Escape Festival, Brighton 

13th May Rescue Rooms, Nottingham SOLD OUT

14th May MASH, Cambridge SOLD OUT

16th May Cheese & Grain, Frome SOLD OUT

17th May The Sugarmill, Stoke SOLD OUT

19th May Dolans, Limerick SOLD OUT

20th May Cypress Avenue, Cork, Ireland SOLD OUT

21st May Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland

23rd May Limelight, Belfast, Northern Ireland SOLD OUT

25th May Midnight Sun Festival, Stornoway, Scotland (headlining) 

28th May Bearded Theory, Derbyshire (headlining) 

30th May De Roma, Antwerp 

31st May De Roma, Antwerp  

9th June Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain (with Guns N’ Roses)

11th June Kite Festival (headlining)

12th June Estadio Abanca Balaídos, Vigo, Spain (with Guns N’ Roses)

16th June Azkena Festival (headlining)

17th June Black Deer Festival (headlining)

27th June Bellahouston Park, Glasgow (with Guns N’ Roses)

30th June BST Hyde Park, London (with Guns N’ Roses)

3rd July Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, Germany (with Guns N’ Roses)

5th July Bernexpo, Bern, Switzerland (with Guns N’ Roses)

8th July Circo Massimo, Rome, Italy (with Guns N’ Roses)

11th July Evenemententerrein Weert Noord, Netherlands (with Guns N’ Roses)

1st October Ohana Fest, CA (with Foo Fighters)

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Holly Johnson has announced two exclusive UK concerts celebrating 40 years since Frankie Goes to Hollywood released their classic debut single, Relax.

The dates follow Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s one-off special reformation to open the 67^th Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool at the weekend.

Holly Johnson’s headline live shows will take place on Saturday 21^st October in his hometown at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and on Saturday 27^th October at the London Palladium.

Relax proved to be one of the decade’s most successful and controversial singles, selling in excess of two million copies in the UK alone ranking it among the 10 biggest selling singles ever.

It re-entered the charts following the release of their second single Two Tribes further cementing the band’s place in music history with two singles sitting at Nos 1 and 2.

Holly moved on to solo success with the release of Blast which also celebrates 35 years and produced hits such as Love Train, Americanos, Heavens Here and Atomic City. Blast will be released on a special-coloured vinyl reissue this coming autumn.

These new dates will be packed with Frankie hits including Relax, Two Tribes, The Power Of Love, Welcome to the Pleasuredome and tracks from Holly’s smash hit solo career.

About the shows, Holly says: “I’ve been working for months on this autumn UK and European solo shows to celebrate 35 years since Blast went to No.1 in the UK and 40 years since Relax was released. All of a sudden with a Boom Bang A Bang the Eurovision Song Contest asked Frankie to reform for a one-off exclusive performance at their Opening Ceremony, it’s all gone ballistic ever since we said yes!

“I’m delighted to be playing my hometown gig at the Liverpool Philharmonic plus the London Palladium in October this year.  I’ll be performing all the Frankie and solo hits so come and celebrate with me!”

Tickets are on sale Friday 12^th May at 10am via www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Saturday 21st October 2023 – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 
Friday 27th October 2023 – London Palladium

• Read more: Making Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Welcome To The Pleasuredome
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Join us for our Top 20 rundown of the best Eurovision Song Contest winners…

20 All Kinds Of Everything – Dana (Ireland, 1970)

Ireland’s first win sounds like the kind of over-earnest ballad you’d hear in a Disney cartoon. As impossibly wholesome as its singer (there was never anything even remote controversial about Dana), it marked a return – after 1968’s La, La, La and 1969’s quadrumvirate of Vivo Cantando, De Troubadour, Un Jour, Un Enfant and Boom Bang-a-Bang – to the easy listening sounds that had defined the contest’s early days.

19 Take Me To Your Heaven – Charlotte Nilsson (Sweden, 1999)

There are echoes of ABBA’s Waterloo in this one, which no doubt helped it win the 1999 competition. Like that previous prizewinner, it’s sung in English, this time by Charlotte Nilsson, who later represented Sweden in 2008 with her song Hero. 

