Deserves A Deluxe: Margaret Urlich – Safety In Numbers (1989)

Australia loves claiming New Zealander’s as their own and Margaret Urlich was no different. Such a unique and beautiful voice that gave pop at the time a bit of class from the late 80s onwards into the 90s.

In 1988, Margaret left New Zealand to live in Sydney after a successful career as lead vocalist in the group ‘Peking Man’. Armed with a solo deal, she worked on her debut album at the infamous ‘Studios 301’, resulting in the classic and slick ‘Safety In Numbers‘.

Released in 1989, it reached the Top 5 both here and New Zealand and spawned 5 singles ‘Escaping’ (#1 in NZ, #17 in Oz), ‘Only My Heart Calling’, ‘Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night)’, ‘Guilty People’ and ‘Give Me Some Credit’.

Like many albums of 1989, this debut is in need of a remaster and would benefit from collecting the various B-Sides PLUS the highly sought after Pete Hammond (Of Stock Aitken & Waterman studios fame) Remix of ‘Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night)’ – which was omitted on a recent 2CD set Pete funded by fans via PledgeMusic. Many comments & requests for this remix to be added went unanswered (found here: Pledge Music Comments ), probably due to licencing restrictions. This mix is a pure gem amongst Margaret’s back catalogue and to this day was only issued on 12″ vinyl. Many would be a Deluxe Edition of ‘Safety In Numbers’ just for this mix alone! If you have yet to discover this, click and dance away: Margaret Urlich – Number One (Pete Hammond Remix)

This release has so many positives:

• Physical copies are out of print.
• The MTV Live concert and 3 videos were released on VHS back in 1990, which would enhance the Deluxe Edition as an added DVD.
• Including the ‘Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night)’ [Pete Hammond Remix] would help sales overseas. Margaret’s music was released in the UK and parts of Europe in 1990.
• Margaret won the ‘Best Breakthrough Artist’ ARIA for ‘Safety In Numbers’ in 1991, an album that has been certified Triple Platinum.
• Sony Australia and New Zealand could partner to make this release comprehensive.
• Is in need of a Remaster.

Mock up track listing:

Disc 1: CD – Remastered album with B-Sides and Remix

1. Escaping
2. Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night)
3. Only My Heart Calling
4. Give Me Some Credit
5. Guilty People
6. The Tide Keeps Rolling In
7. Your Love
8. Open Up
9. Slip On By
10. Deep Down
11. God Bless The Child
12. Something In The Air [B-Side To The Only My Heart Calling CD Single]
13. Slip On By (Live) [B-Side To The Only My Heart Calling CD Single]
14. Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night) [Pete Hammond Remix] [From the ‘Number One’ 12″ vinyl]
15. Room That Echoes [Margaret Urlich solo version of Peking Man hit] [From the ‘Number One’ 7″ & 12″ single]

Disc 2: DVD – MTV Live Concert with Video Clips

1. Escaping [Live on MTV]
2. The Tide Keeps Rolling In [Live on MTV]
3. Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night) [Live on MTV]
4. Guilty People [Live on MTV]
5. Only My Heart Calling [Live on MTV]
6. Give Me Some Credit [Live on MTV]
7. Slip On By [Live on MTV]
8. Till My Baby Comes Home [Live on MTV]
9. Escaping [Video Clip]
10. Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night) [New Zealand Video Version]
11. Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night) [Australian Video Version]
12. Only My Heart Calling [Video Clip]
13. Guilty People [Video Clip]

On reflection, the period of ‘Safety In Numbers’ through to ‘Chameleon Dreams’ (Margaret’s 2nd album), always reminded me of Lisa Stansfield’s ‘pixie hair cut to longer hair chanteuse’ evolution between her ‘Affection’ and ‘Real Love’ albums. Lead singles from both singers’ 2nd albums (“Boy In The Moon’ & ‘Change’) had a ‘career reborn’ feeling to them.

Margaret is now a singing teacher instilling her wisdom and talent to a new generation. Her music is missed and I think her past success should be celebrated. It’s criminal that she hasn’t been granted even a Greatest Hits! There’s ‘no escaping’ the fact that this Deluxe Edition needs to happen!