Brimstone & Treacle

Title: Various Artists - Brimstone & Treacle
Year/Genre/Sub-Genre/City: 1982, Soundtrack, New Wave, Post-Punk, London, England 9/26
Matrix #: A&MSP3245
Condition: VG+ (LM) | Members: Various Artists (N/A)
Cultural Facts:

1. Too Dangerous for the BBC: Dennis Potter originally wrote Brimstone & Treacle as a BBC television play in 1976, but its disturbing subject matter caused the network to refuse to broadcast it. The banned story eventually became this 1982 feature film starring Sting, while the original TV version remained unseen until 1987.

2. Sting Goes Solo: Sting didn't just star as the unsettling stranger Martin Taylor, he recorded "Spread a Little Happiness" for the closing credits. Released as a single in 1982, it became his first solo single while The Police were still very much an active band.

3. Punk-Era Time Capsule: The soundtrack mixes original Sting and Police material with The Go-Go's "We Got the Beat" and Squeeze's "Up the Junction." That unusual combination makes the LP a snapshot of the moment British post-punk, American new wave and Sting's emerging solo identity were all crossing paths.