18 J’aime la Vie – Sandra Kim (Belgium, 1986)

You’d be hard pressed to find a song so shamelessly 80s in all the Eurovision oeuvre. This candyfloss-light number made Eurovision history in two ways – first, it’s still Belgium’s only winner (they’d actually finished the previous contest in last place), and its singer – Sandra Kim – remains, at 13, the youngest singer to win the competition.

17 Why Me? – Linda Martin (Ireland, 1992)

This soft-rock power ballad is a bit Eurovision-by-numbers, but it’s still a song that any female balladeer would kill for in their repertoire. Like Linda Martin’s previous Eurovision entry, 1984’s Terminal 3, it was written by 1980’s winner, Johnny Logan.

16 Save Your Kisses for Me – Brotherhood Of Man (UK, 1976)

Okay, so maybe Save Your Kisses For Me hasn’t aged as well as some of the UK’s other winners, but it’s undeniably a Eurovision favourite, and was – lest we forget – Britain’s biggest-selling song of 1976. It was also the first of Brotherhood Of Man’s three UK No.1s, not bad for a band that have been unjustly forgotten in recent years.

15 1944 – Jamala (Ukraine, 2016)

Who says Eurovision winners always have to be either ferociously upbeat or unbearably cheesy? Ukraine’s winning song from 2016 dealt with the topic of the Soviet deportation of Crimean Tatars in the 1940s, an uncommonly heavyweight subject for a contest that many still thought of as camp and throwaway. 

14 Molitva – Marija Šerifović (Serbia, 2007)

Molitva became the first song containing no English language lyrics to scoop the top prize since Dana International’s win in 1998. You don’t need to speak Serbian, however, to understand what’s going on in his operatic, high-drama ballad, which collected 298 points on the night.

13 Hold Me Now – Johnny Logan (Ireland, 1987)

Ireland have won Eurovision an amazing seven times, but this is the standout, a power ballad so stirring it’s astonishing that Michael Bolton’s never covered it. Logan had previously won in 1980 with What’s Another Year? and would go on to write the winner of 1992 (Why Me? for Linda Martin).

12 Fångad av en Stormvind – Carola (Sweden, 1991)

A song so incredibly buoyant, it’s almost impossible to listen to without jumping out of your chair and throwing shapes around the room. An irresistible slice of Scandi pop, courtesy of Carola Häggkvist, who had represented Sweden in 1983, finishing third and again in 2006, finishing fifth.

11 Diva – Dana International (Israel, 1998)

Dana International hade history in 1998 as the first transgender woman to compete in the contest. Diva pays tribute to some of history’s most powerful females, including references to Cleopatra, Aphrodite and Victoria, though it’s unclear whether she’s referring to Queen Victoria, Victoria Wood or Posh Spice.

10 Ne partez Pas Sans Moi – Céline Dion (Switzerland, 1988)

Céline Dion was barely out of her teens when she came to international attention with this win for Switzerland in 1988. Not as power-ballad-like as her later material, it’s more Edith Piaf than Whitney Houston, winning Eurovision with 137 points, beating the UK’s entry Go by just one point in one of the closest finishes in the contest’s history.

9 Puppet On A String” – Sandie Shaw (UK, 1967)

Okay, so the UK’s first win is a bit frivolous, but it’s undeniably one of the catchiest tunes in the Eurovision canon. Before this, Eurovision had been dominated by bland, easy listening acts, but Puppet On A String was the moment the competition started to embrace contemporary pop. 

8 Amar pelos dois – Salvador Sobral (Portugal, 2017)

Salvador Sobral’s expressive, heartfelt performance of this luscious ballad helped Portugal achieve its first win since 1964. The song amassed 758 points, setting the record for the highest score in the history of Eurovision.

7 Only Teardrops – Emmelie de Forest (Denmark, 2013)

Finishing in first place with 281 points, Denmark’s 2013 entry still sounds thrillingly modern, 10 years on. The folk elements are a novelty and the song proved so popular that, in the UK, it debuted at No.99, despite the show airing only four hours before the cut-off point for the chart. A week later, it rose to a high of No.15.

