WIWS Banner

The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

  • Home
  • News
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Features
    • Release Round-Up
    • Giveaways!
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Release Calendar
    • Coming Soon
    • Now Available
  • About
  • Second Disc Records
    • Full Catalog
  • Contact

/ News

Mind Blowing Decisions: Crimson Collects Three Discs of Heatwave

September 14, 2020 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

Heatwave Gold packshot

BUY NOW FROM AMAZON.CO.UK

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

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Disco/Dance, Funk, Pop, R&B/Soul Tags: Heatwave

Avatar photo

Mike Duquette

Michael Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he discovered there was more than one version of John Williams' soundtrack to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, with bylines on catalog at Discogs, City Pages and Ultimate Prince and credits on titles including the Grammy-winning 'Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic.' Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with an ever-expanding collection of music.

Connect With Mike:

You Might Also Like

  • LittleRichard RillThingRelease Round-Up: Week of September 18
  • Heatwave Always and ForeverToo Hot! Big Break Collects Heatwave On "Always and Forever"
  • Heatwave Too HotAlways and Forever: Big Break Reissues Heatwave, Silver Convention
  • Paul Williams Windy SideRelease Round-Up: Week of June 2

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Upcoming Releases

  • Crazy Horse All Roads Lead Home
    All Roads Lead Home
    Crazy Horse
    March 31, 2023
  • The Who With Orchestra Live at Wembley
    The Who with Orchestra Live at Wembley
    The Who
    March 31, 2023
  • The Birth of Bop
    The Birth of Bop: The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection
    Various Artists
    March 31, 2023
See Full Calendar

Connect

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,572 other subscribers

Popular

  • Rush Signals 40th
    Chemistry: Rush Revisits "Signals" For 40th Anniversary posted on March 22, 2023 | under News
  • Rick Springfield Springfield
    Call the Fire Brigade: Iconoclassic Premieres Rick Springfield's Lost 1974 Album "Springfield" in Expanded Edition posted on March 20, 2023 | under News
  • Talking Heads Stop Making Sense Deluxe 2LP
    What a Day That Was: Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense' Expanded for Vinyl, Film Reissue posted on March 17, 2023 | under News

Comments

  • small faces here come the nice2
    Return To Itchycoo Park: Small Faces' "Here Come The Nice" Deluxe Box Set Arrives In January [UPDATED 12/3] 84 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 3, 2013 | under News
  • the beatles u s albums box2
    British Invasion! The Beatles Unveil "The U.S. Albums" Box Set in January 69 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 12, 2013 | under News
  • Rolling Stones in Mono
    Out of Their Heads: Stones Plan Mono Box Set 47 comments | by Mike Duquette | posted on August 10, 2016 | under News

Music Resources

  • Addicted to Vinyl
  • Crap from the Past
  • Discogs
  • Film Score Monthly
  • IMWAN Forum – From the Vaults
  • MusicTAP
  • Musoscribe
  • Pause & Play
  • Popblerd
  • Popdose
  • Record Racks
  • Slicing Up Eyeballs
  • Steve Hoffman Music Forums
  • Ultimate Classic Rock
  • Vintage Vinyl News
  • Viva La Mainstream
  • Wolfgang's Vault

Labels of Note

  • Ace Records
  • Analog Spark
  • Bear Family
  • BGO Records
  • Big Break Records
  • Blixa Sounds
  • Cherry Red Label Group
  • Craft Recordings
  • Demon Music Group
  • Friday Music
  • Funky Town Grooves
  • Iconoclassic Records
  • Intervention Records
  • Intrada
  • Kritzerland
  • La La Land Records
  • Legacy Recordings
  • Light in the Attic
  • Masterworks Broadway
  • Now Sounds
  • Omnivore Recordings
  • Real Gone Music
  • Resonance Records
  • Rhino Entertainment
  • Rock Candy Records
  • SoulMusic Records
  • Sunset Blvd. Records
  • Supermegabot
  • Varese Sarabande
  • Vinyl Me, Please
  • Wounded Bird
Copyright © 2023 The Second Disc. All rights reserved. · Site by Metaglyphics

The Second Disc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy