John Foxx compilations across the years Part 9

The John Foxx compilations went into overdrive for 2016, with no less than three compilations across CD and vinyl formats that were released throughout the year.

‘Burning Car’ UK LP (Metamatic Records, META59LP, 2016)

Release date: 28th January 2016

While the album doesn’t contain any otherwise previously unreleased material you can’t source elsewhere, if you are in the market for a vinyl companion piece to ‘Metamatic’ that gathers up the wonderful single versions and B sides of the period and salts it further with various alternative versions and curios of the period, and then package it up beautifully in a harmoniously worked sleeve design…then this release is for you!

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Track list:

Side One:

1. Film One
2. This City
3. No-One Driving (Single Version)
4. He’s A Liquid (Alternative Version)
5. Young Love
6. Like A Miracle (Alternative Version)

Side Two:

1. A New Kind Of Man (Alternative Version)
2. Burning Car
3. 20th Century
4. My Face
5. Mr No
6. Glimmer

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What is / was unique to this compilation?

None of the tracks on this compilation are otherwise unreleased or unique, though, for some, it is their first release on vinyl format, these being ‘Young Love’, the ‘Alternative Versions’ of ‘He’s A Liquid’, and ‘Like A Miracle’. (And for the vast majority of Foxx fans ‘A New Kind Of Man’, though it was of course on the cancelled 7” single of the same name that made way for ‘Underpass’ instead, and of which there are a small number of white label promo copies in circulation – see https://www.discogs.com/release/3011602-John-Foxx-A-New-Kind-Of-Man – so, technically, not new to vinyl.

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‘Additionally of interest…’

As noted above, some of the tracks are on vinyl for the first time, so that’s of interest if you prefer the format. Undoubtedly of interest is the wonderful sleeve packaging, courtesy of Jonathan Barnbrook, which very successfully merges his own style fused and ignited by the spirit of Foxx’s owndesign style that you’ll instantly recognise from the ‘Burning Car’ and ‘Dancing Like A Gun’ single picture sleeves. The album itself is a limited run of 750 copies, each copy being numbered.

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Where can the exclusives be sourced now?

Not applicable in this case.

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‘21st Century: A Man, A Woman And A City’ UK CD + DVD (Metamatic Records, META61CDDVD, 2016)

Release date: 27th May 2015

Also available as a single disc CD only edition (Metamatic Records, META61CD, 2016)

The second part of the “double release to celebrate 35 years as a solo artist” as had been advertised the year before when ‘20th Century: The Noise’ was first announced, this compilation focused very much on guest collaborations along with The Maths as opposed to including any solo works as such.

For those buying the deluxe version, a whole second disc was available with a selection of tracks from the three John Foxx And The Maths albums released up to that point accompanied by visuals directed by Macoto Tezka.

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Track list:

Disc One:

1. A Funny Thing (4’18”) ‡
2. Never Let Me Go (3’14”) ‡
3. Evergreen (4’16”) §
4. Interplay (2’40”) §
5. Catwalk (5’02”) §
6. Talk (Beneath Your Dreams) (4’52”) §+
7. Tides (3’58”) §
8. Evidence (Radio Edit) (3’22”) §~
9. Evangeline (Radio Edit) (3’49”) †
10. Almost There (3’50”) §¥
11. A Many Splendoured Thing (5’14”) §
12. A Man And A Woman (5’02”) §
13. Estrellita (4’50”) §€
14. The Good Shadow (OMD Remix) (3’50”) §
15. Changelings (3’55”) §^
16. The Shadow Of His Former Self (ADULT. Remix) (5’49”) §
17. Talk (Are You Listening To Me?) (5’13”) §$

Disc Two: ‘A Man, A Woman And A City – A Film By Macoto Tezka’

1. Astoria (0’47”) §
2. A Man And A Woman (5’03”) §
3. Psytron (0’44”) §
4. Evidence (5’24”) §~
5. Neon Vertigo (2’25”) §
6. Talk (2’57”) §
7. Myriads (1’30”) §
8. Walk (3’38”) §
9. A Falling Star (4’42”) §
10. Cloud Choreography (1’31”) §
11. Only Lovers Left Alive (4’55”) §
12. Psytron 2 (0’44”) §

Performers as noted:

‡ John Foxx and Louis Gordon

† Jori Hulkkonen with John Foxx

§ John Foxx And The Maths

§+ John Foxx And The Maths featuring Matthew Dear

§~ John Foxx And The Maths featuring The Soft Moon

§^ John Foxx And The Maths featuring Gazelle Twin

§$ John Foxx And The Maths featuring Gary Numan

§¥ John Foxx And The Belbury Circle

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An email of 9th February 2016 first publicised the album, as follows;

21st CENTURY: A MAN, A WOMAN AND A CITY
DELUXE CD/DVD
Release Date: 29/4/2016

Head to the official John Foxx store now to pre-order this new release, a compilation of John Foxx’s work from 2000 – 2016 featuring 2 new John Foxx & The Maths songs – ‘A Man And A Woman’ and ‘A Many Splendoured Thing’, remixes by Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark and ADULT. and a brand new collaboration with Gary Numan.

