New Wave Outpost Forum

Been collecting a lot of 80's Remixes recently, enjoying some classics that I'd forgotten and also becoming acquainted with stuff I have never heard before.

I was wondering what some of your fave 12" remixes are? I am pretty fond of a lot of what Erasure did during the decade. They didn't always play the singles instrumental for a couple of minutes, before launching into the song and label it "extended version". They were a little more inventive, making some excellent use of the extra space and creating some quite individual remixes. Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys are also big favourites of mine.

While we're on the subject, what were some of the worst examples of remixes? Who were the biggest culprits in the "extended remix" releases? I think a lot of the worst ones were from non "synthy" bands. I was listening to The Smiths "This Charming Man" (extended) today and it is basically the songs main guitar riff, lengthened with no new sounds added before the singing starts. Another one I remember buying when I was a kid was Deacon Blues "Real Gone Kid". Pretty bad remix.



[b]"Can't you see I'm burnin?"[/b]

I always liked the Big Country remixes. Wonderland is a good example of a song that retains the hook, but also tosses in a few changes to the original and is just as good. If you like them, you can probably still track down their 12" Singles cd compilation from a few years back. I also agree with you on the PSB remixes. The P-Furs "Heartbeat" 12" single remix is also an all time fave.

Bad remixes to me are those that either completely lose the hook, or the ones that simply extend the song without adding anything new (your Smiths example was good).

Click in the center circle to start the music:
<p style="visibility:visible;"><embed src="http://assets.myflashfetish.com/swf/mp3/mff-mpodmin.swf" quality="high" wmode="transparent" flashvars="myid=12562987&path=2008/09/05&mycolor=639EDD&mycolor2=FFFFFF&mycolor3=5BB346&autoplay=false&rand=0&f=4&vol=100&pat=0&grad=true" width="158" height="208" name="myflashfetish" align="middle"type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" border="0" />

Here's three:

1. The Look Of Love (1990 Remix) ABC Absolutely: Best Of ABC

2. Situation (Hercules and Love Affair) Yaz Reconnected - EP

3. Atomic (Diddy's 12" Mix) Blondie Move This - Vol. 1 (Disc 1)



<a href="http://www.djcraig.net/los_angeles_dj">DJ Craig</a>

[quote][i]Originally posted by djcraig[/i]
2. Situation (Hercules and Love Affair) Yaz Reconnected - EP
[/quote]

well ... that mix is new & actually the WORST of them all , sorry ! [:(]

if u are looking for some good new remixes than the black light odyssey remixes of yazoo's "goodbye 70s" & devo's "girl u want" are ACE ! [8D]

http://www.nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20548

[:)]

[quote][i]Originally posted by MetaMatrix[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by djcraig[/i]
2. Situation (Hercules and Love Affair) Yaz Reconnected - EP
[/quote]

well ... that mix is new & actually the WORST of them all , sorry ! [:(]

if u are looking for some good new remixes than the black light odyssey remixes of yazoo's "goodbye 70s" & devo's "girl u want" are ACE ! [8D]
[/quote]

How silly of me not to have the exact same taste as you. What was I thinking?



<a href="http://www.djcraig.net/los_angeles_dj">DJ Craig</a>

[quote][i]Originally posted by bigwavedave[/i]
<br>I always liked the Big Country remixes. Wonderland is a good example of a song that retains the hook, but also tosses in a few changes to the original and is just as good. If you like them, you can probably still track down their 12" Singles cd compilation from a few years back. I also agree with you on the PSB remixes. The P-Furs "Heartbeat" 12" single remix is also an all time fave.

Bad remixes to me are those that either completely lose the hook, or the ones that simply extend the song without adding anything new (your Smiths example was good).
[/quote]

I like a lot of what Big Country did, so I'm going to check their 12" out. Cheers.



[b]"Can't you see I'm burnin?"[/b]

[quote][i]Originally posted by MetaMatrix[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by djcraig[/i]
2. Situation (Hercules and Love Affair) Yaz Reconnected - EP
[/quote]

well ... that mix is new & actually the WORST of them all , sorry ! [:(]

if u are looking for some good new remixes than the black light odyssey remixes of yazoo's "goodbye 70s" & devo's "girl u want" are ACE ! [8D]
[/quote]

I've never been able to get into new mixes of 80's tracks. My brain just can't seem to adjust to current electronic styles/sounds being mixed with those songs. I've tried loads. Most of them seem to be insistent on making it sound too contemporary, rather than staying within the songs general sound and adding some original sounds. I suppose it could be pretty tough to do...but do they all have to have thumping techno bass?



