With the many best albums and compilation albums featuring A Flock of Seagulls, which version should one get? I answer that question in this blog post.
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BAND: A Flock of Seagulls
ALBUM: Playlist: The Very Best of A Flock of Seagulls
DURATION: 13 Songs (55 Minutes)
LABEL: Legacy
RELEASE DATE: August 19, 2008
One of the more successful New Wave bands to be born in the late ’70s and would gain worldwide recognition was the Liverpool band A Flock of Seagulls.
The band consisted of Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds and the group had numerous chart-topping hits such as “I Ran (So Far Away)” (1982), “Space Age Love Song” (1982), “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)” (1982) and “The More You Live, The More You Love” (1984). While songs such as “(It’s Not Me) Talking” (1981) and “Telecommunication” (1981) were instrumental in building the group’s reputation and attracting fans.
In fact, the band won a Grammy Award in 1983 for “Best Rock Instrumental Performance” for “D.N.A.”.
And the band would no doubt create interest, from vocalist Mike Score’s hairstyle (which I admit to having done myself with a lot of hairspray) and of course, the interest from a new generation thanks to the video game “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” which used the song for the video game’s soundtrack.
The band is still around to this day, having gone through various members and to see the four original members reunite for the awesome “Ascension” (featuring the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra).
But one thing that has confused many music fans who are attracted to A Flock of Seagulls is the numerous “Best of” compilations by the band. In fact, it’s been a running joke on the Internet that the band has more “Best” albums than released singles and albums together.
And for me being a fan of A Flock of Seagulls, I do have to say one must be careful of which one to get because as mentioned, there are many. Some featuring the original music, some featuring re-recordings of their popular hits.
I’m going to focus on the digital versions which helps to decrease the number I’m going to discuss but I hope this helps people decide on which version to get.
“The Best of A Flock of Seagulls” (1986)
“The Best of a Flock of Seagulls” (1986) is the first compilation is considered the first, but “The Singles” from Jive Records featured their 12″ singles and was released in 1985. But this is the version that many probably will see often promoted.
Many of the band’s top hits are featured on this best of album. With 12 tracks, the main difference is that you are going to get “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) (Extended Version)” and “The More You Live, The More You Love (Full Moon Mix)”.
This is a very good best album but there is one thing I noticed, it reminds me of “The Best of General Public” in the fact that it desperately needs a remaster. You literally have to turn up the audio. Granted, it’s an older release but you would think that they would give this best album a modern remaster.
A Flock of Seagulls – Platinum & Gold Collection (2003)
Fastforward to the 2000s and in 2003, Jive/BMH Heritage released “Platinum & Gold Collection”.
At the time, this seventh compilation was no doubt the version to get. With 12 tracks, you can’t go wrong. But what many didn’t expect is that since this collection was released, four more A Flock of Seagulls best albums would be released. And the tracks found in this collection, would be pretty much be featured in these upcoming compilations.
The original four members reunited for a one-off performance for the VH1 series “Bands Reunited” in 2003 and would a brief tour in 2004.
A Flock of Seagulls – “I Ran: The Best of a Flock of Seagulls” (2004)
The album cover paid homage to “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City”, a big selling video game published from Rockstar Games which featured the song as part of its soundtrack. So, naturally you expect that with the video-game tie-in, many people who became interested in the video game should buy this album because it features a lot of hit music from A Flock of Seagulls.
But in truth, the album featured re-recordings of the group’s popular ’80s hits and contained remixes that were recorded specifically for Cleopatra Records remix album “Greatest Hits Remixed”. While it would feature three new remixes, Mike Score was supposedly unhappy that these remixes were in the album because they were never intended for release.
A Flock of Seagulls – We Are the ’80s (2006)
In 2005, Mike Score and new bandmembers took part in the entertainment show “Hit Me Baby, One More Time” and performed on the TV show. Generating interest again, a new best album would be released.
In 2006, “We Are the ’80s” was released from Jive/Legacy/VH1 Classic featuring 13 tracks.
A Flock of Seagulls – Playlist: The Very Best of A Flock of Seagulls (2008)
Two years later and a new best album has been released yet again.
