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Cherry Pop

Title - 'Indigo: 3CD Deluxe Edition'
Artist - Matt Bianco

For those not in the know, Matt Bianco are a British band that was formed in 1983. Primarily known for their success in the mid-1980s and their jazz, Latin-flavored music, their music is still danced to, and still very popular all over the world today.

Popular during the mid-1980s in continental Europe, the name suggests that Matt Bianco is a person, often assumed to be an alias for the main constant member and frontman, Mark Reilly.

In fact, and amusingly so, according to the group, Matt is in fact "a made up spy, a secret agent; we loved spy TV themes and film scores"! On a side note, Basia Trzetrzelewska, later a popular solo artist, was an original member of Matt Bianco.

Matt Bianco's first album, 1984's Whose Side Are You On? was a massive breakthrough for them, and spawned several UK and European hits, including "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed", "More Than I Can Bear", "Half a Minute" and "Sneaking Out The Back Door".

The band then recorded their (self-titled) sophomore album, Matt Bianco, which was released in 1986 and contained the massive dancefloor hit "Yeh Yeh".

Matt Bianco then hired Gloria Estefan's husband and producer Emilio Estefan to produce a few songs, and recorded their third album, Indigo, with the Estefan productions being chosen as singles. However, 1988's "Don't Blame it on That Girl" and "Good Times" only made a moderate impact.

But, "Wap-Bam-Boogie", an album track originally on the B-side of the first single, did well on the dance charts, and pushed the joint single release up to Number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, making it Matt Bianco's most successful single.

Their first Greatest Hits album, entitled The Best of Matt Bianco, collecting their greatest hits from 1983 to 1990, was released in 1990 and made the UK Top 50. Another studio album was released in 1991 by Warner Brothers, the fractured Samba in Your Casa, the fourth long-playing by the group.

Reilly and session musician Mark Fisher then split from their record company and went freelance. From then on, they recorded their albums in their own studios, and then offered them to independent distributors worldwide.

Now though, and for the first time ever, Indigo, the aforementioned third album by continental, Latin Jazz, pop combo Matt Bianco, has been remastered and expanded as an incredible 3CD Deluxe Edition.

Releasing July 20th, 2018 via Cherry Red Records (UK), it follows the success of expanded reissues of their debut (Whose Side Are You On), self-titled sophomore set (Matt Bianco), and a trio of solo albums by former Matt Bianco member Basia (Time And Tide, London Warsaw New York, and The Sweetest Illusion).

DISC ONE: INDIGO: ORIGINAL ALBUM
1. "DON’T BLAME IT ON THAT GIRL"
2. "NERVOUS"
3. "SLIDE"
4. "SAY IT’S NOT TOO LATE"
5. "WAP BAM BOOGIE"
6. "GOOD TIMES"
7. "R&B"
8. "HANGING ON"
9. "JACK OF CLUBS"
10. "INDIGO"

BONUS TRACKS:
SINGLE VERSIONS AND B-SIDES
11. "WAP-BAM-BOOGIE (7” EDIT)"
12. "GOOD TIMES (NEW VERSION)"
13. "TUMBAO (EDITED VERSION)" *
14. "NERVOUS (RE-RECORDED VERSION)"
15. "SAY IT’S NOT TOO LATE (7” VERSION)"
16. "R&B (BRAD DAVIS 7" MIX)" †
17. "POOLSIDE" *
18. "WAP BAM BOOGIE (LATIN REMIX EDIT)"
* Previously unavailable on CD
† Previously unreleased

DISC TWO: BONUS TRACKS: ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS
1. "FIRE IN THE BLOOD (7” VERSION)"
2. "WE’VE GOT THE MOOD (MATT’S MOOD ‘90) (7” VERSION)" *

BONUS TRACKS – REMIXES AND ALTERNATE VERSIONS
3. "DON’T BLAME IT ON THAT GIRL (EXTENDED MIX)"
4. "WAP BAM BOOGIE (LATIN REMIX)"
5. "GOOD TIMES (NEW LONG VERSION)" *
6. "TUMBAO (LONG VERSION)"
7. "NERVOUS (EXTENDED RE-RECORDED VERSION)" *
8. "R&B (BASTONE 12" MIX)" †
9. "DON’T BLAME IT ON THAT GIRL (RARE GROOVE MIX)" *
10. "GOOD TIMES (MIAMI MIX)"
11. "NERVOUS (EXTENDED US MIX)" †
12. "HANGING ON (EXTENDED VERSION)" †
13. "INDIGO (ALTERNATE VERSION)" †
14. "R&B (BASTONE DUB)" †
15. "NERVOUS (US SINGLE MIX)" †
* Previously unavailable on CD
† Previously unreleased

