Stretch Out In The Sun

I hope you're all doing okay, wherever you are. This week, I've been frequently dipping into my collection of 12" mixes from the 1980s, the random shuffle throwing up lots of familiar tunes, as well as plenty of more obscure songs and/or versions.

I've created a 46-minute selection of eight, none of which have appeared on this blog (at least I'm 99.9% sure of this), spanning 1981 to 1988 and several genres, but all extended to enhance their danceability as Heaven 17 (cruelly omitted here) once said.

Touched By The Hand Of God is one of my favourite New Order songs, with a fun video to match. The remix here is from the soundtrack to Salvation!, a 1987 US film and an early credit for Viggo Mortensen. 

I've never seen Salvation!, but the soundtrack album (issued in 1988) is top notch, with contributions from New Order, Arthur Baker and Cabaret Voltaire. The Arthur Baker remix of Touched By The Hand Of God featured in today's selection is a bonus track on the CD and as far as I'm aware is unique to this release.

Dale is better known as Dale Bozzio, a Boston-born musician, former Playboy Bunny, member of Frank Zappa's recording ensemble and most famously (in the USA at least), co-founder of Missing Persons in 1980.

Fast forward to 1st Janaury 1988 and Dale's debut solo album, Riot In English, was released on Prince's label Paisley Park Records. Simon Simon was the opening song and lead single, remixed here by superstar DJ Shep Pettibone (CV includes the stellar remix of New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle) and Junior Vasquez, also on the ascendant.

By the mid-1980s, any artist was fair game for the extended 12" remix treatment and Bruce Springsteen was no exception. Arthur Baker (him again) was drafted to remix a trio of singles from Born In The U.S.A., the title track, Dancing In The Dark and Cover Me. 

The latter is today's pick and it's probably the best of the three, although if you're not a fan of this kind of thing, then it will not be the one to convert you. 

Bow Wow Wow shone briefly in the early 1980s, more than just another Malcolm McLaren vehicle to incite controversy but it feels often unfairly overshadowed by the latter. I was ten when the Prince Of Darkness single came out. Annabella Lwin was five years older than me at the time. 

Boggles the mind but, to this tiny listener, she had an incredible voice and presence and the songs were a lot of fun even if I didn't understand what they were really about. I've just discovered a performance of Prince Of Darkness on German TV, followed by an awkward though thankfully brief interview with Annabella afterwards.

The Pasadenas, from their name to their image, of 50s-style greased back quiffs, leather jackets and denim, to their sound, a contemporary update of soul, funk, do wop and R'n'B, screamed America. 

In fact, the 5-piece was a British group, originally a dance troupe called Finesse, before taking a punt at pop success in the late 1980s. And it worked: Riding On A Train, which they also wrote, got to #13 in the UK and their debut album peaked at #3.

So why The Pasadenas? It was the birthplace of founders and twin brothers David and Michael Milliner, before their relocation to England.

An early building block in my vinyl record collection was The 12" Album by Howard Jones, with the on-the-nose cover featuring Howard in profile standing next to an image of a 12" wooden ruler. Presumably not an indication of Howard's actual height, though I must ask Mrs. K as she has seen him out and about in his old stomping ground of High Wycombe.

Whilst four of the six songs were extended versions of Howard's singles, Total Conditioning was an album track, then a B-side of the Pearl In The Shell 12". Ironically, the version on The 12" Album is about a minute shorter than said 12" album. I'll leave you to decide whether that's a travesty or a small mercy.

I'm sure that I trot this out every time that I mention Bananarama, but Sarah and Keren used to go to the same secondary school as me. Unfortunately, unlike Annabella Lwin, the age gap was sufficienty great that they were long gone by the time I arrived at the gates, wet behind the ears, crap haircut and sweating in my school blazer and jumper (it was a hot September).

Do Not Disturb sits, in my mind at least, in that transitional period between the early, vaguely indie/DIY feel singles and the full-blown bouncy pop (especially with Stock, Aitken & Waterman) that top and tailed the 1980s. It's fun, but less memorable.

Closing out this collection is a cover of Low Rider, originally by War in 1975, recorded a decade later by Quando Quango. in 1985, they had gained cool points for being on the Factory label, but disbanded following their debut album, Pigs + Battleships. The remix of Low Rider here is by 400 Blows and appeared on volume two of the Funky Alternatives compilation series, which was always worth a punt.