6 Boom Bang-a-Bang – Lulu (UK, 1969)

1969 gave us a quartet of winners – Salomé singing Vivo Cantando for Spain, Lenny Kuhr singing De Troubadour for the Netherlands, Frida Boccara singing Un jour, Un Enfant for France, and this, easily the best of the four. Playful and ever-so-slightly tongue-in-cheek, it’s a joyful pop nugget, performed by an effervescent Lulu.

Eurovision Song Contest winners – Lulu

5 Rise Like A Phoenix – Conchita Wurst (Austria, 2014)

Conchita Wurst’s win in 2014 was a big forward step for the LGBT+ community and is possibly the best James Bond theme that isn’t an actual James Bond theme. A timeless Eurovision winner, it could have scooped the top prize in any decade.

4 Making Your Mind Up – Bucks Fizz (UK, 1981)

In terms of great Eurovision moments, Mike Nolan and Bobby G ripping the skirts off Cheryl Baker and Jay Aston must go down one of the most iconic. Of course, it would count for nothing if it hadn’t been in the middle of a great song and Making Your Mind Up was a technicolour delight. 

3 Euphoria – Loreen (Sweden, 2012)

If any friend goes on a rant about how cheesy Eurovision is, point them toward this winner, which is a banger any pop star from 2012 would have given their right arm for. It’s rare for a Eurovision winner to become a massive club hit, but in 2012, this Thomas G:son-penned dance number was a staple of seemingly ever nightclub in the land.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfo-8z86x80

2 Love Shine A Light – Katrina And The Waves (UK, 1997)

The Walking On Sunshine hitmakers won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1997, marking the first time that the UK had triumphed in 16 years. Coming the day after Labour’s landslide victory in the 1997 General Election, this really was the start of Cool Britannia. 

And top of our list of Eurovision Song Contest winners is…
ABBA – Waterloo (Sweden, 1974)

Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad already had one album under their belts by the time they won 1974’s Eurovision Song Contest (which wasn’t their first affiliation with Eurovision – the previous year, they’d finished third with Ring Ring in the Swedish pre-selection contest). Waterloo, though, would be the song that catapulted them into the international arena, hitting No.1 in the UK. Nearly 50 years on, it’s still one of the band’s most infectious hits.

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• Did you enjoy our list of the best Eurovision Song Contest winners? Then check out our feature on ABBA’s 40 best songs

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On the full moon, Friday 5 May, Peter Gabriel releases the next track from his forthcoming album i/o. This month the song is Four Kinds Of Horses and first-up is the Bright-Side Mix. 

Written by Peter Gabriel and produced by Gabriel and Richard Russell, Four Kinds Of Horses was recorded at Real World Studios in Wiltshire, The Beehive and Copper House in London. 

“Four Kinds Of Horses actually began on Richard Russell’s project, Everything Is Recorded,” says Gabriel. “He’s a friend (and founder of XL Records) and he asked me to pop into his studio. I came up with some chords, melodies and words on top of a groove he was working on. We tried a few things that didn’t altogether work and so it lay dormant for quite a while. Then I started playing around with it again and changed the mood and the groove and something else began to emerge with a better chorus.”

There were a number of things that triggered ideas for the song as it developed, including the Buddhist parable of the Four Kinds of Horses, which describes different ways a student can approach their spiritual practice.

There is also a focus on “the interesting overlap of religion and peace on the one hand and violence and terrorism on the other. There was also a wonderful film by Hany Abu-Assad called Paradise Now which shows two young men who end up being trained to become terrorists and it’s a real insight into where the head goes.” 

As well as Russell, who set things in motion, Four Kinds Of Horses also features Brian Eno on synths which “sounded like electric worms to me,” says Gabriel. “As soon as I heard one I thought they would make a great three dimensional wall paper of sound and asked Brian to create eleven more.”