[b]"Can't you see I'm burnin?"[/b]

Ditto on the techno mixes of 80's songs Doctor Doctor. I recently mentioned an example of this in another thread - U2 tacked on a 1999 techno remix of New Year's Day to the bonus disc on the War reissue. To my ears it's pretty horrid.

However...I do highly recommend the original remixes of New Years Day and Two Hearts Beat As One included on the same bonus disc!

[quote][i]Originally posted by djcraig[/i]
How silly of me not to have the exact same taste as you. What was I thinking?[/quote]

well ... u are definitely the 1st person that actually likes this particular remix , as i know for sure from various reactions in yazoo related forums etc. , so u are in a minority here , if u think that it's worth a listen ! [:p]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Doctor Doctor[/i]
I've never been able to get into new mixes of 80's tracks. My brain just can't seem to adjust to current electronic styles/sounds being mixed with those songs. I've tried loads. Most of them seem to be insistent on making it sound too contemporary, rather than staying within the songs general sound and adding some original sounds. I suppose it could be pretty tough to do...but do they all have to have thumping techno bass?[/quote]

jus' check out the two remixes that i've mentioned above by black light odyssey & u'll certainly be pretty surprised that they take the original & even add something good & new to it - instead of jus' a new techno-house beat & bass ! [;)]

btw : that new hercules & love affair mix is crap simply because it destroys the original song almost completely & adds jus' some newfangled "minimalistic" touch to it , which is extremely boring & doesn't even make me move my toes , which is a rather bad sign , as it was supposed to work on the dancefloor then ! [V]

[quote][i]Originally posted by MetaMatrix[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by djcraig[/i]
How silly of me not to have the exact same taste as you. What was I thinking?[/quote]

well ... u are definitely the 1st person that actually likes this particular remix , as i know for sure from various reactions in yazoo related forums etc. , so u are in a minority here , if u think that it's worth a listen ! [:p]
[/quote]

So you're basing your opinion that this remix is the "WORST of them all", on what SOME people on other internet message boards have written. How scientific.

Instead of blatantly exposing your ignorance by pretending to be the spokesperson for the internet music community, you'd be better served to stick to your own opinion and let others speak theirs.

I could certainly point to many other 80s remixes that I believe are "worse" than the one I posted. And I could tell you why I think that, without sheepishly hiding behind the "because it's what others have said", shield of protection. Something tells me these the same people that think speedo swimsuits on pasty, overweight, middle aged men are the epitome of sexyness.

I understand that being on the progressive, cutting edge of music and waiting for the rest of the world to catch up can be a lonely place sometimes. But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.





<a href="http://www.djcraig.net/los_angeles_dj">DJ Craig</a>

Sorry man, that Yaz remix blows.

two songs where I only like the remix and not the original version are Uncertain Smile and Kiss Me.

------------------------------------
"Mark, Mark above Everything else."

[quote][i]Originally posted by Doctor Doctor[/i]
<br>I've never been able to get into new mixes of 80's tracks. My brain just can't seem to adjust to current electronic styles/sounds being mixed with those songs. I've tried loads. Most of them seem to be insistent on making it sound too contemporary, rather than staying within the songs general sound and adding some original sounds. I suppose it could be pretty tough to do...but do they all have to have thumping techno bass?
[/quote]

This reminds me of an experience I've had. In 1992-94, after I had lived overseas for a few years in the Peace Corps, and then teaching overseas for a bit, after I got back to the U.S., I hit a dance club. And they played some new techno-y version of "Situation". I was like, was I away for so long that I don't even remember how "Situation" went ? I also heard other 80s "remixes" that sounded so strange to me. It reminded me of a movie called [i]Goodbye Lenin[/i]. It was a German flick featuring an old woman who had fallen into a coma before the Berlin Wall fell. She awoke some time after the Wall was destroyed. But her doctor had told her adult children to not expose her to anything that might jar her heart and worsen her health.....so her kids decide to not tell her that the Wall had fallen (she was a staunch Eastern German communist), because that might upset her. She was also bedridden. So...they go about elaborately recreating the old Eastern German days, via fake TV broadcasts (in the same vein as [i]Be Kind Rewind[/i], but more professional), fake music, etc., in order to fool her. It's hilarious; you should check it out. I don't know if that comparison makes sense to you guys, but that's what I am reminded of when I first started hearing these 80s dance-club remixes pop up.