"Wow, he's got a great face!"  That was Madonna's first reaction to then-model, future pop star Nick Kamen.  She recollected, "I never knew he could sing.  And the next thing I know, Seymour Stein calls me up and says, 'would you be interested in writing a song for his album?'  So he sent me a tape and the Levi's commercial and a demo video that he had done, and I said, 'Wow, this guy's got everything.'"  Now, fans of Kamen can have everything, too, as Cherry Red has just released The Complete Collection from the pop vocalist.  The 6CD set offers remastered versions of all four albums Kamen recorded for Warner's WEA label between 1987 and 1992, plus dozens of bonus tracks and remixes, many of them previously unreleased or new to CD.  Two never-before-heard tracks are also available: covers of The Everly Brothers' "So Sad" and Breakfast Club's "Right On Track."

It's that latter cover that points toward how Kamen's career took off. Artistic talent certainly runs in the family: among Kamen's siblings are Chester, a guitarist who's played with Bryan Ferry, David Gilmour and Roger Waters; and Barry, a stylist and designer. Barry and Nick co-founded the influential Buffalo collective, a highly influential group in European streetwear during the '80s; it was here that Nick first earned attention, particularly for a striking cover of U.K. magazine The Face in 1984, when he was only 22. A year later, he starred in a notable British commercial for Levi's that saw him stripping to his underwear in a laundromat to the strains of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (which re-entered the charts as a result).

After signing to WEA, Kamen collaborated with producer Stephen Bray, already well known for his association with Madonna. (The duo met in college and were both members of dance-pop outfit Breakfast Club before Madonna secured a record contract of her own; together, the duo wrote "Angel," "Into The Groove," "True Blue" and "Express Yourself," among others.) Kamen's lead single, 1986's "Each Time You Break My Heart," was written by the pair during the sessions to True Blue, and Madonna contributed backing vocals to this version. It reached No. 5 on both the U.K. pop charts and Billboard's dance survey in America. The self-titled debut produced by Stewart Levine (Minnie Riperton, B.B. King, Simply Red) had originally been conceived as a covers record, emphasizing R&B and Motown-inspired stylings.  Levine and Kamen updated songs from Sam Cooke ("Win Your Love"), Chuck Jackson (Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard's "Any Day Now"), and The Fleetwoods ("Come Softly to Me") as well as a U.K. Top 20 cover of the Four Tops' "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" and a version of Benny Mardones' "Into The Night," which reached the U.S. Top 20 in 1980 and would do so again in 1989.  Kamen even tackled Bob Dylan's "The Man in Me," likely inspired by the reggae-tinged covers from Matumbi and Joe Cocker.  In addition to "Each Time You Break My Heart," the album was peppered with new material by Brenda Russell ("Nobody Else") and David Lasley ("Help Me Baby").

Despite the success of Nick Kamen in the U.K. and other European territories including Italy, Switzerland, and The Netherlands, further chart hits in England were rare for Kamen; only "Tell Me," the lead single from 1988's sophomore album Us, cracked the Top 40. The song also featured more vocals by Madonna; "Tell Me" was co-written and produced by another one of her notable collaborators, Patrick Leonard.  But the song did exceptionally well in Italy, where it became his second chart-topper.  Differing from its predecessor, Us emphasized original songs co-written by Kamen and was a multi-producer affair calling upon the services of Jeff Pescetto, David Williams, Gardner Cole, and J.J. Jeczalik.  Guests included musicians Anne Dudley, Lenny Castro, and Paulinho da Costa as well as background vocalist Judie Tzuke - an accomplished singer-songwriter in her own right.  Her husband, Paul Muggleton, would participate in Kamen's next two albums.

