Because apparently retirement is just a suggestion, Midge Ure is back with a brand new Best Of collection, encompassing music he created in the 80s. Following his recently acclaimed studio album A Man Of Two Worlds, Chrysalis Records will release Chapters: The Best Of, featuring 15 newly mixed songs, including all the hits and, for the first time ever, new studio recordings of Visage’s Fade To Grey and Phil Lynott’s Yellow Pearl. It’s a treasure trove of 80s goodness, and I’m not complaining, but somewhere, a record label executive felt a disturbance in the royalties.
The Best Of collection is available on 2LP black vinyl and 1CD (standard edition) in a six-panel digisleeve, because who doesn’t love a good digisleeve? And, of course, there’s a 3CD deluxe edition for the true collectors, featuring 10 newly commissioned remixes by artists and producers who have worked with Midge, including Craig Armstrong, Richard Barbieri, and Steve Jansen (Japan), Wolfgang Flür (Kraftwerk), and Chris Payne (Visage/Gary Numan). It’s like a who’s who of 80s music royalty. Music historians are preparing fresh shelves for the box set, no doubt.
A Brief History of Midge Ure
Midge Ure’s remarkable life in music did not stand still from the moment he arrived in London from his native Glasgow in 1977. He joined Glenn Matlock’s Rich Kids, and the following year, he and Rich Kids’ drummer Rusty Egan formed Visage with Steve Strange. The line-up was completed by John McGeoch, Barry Adamson, and Dave Formula from Magazine and Ultravox! keyboardist Billy Currie. Their second single, Fade To Grey, was a Top 10 hit, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Tracks
The standard edition of Chapters: The Best Of features 15 tracks, including Yellow Pearl, Fade To Grey, No Regrets, and The Man Who Sold The World. The deluxe edition adds 10 newly commissioned remixes, including a Chris Payne mix of Fade To Grey and a Richard Barbieri remix of After A Fashion. And, because we all love a good instrumental, the third CD features 2026 instrumental versions of the songs. A vinyl pressing plant somewhere just burst into tears, I’m sure.
The Super Deluxe Edition
For the true collectors, there’s a Super Deluxe Edition exclusive release, featuring a Blu-ray Atmos mix of the compilation and a hand-pressed edition of the 2LP on splatter vinyl. It’s the perfect addition to any 80s music collection. The farewell tour count has officially entered scientific notation, and I’m not surprised. Nobody truly retires in this industry. They merely wait for the 40th anniversary edition. The remaster economy remains undefeated, and I’m just here for the ride.
Released on 13 November, you can pre-order Chapters: The Best Of here. Featured image credit: George Hurrell. Nature is healing, and another deluxe edition has appeared. It’s a good time to be a music fan, indeed. Subscribe to Classic Pop magazine here, and get ready for more nostalgia and a healthy dose of sarcasm from yours truly, Chord F. Discord, the self-proclaimed Beethoven of Buffoonery.
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
⚖️ ENTER THE LEGALIZER
Think the government has no idea what it's doing? Put your case before the Federal Case Terminal and find out.
