The Top 50 Best 12” Singles of the 80’s (Stewart Allan Extended Remix)

Inspired by the recent article in Classic Pop Magazine: Issue No.6, where, after a fraught vinyl fuelled lock-in session with several key contributors, a countdown of the Top 50 Best 12” Singles of the 80’s was finally completed. As soon as I found out their list, I started thinking about my own. To my surprise only one track featured in both our Top 50’s – John ‘Tokes’ Potoker’s ‘Sussudio’ remix for Phil Collins. To avoid cries of plagiarism, I swapped it out for my 51st favourite 12” instead. Hope you enjoy reading the list as much as I’ve enjoyed compiling it...I’ve shown you mine, now you show me yours...

50 – Morgan McVey – Looking Good Diving With The Wild Bunch (feat. Neneh Cherry) (12” Mix) (Remixed by The Wild Bunch – 4.10)

The first 12” on my list has such a complicated family tree it probably deserves its own episode of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ Ok, here goes...deep breath...a manufactured pop duo comprising of Jamie Morgan and Cameron Mcvey, with links to the UK Buffalo fashion scene, release ‘Looking Good Diving’, a throw away pop/dance track produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. It disappears without trace, but this B-side, featuring a then unknown Neneh Cherry and re-titled ‘Looking Good Diving With The Wild Bunch’, is a ground-breaking remix by The Wild Bunch (a Bristol based collective of trip hop musicians and DJ’s including Massive Attack’s, Mushroom). This remix would, in turn, be remixed and remodelled by Bomb The Bass’ Tim Simenon to become the basis for ‘Buffalo Stance’, Neneh Cherry’s breakthrough No.3 single from 1988. Cameron Mcvey went on to produce Massive Attack’s ‘Blue Lines’, All Saints’ eponymous debut and two albums by, two different incarnations of, The Sugababes.

49 – Dollar – Hand Held In Black And White (Extended Version) (Mixed by Trevor Horn – 5.05)

The first of several Trevor Horn related 12”s on my list. Pop duo David Van Day and Thereza Bazar had a whole other career in the late 1970’s, firstly as part of Guys and Dolls, and then latterly as Dollar. Hits such as ‘Who Were You With In The Moonlight’ and ‘Shooting Star’ were squeaky clean, MOR, radio fodder that placed them neatly alongside Brotherhood of Man and The Nolans at the church hall disco. Horn masterminded a pure pop resurrection that saw the band transformed into something so manufactured they probably should have changed their names to Barbie and Ken. ‘Hand Held In Black & White’ is included here, not only for its perfect pop credentials, but also for the fact that it was pressed on a white vinyl 12” with an oversized picture label.

48 – Paul Young – Come Back And Stay (12” Version) (Remixed by Laurie Latham – 7.31)

‘Wherever I Lay My Hat’ sat atop the UK singles chart for three weeks in the summer of 1983 and it would kickstart a decade long string of UK and US chart hits for Paul and his regular band of musicians. This follow-up single, written by Jack Lee (who’s most famous composition, ‘Hanging On The Telephone’, had been covered by Blondie, providing them with a Top 5 hit in 1978) best exemplifies the quirky covers and chaotic productions that turned the ‘No Parlez’ album into a multi-platinum success. This remix is firmly dated in the 80’s thanks to the trademarked Pino Palladino bass sound and distinctive Laurie Latham production.

47 – Monsoon – Ever So Lonely (12” Version) (Mixed by Hugh Jones and Steve Coe – 6.20)

The mix of contemporary UK dance flavours and traditional Indian musicians proved to be an enticing, exotic novelty and delivered a No.12 hit for backroom production wizard Steve Coe and vocalist Sheila Chandra in April 1982. Chandra would continue to plough her world music furrow for decades to come, recording several credible and critically acclaimed albums for Peter Gabriel’s Real World label.

46 – Janet Jackson – The Pleasure Principle (Long Vocal 12” Remix) (Remixed by Shep Pettibone – 7.27)

Released as the twenty third single from the ‘Control’ album (only another ten or so to go), ‘The Pleasure Principle’ was given several remixes by, man of the moment, Shep Pettibone. It kicks off with a cheeky cut-up vocal sample of Janet’s ‘I’ll Be Worth The Wait’ tease from ‘Let’s Wait Awhile’ (the twenty second single from  the ‘Control’ album) and mirrors his electro pulse tinged remixes for the likes of Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself’ and Kim Wilde’s ‘You Came’.

45 – OMD – If You Leave (Extended Version) (Mixed by Tom Lord Alge – 6.04)

A much bigger hit in the US than the UK (No.48 here, No.4 over there) after it featured in the climactic scenes of John Hughes’ ‘Pretty In Pink. It has since attained ‘cult’ status, becoming as synonymous with the decade as Simple Minds’ ‘(Don’t You) Forget About Me’ (which had topped the US charts the previous year after featuring in ‘The Breakfast Club’) slipping so completely into American pop culture that it now acts as an instant eighties nostalgia trigger. It was also the song that was actually playing when ‘Modern Family’s’ Phil and Claire Dunphy first got together at their high school prom (rather than Claire misremembering it as ‘True’ by Spandau Ballet  – apologies to Izzy Lafontaine).

