Year/Genre/City: 1985, Pop Rock, Manchester, England
Matrix #: 9 60452-1
Condition: EX, sounds great, looks good
Cultural Facts:
Breakout Single: “Holding Back the Years” became the anchor—first a UK hit, then a major U.S. breakthrough that helped turn mid-’80s “adult” pop-soul into a global radio format.
Band Origins: The song’s roots go back to Mick Hucknall’s pre–Simply Red days (Frantic Elevators), making this debut feel like a “new band” built around older, road-tested material.
Scene Snapshot: Manchester is usually discussed through post-punk and later Madchester, but this LP is a reminder that the city was also exporting sleek, emotionally direct pop-soul in the same era.