Of the best of albums released in 2000s, in terms of sound quality and songs featured and most importantly, the original songs being featured, my choice for those wanting to get a best album is “Playlist: The Very Best of A Flock of Seagulls”.
This album features the same exact songs as the 2006 “We Are the ’80s”, so either version you can’t go wrong. But I felt the instruments were more pronounced on this version by a little and this version was more for geared for me audio-wise.
As for the best album, “Playlist: The Very Best of A Flock of Seagulls” does not present the songs in chronological order but does kick off with their third single, their most popular, “I Ran (So Far Away)” (March 1982).
While the song would reach No. 9 in the US, it would reach No. 7 in New Zealand, the single actually didn’t chart in the top 40 in the UK.
As mentioned, this song was amazing to me when it first was released with the synth and guitars, and of course, Mike Score’s cool hairstyle which was deemed strange but for MTV and the masses watching music videos and seeing people from other parts of the world looking so different, it was something special no doubt. The visuals, the music, it worked perfectly well in attracting listeners. It such a wonderful song that holds up decades later!
The second track song featured is their May 1982 song “Space Age Love Song: What was interesting is they had no name for the track until lead guitarist said it sounded like a space age love song and thus it became a title. The song reached No. 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and also reached No. 34 in the UK Singles Charts.
The third track is “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You), a song that was from their second album “Listen” and released in Oct. 1982. I absolutely loved this song for its lyrics of yearning but also its use of synth and percussion. The song reached No. 26 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 10 on the UK Singles Charts.
The fourth track featured on “Playlist” is “The More You Live, The More You Love” (July 1984), a song of their third album “The Story of a Young Heart”. The song peaked at No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 56 in the US Billboard Hot 100.
The band’s second single “Telecommunication” is the fifth track on the album and was from their debut album “A Flock of Seagulls”. The song didn’t chart but it did reach the Hot Dance Club Play chart of 1982 at No. 19. The song is a track that deals with energy through time and space and the guitar riffs are among the most memorable for me when I was growing up listening to the song.
The sixth track is “Nightmares” which was released in 1983 and from their album “Listen”. The song reached No. 53 in the UK Single Charts. The song was followed by another track from “Listen” titled “Transfer Affection” which is the seventh track on the album.
The seventh track is the band’s debut single “(It’s Not Me) Talking” (May 1981) about a man who hears voice in his head and thinks its aliens. While the song didn’t make it into the UK Single Charts, it did reach No. 22 on the Independent Singles Chart.
The album also features “Remember David” from the album “The Story of a Young Heart”, “Heartbeat Like a Drum” from their album “Dream Come True”, while the eleventh track “Modern Love is Automatic” from their EP of the same name is included. The song peaked at No. 19 on the US Dance Club Play chart.
For the 12th track is “Lost Control”, their B-Side song from the single “The More You Live, The More You Love” from July 1984.
And the final 13th track “D.N.A.” is their Grammy Award winning “Best Rock Instrumental Performance” track, “D.N.A.” from the band’s debut album.
So, overall, you do get a solid number of tracks on “Playlist: The Very Best of A Flock of Seagulls”.
A Flock of Seagulls – Aurora Borealis – The Greatest Hits (2018)
The 2010’s would feature more Best hits, remixes but in 2018, the band would release “Aurora Borealis – The Greatest Hits” only as a digital download.
This is not an original album but the four original members getting together 36 years later to re-record their popular hit songs. Of course, this may not be for everyone who want the originals but to hear the original songs given a little spin, it was pretty cool. But of course, it will never be as great as the original versions but you have to give the band credit for creating music again, after many decades.
In 2018, this was the reunion of the original four members to create their first new musical work since 1984 and the result was re-recordings, a collaboration with the Prague Philarhomic Orchestra for “Ascencion” and also the release of an extended mix album (utilizing the re-recording vocals) titled “Inflight: The Extended Essentials”.
But overall, there you have it. My feeling of which best album to get and I hope this helps those who are wanting to purchase A Flock of Seagulls, may it be their original music or their re-recordings.