44 – Spandau Ballet – I’ll Fly For You (12” Glide Mix) (Mixed by Tony Swain, Steve Jolley and Spandau Ballet – 7.13)

The third single from their ‘Parade’ album, ‘I’ll Fly For You’ is given a radical remix in the form of this breezy, prototype chill-out mix by Swain and Jolley. Stripping away virtually all the original instrumentation, replacing it with a laid back, shimmering groove and half whispered, half sung vocals.

43 – Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing (Nothing Like The Single Mix) (Mixed by Fine Young Cannibals – 4.38)

Riding high on the wave of success created by ‘She Drives Me Crazy’ and its parent album ‘The Raw and the Cooked’, the Birmingham three-piece released ‘Good Thing’ as the second single from the project. Like its predecessor, It would reach No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. This remix does exactly what it says on the tin and throws away most of the album versions exuberant, pseudo 60’s, rockabilly vibe and drags it kicking and screaming, all the way to Madchester. Applying the same rhythmic shuffle that would come to epitomise The Stone Roses sound – their eponymous debut was released in the very same month as this remix – the track is given a far more contemporary and cutting edge feel.

42 – Stephen ‘Tin Tin’ Duffy – Kiss Me (Original 12” Version) (Remixed by Francois Kevorkian – 7.28)

This mix of ‘Kiss Me’ pre-dates, by a couple of years, the J.J. Jeczalik mix that delivered a Top 5 hit in March 1985. Mixed by Francois Kevorkian, it was an anomalously massive underground club hit in the Midlands in 1983 (no really!) It has the same hypnotic groove as Steve Hurley’s ‘Jack Your Body’ and some really cool vocal outtakes where Mr Duffy fails to hit the required high notes and trails off in groans of frustration.

41 – Act – Snobbery And Decay (Extended, For Stephanie Beecham) (Mixed by Stephen Lipson – 8.36)

Not adverse to the multiple remix release strategy much favoured by their ZTT label-mates, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Claudia Brucken and Thomas Leer’s Act, released a handful of different 12” remixes to promote their ‘Snobbery and Decay’ debut. This Stephen Lipson mix adds an air of frantic urgency to his already over-the-top, everything but the orchestral kitchen-sink, production.

40 – Daryl Hall and John Oates – Out Of Touch (12” Mix) (Remixed by Arthur Baker – 7.36)

This first single from Hall and Oates’ ‘Big Bam Boom’ album failed to break the UK Top 40, stalling at No.48, but it was a different story in the US, where the song hit No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984. This Arthur Baker remix is a masterclass in turning a slice of white soul-boy soft-rock into a dancefloor monster – see also his work with Fleetwood Mac, Cyndi Lauper & Bruce Springsteen during the same period.

39 – Culture Club – It’s A Miracle / Miss Me Blind (US 12” Mix) (Remixed by Steve Levine – 9.08)

Considered something of a novelty at the time, this ground-breaking if somewhat clumsy, mash-up of two tracks from Culture Club’s ‘Colour By Numbers’ album, was a massive US club hit in 1984. Clocking in at over nine minutes long, it’s almost as long as Boy George’s entire period of popularity in America. Too cruel?

38 – Billy Idol – Flesh For Fantasy (Below The Belt 12” Mix) (Remixed by Gary Langan – 7.00)

Becoming the closest thing to a genuine punk-rock superstar (in the US at least) with his ‘Rebel Yell’ album and its subsequent singles, Billy Idol delivered a surprisingly innovative batch of 12” mixes between ’82 and ’88. This mix of ‘Flesh For Fantasy’ has it all – layers of crushing guitar riffs, hip-hop infused drum track and the same sexy swagger on display in INX’s ‘Need You Tonight’ - while keeping one (heavily made-up) eye on the goth-disco dancefloor .

37 – ABC – Vanity Kills (Abigail’s Party Mix) (Remixed by Martyn Webster – 5.10)

First of two ABC tracks from their ‘How To Be A Zillionaire’ album to make my list, This Martyn Webster remix further explores the sonic soundscape, so heavily influenced by Shannon’s ‘Let The Music Play’, that informs the whole album and peppers it with some well chosen dialogue samples from Mike Leigh’s gloriously camp, 70’s kitsch-fest, ‘Abigail’s Party’. ‘I promise you Ange, you’re gonna see the difference’.

36 – New Order - Fine Time (Silk Mix) (Remixed by Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley – 6.18)

As the lead single from their ‘Technique’ album, ‘Fine Time’ would receive an unlikely (and probably unwanted) accolade from PWL Hit Factory boss Pete Waterman. He declared it his favourite single of 1988, stating that it was one of the only records (besides his own presumably) that sounded completely contemporary and obviously recorded using the most up to date studio equipment available at the time. He wasn’t wrong. This Steve Hurley mix has a scuttering, restless, nervous energy, sinister pervy vocal snippets and ends with a flock of bleating sheep (presumably out on the ‘lamb’).