DISC THREE: BONUS TRACKS: MORE REMIXES AND ALTERNATE VERSIONS
1. "DON’T BLAME IT ON THAT GIRL (RARE GROOVE MIX EDIT)"
2. "WAP BAM BOOGIE (THE SOK IT TO ME MIX)"
3. "NERVOUS (FLUTE VERSION)"
4. "R&B (BRAD DAVIS 12" MIX)" †
5. "FIRE IN THE BLOOD (CALIENTE) (CLUB MIX)"
6. "WE’VE GOT THE MOOD (MATT’S MOOD ’90) (12” VERSION)"
7. "DON’T BLAME IT ON THAT GIRL (RARE GROOVE SAX VERSION)" *
8. "WAP-BAM-BOOGIE (ALTERNATE 7” EDIT") *
9. "NERVOUS (FISH MIX)" †
10. "R&B (BASTONE 7" MIX)" †
11. "SAY IT’S NOT TOO LATE (EDIT)" †
12. "DON’T BLAME IT ON THAT GIRL (GAIL “SKY” KING EDIT OF 12”)" †
13. "WAP BAM BOOGIE (THE SOK IT TO ME MIX EDIT)" *
14. "NERVOUS (US MIX)"
15. "FIRE IN THE BLOOD (12” VERSION)"
16. "SLIDE (INSTRUMENTAL)" †
* Previously unavailable on CD
† Previously unreleased

Now, and this might sound a wee bit cruel, but my feelings for this third album from one of my favorite bands growing up in the UK are open and have always been re: this album, honest.

This commercialized Miami late '80s club sound attempt to bring Matt Bianco into the States failed massively due to the contrived and calculated pop marketing gimmickry of Estefan and company. There, I said it!

Overall, both members - Mark Reilly and Mark Fischer - were able to keep their artistic abilities afloat, sure, but in the end Indigo has an all-too polished formulaic American pop sound that was just not locked onto by the British fans, nor the US market the band were now being aimed at.

To my mind, Indigo is only a keeper for nostalgic '80s buffs or die hard Matt Bianco fans, but even with that said, those extra Latin feel to go along with some of their Brazilian-influenced songs (like "Half a Minute") still weren't the worst sounds/sounds ever created; I think we can all attest to that fact.

A total of five singles were lifted from the original album including their biggest hit "Don’t Blame It On That Girl" (UK #11), "Good Times" (UK #55), "Nervous" (UK #59), "Say It’s Not Too Late", plus the club classic "Wap Bam Boogie" (UK #11), the biggest dance record of 1988!

This 3CD Deluxe Edition features a staggering 47 tracks including the original 10-song album alongside 37 bonus recordings – 12 are previously unreleased and a further nine mark their appearance on CD for the first time.

The bonus material on this 3CD set collects all of the singles, b-sides, remixes, and alternate versions that were released during the promotion of the original album. Being a fan, and a vinyl collector since I was 8 years-old, I have all Matt Bianco's 12" Single's (UK) and so a lot of these songs I have already in my vinyl collection (as I'm sure most all MB fans also will have).

The original album kicks off in fine style with the Latin pop swing of 'Don't Blame It On That Girl,' a cut that couldn't be further away in vibe from the next track, the highly underrated funky bass of 'Nervous'. Sounding like a Saturday morning cartoon intro, 'Slide' is up next and is backed by the mid-tempo beach sway of 'Say It's Not Too Late.'

The best track on the album has always been, for me and thousands of others, the highly infectious beats and rhymes of the instrumental 'Wap Bam Boogie.' I mean, just watch the video (on YouTube) and tell me I'm wrong! Mixed by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow for PWL it is an addictive cut of the highest order and that's followed here by the heavily Estefan-influenced 'Good Times.'

The slap bass brilliance of 'R&B' makes this track another good one amongst the Estefan mess, and that's backed by the slow groove balladry of 'Hanging On.' The original album then comes to a close with the piano Gospel-fest of 'Jack Of Clubs,' with the powerful, forced title track itself, 'Indigo' rounding the whole thing out.

Disc 1 is then completed by Single Versions and B-Sides associated with the album and it's subsequently released &" and 12" records.

Disc 2 features some Bonus Tracks aka Additional (random) Tracks, that kick off with the brilliant, pulsatingly Latin-infused 'Fire In The Blood (7" Version)' along with gently simmering slo-funk roll of 'We've Go the Mood (Matt's Mood '90) (7" Version).

This disc then continues onward with 12 more Bonus Tracks under the guise of Remixes and Alternative Versions. Some stand outs here are "Don't Blame It On That Girl (Extended Mix), "Wap Bam Boogie (Latin Remix), and both "Nervous (Extended US Mix), and then "Hanging On (Extended Version)."

Disc 3 features the Bonus Tracks of, well, MORE Remixes and Alternate Versions, but as the second disc features, to my mind, at least, some of the better heard ones, these 16 don't bring much more to the listening party.

That said, a couple of genuine stand out cuts are definitely both "Wap Bam Boogie (The Sok It To Me Mix)" and the never-before-heard (by me), and totally wondrous "Nervous (Flute Version)."

Lastly, the 24-page, full color booklet also included contains lyrics, photos, an illustrated discography, comprehensive credits and brand new liner notes, plus written contributions from producer Phil Harding.

Matt Bianco @ Facebook!

Official 'Indigo' 3CD Purchase Link

www.MattBianco.com

www.cherryred.co.uk





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