For those unaware, Stacey Q, an American singer songwriter, dancer and actress hit the charts in 1986 with ‘Two Of Hearts’ peaking at number 3 is the US singles chart and going top 10 in multiple territories.

‘Insecurity’ became a # 1 hit in the US Dance Charts, with the ‘Better Than Heaven’ album being awarded a gold certification for sales in the USA.

Better Than Heaven: Expanded 2CD Edition, releasing September 16th, 2022 via Cherry Pop Records, is the definitive collection of Stacey Q’s debut album, and it celebrates her lasting legacy 36 years on from its original release.

The two CD collection features the ten original album tracks plus all the related bonus material, sourced and mastered from the original analogue tapes from the Atlantic archives.

And also comes with 19 of the tracks appearing on CD for the first time!

Better Than Heaven + Bonus Tracks:
1. TWO OF HEARTS
2. WE CONNECT
3. INSECURITY
4. BETTER THEN HEAVEN
5. DON’T LET ME DOWN
6. MUSIC OUT OF BOUNDS
7. LOVE OR DESIRE
8. DON’T BREAK MY HEART
9. HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND
10. DANCING NOWHERE
11. TWO OF HEARTS (Q-MIX EDIT) [BONUS TRACK]*
12. WE CONNECT (DANCE RADIO EDIT) [BONUS TRACK]*
13. INSECURITY (GUITAR MIX) [BONUS TRACK]*
14. MUSIC OUT OF BOUNDS (EDIT) [BONUS TRACK]*
15. DANCING NOWHERE [BONUS TRACK]*

CD 1 features the original LP version of ‘Better Than Heaven’ including the shorter album version of ‘Two Of Hearts’, plus versions of her singles, ‘Two Of Hearts (Q-Mix Edit)’, ‘We Connect (Dance Radio Edit)’, ‘Insecurity (Guitar Mix)’, ‘Music Out Of Bounds (Edit)’ and the 7” B-side ‘Dancing Nowhere’.

Bonus Tracks:
1. TWO OF HEARTS (EUROPEAN DANCE MIX) *
2. WE CONNECT (EUROPEAN MIX) *
3. INSECURITY (USA DANCE MIX) *
4. MUSIC OUT OF BOUNDS (OUT OF BOUNDS MIX) *
5. TWO OF HEARTS (Q-MIX) * 6. TWO OF HEARTS (ORIGINAL MIX) *
7. WE CONNECT (SAFARI MIX) *
8. INSECURITY (INSTRUMENTAL) *
9. MUSIC OUT OF BOUNDS (INSTRUMENTAL) *
10. TWO OF HEARTS (INSTRUMENTAL) *
11. INSECURITY (BONUS BEATS 1) *
12. INSECURITY (BONUS BEATS 2) *
13. STACEY’S DREAM (ACAPELLA) *
14. WE CONNECT (12” DANCE RADIO EDIT) *
15. TWO OF HEARTS (CD ALBUM VERSION)

* denotes appearing on CD for the first time

CD 2 is crammed full of 12” mixes and remixes of ‘Two Of Hearts’ – the European Dance Mix, Q-Mix, Original Mix, Instrumental and the CD Album Version; ‘We Connect’ – Q-Mix, Safari Mix and the 12” Dance Radio Edit; ‘Insecurity’ – USA Dance Mix, Instrumental and Bonus Beats 1 & 2; ‘Music Out Of Bounds’ – Out Of Bounds Mix and Instrumental version.

Stacey Q was one of the myriad of Madonna wannabes who saturated the airwaves in the mid-’80s, but, unlike many of the pack, her debut album Better Than Heaven showed panache and a knowledge that she shouldn’t take herself too seriously.

The sexy monster hit ‘Two of Hearts,’ synthesized and insistent, benefited greatly from Q’s breathy, little-girl vocals (and the fact that it didn’t hit #1 on the Hot 100 is a crime!), while ‘We Connect’ was her only other venture into the Top 40. Tracks like ‘Music out of Bounds,’ ‘Love or Desire’ and ‘Dancing Nowhere’ all followed in the same vein, without being an actual copy of the blueprint lead single.

But, she does stray from the sex-kitten image on some cuts, and for the most part it is a cotton-candy result which is rather more, well, lighter than air, but nevertheless a tasty treat.

The title track is a sweet ode to love whereas ‘He Doesn’t Understand’ is repetitive to the point where she’s practically chanting, but the effect is almost lulling and ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ is so frothy the song practically floats!

Her vocals are simply perfect for this type of pop, let alone the more hyperactive tunes, and with a voice so well finely tuned, anyone can sing along.

Though she became more experimental with successive albums, Better Than Heaven is Stacey Q’s most accessible and most enjoyable work, in my humble opinion.

And now with a second disc of Bonus Tracks to enjoy, the stand outs here for me are the supreme ‘Two of Hearts (European Dance Mix),’ the dance floor, and keytar excellence of ‘Insecurity (USA Dance Mix),’ and then both the ‘Stacey’s Dream (Acapella)’ (where Overdrive was used in the Theme from S-Express) and the smooth synth riff grooves within ‘We Connect (12” Dance Radio Edit)’ (and which all now appear on CD for the very first time).

Official 2CD Purchase Link

www.cherryred.co.uk