CD: LTMCD 2349
RELEASED: 2003
LABEL: LTM

01. Of All The Lost Followers
02. Just Pretend
03. Romany Blood
04. I Want
05. Fighting Irish
06. Is Vic There?
07. Going Left Right
08. Age Concern
09. Somewhere Between Heaven And Tesco's
10. Whatever Happened To The Blues
11. Ode To K?ln
12. Clap Now
13. Is Vic There (live)
14. Going Left Right (live)
15. I Want (live)
16. Clap Now (live)
17. Tell Me About It (live)
18. She's Expecting You (b-side)
19. Monte Carlo Or Bust (b-side)
20. Put All The Crosses In The Right Boxes (b-side)
21. Sold Gold Easy Action (b-side)
22. Another Route Home (demo)

Formed from the ashes of London's Guns For Hire, Department S released three brilliant singles in 1980/81, including "Going Left Right", "I Want" and the excellent "Is Vic There?", the latter reaching number 22 on the national singles chart in April 1981 and earning the band three appearances on Top of the Pops and a Smash Hits cover. Despite this success, and many high-profile live dates, their eclectic debut album Sub-Stance (produced by Parallel Lines engineer David Tickle) undeservedly remained on the shelf. Department S were perhaps not world-beaters, but they had immense potential, which sadly, they were never really given the chance to fulfill. Still, you'll probably agree that theirs was a fairly interesting little adventure. Department S produced a solid body of work, and deserve far better than to be remembered one-hit wonders with a novelty single. "Going Left Right" and "I Want" were better records than the hit, and if the unreleased album was a little uneven, then there are still more than enough quality songs in their cannon - "Clap Now", "She's Expecting You", "Romany Blood" - to convince. And listening to the five live tracks on this CD from their major club tour in December 1981, it's clear that Department S had become an awesome proposition live. This 72 minute CD is the digitally remastered definitive Department S collection.