Ranked! Our High 20 Rundown Of The Greatest Remix Albums
Whereas the motives of file labels have been typically known as into query, remix albums have been actually reasonably priced and provided one thing totally different for the music shopper, as our newest countdown reveals… Phrases by Barry Web page
Within the early 80s, savvy file labels have been properly conscious of the proliferating reputation of the 12-inch remix – a phenomenon that originated within the disco period – and realised they may create total albums on a good funds utilizing beforehand launched materials, and sometimes with little artist involvement. For a lot of shoppers and critics the remix album was only a stopgap launch – or worse nonetheless an opportunistic money-grabbing train – however most of the time these mid-priced collections allowed artists to current their work in a really totally different gentle. Some even turned the format right into a veritable artwork type. Masking the interval 1981 to 1990, we’ve picked out a decade’s price of those pocket money-friendly delights.
20 GO WEST: BANGS & CRASHES (1986)
By the point Go West had collected their British Breakthrough Act award on the BRITs in February 1986 it’d been nearly 12 months for the reason that launch of their hit-packed debut album, whereas follow-up Dancing On The Sofa was one other yr away. Within the interim, Chrysalis launched this double LP of odds and sods, which collected remixes, non-album cuts – together with One Approach Road, their contribution to the Rocky IV soundtrack – and dwell tracks similar to Ball Of Confusion, which noticed backing vocalists Carol Kenyon and Sylvia Mason-James taking the lead on the Motown traditional.
19 EURYTHMICS: TOUCH DANCE (1984)
Testomony to their work ethic, Eurythmics recorded and combined Contact, the quickfire follow-up to breakthrough album Candy Desires (Are Made Of This), in simply three weeks, and by spring 1984 the duo had 5 High 10 hits. RCA capitalised on their reputation with companion LP Contact Dance, which comprised newly-commissioned vocal and instrumental remixes by then-hot producers François Kevorkian and John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez. The much-overlooked LP was uncommon in that it reworked tracks which weren’t hit singles, although Annie and Dave reportedly didn’t approve of the discharge.
18 FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS: THE RAW & THE REMIX (1990)
Ostensibly launched to purchase FYC time following the massive transatlantic success of The Uncooked And The Cooked and its attendant singles, this album rounded up an array of fascinating interpretations of a few of their hits. That includes the London-born rapper, the ‘Monie Love Remix’ of She Drives Me Loopy was indicative of the creativity on supply, however some reviewers have been left unimpressed: “The Cannibals have written some pristine pop songs of their time,” wrote File Mirror, “none of which might presumably be improved by nailing loud n’ tinny drum machine bits onto both finish.”
17 ALEXANDER O’NEAL: HEARSAY: ALL MIXED UP (1988)
Upon reuniting with esteemed hitmakers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and former members of The Time – who beneath Prince’s tutelage had helped to develop the Minneapolis funk-rock sound – debonair vocalist Alexander O’Neal racked up a lot of hits within the mid-80s, reaching a high-water mark with traditional idea album Rumour. Companion set All Combined Up mopped up interval remixes, but in addition included unique takes such because the ‘Home Combine ‘of Faux. The album was significantly interesting to membership DJs because it largely eradicated the intermittent social gathering chat permeating its counterpart’s grooves.
16 DEBBIE HARRY AND BLONDIE: ONCE MORE INTO THE BLEACH (1988)
That includes modern new variations of Blondie hits by hip producers similar to Coldcut, Ben Liebrand and Shep Pettibone, this Shakespeare-punning double album obtained a combined response, nevertheless it was a vital buy for Debbie Harry followers because it additionally collected a lot of interval remixes spanning her then total solo profession, together with contributions to the Scarface and Krush Groove soundtracks. Very a lot a low-key launch, it bombed amidst the Christmas rush, however Blondie’s label persevered with the idea, and 1995’s Lovely: The Remix Album spawned a number of profitable singles.
15 BRONSKI BEAT: HUNDREDS & THOUSANDS (1985)
Following Jimmy Somerville’s acrimonious departure from Bronski Beat, his former bandmates have been left to choose up the items, a few of which would seem on this assortment. Launched mere weeks earlier than their Hit That Excellent Beat single with new singer John Foster, the set featured remixes of tracks on landmark album The Age Of Consent, in addition to prolonged variations of Run From Love and Laborious Rain, the 2 proposed sides of an unreleased single. The cassette and CD codecs included chosen B-sides and I Really feel Love, their hit duet with Marc Almond.