Ten years later, Quando Quango co-founder (and Hacienda DJ) Mike Pickering found global success with M-People.

Stay cool out there today!

1) Touched By The Hand Of God (Remix Version By Arthur Baker): New Order (1988)

2) Simon Simon (Extended Remix By Shep Pettibone & Junior Vasquez): Dale (1988)

3) Cover Me (Undercover Mix By Arthur Baker): Bruce Springsteen (1984)

4) Prince Of Darkness (12" Version By Bow Wow Wow & Brian Tench): Bow Wow Wow (1981)

5) Riding On A Train (Album Version By Pete Wingfield): The Pasadenas (1988)

6) Total Conditioning (12" Version By Rupert Hine & Stephen W. Tayler): Howard Jones (1984)

7) Do Not Disturb (12" Version By Steve Jolley & Tony Swain): Bananarama (1985)

8) Low Rider (400 Blows Remix By Andrew Beer & Robert Taylor) (Cover of War): Quando Quango ft. Beverly McDonald (1985)

1981: Prince Of Darkness EP: 4

1984: Cover Me EP: 3

1984: The 12" Album: 6

1985: Do Not Disturb EP: 7

1987: Funky Alternatives Vol 2: 8

1988: Salvation! OST: 1

1988: Simon Simon EP: 2

1988: To Whom It May Concern: 5

Stretch Out In The Sun (46:36) (GD) (M)

Worlds Without Words

An hour of instrumental music by David Bowie to massage your mind. 

There's at least one commercially released compilation of Bowie instrumentals, and probably dozens of bootlegs out there, so I've tried to avoid creating a selection that just feels like a retread of previous efforts.

Low (perhaps inevitably) fares best, with three songs; everything else ("Heroes" included), gets just the one. 

I've not been purist about it, so there are also several tracks that are an instrumental version, remix or re-edit of an original vocal song.

And whilst there are a few mood pieces, there are also a fair few uptempo numbers, to provide light and shade.

Sometimes, the music says all that needs to be said.
 

1) A New Career In A New Town (Album Version By David Bowie & Tony Visconti) (1977)

2) Little Wonder (Junior's Club Instrumental) (Remix By Junior Vasquez) (1997)

3) Plan (Album Version By David Bowie & Tony Visconti) (2013)

4) When The Wind Blows (Instrumental) (Remix By David Bowie & David Richards) (1986)

5) Moss Garden (Album Version By David Bowie & Tony Visconti) (1977)

6) Sound And Vision (808 'Lectric Blue Remix Instrumental) (Remix By 808 State) (1991)

7) Young Americans (Dublin Bus Disco Instrumental Edit) (2010)

8) Crystal Japan (Single Version By David Bowie & Tony Visconti) (1980)

9) Speed Of Life (Album Version By David Bowie & Tony Visconti) (1977)

10) Hallo Spaceboy (Instrumental) (Remix By Dave Ball & Ingo Vauk) (1996)

11) Brilliant Adventure (Album Version By David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels & Mark Plati) (1999)

12) Art Decade (Album Version By David Bowie & Tony Visconti) (1977)

13) Pallas Athena (Gone Midnight Mix By Meat Beat Manifesto / Jack Dangers) (1993)

14) The Mysteries (Album Version By David Bowie & David Richards) (1993)

1977: "Heroes": 5

1977: Low: 1, 9, 12

1980: Crystal Japan EP (Japan-only 7"): 8

1986: When The Wind Blows EP: 4

1991: Sound And Vision Remix (David Bowie vs 808 State) EP: 6

1993: Pallas Athena EP: 13

1993: The Buddha Of Suburbia OST: 14

1996: Hallo Spaceboy EP: 10

1997: Little Wonder EP: 2

1999: Hours...: 11

2010: Young Americans EP (bootleg MP3): 7

2013: The Next Day Extra (ltd 2x CD + DVD): 3

Worlds Without Words (1:00:32) (GD) (M)

If all that has left you wanting to hear Bowie's pipes, then I've reposted both sides of my 1999 mixtape here and here.

'87 Heaven

A return trip to the 1980s, specifically singles troubling the UK Top 50 on 28th October 1987.

I was 16 and had just started sixth form college...for the first time, anyway, this one didn't last. I was sadly single, at the same college as my ex and was very attracted to a girl called Maria who shared a couple of classes with me. Of course, I was far too shy to ask her out for a date and besides, she'd expressed a preference for tall, muscular Italian men. I was a skinny weirdo from Bristol who had been to a gym and decided it wasn't for me.

