Cherry Red Records (label)
13 February 2016 (released)
13 February 2016
Surprisingly this is the first time that Julia Fordham's debut has been giving the full re-mastering. Released in 1988, Fordham's arrival breathed fresh air through the rather dull music scene in the UK for females at the time. Her pop-jazz cross over was never more impressively demonstrated than on the single Happy Ever After, which opened this album. It was a top 30 hit in the UK and in the United States and captured Fordham's stunning vocal in fine form alongside a not too dated 80s' production. It still sounds reasonably fresh 28 years later.
The classy The Comfort of Strangers, Invisible War and Woman of the 80s also sound strong given a new production lift. The two CDs contain the original 11 track album as well as 14 bonus songs. Amongst them is Waiting for a Miracle, released here on CD for the first time. There is also a set of seven tracks, displaying her impressive vocal in a live setting, that previously appeared on an EP released alongside the album a few years ago,
Fordham's arrival in 1988 was at a time when women were not the power brokers in pop, unlike now. Forming a short list of Best Female in the Brits always proved hard. Now the likes of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Adele and Taylor Swift are the norm. Back then, Fordham's style and approach was refreshing. But despite this early promise, Fordham's career drifted away from the commercial arena and it may surprise many that she is still producing albums, with the latest in 2014. This re-release is a superb reminder of her unique sound.