14 JANET JACKSON: CONTROL – THE REMIXES (1987)
Taking a leaf out of brother Michael’s guide, Janet Jackson launched seven singles from Management, the hit album she’d recorded with Jam and Lewis. Its companion remix LP collected most of the singles’ prolonged variations, with highlights together with the 10-minute, jazz-infused ‘Cool Summer time Combine (Half Two)’ of Nasty, which featured the trumpet abilities of Herb Alpert. File Mirror have been actually impressed, writing: “There’s extra room for the keyboards and horns, and there may be extra room to improvise on the essential theme and to take it in instructions the unique didn’t have house for.”
13 SPANDAU BALLET: THE TWELVE INCH MIXES (1986)
Astute businessmen in addition to wonderful musicians, Spandau Ballet had it written into their contract that Chrysalis would choose up the invoice for his or her singles remixes in addition to their promotional movies, however by 1985 relations with the label had soured. Islington’s best finally jumped ship to Sony, leaving their disgruntled former employers to money in with the band at their business peak, first with the best-selling Singles Assortment, and a yr later with the equally unapproved The Twelve Inch Mixes, which does a wonderful job of accumulating nearly all of their prolonged reboots.
12 THE B-52s: PARTY MIX! (1981)
In shopping for time earlier than the discharge of their third studio album, The B-52s unintentionally turned the originators of the remix album phenomenon, simply beating the likes of Delicate Cell and The Human League to the punch. A file that recognised the proliferating reputation of the prolonged dance combine along with enhancing the Athens-based band’s good-time social gathering credentials, Social gathering Combine! did precisely what it stated on the tin, segueing three songs from every of their first two albums to type two irresistible medleys, replete with playful overdubs that amplified the enjoyable issue.
11 BILLY IDOL: VITAL IDOL (1985)
Along with his movies gaining heavy rotation on the fledgling MTV channel, Billy Idol turned an enormous star in america, however throughout the Atlantic UK file patrons have been slower to latch on to his skills, and large sellers similar to White Wedding ceremony and Insurgent Yell took a number of years to achieve hit standing. 1985’s Very important Idol was an album that cashed in on his new-found home reputation, and largely rounded up beforehand launched remixes, such because the beautiful ‘Shotgun Combine’ of White Wedding ceremony, which neatly segued the 2 disparate elements of the traditional single.
10 THE CURE: MIXED UP (1990)
Burned out within the aftermath of the gloomy introspection that was 1989’s Disintegration album, Robert Smith was eager to work on one thing lighter, and turned to The Treatment’s again catalogue as a method of sustaining profession momentum. While Combined Up included beforehand launched prolonged mixes, there was one new monitor in By no means Sufficient, in addition to a smattering of latest new remixes. Within the case of A Forest and The Stroll, these needed to be reconstructed as, in line with Smith, the grasp tapes languishing in Fiction Data’ utility room had disappeared.
09 ERASURE: THE TWO RING CIRCUS (1987)
Twelve months on from attaining their business breakthrough with the only Typically, Erasure launched this companion to hit album The Circus. With its 9 tracks unfold throughout two 45rpm-playing 12-inch singles – thus rendering the set ineligible for the charts – The Two Ring Circus included six new remixes. However the actual draw got here within the type of the orchestral re-recordings of If I Might, Spiralling and My Coronary heart… So Blue. Substituting synths for strings, these stark new preparations by Andrew Poppy highlighted each the power and vulnerability in Andy Bell’s octave-spanning vocals.
08 UB40: PRESENT ARMS IN DUB (1981)
Impressed by King Tubby and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, the Jamaican file producers who’d pioneered the artwork of dubbing, UB40 determined to chop this instrumental model of sophomore album Current Arms. Indicative of their reputation on the time it offered properly, however as Ali Campbell later instructed MusicRadar, not all file patrons have been receptive to the sonic detour: “Folks began returning the album in droves, complaining that there was one thing mistaken with it. They have been strolling into file retailers saying, ‘Half the devices are lacking and there are bizarre echoes in all places.’”
07 IMAGINATION: NIGHT DUBBING (1983)
Having saved the spirit of disco alive within the early 80s with hits like Physique Discuss and Simply An Phantasm, Creativeness reached their crucial and business peak with this revolutionary album, which had an attractive value level of simply £2.99. Stemming from a request from legendary DJ Larry Levan to remix one in every of their tracks, producers Jolley and Swain have been subsequently commissioned to create a complete album of recent remixes. Utilising an array of experimental studio strategies – swinging microphones over loudspeakers, for instance – the tracks got a contemporary and enjoyable makeover.
