Blondie - Rapture (Special Disco Mix) 12" (1981)

From The Lost Record Covers Club Undeniably an icon of the eighties pop scene, Debbie Harry made the transition with some credibility from punk to pop star darling through the string of pop singles "Denis", "Hanging On The Telephone", "Rip Her To Shreds", "Call Me" and more.  The album "Parallel Lines" blew them across the world as the acceptable face of the new pop standard. The tricky later album, "Autoamerican" , saw them move into another emerging genre which has since taken over the world.  "Rapture" was a hip hop record for white folks when it was still seen as a fad from black Brooklyn.  Similar (in the extreme) to The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" (itself stealing the great rhythm guitar from Chic).  But they acknowledged the source acknowledging "fast fly freddie" et al as they went. Marvellous track - I'm not much of a Blondie fan but this is great. This is a 12" issue to promote the release of the single CHS 12 2485 Chrysalis UK (although made in France for some reason)

Malcolm McLaren - Duck Rock (1983)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

The great album by Malcolm McLaren which merges south african town ship and traditional styles, hip hop, rock and pop (from the west, the Carribean and South America) to make a sometimes weird but always interesting mix.  The known tracks here if "Double Dutch" and "Buffalo Girls" but for my favourite is "Soweto".  Produced by Trevor Horn (who I suspect deserves equal billing with McLaren).

The rear sleeve art

Charisma - MMLP 1