1990's "I Promised Myself" from 1990's Move Until We Fly became a Top 10 hit in several countries across Europe, later covered by Dead Or Alive and A-Teens in the 2000s. The album found Nick taking even more control of his career and penning even more original songs.  Perhaps in a bid to remind listeners of his roots, however, he found room for more R&B covers with Edwin Starr's "Oh How Happy," a 1966 hit for The Shades of Blue, and Curtis Mayfield's "Um Um Um Um Um Um," the smash 1963 single by Major Lance.  While the U.K. had seemingly turned its back on Kamen, Move Until We Fly saw impressive chart action in Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland.  The producers of Move Until We Fly - Kamen, Mike Paxman, and Paul Muggleton - would return for his final LP, 1992's Whatever, Wherever.  While Kamen continued to grow as a singer-songwriter in a blue-eyed soul/synthpop vein, it remains his final album to date.

All four albums have been generously expanded on this collection.  Additionally, two discs of Remixes and Rarities feature 32 more bonus tracks, including instrumentals, remixes by Arthur Baker and Jellybean, a megamix, and non-LP sides including a cover of Paul Anka's "Lonely Boy."

Kamen's musical story is definitively told in this box set, which features a 24-page booklet with new recollections from Bray and collaborator Toby Andersen (Curiosity Killed The Cat) in Alan Connor's essay.  (Connor tells Kamen's story well, though one typo is unintentionally amusing: Kamen's given name is mentioned as "Ivor Novello Kamen."  Ivor Novello was. of course, the Welsh composer and actor who was one of Britain's most successful entertainers and songwriters for the first half of the 20th century.  Nick's birth name was Ivor Neville Kamen.)  The booklet also includes credits, an illustrated singles discography, and plenty of images of the photogenic artist.  Simon Murphy has remastered all discs.

The Complete Collection reveals that Nick Kamen was more than just a pretty face; it's a fine tribute to his enjoyable body of work merging 1980s pop with a classic R&B feel.  The box set is available now at the links below.

Nick Kamen, The Complete Collection (Cherry Pop QCRPOPBOX219 (U.K.), 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Disc 1: Nick Kamen and bonus tracks

1. Win Your Love
2. Open The Door To Your Heart
3. Nobody Else
4. Into The Night
5. Come Softly To Me
6. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
7. Each Time You Break My Heart
8. The Man In Me
9. Any Day Now
10. Help Me Baby
11. Baby After Tonight
12. Miss You
13. Each Time You Break My Heart (Dance Mix)
14. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever (Extended Dance Mix)
15. Nobody Else (7" Version)
16. Open The Door To Your Heart (Extended Version)
17. Each Time You Break My Heart (Instrumental)

Tracks 1-12 released as WEA U.K. 242080, 1987
Tracks 13 and 17 released on WEA U.K. 12" YZ90T, 1986
Track 14 released on WEA U.K. 12" YZ106T, 1987
Track 15 released on WEA U.K. single YZ122, 1987

Disc 2: Us and bonus tracks

1. Bring Me Your Love
2. Turn It Up
3. Guilty
4. This Is Really Love
5. Count On Me
6. Tell Me
7. I Can't Live Without Your Love
8. Wonders Of You
9. Steal Love
10. Better Be Good Tonite
11. Bring Me Your Love (7" Version)
12. Tell Me (Extended Mix)
13. Bring Me Your Love (Extended Mix)
14. Turn It Up (12" Mix)
15. Tell Me (Dub Mix)
16. Don't Hold Out

Tracks 1-10 released as WEA U.K. 242398, 1988
Track 11 released on WEA U.K. single YZ202, 1988
Track 12 released on WEA U.K. 12" YZ184T, 1988
Track 13 released on WEA U.K. 12" YZ202T, 1988
Track 15 released on WEA U.K. limited 12" YZ184TW, 1988
Track 16 released on WEA Italian single 24 7247-7, 1988

