SPAZ presents CD JUNKIE #56: BUCKS FIZZ

Bucks Fizz never bothered the charts in the U.S. but they were massively successful around the world in the '80s... and three of the four original members still perform today as The Fizz.

New album coming soon in 2020 called Smoke And Mirrors.

So, now is the perfect time to introduce you to - or remind you of - their back catalog that is filled with sugary sweet Pop that straddles the line between ABBA and Adult Contemporary Pop!

[tina]

Bucks Fizz - one of the best bands ever and sadly most underrated! Even now, as The Fizz, they are brilliant!

[mickfizz]

A great, concise, yet most accurate overview of the history and of the various line up changes of British pop quartet Bucks Fizz, from their debut in 1981 to the present day with them now known, as a trio, '' The Fizz'' ..Thank you for your efforts here

[WupWup]

This is nice! I have been a fan of Bucks Fizz since Eurovision (I was 12 at the time). Sort of lost interest in the early nineties, when the group fizzled out, but somehow they're still a huge part of my teenage years. Met them a few times, great memories! Shame about their falling out in later years, though. I still play the CD's, although I never bought the last two 'Fizz' albums. My fave tracks: My Camera Never Lies, Indebted to You, Twentieth Century Hero. Fave album: I Hear Talk. Much love from The Netherlands!

[fforvessent]

Hi Stephen, I only just found the video this week and I need to say a massive thank you for doing it. There are a number of other notable releases, one being The Ultimate Anthology with all the releases in order and a second CD with all the extended mixes. The 'Very Best Of' was butchered from this. There is also The Platinum Collection which is 4 CD's containing everything they recorded with RCA with a few hidden surprises for the die-hard fans. The Best and The Rest of The Lost Masters was download only, but again contained a few remixes. On the Writing on The Wall 25th anniversary edition, disk 2 is actually called Lost Masters 3 (After a major fight with Polydor!) I produced and helped remix some of the tracks on all those releases and I have their original master tapes in my garage! The first four RCA albums were also reissued prior to the Cherry Red ones in your video. (Bucks Fizz, Are You Ready, Hand Cut & I Hear Talk) all taken from the original studio master tapes as well as Writing On The Wall by Spectrum Music. We didn't think that Polydor would release WOTW again as they lost so much money with the original release which was an absolute flop in the UK, but they were up for it. Sadly Jason Greenwood who wrote the sleeve notes for WOTW passed away suddenly a few years ago. He was a massive fan and a font of knowledge for all things Bucks Fizz. Andy Hill gave my colleague Dean Murphy the master tapes as he was selling his Nytimber Vinyard (British Champagne!) and had no use for them and if we hadn't taken them, they were going to the dump. To cut a long story short, myself, Dean Murphy and Alan Connor paid about £25000 to transfer all the master tapes, including the multi tracks, to digital which involved actually 'baking' them in an oven to stick the 'rust' back onto the backing. We have 2" multi tracks, 1/2" masters, 1/4" masters, U Matics and Betamax tapes, nearly 500 in total. Some are even on a digital format called DASH (Digital Audio Stationery Head) pioneered by Sony & Mitsubishi, sadly the machines are very hard to come by these days even at places like FX rentals who have virtually everything to transfer analogue and digital from old formats. We even had to buy an NTSC U Matic to work with a Sony PCM decoder. In total the fan base must have raised around £60, 000 to £70, 000 in total to complete the works, one fan gave us £25, 000 alone for Lost Masters 2. There is so much back story which I don't have the time to fully put down here but if you want to know more just let me know. Fun fact - Bucks Fizz actually recorded What's Love Got To Do With It before Tina Turner

Kindest Regards, Kevin Newell, Executive Producer for Bucks Fizz.

[CookieMusic]

Hi Spaz, it's really brilliant to see Bucks Fizz get some love on youtube. I absolutely love them although I have to admit they are a guilty pleasure. In fact, I was thinking of doing a video for the vinyl community on the band as part of a series called Guilty Pleasures, the first part being The Wombles. The singles of Bucks Fizz were truely excellent with my favourites being Land Of make Believe (UK no. 1), My Camera Never Lies (UK no. 1), Run For Your Life, When We Were Young, You And Your Heart So Blue and Rules Of The Game. Were you aware that their lyricist on quite a few songs, including Land Of Make Believe, was Pete Sinfield, former member of King Crimson? Hard to believe, but true! All the best, Richard

[hummycarton]

Brilliant - my favourite band! Thanks for doing this Spaz. I wish there were more like you in the U.S.

[StarWarsObsessed]

I discovered Bucks Fizz about 3 years ago and have been hooked ever since. Their new album Smoke and Mirrors is brilliant! Great video!

[matthewstreet]

Once again I have been shamed through my own ignorance! Haha! Well I guess I have an excuse since they were only big everywhere else in the world but the United States! I have no idea who this band is. But I love the fact that you are so passionate about them and yes, I will check them out. This band must have some legs since I see that you have tons of views on this video! Awesome! Take care my friend, Matt

[stuartjohnrichardson]

Loved hearing all you said here. I'm a BFizz fan here in the UK so it was great to hear a fan across the pond talk about the band.

[FizzPunk]

Thank you for your great review. I LOVE the both Lost Masters and the Rairities cds

[SJHUE]

Nice video very underrated group who had a string of excellent songs!

[mickfizz]

the Smoke and Mirrors album is out March 6th, 2020 and preordering is now available from the Fizz Shop online

[Markknott]

Hi Spaz... brilliant and informative video of one of my favourite bands...
I could really do with maybe some way of contacting you personally. I have some news you will be interested to hear regarding new music.

[ivogeysels]

When we Were Young and Amen...their best

[rjmcallister]

(updated) Bucks Fizz only had two LP's in the US. "Bucks Fizz" (RCA, 1982) was the UK "Are You Ready" LP, with the title track and "Another Night" removed and "One of Those Nights" and "Piece of the Action" from the first LP added. The only 45 had "Land of Make Believe"/"Now Those Days are Gone", and did not chart. RCA reps at the time didn't really have much interest and didn't send out a copy. The second LP, "New Beginning" (Polydor, 1986) was even worse. Only the title track and "Love the One You're With" from the UK "Writing on the Wall" LP were included, along with eight RCA tracks from 1981-85. Polydor was more interested in Level 42 and the Moody Blues, and really didn't promote it here. I 'found' them a few years back while checking out Barry Manilow's "Keep Each Other Warm", one of several songs Bucks Fizz cut first, but others had hits with. It led to "Now Those Days are Gone", one of the best single tracks I've ever heard. For a basic intro to the group, I'd also recommend "The Ultimate Anthology" (RCA UK, 2005); it has all 20 UK hits on one CD; extras and extendeds on the second, plus a hidden extra live track. I have the five originals on CD as well, along with, now four Fizz CD's: "F-Z", a Christmas album, "Smoke and Mirrors" and a live set, "Fizzion 2020". If they can get in the studio, a 40th anniversary disc is planned for 2021. But Covid slowed them down; the album is expected either late in '21 or early '22.

[AussieHuddo]

I enjoyed your back story, except Fame and Fortune is awful. F-Z was sensational and I Hear Talk is their best album ever

[andymiles]

Try La Roux.Second album Trouble in paradise

[darrinhauxwell]

Were you trying to be funny by putting the wrong Jay Aston it didn't work!

[andymiles]

Sorry not having Bucks Fizz .Here in the U.K.they are regarded as a bit of a joke.Just my opinion.