John Metcalfe again provides string arrangements, “beautiful work and as the song progresses, the strings play a key role” and backing vocals from Peter’s daughter Melanie, “another lovely moment for a dad.” 

Continuing the theme of working with a different artist for each song release, this month’s track is accompanied by a cover image featuring the work of Cornelia Parker. 

“This month we have a fascinating artist, Cornelia Parker, who does some extraordinary work. When we were originally looking at the Art from Us project, I’d seen some of her stuff with exploding rooms and had been fascinated by that, so I’m really happy that she agreed to work with us on this. The photogravure technique of William Henry Fox Talbot was an inspiration for her in this piece, and some of the other glass-based images in the series. I fell in love with this particular work – it’s called ‘Snap.’”

Just like the previous full moon releases, Four Kinds Of Horses will come with differing mix approaches from Mark ‘Spike’ Stent (Bright-Side Mix), released on 5 May. Tchad Blake (Dark-Side Mix) and Hans-Martin Buff’s Atmos mix (In-Side Mix), released later in the month. 

As well as new music, Peter Gabriel is about to embark on a tour with dates in the UK, Europe and North America on sale now. livenation.com / petergabriel.com 

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• Read more: The Lowdown – Peter Gabriel

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The BBC Radio 6 Music DJ – and former [email protected] drummer – Matt Everitt talks us through his music obsessions

What’s the first song you remember loving?

I loved The Wombling Song when I was really small. There’s the cult of Mike Batt now, isn’t there, about what a genius songwriter he was. The Jungle Book was the first record I remember playing, when I was four or five, and all the tracks from that are bangers. But it was Yesterday by The Beatles that was the first song to have a big emotional impact on me.

Did you have posters of pop stars on your wall as a kid?

The first music poster I had was Bowie, which I got from Athena, a very pastel-coloured Let’s Dance-era Bowie. I was totally entranced by him even at a young age. And Betty Boo, though I was a bit older then.

I had a Queen calendar in about ‘83 or ‘84 – I had a big Queen phase and still hold them in a lot of affection. I was fascinated by the massive crowds and stage. I think in the 80s, pop stars were writ large, it was all pomp and ceremony, like here they are playing Rio and there’s 200,000 people.

I thought that’s what pop stars did. I hadn’t really got into bands like The Cure yet and thought about how pop stars could be different, it was all about BIG – Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, all those people.

What was the first gig that you went to?

There’s a couple of nearlys – I nearly went to see Twisted Sister at the Birmingham Odeon and wanted to see Queen at Knebworth but my mum wouldn’t let me go, and I never fail to remind her of that – I could have seen one of the most historic rock gigs of all time!

But the first proper gig was U2 on the Joshua Tree Tour with my friend, John Kelly. They were so big at the time, you couldn’t really avoid them. We were 15 and went to see them at the NEC and got there about 6.30am, ’cos we thought that’s what you do.

It was so early there was no security, so we sneaked in and sat in the NEC eating our sandwiches and drinking our Um Bongo. Eventually, the band turned up to soundcheck and we watched it from the seats. I mean, you look back and think, that was a bit nuts!

What’s the very first album that you can remember devouring?

Hunky Dory is a good gateway drug to the rest of Bowie. I got obsessed with Station To Station a little bit later, I really loved that record, ’cos then you enter the whole world of the mythology. When I was really young, though… my mum was a huge Beatles fan when she was a teen so we had a copy of Rubber Soul in the house, which I think – if I was pushed – would be my desert island album.

• Read more: My Pop Life – Sanjeev Bhaskar

Are there any artists or bands that you’re a completist about?

I go through phases of wanting to get everything. I’m looking at my records now, and I’ve got all the Led Zep stuff, all The Smiths, all of Scott Walker and Blur. I’ve got all the Creedence Clearwater Revival stuff, too… I had a big Creedence phase. There’s a version they did of I Heard It Through The Grapevine which I think is better than the original, which I know is a contentious thing to say.

What about singles? Are you a big 7” collector?

