Various Artists - Four from the Madding Crowd

Here is a compilation on Gary Levermore's Third Mind label from 1986, Four from the Madding Crowd, the "four" referring to the four bands contained on the album: Royal Family and the Poor, Bushido (Levermore's band), Intimate Obsessions, and Ohama Meets Dania. The first Royal Family & the Poor track is an extended version of the title track from their second Factory album (and is the best orchestrated of all their songs), and "Dog Star" was originally available only on this album; both songs were included on the CD reissue of We Love the Moon. Of the Bushido songs, "Time" and the instrumental "Chance Meeting" are exclusive to this album, as are all three instrumental tracks by Intimate Obsessions. Ohama Meets Dania is the Calgary (Canada)-based duo of synth man Tona Ohama and singer Dania George; their two long synthpop tracks were included on their 1986 album Love Only Lasts a While. The full track list is:

01 Royal Family & the Poor - We Love The Moon
02 Royal Family & the Poor - Dog Star
03 Bushido - Recalled To Life
04 Bushido - Chance Meeting
05 Bushido - Time
06 Intimate Obsessions - Mishima
07 Intimate Obsessions - Baruch
08 Intimate Obsessions - Confessions of a Mask
09 Ohama Meets Dania - Lonely Hearts Dance
10 Ohama Meets Dania - Take Me Dancing

Get the vinyl rip here or here.

Royal Family and the Poor - Live 1983-1985

Royal Family and the Poor is the musical vehicle of Michael Keane of Liverpool. Keane is steeped in mystical and occult traditions, and his best work (which is most of it) conveys all the attendant beauty, joy, fear, and mystery of his spiritual endeavors, by turns gentle and powerful. After two albums for Factory Records, Keane left the label and signed up with Bourbonese Qualk's Recloose Organization. The vinyl fruit of that alliance is a single album, Live 1983-1985. The performances capture the gentle side of Keane's musical vision as he sings over a drum machine and backing synths. The tracks and recording dates are as follows:

1. Restrained in a Moment (which Keane introduces by its alternate title, "I Love You") - London, 24.1.85
2. Dawn Song - Edinburgh, 5.2.85
3. Visions - Glasgow, 6.2.85
4. Transparent - Liverpool, 2.4.85
5. Something Someone - Stafford, 6.5.83
6. Destiny - Stafford, 6.5.83
7. Heartbeat - Edinbugh, 5.2.85

Live 1983-1985 was issued in a limited edition of 1,000 copies. It was not reissued on CD by LTM's Boutique label along with the rest of the Royal Family and the Poor catalog. Get the vinyl rip here or here.