Amanda Lear's Brief Encounters

Watch out, bitches - the Queen of China Town is back! Details of the divine Amanda Lear's first studio album in 3 years have finally emerged and if the amazing tracklist is any indication, we are in for a rare treat. The genderbending icon has revealed that the album will be called "Brief Encounters" and features two distinct themes spread over separate discs - kind of like a more fabulous version of Beyoncé's "Sasha Fierce"! The first disc is said to have a pared back, acoustic sound and features original tracks as well as several eyebrow raising covers, including the MASH theme song and Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black". The mind boggles! I'm particularly looking forward to Amanda's version of David Bowie's "Sorrow" - after all she did star in the original 1973 video. While I'm tantalised by the prospect of Miss Lear in acoustic mode, I'm positively beside myself about disc two.

CD1
Someone Else's Eyes
Cupidon
I Don't Wanna Lose You
Let's Love
Sorrow (David Bowie cover)
Back to Black (Amy Winehouse cover)
I Belong To You (Lenny Kravitz cover)
Comment te dire adieu (Françoise Hardy cover)
Perfect Day (Lou Reed cover)
Suicide Is Painless (MASH theme song)
Fallin' in Love Again
Je m'appelle Amanda
Secret Lover
Cupidon (Acoustic)

The second disc returns Amanda to her happiest hunting ground - the dancefloor. Not only that but my friend and Australian Hi-NRG legend Peter Wilson has contributed three tracks to the album and produced a fourth! Some of you might remember my interview with Peter from early last year, in which he revealed submitting a song to the legendary diva called "Brand New Love Affair". Peter described it then as sounding like a sequel to Amanda's 1978 disco classic "Follow Me", so it promises to be brilliant. Peter and his songwriting partner Chris Richards also contribute the song "C'est La Vie" and produce a lush cover of "Always On My Mind", which is definitely more Pet Shop Boys than Elvis. You can hear a clip of this dark and hypnotic delight here. Simply click on the link "The Album" and prepare to be blown away! Even more exciting - if that's possible - is the fact that Amanda covers one of Peter's own songs, the fabulous "Doin' Fine". There's no word on a release date for "Brief Encounters" as yet but it's slated for the European spring. It goes without saying that I can not fucking wait!

CD2
Doin' Fine (Peter Wilson cover)
This Is Not America (David Bowie cover)
Let the Music Play (Giorgio Moroder cover)
Always on My Mind (Elvis Presley cover)
Brand New Love Affair
C'est La Vie
Doin' Fine (12" Version)
Always on My Mind" (12" Version)
It's a Good Day
This Is Not America (12" Version)
It's Hard to Say Goodbye

To celebrate the imminent return of this timeless diva, check out Amanda's disco version of the alphabet (below). I can't stop watching it. The whole thing is just so breathtakingly fierce and original. My favourite line - "G, of course, stands for getting divorced!" Welcome back, Amanda!