I went through a bit of a 7” phase. They’ve kind of been overlooked in the vinyl revival, haven’t they? I know they don’t sound as good, but I always think there’s something really compact and brilliant about them. People don’t love them enough. I really want to get a jukebox, but they’re about £8,000. They’re not cheap.

Of all the musicians you’ve interviewed on your 6 Music show, The First Time With…, who have
you been most excited or apprehensive about?

There’s been lots. We started in 2010 and Johnny Marr was the first one that we did. And It’s always terrifying doing one of The Beatles. You don’t want to arse it up, ’cos these people have been interviewed so many times over the years that interviews don’t mean the same to them as they do to other people.

Paul Simon is someone, his work is so vast, he’s so colossally talented and revered and so many of his songs are legendary. Before we did the interview, I was saying to his team, right, this is going to be about music, we’ve got the BBC archive, we can play anything…

But they were like, “Don’t ask about Simon & Garfunkel,” and my second question to him was, “When did you first sing in public?” and he was, “It would have been at school, I think Artie was in the audience.” I was like, “He’s fucking talking about it!” Yeah, he was just brilliant.

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• Read more: My Pop Life – John Thomson

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Far from the dilettante playboy his image suggested, could the shapeshifting Robert Palmer be one of the most underrated singer-songwriters of his era? As a new boxset compiles his recordings for the Island label, we reassess his chameleon-like solo career and collaborations with supergroup The Power Station…

“I hardly ever get asked about music,” Robert Palmer told The Guardian in 2002. “I do, however, get asked about the Addicted To Love video and my suits on a daily basis.”

When he died just a year later, of a heart attack at the age of just 54, sadly that’s what most of the obituaries focused on – the rock-pop playboy who seemingly prized style over substance, hedonism over musical integrity.

But while other sharp-suited lotharios such as Bryan Ferry are celebrated as rakish geniuses, somehow Palmer’s considerable contribution to music seems to have been cold-shouldered.

The image of Robert Palmer that’s seared into our collective memory is of him performing amidst a bevy of identical-clad supermodels, a perfectly coiffed sophisticate luxuriating in the pages of a Vogue photoshoot.

The Addicted To Love video was one of the defining promos of the 80s, and proved so insanely popular that Palmer reheated the idea for follow-up singles I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On and Simply Irresistible.

Those visuals, however, have overshadowed pretty much everything else Palmer ever did, and caricatured him as someone for whom music was somehow secondary to looking good.

That he was once honoured as Rolling Stone’s Best Dressed Male Rock Artist and told interviewers “I guess I always treated music as a hobby” only added to the sense that he was not somebody to be taken seriously.

Yet a closer look at his music suggests a more compelling and intriguing figure than the obits painted. This was an artist who, over a career spanning 30 years, proved as restless and daredevil a spirit as David Bowie taking in such genres as funk, synth-pop, soul, reggae, jazz, arena rock, bossa nova and blues.

You see, there was always more to Robert Palmer than met the eye. Even his beginnings belied his image as a designer-suited Romeo.

Not many pop stars – especially ones that hang out with supermodels – have Batley in West Yorkshire on their birth certificate. Yet this is where Robert Allen Palmer came into the world on 19 January 1949.

That said, his family upped sticks to Malta when he was just a few months old, returning to Yorkshire 11 years later, this time to Scarborough where his mother ran a guest house and where his father was now stationed in the Royal Navy.

Robert’s years abroad meant that, by the time he was at his new school, he was “the only one who spoke Oxford English.” At school, as in music decades later, Robert Palmer never quite fitted in.

By this point, he was already obsessed with music. While in Malta, he’d lapped up the sounds of Otis Redding, Billie Holliday, Wilson Pickett and Nat King Cole on the American Armed Forces Radio Network.

By 15, he’d enrolled at Scarborough School Of Art & Design and set up his first band, The Mandrakes. After a cleaner accidentally binned much of his coursework, Palmer dropped out and decided his energies would be better spent cultivating a career in music.

And it worked – even though all of the bandmembers were teenagers, The Mandrakes secured some high-profile gigs at the time, supporting The Who and Jimi Hendrix as well as touring Scandinavia.

