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I don't have all the extra letters, so I have no idea what to do with the final grid. Please could someone give me a nudge. I think I have all the grid filled in correctly.

The three "themes" are a group and 2 solo artists. The grid conversions are "from" one of each of their song titles.

I no longer have the paper and I'm usually hopeless at nudges/hints, but I'll try.

If you look downwards, on the right hand side of the grid, you'll see a female appearing, almost - with one little change, she'll make herself known. The other two items get the same/similar treatment. Hope this is helpful!

Thank you malone & ginge!

You're welcome. I didn't bother getting all the extra letters - it wasn't strictly necessary.

So VERY frustrating: I have the theme, three hidden "linked items" with their small alterations, all 31 superfluous letters and the three "discrete groups" - two not groups at all of course - they spell out; and in fact the entire grid completed all except 3 cells (two crossing lights, one cell shared) in the bottom left, having no bearing on, and unaffected by, the theme and alterations. But I just cannot for the life of me see how or why to complete those.

SO: please can someone help me out of my misery? 38A, ?A?S, looks very much as if it wants to be DAIS (platform, I'm assuming, is the definition?); but I can't see why or how it works. And 35D is ?N?T, or if I'm right about DAIS, then ?NIT, but either way... stumped entirely. Which, after sailing through the rest, is really infuriating!

Hi Nansen, I no longer have the puzzle but if you post the clues I'll try to help and I seem to recall dais and unit.

DA IS needed if band (ring) is to become DARING.

UNIT + A&M + LP can become PLATINUM

Strictly speaking this clue is lacking a proper anagram indicator to tell us HOW these letters become something else.

The UNIT is rad