VA - Now That's What I Call 12' 80s: Remixed (2022)

NOW Music is proud to present the third instalment in our 12” 80s series – ‘Remixed’.

44 tracks across 4 CDs, featuring an amazing selection of the original 12” versions that represent the era – from huge pop chart hits to dancefloor classics, including some rare tracks on CD.

The superb synth-pop of ‘Love Kills’ from Freddie Mercury opens the album, followed by the special dance mix of Eurythmics’ ‘There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)’. The Police’s remix of ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’, alongside perfect pop from a-ha, Holly Johnson, Kim Wilde, Red Box, and the Latin Rascals remix of Duran Duran’s ‘Notorious’, all feature on disc 1. The majestic extended mix of Womack & Womack’s ‘Love Wars’ is included, along with two tracks – ‘Wrap Her Up’ from Elton John in its over 10-minute extended remix, and Jellybean’s dance remix of ‘Jive Talkin’’ from Boogie Box High – both featuring vocal contributions from George Michael.

‘Blue Monday’, considered the biggest selling 12” of all time, was remixed in 1988, and became a huge hit again. It kicks off our second disc, followed by seminal dance hits in their full extended versions from Bomb The Bass, Coldcut feat. Lisa Stansfield, Yazz & The Plastic Population and The Pettibone Touch remix of Five Star’s ‘The Slightest Touch’. Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, and Exposé represent some of the biggest late 80s floor-fillers. Malcolm McLaren rounds off the disc with his celebration of the house-ballroom culture of New York… and two superstar collaborations, ‘Sidewalk Talk’ from Jellybean – written by and featuring vocal contributions from Madonna – and ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ – a huge hit by Rockwell featuring guest vocals from Michael Jackson.

The best in Hi-NRG and pop-dance is celebrated on disc 3, with Boys Town Gang, Divine, Hazell Dean, Dollar and Bucks Fizz. Massive pan European smashes from Sandra and Desireless are joined by hard-to-find dancefloor gems from Laura Branigan and Olivia Newton-John with the Elton John & Bernie Taupin written ‘The Rumour’. The disc closes with Culture Club’s US remix of ‘I’ll Tumble 4 Ya’, and the classic pop of ‘The Heat Is On’, the debut solo hit in the UK for Agnetha Fältskog.

Blondie’s massive ‘Call Me’ starts disc 4, which includes some epic 12” versions of rock-pop crossover hits from Billy Idol, Pretenders, Pat Benatar, and the #1 pairing of Philip Bailey and Phil Collins. Phil Collins was also responsible for producing Frida’s ‘I Know There’s Something Going On’, included here in its full-length version. We include synth-pop from Arcadia, Howard Jones, and Peter Schilling with ‘Major Tom (Coming Home)’, which was recently rediscovered as the opening theme to ‘Deutschland 83, 86 and 89’. A laid back ‘Summer ‘88’ remix of Chris Rea’s ‘On The Beach’ takes us to the closing track – the extended 6-minute plus version of ‘Once Upon A Long Ago’ from Paul McCartney.

An essential compilation for collectors and lovers of 80s pop. NOW That’s What I Call 12” 80s: Remixed.