Palmer was still a teen when he joined his next band. The R&B-powered Alan Bown Set were already a favourite on the live circuit when they approached Robert to replace their hastily-departed frontman Jess Roden for a show at the Scarborough Spa.

Palmer would record one album with the band, titled The Alan Bown!, before moving to London where he hooked up with a jazz-rock fusion band named Dada.

Among its 12 members was a singer named Elkie Brooks (yes, that one) and her husband Pete Gage and, before too long, the three split from Dada to form their own blues rock outfit, Vinegar Joe.

Though they recorded three albums for Island Records, commercial success somehow eluded Vinegar Joe and they split up in 1974.

But Island, and specifically its founder Chris Blackwell, had high hopes for the band’s co-vocalist and signed Palmer on a solo deal, packing him off to New Orleans to work with a cherry-picked group of top session musicians.

Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley arrived in September 1974 and saw Palmer playing alongside American funk group The Meters, keyboardist Art Neville and Lowell George of Little Feat.

Though it only managed a No.107 placing on the US Billboard Chart, Island still had enough faith in their freshest signing for a second long-player. Pressure Drop from 1975 displayed more of a reggae touch – its title track was a cover version of the classic Toots & The Maytals cut – but again failed to take off commercially.

Even its self-penned lead single, the brilliant, yacht rock-anticipating Give Me An Inch, didn’t chart.

1976’s Some People Can Do What They Like LP fared better (No.46 in the UK, No.68 in the US), but still struggled to produce a hit.

The Caribbean-accented Every Kinda People – written by former Free bassist Andy Fraser – from 1978’s Double Fun, would be the first of Palmer’s singles to break the UK and US charts, peaking at No.16 in the States and No.53 on home soil.

Where Double Fun had boomeranged from blue-eyed soul to disco and funk to lounge jazz, Palmer’s next album, the following year’s Secrets, would be more straight-ahead rock, producing a US Top 20 hit in Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor), a robust cover of the Moon Martin original.

1980’s Clues found Palmer branching out even further, embracing New Wave on the Talking Heads-aping Looking For Clues (that band’s drummer Chris Frantz plays on the track, a return favour after Palmer guested on their 1980 album Remain In Light) and working with Gary Numan on the beguiling Found You Now.

Lead single Johnny And Mary, despite its sombre, sequencer-driven eeriness, would be the album’s biggest hit. Certainly by now, the public were becoming aware of Robert Palmer, even if they couldn’t quite get a handle on what he was about.

After scoring a UK No.16 hit with a cover of The Persuaders’ Some Guys Have All The Luck (from his Maybe It’s Live album), Palmer looked to calypso and soca for 1983’s Pride. Despite Some Guys’… success, Pride’s duplet of singles – You Are In My System and You Can Have It (Take My Heart) – failed to tickle the Top 40.

On 23 July 1983, three months after the release of Pride, Palmer performed at Duran Duran’s open air charity concert at Villa Park, the home ground of Aston Villa FC, and, backstage, started chatting with John Taylor and Andy Taylor.

It was a friendship that would eventually lead to the formation of one of the 80s’ great supergroups – The Power Station.

Convened initially by John and Andy (along with Chic’s Tony Thompson and Bernard Edwards) as a backing band for John’s then-girlfriend Bebe Buell’s planned solo record, the duo had believed that there was a future for the group beyond this one-off, only with a revolving line-up of vocalists.

While Mick Jagger, Billy Idol and Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs were all considered for the planned album, it was only after they’d invited Palmer to record vocals for the song Communication that they decided he was their man, hiring him to sing lead on all eight tracks of 1985’s self-titled LP.

Three singles were released from the record, Some Like It Hot (UK No.14), Get It On (UK No.22) and Communication (UK No.75), with the album peaking at No.12 on home soil and No.6 in the US.

The success of The Power Station project led to a planned tour, only for Palmer to quit the band, forcing them to hire Michael Des Barres (formerly of Silverhead, Chequered Past and Detective) for the series of gigs. The sometime actor would also cover for Palmer for The Power Station’s turn at July 1985’s Live Aid concert.

