AnneCarlini.com Home
 
  Giveaways!
  Insider Gossip
  Monthly Hot Picks
  Book Reviews
  CD Reviews
  Concert Reviews
  DVD Reviews
  Game Reviews
  Movie Reviews
  Check Out The NEW Anne Carlini Productions!
  [NEW] Belouis Some (2024)
  [NEW] Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel (2024)
  [NEW] Mark Ruffalo (‘Poor Things’)
  [NEW] Paul Giamatti (‘The Holdovers’)
  [NEW] Crystal Gayle
  [NEW] Ellen Foley
  Gotham Knights [David Russo - Composer]
  The Home of WAXEN WARES Candles!
  Michigan Siding Company for ALL Your Outdoor Needs
  MTU Hypnosis for ALL your Day-To-Day Needs!
  COMMENTS FROM EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE READERS!


©2024 annecarlini.com
DJ Supply

Title - 'Greatest Hits' [2CD Remastered Collection]
Artist - Dollar

For those not in the know, Dollar (Thereza Bazar and David Van Day) were a pop vocal duo from the United Kingdom, consisting of David Van Day and Canadian-born Thereza Bazar.

The duo were successful in the late 1970s and 1980s, achieving ten UK top-40 singles, including the top-10 hits 'Love's Gotta Hold on Me' (1979), 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' (1979), 'Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)' (1981), 'Give Me Back My Heart' (1982), and the dreamy 'O L'amour' (1987).

In fact, between 1978 and 1988, Dollar registered 14 hits on the UK charts, ten of which made the Top 40.

Housed in a digipack with a lavish 24 page booklet containing a discography and song lyrics, Disc One of this upcoming Dollar: Greatest Hits, 2CD Remastered Collection (out December 6th, 2019 via Cherry Red Records UK) features every Dollar single; inclusive of all those mentioned above.

CD 1
1. 'Shooting Star'
2. 'Who Were You with in the Moonlight'
3. 'Love's Gotta Hold on Me'
4. 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand'
5. 'Love Street'
6. 'Ring Ring'
7. 'The Girls Are Out to Get Ya'
8. 'Takin' a Chance on You'
9. 'You Take My Breath Away'
10. 'Hand Held in Black and White'
11. 'Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)'
12. 'Give Me Back My Heart'
13. 'Videotheque'
14. 'Give Me Some Kinda Magic'
15. 'Two Hearts'
16. 'We Walked in Love'
17. 'Haven't We Said Goodbye Before'
18. 'O L'amour'
19. 'It's Nature's Way (No Problem)'
20. 'Sugar Sugar'
21. 'It Doesn't Matter' - Bonus Track

Having loved this band since day one, and having collected most all their 7" single releases too, I have to say that, in reflection, it might not have only been due to their catchy songs; but moreover to do with the beautifully stunning Thereza Bazar being one half of the hit group!

That aside, this was a rather lovely flashback to a much simpler time - inclusive of music - where a catchy pop chorus and backbeat was all you needed to instantly crack the British Top 40 Singles Chart.

Kicking things off with the brilliant 'Shooting Star,' they then line 'em up to be lovingly appreciated one after the other. 'Who Were You With in the Moonlight' is a smooth piece of R&B disco as there ever was and that's backed seamlessly by tracks such as the Bazar-led 'Love's Gotta Hold on Me,' the hypnotic drum riff of the Beatles cover 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand,' and both the harder funk of the Van Day-led 'Love Street' and the unsuccessful single 'Ring Ring.'

The rocker 'The Girls Are Out to Get Ya' is an interesting listen to these days, and showcases the fact that even being their fifth single, Van Day was taking over all the vocals by now; and Bazar was there for the occasional backing words and underlying "ooohs and ahhhs," sadly.

The gentle hipsway ballad 'Takin' a Chance on You' brings to the fore Bazar's dreamy, cloud-like vocal touch beautifully, and that's backed by the moment Dollar embraced live pop show TV performances, 'Hand Held in Black and White.'

For their turn on the big British Chart Show known as Top Of The Pops (TOTP), they allowed themselves to dress better than they had before, add some hairspray to their do's, and, well, genuinely smile and ham it up for the TV audiences at home.

Then comes their big "Christmas" hit 'Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour).' Co-written by Trevor Horn and Bruce Woolley, the song (which was the follow-up to 'Hand Held in Black and White'), actually revived the duo's career in the Summer of 1981.

It went on to become their first Top 20 hit for a year and a half and charted over the Christmas period (1981) and was the biggest hit of Dollar's career (reaching #4 in the UK and spending a total of 17 weeks in the charts).

Next up is the laid back synth of 'Give Me Back My Heart,' the mulit-layered, mid-tempo dancefloor hit 'Videotheque,' the pop bounce of both 'You Give Me Some Kinda Magic' and 'Two Hearts,' and then both the Euro-fluff of 'We Walked in Love' (check their cheesy soap opera-esque video for it out on YouTube!), and their non-charting single 'Haven't We Said Goodbye Before.'

Up next is their beautiful and sweet cover of Erasure's hit song 'O L'amour' (which earnt them a nice Top 7 position on the UK Singles Chart) and that's followed by their very last single, the fun 'It's Nature's Way (No Problem)' (produced by Phil Harding & Ian Curnow for PWL).

This first disc then rounds out with a 2002 cover of The Archies' 'Sugar Sugar' and then finally the previously-unreleased song, ‘It Doesn’t Matter’.

Disc Two is packed with extended versions, including previously unreleased PWL mixes of ‘Sugar Sugar’ and newly commissioned extended versions of the hits ‘Mirror Mirror’ and ‘Loves Gotta Hold On Me’ - created using the original master tapes.

Fan favorites ‘We Walked In Love’, ‘Haven’t We Said Goodbye Before’ and ‘It’s Nature’s Way (No Problem)’ also make their CD debut.

CD 2
1. 'Love's Gotta Hold on Me' (2019 Extended Version)
2. 'Talking 'Bout Love' (2019 Extended Version)
3. 'Who Were You with in the Moonlight' (2006 Extended Dance Mix)
4. 'Hand Held in Black and White' (Extended Mix)
5. 'Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)' (2019 Extended Version)
6. 'We Walked in Love' (Extended Version)
7. 'Haven't We Said Goodbye Before' (Extended Mix)
8. 'O L'amour' (Extra Beat Boys 12" Mix)
9. 'It's Nature's Way (No Problem)' (Extended Version)
10. 'Sugar Sugar' (PWL Sweetness Beats Mix)
11. 'It Doesn't Matter' (Jazz Mix)
12. 'Sugar Sugar' (Extra Beat Boys 12" Mix)

As for the second disc of extended and newly-mixed tracks, in truth, I can't ever get enough Dollar and as it's been sooooooo long since anything quite like this from them has been released, well, I was knee deep into this other disc the moment the first disc had ended!

For a big fan such as me, listening to this disc of extended versions is like Christmas Day coming early! Every one of them is a bright, bubbly, flashback-tinged musical gem that makes me smile from ear to ear!

Stand outs, for me obviously, are the brilliant duo of 'Who Were You with in the Moonlight' (2006 Extended Dance Mix) and 'Hand Held in Black and White' (Extended Mix), with both 'Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)' (2019 Extended Version) and the always-excellent-to-hear 'O L'amour' (Extra Beat Boys 12" Mix) following along close behind.

Personally overseen by Thereza Bazar, with introduction comments from both Thereza and David, this very special release also includes a lush 24-page booklet with lyrics.

Official 2CD Box-Set Purchase Link

www.CherryRed.co.uk





...Archives