5 great 1980s remixes that are better than the album versions
I’ll continue the “5 great” list with these 12″ gems from the 1980s. They may not necessarily be my favorite 12″ tracks of the 1980s, but these are instances where the remix of the song improves markedly on the original version. And this also means it excludes tracks that were issued on 12″ first, or 12″ only (like Pump Up The Volume, for example).
What makes a great remix? Well, that depends on what type of remix it is. In this case, the criteria is remixes that don’t stray so far from the original as to be essentially a completely different song, but which alter the original enough that it really adds depth, or goes in a new direction
When I was in high school in the 1980s, remixing was what I really dreamed of doing, although I never pursued that path. Consider this my homage to some good engineers.
5. Living In Another World [U.S. Remix]
Talk Talk
Remix: Gavin MacKillop
In addition to making an already good song longer, something about the mix just gives it more width and depth, and brings the bass to more prominence. In short, the song becomes more powerful in this version.
4. Devil Inside [Re-Mix Version]
INXS
Remix: François Kevorkian, Michael R. Hutchinson
This wasn’t one of my favorite INXS songs, until I heard this mix. The remix strips layers away, and adds them in one at a time to give the song a lot more depth, and more of a buildup from the beginning. The added contrast gives the chorus more punch, and makes it “rock” a bit harder (at least as much as INXS really can).
3. Mandinka [Jake's Remix]
Sinéad O’Connor
Remix: Paul Smykle
This somewhat schizophrenic mix appeared on the 12″ for The Emperor’s New Clothes, and it’s the best track on the single (outshining the versions of the title track). It definitely takes a few twists and turns you wouldn’t expect from the original.
2. Galbi [Liquidator Mix]
Ofra Haza
Remix: Emilio Pasquez
Galbi exists in a whole spate of different incarnations, and they could be heard in clubs worldwide throughout the 80s. I prefer this remix, which appeared in the U.S. on Sire’s Just Say Yo compilation, because it takes the song in a completely different direction from the relatively flat album cut.
1. Paid In Full [Seven Minutes Of Madness - The Coldcut Remix]
Eric B. & Rakim
Remix: Coldcut
I’m not exactly showing any originality here, since this is on pretty much everyone’s list of the best dancefloor tracks from the 80s, but that doesn’t matter. Sampling Ofra Haza, who occupies the #2 slot here, Coldcut took an already great old-school rap track and turned it into a classic.
Honorable mentions: Guns In The Sky [Kick Ass Mix] – INXS (Nick Launay), Lessons In Love [12" Mix] – Level 42 (Shep Pettibone), Bring On The Dancing Horses [Extended Mix] – Echo & The Bunnymen (Laurie Latham), New Sensation [Nick's Twelve Inch Mix] – INXS (Nick Launay)
** Really, I’m not that much of an INXS junkie. There’s a lot of INXS here, but maybe just because their single and album mixes were generally really flat and uninspiring. The remixes from KICK really were better than the originals. Kudos to Nick Launay, I guess.