Whatever Palmer’s reasons for leaving, it’s undeniable that his time in The Power Station significantly increased his profile. In Number One magazine, Palmer hit back at claims that he joined the group for the bucks: “Firstly, I didn’t need the money,” he said, “and secondly the cash was a long time coming. It wasn’t exactly an experience that set me up for retirement.”

By the time of Palmer’s next record, 1985’s Riptide, he was a bona fide star and the album would become the singer’s biggest hit to date, peaking at No.5 in the UK and No.8 in the States.

Proving there were no hard feelings, Andy Taylor and Tony Thompson guested, while Bernard Edwards was on hand as producer.

No wonder that, in many ways, it sounds like another Power Station album. When it was suggested by Number One magazine that he’d appropriated the Power Station sound for his own LP, the singer snapped back: “Listen, I gave The Power Station that sound. They took it from me, not the other way around.”

The album would birth Palmer’s signature hit. Addicted To Love – no doubt helped by that video – would peak at No.5 in the UK and No.1 in the US.

The track had actually been intended as a duet with Chaka Khan, only her record company wouldn’t grant her a release to work for Island. Khan’s vocals couldn’t be used on the track, but Palmer credited her for her part in developing it as well as her contributions to the arrangement.

A total of five singles were released from Riptide and those blazingly iconic videos secured Palmer a regular place on MTV’s playlists.

But it wasn’t to last. Riptide’s follow-up, Heavy Nova, took Palmer’s propensity for fusing genres too far, with its whisking together of – as implied by its title – heavy rock and bossa nova.

Though Simply Irresistible (US No.2) and She Makes My Day (UK No.6) were hits, the album only made No.17 in the UK and No.13 on the Billboard.

1990’s Don’t Explain performed slightly better. A cover of Marvin Gaye’s Mercy Mercy Me/I Want You and a buddy-up with UB40 on a version of Bob Dylan’s I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight both went Top 10 but suggested that inspiration was in short supply. The songs would be Palmer’s last UK singles to go Top 20.

The 90s would see Palmer drifting creatively. Ridin’ High (1992) saw the singer delve into the Great American Songbook, while 1994’s Honey tilted uncomfortably toward AOR.

A Power Station reunion in 1995 produced one final album, Living In Fear, which failed to hit the creative and commercial heights of that first record 10 years before.

He returned to his love of R&B for 1999’s Rhythm & Blues and reached back to Delta blues for his final studio album, 2003’s Drive.

There were, however, the seemingly endless compilations. For much of the 90s, Palmer was rarely off the sofas of daytime TV, promoting some new greatest hits collection.

1989’s Addictions Vol.1 made UK No.7, Vol.2 from 1992 reached UK No.12 and 1995’s Very Best Of Robert Palmer hit UK No.4.

Even if the public weren’t keen on new Robert Palmer material, it seemed, they were still fans of his late-80s purple patch.

Yet critically, Palmer was and remains shamefully misunderstood. Maybe it was the care that he devoted to the visual presentation of his music.

To many, who prize authenticity over artifice, his cultivated veneer of sophistication proved off-putting, while his continually shapeshifting musical persona meant that he appeared like a dilettante, dabbling in, but never fully committing to, a plethora of genres.

Yet one could argue that Robert Palmer’s vast oeuvre was one that reflected his adventurous and ever-curious attitude to music.

And that image of him as a rock and pop playboy? There are fewer scantily clad females on his record sleeves than you imagine, far less than the generally more respected Bryan Ferry. Another misinterpretation.

Island’s latest compilation, The Island Years 1974-1985, is a chance to look back at Palmer’s output before he became that MTV favourite and to remember what a fearless and trailblazing artist he really was.

Not everything works, but you could say the same about Bowie, or any other perma-shapeshifting musician. And judging him on that one video is akin to only remembering David Bowie for Let’s Dance.

If any 80s performer is worthy of a deeper dive, it’s Robert Palmer, that most criminally underrated of musical chameleons.

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