Disc 3: Move Until We Fly and bonus tracks

1. I Promised Myself
2. Oh How Happy
3. Looking Good Diving
4. Somebody's Arms To Hold Me
5. Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um
6. Take Back My Hand Child
7. We Can Make It
8. Agony & Ecstasy
9. You Are
10. I Want More
11. Move Until We Fly
12. Love Street
13. Sacrifice Your Reputation
14. Oh How Happy (7" Version)
15. Looking Good Diving (7" Version)
16. Agony & Ecstasy (7" Version)
17. I Promised Myself (Independiente Mix)

Tracks 1-11 released as WEA U.K. 71059, 1990
Tracks 12 and 14 released as WEA U.K. single YZ501, 1990
Tracks 13 and 16 released as WEA U.K. single YZ526, 1990
Track 15 released on WEA U.K. single YZ546, 1990
Track 17 released on WEA U.K. 12" YZ454T, 1990

Disc 4: Whatever, Whenever and bonus tracks

1. We'll Never Lose What We Have Found
2. Whatever, Whenever
3. You're Not The Only One
4. Nothing Rhymes Now
5. Did I Imagine You
6. This Is Our Time
7. Don't You Know
8. I Need You
9. There Was a Time In America
10. You and I Are Here
11. I'll Find Another Way
12. We'll Never Lose What We Have Found (7" Version)
13. I Know Where You Are
14. We'll Never Lose What We Have Found (Club Mix)
15. You're Not The Only One (Youth Sa Roush Mix)
16. You're Not The Only One (Extended Mix)

Tracks 1-11 released as WEA U.K. 77168, 1992
Tracks 12-13 released as WEA U.K. single YZ672, 1992
Track 14 released on WEA U.K. 12" YZ672T, 1992
Track 15 released on WEA U.K. 12" YZ655T, 1992

Discs 5-6: Remixes & Rarities

1. Each Time You Break My Heart (Shep Pettibone Extended Version)
2. Win Your Love (The Love Mix)
3. Nobody Else (Arthur Baker Dance Mix)
4. Come Softly To Me (12" Version) *
5. Nobody Else (Jellybean 12" Version)
6. Each Time You Break My Heart (U.S. Mix)
7. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever (Alternative Mix) *
8. Oh How Happy (Bubble Mix) *
9. Tell Me (Instrumental) *
10. Bring Me Your Love (Instrumental) *
11. Agony & Ecstasy (Instrumental) *
12. Looking Good Diving (Instrumental) *
13. Oh How Happy (Instrumental) *
14. I Promised Myself (Instrumental) *
15. Agony & Ecstasy (Dawn Mix)
16. Lonely Boy

1. Us Megamix
2. Nobody Else (Alternative 12" Mix)
3. Oh How Happy (Wow How Hippy Mix)
4. Looking Good Diving (Extended Mix)
5. Count On Me (7" Version)
6. So Sad
7. Right On Track
8. Oh How Happy (G.U.C.C.I. Mix)
9. Take Back My Hand Child (Alternative Version)
10. Win Your Love (Instrumental)
11. Wonders Of You (Backing Track)
12. Somebody's Arms To Hold Me (Instrumental)
13. You Are (Instrumental)
14. You're Not The Only One (Instrumental)
15. Come Softly To Me (Backing Track)
16. Oh What a Night

Disc 5, Tracks 1 and 6 released on Sire U.S. 12" 0-20632, 1986
Disc 5, Track 2 released on WEA Italian 12" 24 8291-0, 1987
Disc 5, Track 3 released on WEA U.K. 12" YZ122T, 1987
Disc 5, Track 5 released on Sire U.S. 12" 0-20750, 1987
Disc 5, Track 15 released on WEA U.K. 12" YZ526T, 1990
Disc 5, Track 16 from Shag: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Sire 25800, 1989
Disc 6, Track 3 released on WEA U.K. 12" YZ501T, 1990
Disc 6, Track 4 released on WEA U.K. 12" YZ546T, 1990
Disc 6, Track 16 released on U.S. pressing of Us - Sire 25772, 1988​

(*) previously unreleased