'The Love This Collection, Volume 1' Added To iTunes

Here in the States, the only taste we got of the output UK producers Mike Stock and Matt Aitken churned out in the 1990s, post-Stock Aitken Waterman, on their Love This label was Nicki French's cover of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart," which made it to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in summer 1995.

If memory serves correct, there were CD single releases for a few other gems from the Love This catalog that year on these shores: Newton's "Sky High," DJ Scott & Lorna B's "Do You Wanna Party" and Tatjana's "Santa Maria." And there was also, of course, Nicki French's full album, Secrets.

But hunting down and collecting the imports of Stock & Aitken's output between 1994 and 1997 filled a lot of time during my college years, and really brought about my intro to Internet message boards and the online pop music fan community in general. It's also what forged the friendship between my Chart Rigger sidekick Moogaboo and I, after we met at a party and talked for hours about that cover of "Total Eclipse" and old SAW music.

Anyway, Mike Stock has remastered many of his Love This productions — those that saw the light of day and ones that were shelved — and the first volume of The Love This Collection was added to iTunes (yes, even in the US) today.

The tracklist, which was modified a bit at the last minute from the original song lineup, is below: