Spectrum Vinyl & CDs

Review: While compilations of 1980s pop music are ten-a-penny, most tend to focus on the most celebrated hits and biggest singles. Spectrum's latest, Pop Gems: The 80s, takes a different approach, combining familiar numbers (Dexy's 'Celtic Soul Brothers', Roxy Music's 'Same Old Scene' and the Human League's 'Human') with forgotten treats and less-celebrated cuts from big names of the era (Tears For Fears, Ah-Ha, Shakin' Stevens, Adam Ant, ABC, Duran Duran, Boy George, Five Star, Bros etc). There's also a sprinkling of crossover American dancefloor hits too, from the likes of Chaka Khan, Womack & Womack, Sheila E, Cameo and Jakki Graham). It packs in plenty of three discs, as you'd expect, and even finds space for a dash of Fairground Convention!