THE HUMAN LEAGUE's classic single 'Louise' has reportedly been covered by Robbie Williams for a forthcoming PET SHOP BOYS-produced album entitled '1974'. The dance-inspired album is also said to contain a cover of Williams' songwriting partner, STEPHEN DUFFY's biggest solo hit 'Kiss Me' as well as homages to MADONNA and DAVID BOWIE.

SCRITTI POLITTI's new album 'White Bread Black Beer' has been shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize. The overall winner from the twelve albums shortlisted will be announced at a special ceremony on September 5th.

DURAN DURAN's 'Big Thing' and 'Notorious' albums are thought to be the next DD albums to receive the remaster and reissue treatment and are expected to be released in October with 'Notorious' coming out as an expanded two CD package.

KYLIE MINOGUE has announced two UK shows for January. The shows, part of the rescheduled 'Showgirl' tour, will take place at London's Wembley Arena in January.

JANET JACKSON is running a competition in which fans have the chance to design the cover for her forthcoming album '20 Years Old'. Contestants can download a number of images of the singer which they can use for their design and Janet will personally choose the winner. The album is due for a late-September release.

MORRISSEY's catalogue albums 'Viva Hate', 'Kill Uncle', 'Your Arsenal' and 'Vauxhall And I' are all to be reissued later this year in remastered versions with 'Viva Hate' featuring extra tracks.

TOYAH will play the part of Cruella De Vil in 'The Hundred and One Dalmatians' which opens this week at Nottingham's Theatre Royal and runs until July 29th.

SPANDAU BALLET's STEVE NORMAN and one-time BUCKS FIZZ singer SHELLEY PRESTON have released the first CD from their CLOUDFISH project. The 5-track mini-album, 'Cloudfish', is now available via their respective websites.

THE CURE's classic 'Just Like Heaven', as covered by Katie Melua for the soundtrack of the film of the same name, is one of fifteen cover versions of eighties songs being given away on a free CD with the current issue of Q Magazine in the UK. Other tracks featured include Placebo's version of KATE BUSH's 'Running Up That Hill', Clayhill's take on THE SMITHS' 'Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want' and The Futurehead's cover of DAVID BOWIE's 'Let's Dance'. The issue, which has an eighties theme running through it also includes features on MADONNA, U2 and BOY GEORGE.

SIMPLE MINDS are planning a boxset of CD singles which is expected to be part of EMI's singles box series which has already released similar sets from DURAN DURAN and MADNESS. The set will contain a number of individual CD singles, each one containing the original single tracks, b-sides, 12" mixes and bonus tracks. The set is expected to be released by the end
of the year.

THE WATERBOYS have started lining up dates for 2007 with the announcement of ten UK shows in April.

THE ART OF NOISE will release a 4-CD boxset in August. 'And What Have You Done With My Body, God?' will be released on August 14th and features 41 unreleased tracks, remixes and demos from the bands groundbreaking 1983/1984 recording sessions as well as the band’s three EPs, all on CD for the first time.

THE ROCK STEADY CREW will celebrate their 29th anniversary with a weekend of events in and around New York City. The events include concerts, celebrity basketball and a b-boy/b-girl battle and take place between July 27th to July 30th.

BOW WOW WOW join the digital revolution on August 28th with a download-only release ‘Girl Bites Dog: Your Digital Pet’ featuring eighteen tracks alongside video downloads of 'C30 C60 C90 Go', 'I Want My Baby On Mars', Louis Quatorze, 'W.O.R.K. (N.O. Nah No No My Daddy Don't)'.

CYNDI LAUPER has been lined up as one of the celebrity coaches for Canadian Idol.

Thanks to http://www.remembertheeighties.com??for all the news this week.