Cleopatra US レコード& CD

Review: The year 1982 can definitely be regarded as a vital one for the working-class Oi-punk movement. One that saw the release of debut full-lengths from the likes of the abrasive Blitz, and the somewhat underappreciated The 4 Skins, who were endlessly plagued by a myriad of line-up shifts. By the time their second full-length, A Fistful of...4-Skins arrived, the group were already onto line-up number four (no pun intended), and this time period is where the 'Five More Years' 7" single rears its skinhead from. Topped with the anthemic opening track from the album, and tailed with the CD reissue bonus cut, 'On The Streets', this sampler/taster/snapshot/teaser/whatever else you'd like to consider it, serves as a perfect piece of oi-punk memorabilia and entry point for those who don't mind doing some of their homework in reverse. These recordings are also notable for being some of the sole studio pieces from The Last Resort vocalist, Roi Pearce, who would serve with the skins for only the one full-length, and subsequent From Chaos To 1984 live album released the following year as swansong.

Review: Neo-soul chanteuse Bette Smith is an upcoming talent who lends her tones to the blistering blues guitar work of Kirk Flecther here. The pair take on a cover of The Rolling Stones' classic tune 'Brown Sugar' and do it with real gusto. The drums smash hard, the guitar riffs are big and angular and the vocals re delivered in sleazy fashion. The Tone's quirky pop dance hit 'Dance Monkey' then gets covered don the flip and turned into a psyched out bluesy guitar number with big vocals. It's a unique rework that makes this a collectible 7".

Review: Biz Markie was one of the true titans of the early East Coast hip hop scene - a staple of Marley Marl's Cold Chillin' label with a cheeky demeanour which showed even the toughest hip-hop didn't have to be moody. 'Just A Friend' originally dropped in 1989 and became a mainstream hit in the US, breaking Markie to the world and ensuring the success of his second LP, The Biz Never Sleeps. Nearly a year since he passed away, Cleopatra have revisited one of his most enduring classics and given it a fresh airing on this tidy 7". If you don't already have it and you take your old-skool hip-hop seriously, don't sleep on this one.

Review: Biz Markie was one of the true titans of the early East Coast hip hop scene - a staple of Marley Marl's Cold Chillin' label with a cheeky demeanour which showed even the toughest hip-hop didn't have to be moody. 'Just A Friend' originally dropped in 1989 and became a mainstream hit in the US, breaking Markie to the world and ensuring the success of his second LP, The Biz Never Sleeps. Nearly a year since he passed away, Cleopatra have revisited one of his most enduring classics and given it a fresh airing on this tidy red 7". If you don't already have it and you take your old-skool hip-hop seriously, don't sleep on this one.

Review: Highly collectible 7" vinyl from the dearly departed East Coast rap icon, Biz Markie! This re-cut version of Markie's classic ode to unrequited love has been remixed and remastered to sound better than ever. Released in 1989, far before the concept of the "friendzone" had crystallised and become a popular meme, we can hear its nascent stirrings in this subversion of original-era hip-hop, in which Markie crudely and comedically spans disgruntled, dejected raps and twinging croons, all expressive of the pain of rejection.

Review: 'Neat Neat Neat' might have only been the second single released by The Damned, but its timeless longevity as an essential punk staple has seen it appear in episodes of The Simpsons and The Boys while Edgar Wright would give the track yet another lease on life by using it to score the intense opening chase sequence in 2017's Baby Driver. That's before even mentioning the vastly differing artists it has influenced with everyone from My Chemical Romance to Elvis Costello taking a stab. Pressed to artwork complimenting purple wax, this 7" offers a slice of cuts captured during a set in Mulhouse, France in 1994, with the classic single on the A-side, while the flip boasts a dynamic yet bizarre bevvy of covers, from the likes of iconic pop duo The Righteous Brothers ('You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin') to 60's mods The Craig ('I Must Be Mad') to Johnny Cash's 'I Walk The Line'.

Review: Following 'New Rose' as only the second ever single released by The Damned, 'Neat Neat Neat' has gone on to become, not only one of the band's biggest hits, but a timeless punk anthem used in everything from series like The Boys and The Simpsons, to the epic heist/chase sequence in Edgar Wright's Baby Driver, to even being covered by vastly differing acts from Elvis Costello to My Chemical Romance. This vibrantly coloured 7" captures a handful of cuts from a 1994 live performance in Mulhouse, France, boasting the aforementioned single on the A-side with a curious selection of covers on the flip, ranging from Johnny Cash's 'I Walk The Line' to 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' from The Righteous Brothers and even a rendition of 60s mod originals The Craig's 'I Must Be Mad' lobbed in for good measure.

Review: Dead or Alive's 1985 classic 'You Spin Me Round' is one of few quintessential charting darkwave cuts from the 80s and this reissue of the single is a celebration of its infectious energy. As many will recall, Pete Burns' flamboyant vocals are set against driving beats and knocky synth riffs, as the song famously compares the effect of a dizzying new liaison to the spin of a 12". The extended mix found here gives listeners even more of what they love about the song, while the EP's timely follow-up songs like 'Even Better Than The Real Thing' provide an enchanting, atmospheric context.

Review: Early new wave icons Duran Duran have been digging in their vaults again and this time out they've found Dreaming Of Your Cars: 1979 Demos Part 2, which features vocalist Andy Wickett, who fronted the band before Simon Le Bon took over. The rare tracks start with 'Dreaming Of Your Cars', post punk groove with a slick rhythm section and tight bassline driving it along and getting you in the groove. 'Love Story' features superbly nimble playing and crashing drums that again straighten your back and get you marching before 'X Disco' and 'To The Shore' close out in upbeat then more mournful fashion.

Review: The Exploited are one of the most important Scottish punk bands, period. Their hardcore sound started belting out from Edinburgh in 1979 and by the time they released their second album Troops Of Tomorrow three years later they were UK-wide legends. Of all the tracks on the album, 'USA' is one of the sharpest, calling out the superpower in no uncertain times set to a pile-driving hardcore beat. Now Cleopatra are pressing the tune on 7" for the very first time, backed with 'UK82' and 'Hey You', the latter of which was originally a secret track on Troops Of Tomorrow.

Review: Sometimes a great 7" is just about having those essential tune within easy reach, and tunes don't come more essential than this. When we look back to the breakthrough years of hip-hop, two of the first tracks that spring to mind are 'White Lines' and 'The Message', where Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five proved there was a wealth of creative potential for the burgeoning rap movement. 'White Lines' is the all-out party monster sampling Liquid Liquid and dropping some insanely catchy hooks throughout. 'The Message' is quite simply one of the most important tracks of any genre, ever. Pristine electro synth lines and a hard-bitten look at street level reality, expressed with such poetic grace and unflinching honesty, it still leaves its mark decades later. Now, you can cop these two iconic gems on a none-funkier purple 7".

Review: Cleopatra Records are no strangers to collectible 7"s from the archives of Iggy & The Stooges. In recent times we've had the likes of 'The Passenger', 'Scene Of The Crime' and even a live spot with David Bowie in 1977 thrown into the mix. Now comes something which feels so right tucked up tight on a 45 - a raucous live rendition of The Kingsmen's classic beat track 'Louie Louie', a song which would go on to be a lifelong staple in Iggy Pop's performance career. On the flip comes another rarity - a blistering version of The Stooges' own cut, 'Wild Love', all pressed up on purple vinyl for your listening pleasure.

Review: It's hard to untangle this hopelessly sad anthem from the equally tragic death of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, but if we had to put a bet on it we'd say it would still be hailed as the masterpiece it is now without those unfortunate events. Coming, as it did, after the two albums from the band, it's the perfect half way house between their powerful, guitar-powered sound and the futuristic synthesiser waves that informed New Order not long after. Plus, it's a heartbreakingly brilliant song with lyrics that have spoken to subsequent generations without fail.

Review: Some songs are just eternal, no matter how many times you've heard them, and often those same songs are the ones which you never get round to owning on vinyl. It's an easy trap to fall into with Joy Division's most celebrated moment, given the ubiquity of the song, but don't underestimate how special it is to stick on when you need it most. Cleopatra continue their series of seminal songs pressed onto splatter vinyl with this all-time classic, backed up by another non-album essential from Ian Curtis and co, "Leader Of Men'.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


A highly collectible splatter 12" vinyl of this Martin Hannett-produced session groundbreaking gothic/post-punk band, Joy Division. Includes the band's best known composition 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' and a superb non-album B-side in 'Leaders Of Men', plus an extended mix of the A-side. Most music fans and their mothers will have had the former track firmly implanted into their grey matter by now, but it's the B-side that really gets the true-heads going, channelling a massive, cortex-cracking sound that is closer to punk than post. Boy, did Joy Division have a toothy side.

Review: A highly collectible splatter 12" vinyl of this Martin Hannett-produced session groundbreaking gothic/post-punk band, Joy Division. Includes the band's best known composition 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' and a superb non-album B-side in 'Leaders Of Men', plus an extended mix of the A-side. Most music fans and their mothers will have had the former track firmly implanted into their grey matter by now, but it's the B-side that really gets the true-heads going, channelling a massive, cortex-cracking sound that is closer to punk than post. Boy, did Joy Division have a toothy side.

Review: Rock Hall Of Fame nominee Todd Rundgren is an accomplished songwriter and ever-innovative producer. Here he links up with someone just as talented in the shape of Sparks, who is an eclectic and quixotic creative and pillar of the modern musical world. 'Your Fandango' (served up here on a limited coloured vinyl 7") is the third single from Rundgren's forthcoming Space Force album. It's a wall of sound with space rock riffs, gauzy textures and freaky vocals. After this comes the album with guests spots from Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo and Muslim hip hop artist Narcy amongst much more.

Review: The truly special thing about a track like 'Tainted Love' is its malleability over time. The original elements touch on New Romanticism, New Wave, electro, and synth pop, creating a twisted and mutated version of the crooning troubadour that smacks of sticky dancefloor heat in subterranean haunts.

With that in mind a remix collection could pretty much go anywhere, and in many ways this one does. Presenting several interpretations of this timeless and iconic tune, these range from the not-so-different instrumental and the strikingly powerful but simple acapella, through to DJ Hell's typically growly stomper, and the groovier, wavier Jack Ford and Jaimieson Hill cut. Oh, and don't forget the very DIY sounding bonus track, 'The Hungry Years', which is a whole different story in its own right, so we'll leave you to discover that one.

Review: Mary Wells was one of the many jewels in the crown of Motown at the peak of its powers back in the 60s. 'My Guy' is one of her biggest-ever hits from 1964 and was written by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles. Lyrically it addresses a woman's rejection of another man's advances in favour of remaining loyal to her boyfriend. The tune reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart but was Well's last for the label aside from a few duets with Marvin Gaye. It remains a classic to this day.