Born and raised in Athlone, Cape Town, South Africa, during Apartheid, Jonathan Butler started singing and playing acoustic guitar as a child. Racial segregation and poverty during Apartheid has been the subject of many of his records.

Which, growing up as I was in Watford, England you wouldn't have thought would have touched me. But yet his songs did, so much so that whenever he new album was released I had to have it that very same day.

His first single was the first by a black artist played by white radio stations in the racially segregated South Africa and earned a Sarie Award, South Africa's equivalent to the Grammy Awards.

Butler was signed to Jive Records in 1977, and in the early 1980s he moved to the UK where he remained for seventeen years. His international breakthrough came in 1987 with his Grammy-nominated hit single, 'Lies' from this very same self-titled, newly expanded, and truly incredible to still listen to sophomore album.

Indeed Butler's double-album peaked at #12 on the UK charts in 1987 and helped propel 'Lies' to become nominated for a Grammy. And with this self-titled work of art having been out-of-print (on CD) for several years, it is a sincere pleasure to have listened to it again today for this review.

Later he went on to cover the Staple Singers song 'If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)', which he performed with Ruby Turner. And even today he tours the world, releases new music (he has his first Christmas CD coming out soon!), and enjoys a high profile back in his native South Africa; where his music now reflects his life as a born-again Christian.

DISC ONE: JONATHAN BUTLER
1. LIES; 2. LOVE SONGS, CANDLELIGHT AND YOU; 3. GOING HOME; 4. I MISS YOUR LOVE TONIGHT; 5. HOLDING ON; 6. ONE MORE DANCE; 7. TAKE GOOD CARE OF ME; 8. BARENESE; 9. ALL OVER YOU; 10. OVERFLOWING; 11. LOVING YOU; 12. SUNSET; 13. SAY WE'LL BE TOGETHER; 14. GIVE A LITTLE MORE LOVING and 15. REUNION.

DISC TWO: BONUS TRACKS
1. HOLDING ON (Extended Version); 2. SONG FOR JON; 3. LIES (Extended Version); 4. OVERFLOWING (Extended Version); 5. HOLDING ON (7" Version); 6. LIES (Edited Version); 7. THINKING OF YOU (Instrumental) and 8. HOLDING ON (Instrumental).

In closing, Cherry Pop (as always) have ensured that this newly expanded release has been expertly remastered and comes complete with liner notes and bonus tracks (as mentioned above).

CD Purchase Link

www.cherryred.co.uk