The Ltd Edition Deluxe Edition (1000 copes only) also features a DVD entitled A Man, A Woman And A City consisting of 11 films created by Macoto Tezka with music by John Foxx & The Maths. This unique collaboration will only be available on the Deluxe Edition. There are also three exclusive John Foxx And The Maths digital downloads as part of the Deluxe package.

For more information please visit the Official John Foxx store.

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Quite a few exclusives to be had then. For the packaging, once again a very tastefully put together collaboration of Foxx’s visual aesthetics and Jonathan Barnbrook’s design and typographical constructs.

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What is / was unique to this compilation?

This compilation includes two brand new John Foxx And The Maths songs, these being;

• ‘A Man And A Woman’
• ‘A Many Splendoured Thing’

There were also an exclusive John Foxx And The Maths collaboration with Gary Numan on this album;
‘Talk (Are You Listening To Me?’) featuring Gary Numan

And finally, two previously unreleased remixes by OMD and ADULT;

• ‘The Good Shadow’ (OMD Remix) (3:30)
• ‘The Shadow Of His Former Self’ (ADULT. Remix) (5:49)

Also exclusive to the Deluxe Edition was a digital download of three previously unreleased John Foxx And The Maths recordings featuring John Foxx, Benge and Hannah Peel at MemeTune Studios. These were advertised to ‘be automatically downloaded as part of the Deluxe Edition on the day of release and will not be available on any other version of the album’.

• Evidence (Live At MemeTune) (5:11)
• My Town (Live At MemeTune) (2:56)
• Walk (Live At MemeTune) (3:58)

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‘Additionally of interest…’

• ‘Evidence’ (Radio Edit) (3:22)
• ’Evangeline’ (Radio Edit) (3:49)

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Where can the exclusives be sourced now?

None of the exclusives have been re-released elsewhere, so you’ll need to track down this release if you want to find them.

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Summary

With a focus on the John Foxx And The Maths era, while still finding time to look back to some of the work with a Louis Gordon, this compilation is quite varied, heavily focussed on guest collaborations and includes quite a few exclusives, which have not been re-released elsewhere since. So, all in all, if this era of Foxx’s work interests you, this compilation should be considered well worth investigating.

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‘Electronic Sound Presents 12 Original Tracks By John Foxx’ UK CD (Electronic Sound, Electronic Sound 3, 2016)

This compilation CD came free with issue 23 of Electronic Sound music magazine, September 2016, packaged in a simple card sleeve featuring one of John’s vintage photos used most memorably in his ‘Cathedral Oceans’ work. Quite unusual amongst the giveaway CDs from Electronic Sound magazine, which have tended to be multi-artist compilations as opposed to focus on the work of one main act.

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Track list:

1. Twilight’s Last Gleaming (4’25”)
2. CinemaScope (3’29”)
3. From Trash (4’35”) ‡
4. Everyone (5’42”) ‡
5. Flightpath Tegel (4’05”)
6. Evergreen (Radio Mix)’ (3:26) §
7. September Town (3’51”) §
8. Falling Away (5’42”) §
9. Evidence Of Time Travel (3’55”) ***
10. The Other Side (5’21”)
11. Sunset Rising (2’39”)
12. A Green Thought In A Green Shade (7’36”) %

All tracks by John Foxx except as noted:

‡ John Foxx and Louis Gordon

§ John Foxx And The Maths

*** John Foxx & Steve D’Agostino

% Ghost Harmonic

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What is / was unique to this compilation?

There were no new exclusives to this compilation.

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‘Additionally of interest…’

‘Evergreen (Radio Mix)’ (3:26)

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Where can the exclusives be sourced now?

Not applicable in this case.

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Summary

As a free ‘taster’ CD given away with ‘Electronic Music’ magazine, it acts as a wide-ranging sample of Foxx’s mostly 21st century work with only minimal focus on his early ‘80s solo works.