London Records marks the 35th anniversary of one of the '80s most era defining albums: Let it Be by Voice of The Beehive. Formed by sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland in California in 1986 the duo fled the sleazy politics of the American music industry in favour of exploring the British indie scene. Teaming up with ex-Madness members Mark Bedford and Daniel ‘Woody’ Woodgate along with Mike Jones and Martin Brett, they formed Voice of The Beehive...

I'm always a little confused by the reissue of old albums. I mean, I know why the record labels do it... What I can't fathom is why there's a market for them in 2022. You either still have this album from when you bought it in the '80s, or you can buy an old copy online for a few £s or you can listen to them on streaming music sites. While most - and Let it Bee is no exception - include b-sides, demos and live tracks, most of this additional material is not something you'll want to listen to more than once anyway.

I was a teenager in the '80s and while I was aware of Voice of the Beehive and Let it Bee I certainly don't remember it the way the press blurb does, as "one of the '80s most era defining albums". Listening to this album I can honestly report that I don't recall any of the songs other than 'Don't Call Me Baby' (which for some reason I always thought was by The Bangles).

Spread across 2 CDs (22 track - 1 hr, 14 sec 52 sec) this album, while not the culturally important release it would like to pretend to be, is still an interesting trip back to '80s pop.

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Nick Smithson