06 PROPAGANDA: WISHFUL THINKING (1985)
This set of so-called “disturbdances” was the results of ZTT Data co-founder Paul Morley’s want to craft a model of Propaganda’s debut album that aligned along with his musical tastes. “I wished them to be the form of group that may go on tour with Depeche Mode or Cabaret Voltaire,” he instructed author Andrew Harrison. Though panned by Smash Hits and File Mirror, Melody Maker felt it was an “impressed introduction” to the band’s “advanced magnificence”, and there was one other fan in filmmaker John Hughes, who used the monitor Abuse in teen drama Some Sort Of Fantastic.
05 HOWARD JONES: THE 12″ ALBUM (1984)
“I don’t wanna be hip and funky,” sang Howard Jones, however the outlandishly-coiffed pop thinker was very a lot in vogue within the mid-80s and scored a number of memorable hits, 4 of which have been included in prolonged type on this mid-priced set. Its launch coincided with a serious UK tour in December 1984, and included the trilingual ‘Worldwide Combine’ of standalone single Like To Get To Know You Effectively, and two exclusives in early dwell favorite At all times Asking Questions and a re-recording of breakthrough hit New Music initially meant for debut album Human’s Lib.
04 SOFT CELL: NON STOP ECSTATIC DANCING (1982)
Actually using excessive on the again of the success of Tainted Love and its guardian album, Delicate Cell reunited with producer Mike Thorne to chop this file in New York, whose nightclubs have been persevering with to rattle with ecstasy drugs. In thrall to those psychedelics, the duo elevated the BPMs, remodeling materials each from Non-Cease Erotic Cabaret and their earliest singles, in addition to throwing in one other Northern Soul cowl in Melinda Marx’s 1965 single What. Marc Almond felt the chance to completely embrace US membership tradition was missed, however the LP was a crucial and business success.
03 PET SHOP BOYS: DISCO (1986)
Described by Smash Hits as a “daft mishmash of crashing drums, silly sound results and insanely catchy tunes”, this cheap set rounded up prolonged variations of the 4 hits from debut album Please – together with the unbelievable ‘Full Horror’ mixture of Suburbia – and traditional B-sides Paninaro and In The Night time, the latter of which was adopted because the theme tune to the BBC’s The Garments Present. Different volumes of Disco would comply with, nevertheless it’s the unique that is still each the definitive PSBs remix album and one of many best examples of its ilk.
02 MADONNA: YOU CAN DANCE (1987)
Initially pencilled in for a 1986 launch however delayed to permit additional promotion of the True Blue album, this huge-selling launch from the Materials Woman skilfully sequenced new remixes of tracks from her first three studio albums to type one steady club-friendly groove. There was additionally an unique new track in Highlight, which had initially been touted as a follow-up to Vacation. Madonna was so enamoured with the Shep Pettibone remix of Into The Groove that she carried out this model in live performance. The place’s the social gathering? It’s proper right here on this groundbreaking album.
01 THE LEAGUE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA: LOVE AND DANCING (1982)
Following up the gargantuan success of Dare proved to be considerably problematic for The Human League. Nevertheless, this mid-priced assortment of largely instrumental variations of Dare-period songs – together with attendant B-side Laborious Instances – alleviated a few of the stress.
This was no extraordinary remix LP, although, and to label it a mere profession stopgap can be doing it a disservice. A significant feat of enhancing and engineering, the album was the brainchild of League knob-twiddler Martin Rushent, impressed by the blending abilities and turntable mastery of Grandmaster Flash.
Learn Extra: Human League Albums – The Full Information
A labour of affection for the self-confessed workaholic, the challenge was accomplished the arduous method. With samplers nonetheless of their infancy, the tracks have been painstakingly assembled from greater than 2,600 edits, whereas the stuttering vocal results have been created utilizing an revolutionary method that concerned utilizing a custom-made ruler to chop sections of the Dare multitrack and glueing them again collectively.
Launched beneath The League Limitless Orchestra – a nod to Barry White’s backing group – Love And Dancing was successful, and has since drawn a number of admirers, together with Phil Oakey. From Rushent with love, it’s one of many best digital albums ever made.
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