The Fate Of The Eighties

Will I ever run out of 12" mixes from the 1980s to post? Probably not.

Five years into this blog, and I'm still pulling some big hitters out of the record bag that (I'm 99.9% sure) haven't previously featured in a Dubhed selection.

One from each year of the decade, not necessarily in that order, though the selection starts with 1980 and ends with 1989, so there's some order, at least. As well as some New Order.

I've cheated a little with the 1980 pick. The 12" version of Methods Of Dance is the same as the album version that appeared on Gentlemen Take Polaroids in 1980. However, the song didn't appear on a single until 1982, as the B-side to Nightporter. But hey, it's Japan, it's in!

The song that triggered the idea for this playlist a few days ago was a random shuffle of Dum Dum Girl (12" Mix) by Talk Talk. I love the mixes by the band, latterly with Tim Friese-Greene, though have a lot of love for the remixes by Steve Thompson & Richard Barbiero too. Dare I say it? I prefer this version of Dum Dum Girls to the original.

Sowing The Seeds Of Love by Tears For Fears closes out the selection. The 'Full Version' is lifted from the CD single I bought at the time (even though I hadn't yet bought a CD player!) If you bought Tears For Fears' Greatest Hits in the early 1990s, the one with the bonus CD of remixes, you will have found this labelled as Sowing The Seeds Of Love (Wen's Overnight Mix). It's a whopping thirty seconds longer than the album version, too!

In between, some cracking tunes by Depeche Mode, Howard Devoto, Icehouse, Information Society, Pet Shop Boys and Visage, extended to perfection by legends such as Daniel Mlller, 'Little' Louie Vega, The Latin Rascals and Shep Pettibone.

All guaranteed to bring some sunshine into your day...although as we're officially experiencing a heatwave in the UK, perhaps the last thing you may want...!

1) Methods Of Dance (12" Version by Japan & John Punter): Japan (1980)

2) Crazy (Manic Mix By David Lord & Michael H. Brauer): Icehouse (1987)

3) The Perfect Kiss (12" Version By New Order & Michael Johnson): New Order (1985)

4) What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy) (Club Mix By 'Little' Louie Vega, Roman Ricardo & The Latin Rascals): Information Society (1988)

5) We Move (Dance Mix By Midge Ure & Visage): Visage (1981)

6) Love Comes Quickly (Pettibone Mastermix By Shep Pettibone): Pet Shop Boys (1986)

7) Dum Dum Girl (12" Mix By Steve Thompson & Richard Barbiero): Talk Talk (1984)

8) Leave In Silence (Longer) (12" Version By Depeche Mode & Daniel Miller): Depeche Mode (1982)

9) Cold Imagination (Extended Version By Howard Devoto & Greg Walsh): Howard Devoto (1983)

10) Sowing The Seeds Of Love (Full Version By Tears For Fears & Dave Bascombe): Tears For Fears (1989)

The Fate Of The Eighties (1:08:33) (KF) (Mega)

If that's got you on a 12'/80s kick, I've reactivated links to some previous Dubhed excursions from the archives....

History Reinvented (2021)

Kissing The Mix (Side One & Side Two) (2000)

Teenage Remix (Side One & Side Two) (2000)

You Never Really Saw... (2005)

'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.