New album marks 30 years of the very best of Erasure

Andy Bell from Erasure unexpectedly sat next to me with a baked potato as his minder queued for drinks. This surreal experience was just a day after I introduced him on stage at Foodies Festival at Inverleith Park where he was performing an excerpt from his Fringe show.

I managed a great wee radio interview then too when he revealed that Blue Savanna was his favourite Erasure single to date and luckily one that I was familiar with and had played extensively.

Fast forward to this week and the release on heavy weight vinyl of Always (The Very Best Of Erasure) via Mute/BMG. Originally released in 2015 to celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary, this new edition comes as a double LP for the first time.

Andy and Vince Clarke make up Erasure, and their recent album, The Neon, was their most successful in ages entering the UK chart at number four. There are 20 hits on it, and some massive party favourites within. Take A Chance On Me comes from the time they released an EP of their favourite Abba songs called Abbaesque and the result was a chart-topping smash.

An obvious fan, Andy would then record Summer Night City as a duet with Steps’ Claire Richards a couple of months ago for her solo album, Euphoria. On the Erasure compilation though everyone will know A Little Respect, Sometimes and Stop but so many others become old friends on a renewed hearing. Who Needs Love Like That is one and Chains Of Love and Drama are others along with Love To Hate You and Oh L’Amour up to the more recent Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling) from the current album.