Released: May 20
Rick Astley’s debut album ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ celebrates its 35th anniversary with an expanded reissue.
The singer’s first outing features the mega-singles Never Gonna Give You Up and Together Forever – both of which hit No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 – and topped the UK Albums Chart.
More than three decades on, Rick is taking a break from releasing new music to honour his first collaboration with Stock Aitken Waterman, with a double-disc celebration of his late-’80s output.
It boasts the remastered original album plus B-sides, remixes, and Rick’s own reimagined versions of the album’s original singles.
The set also includes an expansive booklet, featuring previously unseen photos from 1987/88, liner notes by Craig McLean, and reflections from the singer, Mike Stock and Pete Waterman.
The project was remastered at Abbey Road by Frank Arkwright.
Also due for release is a limited coloured vinyl edition of the album as part of Record Store Day 2022, which will no doubt prove a hit with collectors and completists, while a limited run comes with a seven-track CD single of Never Gonna Give You Up.
After staging a comeback in 2016 with his chart-topping LP ‘50’, Rick proved he’s still at the top of his game – and this is the perfect ‘thank you’ to his longtime fans for a lifetime of support.
‘Rick Astley – Whenever You Need Somebody (35th Anniversary Edition)’ is available now.
