Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

4885669

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

[r26852324]

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Double 180 Gram Vinyl housed in Gatefold Sleeve.

Format Music GB

Limited edition

1200

Release date

2023-04-22

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Universal

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

602448856692

Total Cap

Black LPx2

Artist

Marc Almond

Genre GB

New Wave / Post Punk

Label GB

Mercury

Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together fans, artists, and thousands of independent record stores around the world.

Record Store Day 2023

Marc Almond is a UK singer, songwriter and performer. He was born on 9 July 1957 in Southport, Lancashire. In recognition of his contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the Civil service, he was awarded an OBE (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the New Year's Honours list in 2018.

For Record Store Day 2023 Universal Music Catalogue make Marc Almond’s stunning 1995 solo album Fantastic Star available on vinyl for the first time ever. Newly mastered for 180 gm vinyl at Abbey Road Studios, the original CD album has been completely reevaluated by Marc himself to bring fans this new ‘Artist’s Cut’ over this deluxe 2LP version. 
 Despite delivering some of the best-loved Marc Almond songs of the era – ‘Adored and Explored’, ‘The Idol’ and ‘Come In Sweet Assasin’and ‘We Need Jealousy’, for example - Fantastic Star had a long and sometimes troubled gestation with recording sessions spanning two record companies and four big-name producers – original Soft Cell / Bronski Beat producer Mike Thorne, the legendary Cure / Banshees / Beautiful South collaborator Mike Hedges, house pioneers The Beatmasters and The Human League / Heaven 17’s Martyn Ware all made sonic contributions. The resulting album was a thrilling, sonically varied ride through all the genres Marc had already made his own – from grimy guitar-based rock ‘n roll to beautifully orchestrated ballads, and from cutting-edge electronica to out-and-out pop music.For this long-overdue vinyl release Marc has revisited the original running order and looked again at some of the tracks from the sessions that didn’t make the album but later appeared as singles B-sides. Making his own cuts, Marc has removed two songs from the CD format - the long version of ‘The Idol’ in favour of the punchier single version as well as ‘Shining Brightly’ which he feels never really belonged on ‘Fantastic Star’. In their place the Neal-X co-write and live favourite to this day ‘The User’ gets a promotion to LP2 as do two gorgeous ‘Child Star’ B-sides which close the album in a more satisfactory way - ‘Christmas In Vegas’ and ‘My Guardian Angel’. In a similar spirit Marc also selected his original choice of image for the album cover, selecting his favourite shot from 1995 sessions by legendary fashion photographer Zanna. ‘Fantastic Star – The Artist’s Cut’ comes with two fully annotated printed inner bags with lyrics and a new design by Philip Marshall.

Fantastic Star

Music GB