THE HELEN SHAPIRO FRIENDS CLUB

* = mono.

(28-08-2020) Face The Music: The Complete Singles 1967-1984 Ace Records CDCHD 1573

1. * Stop and You Will Become Aware 2. * She Needs Company 3. * Make Me Belong to You 4. * The Way of the World 5.* Silly Boy (I Love You) 7. * Today Has Been Cancelled 8. * Face the Music 9. * You've Guessed 10. * Take Me for a While 11. * Take Down a Note Miss Smith 12. * Couldn't You See 13. * Waiting On the Shores of Nowhere 14. * A Glass of Wine 15. You're a Love Child 16. That's the Reason I Love You 17. Can't Break the Habit 18. For All the Wrong Reasons 19. Every Little Bit Hurts 20. Touchin' Wood 21. Let Yourself Go 22. Funny 25. Brickyard Blues 26. Just Another Weekend 27. * Das Ist Nicht Die Feine Englische Art

Face The Music: The Complete Singles 1967-1984 Helen Shapiro £11.50 Order from Ace. Free delivery in the UK Release date: 28.08.2020

The later and rarer singles of Britain’s first 60s female pop icon. Many appear on CD for the first time.

Almost 60 years have passed since Helen Shapiro burst onto the UK Pop scene with ‘Don’t Treat Me Like A Child’ – a Top 3 hit followed by the consecutive #1s ‘You Don’t Know’ and ‘Walkin’ Back To Happiness’, and a #2 with ‘Tell Me What He Said’ – all before she had turned 16. In the years before the Beatles, who once supported her on tour, Helen was a permanent presence on our charts, and continues to be a fan favourite almost 20 years after she announced her retirement.

Helen’s early hits can be found on CD, but in “Face The Music” Ace brings you the first-ever compilation to pull together the complete A and B-sides of every single she released between 1967 and 1984, with repertoire drawn from five different labels. All tracks appear here in their original mono and stereo mixes, just as they were released on 45. Around a third of the titles have never been reissued before, in any format. With a booklet stuffed with the usual plethora of ephemera, labels and rare picture sleeves, it’s something no fan will want to miss. A sleeve note featuring a specially conducted interview provides Helen’s thoughts on these recordings and this period in her career.

The collection comes to you with the full approval and endorsement of Helen and John, her husband of more than 30 years. Of her career, Helen says “I’ve been very fortunate, very blessed”. Her many fans all over the world would surely echo those sentiments while welcoming this essential addition to their collection of this never less than great artist. TONY ROUNCE