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ZANG TUUM TUMB: THE RE-ORGANIZATION OF POP

VARIOUS ARTISTS

This is a spin-off from last year's Zang Tuum Tumb - The Organization Of Pop (New York Edition) compilation album that was released to celebrate thirty years of ZTT Records and is the second of that label's new releases for Record Store Day 2014. Unlike Live At The End Of A Century by Art of Noise, this set is aimed at the American market and is the most ambitious of the two.

The box set itself, is a work of art, complete with track by track commentary in the accompanying booklet.

At first glance it would appear that the ten singles included are just reprints of previously released 45s. Explore a little further and one will be pleasantly surprised as only a few were released in the US prior to this set. For example Art of Noise's Beat Box (Diversion Six and Seven) was only ever released in the UK in a generic die-cut sleeve, unlike here where it now has a picture sleeve for the first time.

There are three exclusive singles included in this set that have never been made commercially available before, Andrew Poppy's 32 Frames, originally release as a 12" in 1986, Chance by Act that was withdrawn prior to its 1988 release date due to copyright issues and Zambient Two that features Dolphins by Heights of Abraham on its A-side and Lisa Stansfield's When Love Breaks Down on side B. Of course no ZTT compilation would be complete without Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Propaganda.

Like Record Store Day 2014 in the UK, this release (of just one thousand) are only available from specialist record stores, but no doubt that by Saturday afternoon there will be more than a few of these items listed on eBay at extortionate prices, this is the downside to Record Store Day as it attracts touts that exploit genuine fans and collectors. My advice for Saturday the 14th April is if you see one buy it, as it will cost you a lot more from auction sites.

- KM Whitehouse, April 2014