Between 1986 and 1988, British pop duo Mel and Kim charted four top 5 entries on the U.K. Singles Chart, including one chart-topper there and two songs which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Dance survey. Sisters Melanie and Kim Appleby's career was cut short when Mel tragically died of cancer at just 23 years of age in 1990. But they left behind a vibrant body of work which has recently been celebrated by Cherry Red's Cherry Pop imprint on a new box set. Mel and Kim's The Singles Box Set collects all seven of their singles (all released between 1986 and 1990) on seven CDs. Each disc features multiple remixes, ranging from four to fourteen tracks per disc, from the various versions of each single. The singles were originally issued in the U.K., Scandinavia, the U.S., and continental Europe.
The box contains:
- Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend) b/w System (1986, 14 tracks)
- Respectable (1987, 12 tracks)
- L.M. b/w Showing Out/Respectable Mega Mix (1987, 12 tracks)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (U.S. only) (1988, 14 tracks)
- That's the Way It Is b/w You Changed My Life (1988, 13 tracks)
- More Than Words Can Say b/w You Changed My Life (Scandinavia only) (1989, 4 tracks)
- Megamix: Ninety! b/w Showing Out (continental Europe only) (1990, 7 tracks)
Born to British and Jamaican parents, Mel and Kim's demos earned them a deal with Supreme Records, the label affiliated with Pete Waterman of the Stock Aitken Waterman production and songwriting triumvirate. Their song "System" was originally intended as the B-side of their debut single, but the producer-songwriters felt that the sound was too soft for the duo. Instead, the single was flipped, and the house-influenced "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" was made the A-side. It proved to be the right decision, as the track skyrocketed to No. 3 on the U.K. Singles Chart and No. 1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play countdown. It also topped the charts in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Their second single, "Respectable," topped the British chart even as their eye-opening look - blending urban street attire with high fashion - gained them further attention. The S-A-W track repeated the U.S. Dance success of "Showing Out," and reached No. 1 in eight countries. Third and fourth U.K. singles "F.L.M." and "That's the Way It Is" garnered Mel and Kim an unbroken string of four consecutive top ten hits.
Sadly, the cancer for which Mel had been treated in 1985, prior to her breakthrough success, recurred. Following the release of "That's the Way It Is," the singer confirmed her diagnosis and work on a proposed album to follow up Mel and Kim's smash debut F.L.M. was stopped. In January 1990, Mel died of pneumonia resulting in her weakened immune system from the cancer. Kim paid tribute to her late sister with her self-titled solo debut released later in 1990 which included many of the tracks originally written for the Mel and Kim follow-up.
The Singles Box Set is housed in an attractive lift-off-lid box with each of its seven discs housed in an individual mini-sleeve. A 24-page booklet features Kim's handwritten introduction, two pages of liner notes from Tom Parker, discographical annotation, and lyrics for each track. Kim has also provided her handwritten memories of selected tracks and photographs in the booklet. Parker has also remastered the singles and designed the box's artwork.
This collection is a stylish tribute to the duo's dance anthems. It's available now at the links below from Cherry Pop!
Mel and Kim, The Singles Box Set (Cherry Pop PPOPBOX 200, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
CD 1: Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)
- Showing Out
- System (House Mix)
- Showing Out (Extended Version)
- Showing Out (The Mortgage Mix)
- Showing Out (The Freehold Mix)
- Showing Out (Edit)
- System (Garage Vocal)
- System (12" House Mix)
- System (Alternative Mix)
- System (Original 12" Mix)
- System (U.S. Album Edit)
- System (Dub)
- Showing Out (Instrumental)
- System (Instrumental)
CD 2: Respectable
- Respectable
- Respectable (Extended Version)
- Respectable (Extra Beats Vocal)
- Respectable (The Tabloid Mix)
- Respectable (Shop Mix)
- Respectable (Full Album Version)
- Respectable (Alternative 12" Mix)
- Respectable (Pete Hammond Mix)
- Respectable (Mega Remix)
- Respectable (Extra Beats Version)
- Respectable (Instrumental)
- Respectable (12" Instrumental)
CD 3: F.L.M.
- L.M.
- L.M. (Extended Version)
- L.M. (Club Mix)
- L.M. (Sonic Remix)
- L.M. (Auto Mix)
- L.M. (Two Grooves Under One Nation Remix)
- L.M. (Two Grooves Under One Nation Dub)
- L.M. (Two Grooves Under One Nation 7" Mix)
- L.M. (Phil Harding Mix)
- L.M. (Beat Boys Mix)
- L.M. (Beat Boys Dub)
- Showing Out/Respectable Mega Mix
CD 4: I'm the One Who Really Loves You
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Pop Radio 7" Mix)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Hip Hop Radio Mix)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Stardom Groove Club Mix)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Kickin' Live Mix)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Groove Dub)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Done Properly Dub)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Pop Radio Mix)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Chicago Club Mix)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Chicago Dubstramental)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Chicago Radio Mix)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Yoyo's 12" Mix)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Original Mix)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Alternative Mix)
- I'm the One Who Really Loves You (Instrumental)
CD 5: That's the Way It Is
- That's the Way It Is
- You Changed My Life
- That's the Way It Is (Extended Version)
- That's the Way It Is (House Remix)
- That's the Way It Is (Acid House Remix)
- That's the Way It Is (Acid Dub)
- That's the Way It Is (Acid Pop Mix)
- That's the Way It Is (Original 12" Mix)
- That's the Way It Is (Original Dub)
- That's the Way It Is (Instrumental)
- That's the Way It Is (Acid Pop Instrumental)
- You Changed My Life (Instrumental)
- That's the Way It Is (Radio Jingles)
CD 6: More Than Words Can Say
- More Than Words Can Say
- You Changed My Life (Alternative Mix)
- More Than Words Can Say (Extended Version)
- More Than Words Can Say (Instrumental)
CD 7: Megamix: Ninety!
- The Mel & Kim 1990 Mega-Mix
- Showing Out (The Italo House Mix)
- The Mel & Kim 1990 Mega-Mix (Extended Version)
- The Mel & Kim 1990 Mega-Mix (Alternative Version)
- The Mel & Kim 1990 Mega-Mix (12" Remix)
- Showing Out (The Italo House 12" Mix)
- Showing Out (Techno Mix)
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