Music never let me down, though. There was always something there for whatever mood or situation I found myself in. In October 1987, I was still pretty rooted in guitar music, leaning towards indie/goth, my mate Paul was introducing me to hip hop and rap and, much as I may outwardly protest to the contrary, I still loved cheesy pop, though Stock, Aitken & Waterman were a step too far most of the time.

The UK singles chart was a bit of a mixed bag in the week of 25th-31st October 1987. Bee Gees were at #1 with You Win Again, for the third of what would be a four-week run at the top. Amazingly, the song kept Faith by George Michael at #2 for this and the following week; I would have sworn the latter was also a #1.

This selection cherry picks seven songs that were heading up, down or just staying put in the Top 50, presented here in various 12" versions, my format of choice at the time. Spookily, pretty much all of the songs featured here had achieved their highest chart position in this week (excluding previous or subsequent (re)releases). I've put chart positions in brackets after each song.

 

For the price of admission, you will be entertained by Scarlet Fantastic and Fleetwood Mac respectively remixed by PWL stalwarts Pete Hammond and Pete Waterman, and John 'Jellybean' Benitez.

 

Bryan Ferry ropes in Johnny Marr on what is essentially a cover of Money Changes Everything by The Smiths, Ferry adding his own lyrics to Marr's original composition.  

 

Walk The Dinosaur by Was (Not Was) is a party song and 80s compilation staple. This is a much different, sample-heavy take on the song, which occasionally nods to the original.

Billy Idol originally released a cover of Mony Mony on his debut solo EP, Don't Stop, in 1981. Six years later, a live version was released as a single and cracked the UK Top 10. Tom Lord-Alge provided a couple of new remixes for the 12" single.

Blue Mercedes were a dance pop duo from the PWL stable, remixed here by Phil Harding & Ian Curnow. Whilst they didn't match the success of many of their label mates, debut single I Want To Be Your Property did manage the admirable feat of dropping for a couple of weeks after this week's peak of #47 then staging a recovery at getting to #23 the following month. Rumours that PWL A&R was giving children wads of cash to purchase multiple copies of the single from HMV and Our Price are unfounded.

Ending as it only can with the Queen of Pop, with a nearly 10-minute remix of Causing A Commotion by Madonna. The song was taken from the film, Who's That Girl, effectively a showcase for Madge's sidestep into acting. I'm sure I've seen it at least once but I frankly can't remember a thing about it. I love the song though I was surprised to find that the single peaked at #4 on 26th September and was on a slow and steady exit from the Top 40 by 28th October. Such was Madonna's impact at the time that I would have assumed that every single was a #1.

 

Today's image is from Doctor Who, specifically the story Paradise Towers, the 4th and final episode of which aired on 26th October 1987. It was Sylvester McCoy's eighth on-screen appearance in the titular role, an appointment arguably only slightly less controversial than the casting the previous year of Bonnie Langford as companion Mel. 

 

Although the show was 'rested' a couple of years later for nearly two decades, McCoy was able to establish himself as a great Doctor during his tenure. Bonnie's character rehabilitation took a while longer and via the medium of Doctor Who audio productions. The announcement in June this year that Mel will be returning to the TV show after nearly four decades was greeted with more joy than Bonnie could possibly have imagined in 1987.

 

1) No Memory (Extra Sensory Mix By Pete Hammond & Pete Waterman) (Edit): Scarlet Fantastic (#30)

2) Little Lies (Extended Version By John 'Jellybean' Benitez): Fleetwood Mac (#5)

3) The Right Stuff (Dance Mix By Alan Meyerson / Edited By The Latin Rascals): Bryan Ferry ft. Johnny Marr (#37)

4) Walk The Dinosaur (The Debunking Of Uri Geller Mix By Don Was & Jamie Muhoberac): Was (Not Was) (#10)

5) Mony Mony (Hung Like A Pony Remix By Tom Lord-Alge) (Cover of Tommy James & The Shondells): Billy Idol (#7)

6) I Want To Be Your Property (Daktari Mix By Phil Harding & Ian Curnow): Blue Mercedes (#47)

7) Causing A Commotion (Movie House Mix By Shep Pettibone & Junior Vasquez): Madonna (#35)

 

'87 Heaven (46:04) (KF) (Mega)

For your further entertainment, here are the official videos for each of the seven songs. They don't make 'em like this anymore.