Autumn's almost here, but Demon's Crimson imprint is planning a Heatwave with the impending release of a 3CD collection in the label's Gold series that covers the U.K. R&B group in detail.

Though they were based in England and signed to the country's GTO label (with Epic handling their works in the U.S.), Heatwave showcased the potential of soul, funk and R&B in the disco era to connect with a global audience. At the core of the band were two Americans (singers Johnnie Wilder, Jr. and his brother Keith), a Swiss bassist (Mario Mantese), a Czech drummer (Ernest "Bilbo" Berger), a Jamaican guitarist (Eric Johns), and two Brits: guitarist Roy Carter and keyboardist Rod Temperton. It was Temperton who was the group's secret weapon, penning nearly every track during the group's tenure.

Heatwave's debut album Too Hot To Handle (1976) and follow-up Central Heating (released in 1978, a year after its predecessor received a U.S. release) were tailor-made for the dance floor - both uptempo (the U.K. and U.S. No. 2 hit "Boogie Nights," "The Groove Line") or slow-dance ("Always and Forever," covered in a Grammy-nominated performance by Luther Vandross in 1994). Both albums earned platinum certifications from the RIAA as well as silver discs from the British Phonographic Industry.  Central Heating produced another U.K. Top 20 in "Mind Blowing Decisions."

Third album Hot Property (1979) marked some significant changes for the group when three of the members departed the lineup: Temperton (who nonetheless continued to write most of their material as well as others, notably for Michael Jackson on Off The Wall and Thriller), Johns (replaced by guitarist William L. Jones) and Mantese (incapacitated in a stabbing during a domestic dispute and replaced by Derek Bramble).  More hard times were ahead that year, after a car accident left Johnnie Wilder paralyzed. He recovered enough to continue singing with and producing Heatwave, and the group scored one more U.K. hit, "Gangsters of the Groove," before hanging things up in 1982. (A later incarnation of the group, for which only Keith Wilder and Billy Jones returned, released one more album in 1988.)

Though Heatwave have been compiled many times before - most recently by Big Break Records in 2016 - Crimson bills Gold as "the only Heatwave compilation you'll ever need," and it's a pretty convincing argument. Whereas BBR's Always and Forever: Love Songs and Smooth Grooves featured a single-disc, 17-track overview, Gold keeps the party going across three discs and 45 tracks. That not only includes full-length album versions of Heatwave favorites but unique single mixes (including the first release of original U.S. single versions of "One Night Tan" and "Turn Around" from the original tapes), a selection of deep cuts, three non-LP B-sides, and a disc entirely devoted to extended dance selections (both vintage 12" versions and four new-to-CD mixes created by latter-day disco king Mike Maurro and released on vinyl in 2017).

Heatwave's Gold was compiled and sequenced by Wayne A. Dickson, who also contributes brief liner notes and mastered alongside Nick Robbins. The set comes in a digipak with in-depth track/discographical notes and chart positions. It's out this Friday, September 18, and can be ordered below!

Gold (Crimson CRIMCD677 (U.K.), 2020)

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Disc 1

1. Boogie Nights
2. Ain't No Half Steppin'
3. Too Hot To Handle
4. Always and Forever
5. The Groove Line
6. Eyeballin'
7. Super Soul Sister
8. Mind Blowing Decisions
9. Razzle Dazzle
10. Central Heating
11. Party Poops
12. Slip Your Disc To This
13. One Night Tan
14. Turn Out The Lamplight
15. Happiness Togetherness
16. All You Do Is Dial
17. Raise a Blaze
18. Put The Word Out

Disc 2

1. Gangsters Of The Groove
2. Lettin' It Loose
3. Jitterbuggin'
4. The Big Guns
5. Therm Warfare
6. The Star Of a Story
7. Turn Around
8. Goin' Crazy
9. All Talked Out
10. Dreamin' You
11. Birthday
12. Look After Love
13. Where Did I Go Wrong
14. Find It In Your Heart
15. Posin' 'Til Closin'
16. Disco

Disc 3

1. The Groove Line (The Mike Maurro Remix)
2. Boogie Nights (The Mike Maurro Remix)
3. Too Hot To Handle (The Mike Maurro Remix)
4. Always and Forever (The Mike Maurro Remix)
5. Mind Blowing Decisions (12" Disco Version)
6. Ain't No Half Steppin' (Album Version)
7. Eyeballin' (12" Version)
8. Gangsters Of The Groove (12" Version)
9. Turn Around (Single Version)
10. Lettin' It Loose (12" Version)
11. The Groove Line (12" Disco Version)

Disc 1, Tracks 1-4 (original version of 2), 7 and 16 and Disc 3, Track 6 from Too Hot To Handle (GTO (U.K.), 1976/Epic (U.S.), 1977)
Disc 1, Tracks 5, 8, 10-11, 15 and 18 and Disc 2, Track 6 from Central Heating (GTO (U.K.)/Epic (U.S.), 1978)
Disc 1, Tracks 6, 9, original version of 13 and 17 and Disc 2, Tracks 5, 9 and 16 from Hot Property (GTO (U.K.)/Epic (U.S.), 1979)
Disc 1, Track 12 from "Too Hot To Handle" single - GTO GT-91, 1977
Disc 1, Track 14 from "Super Soul Sister" single - GTO GT-68, 1976
Disc 2, Tracks 1, 3, 7-8, 13 and 15 and Disc 2, Tracks 7 (original version) and 10 from Candles (GTO (U.K.)/Epic (U.S.), 1981)
Disc 2, Tracks 2, 4, 12 and 14 from Current (Epic, 1982)
Disc 2, Track 11 from "Razzle Dazzle" single - GTO GT-248, 1979
Disc 3, Tracks 1 and 4 from Above Board/Brookside U.K. 12" single BRAB-09, 2017
Disc 3, Tracks 2-3 from Above Board/Brookside U.K. 12" single BRAB-08, 2017
Disc 3, Track 5 from Epic Disco U.S. 12" single 28-50597, 1978
Disc 3, Track 7 from Epic U.S. 12" single 28-50724, 1979
Disc 3, Track 8 from GTO U.K. 12" single GT-23 285, 1980
Disc 3, Track 9 from Epic U.S. single 14-02446, 1981
Disc 3, Track 10 from Epic U.K. 12" single EPC A-13 2414, 1982
Disc 3, Track 11 from Epic U.S. 12" single 28-50541, 1978