35 – Pet Shop Boys (feat. Dusty Springfield) – What Have I Done To Deserve This (Disco Mix) (Remixed by Shep Pettibone – 8.06)

First of two Pet Shop Boys tracks on my list. This remix of their 1987 collaboration with Dusty Springfield, discards most of the originals breezy, faux 60’s, swagger and turns up the BPM. Utilising, to great effect, every hi-energy cliché under the sun, from cowbells to the cheesiest synth hooks this side of The Boys Town Gang, Evelyn Thomas and Taffy.

34 – Bomb The Bass (feat. Lauraine) – Don’t Make Me Wait (12” Version) (Mixed by Tim Simenon and Pascal Gabriel – 6.35)

Tim Simenon had made his name creating cutting edge, sound collage dance tracks using hip hop beats and stolen samples, but he was desperate to be seen as more than a one trick pony DJ / Producer. His debut album is a patchwork of styles and includes a cover of the Bacharach and David standard ‘Say A Little Prayer’, as well as self-written tracks such as ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’. This remix perfectly exemplifies the adrenalin rush sound-clash of UK underground dance music and New York Hip Hop that would mark the beginning of DJ Culture and would see the likes of Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers filling stadiums within a couple of years.

33 – Shannon – Let The Music Play (Original 12” Mix) (Mixed by Chris Barbosa and Nelson Cruz - 6.03)

Coming a good six years after Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ , this robotic, techno infused, hip-hop dance track with soaring, soulful female vocals, may not seem like anything particularly original, but the addition of a relentless, clattering drum track, some seriously frisky percussion and crazy synth melody ad-libs, turned this into a massively influential cross-over pop hit.

32 – The Adventures – Feel The Raindrops (Extended Remix) (Remixed by Paul Hardcastle  - 4.45)

Condemned by many to the bottom of the U2 wannabe barrel, The Adventures have been lumped in with the likes of Then Jericho, The Alarm and T’Pau as 80’s Stadium Rock God Also-rans. But their debut album shows a tiny spark of potential that was almost, but not quite, reached. This unlikely remix, by their Chrysalis label mate Paul Hardcastle, gives the track a much brighter, more contemporary sparkle, adding a wonderfully uplifting middle section featuring an exposed, throbbing bass line, over laid with cut-up vocal samples.

31 – The Psychedelic Furs – Heartbeat (New York Mix) (Mixed by Keith Forsey and The Psychedelic Furs - 8.09)

Originally released as the B-side to the ‘Heaven’ single (the first track released from the ‘Mirror Moves’ album), this pumping pop/rock track later gained a solo re-release, and is now thought of as one of The Furs finest singles. This schizophrenic, frantic remix veers from gothic pomp to pure pop, with its PWL-style rolling synth drums, stuttering vocal cut-ups and ‘honking’ synthetic brass stabs.

30 – Scritti Politti – Absolute (12” Version) (Remixed by Gary Langan  - 6.11)

A dream come true opportunity to work with Arif Mardin in New York delivered some career highlights for Green Gartside and informed the overall sound of the ‘Cupid And Psyche 85’ album. This mix of ‘Absolute’, the second single from the album, begins with Gartside playfully asks ‘What do you want to hear the B-side for?’, before Gary Langan serves up a suitably cutting edge, tough and funky, mash of fairlight vocal samples, crashing drums and stuttering cut-ups.

29 – Propaganda – p.Machinery (p.Polish Mix) (Remixed by Bob Kraushaar  - 9.23)

Paul Morley and Trevor Horn’s experiment to create their own dark and twisted version of Abba, resulted in what many consider one of the best (and largely unappreciated) albums of the 80’s, Propaganda’s debut ‘A Secret Wish’. This version of the third single from the album starts with the sound of an old fashioned computer ‘dial-up’ and then builds, in typical House Of ZTT fashion, to a blistering, bombastic conclusion.

28 – Pet Shop Boys - Suburbia (The Full Horror) (Remixed by Julian Mendelsohn  - 8.55)

This was only the Pet Shop Boys fourth hit single, yet they already sound masterfully confident and gleefully willing to experiment. The ‘full horror’ mix by Julian Mendelsohn begins with the ominous sound of snarling dogs and is littered with a cacophony of explosions, breaking glass and some pretty catchy piano hooks.

27 – A-Ha – I’ve Been Losing You (12” Extended Mix) (Remixed by John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez  - 7.01)

When, on its third release, ‘Take On Me’ finally became the bands dream ticket to an international break-through, A-ha were keen to capitalise on their hard found success and promptly headed out on an enormous world tour to promote the ‘Hunting High and Low’ album. Equally anxious to maintain this momentum in their recorded output, they started recording the follow-up on the road, demoing in portable studios and recording whenever, and wherever they could. ‘Scoundrel Days’ is a patchy affair, but contains some of the bands best work in tracks such as ‘Weight Of The Wind’, ‘The Swing Of Things and the epic  title track (as well as the hits singles ‘Manhattan Skyline’ and ‘Cry Wolf’). Best of all is this first single from the album, pre-dating ‘The Living Daylights’ by a year, but sounding every inch the Bond theme, with its brass stabs, nervy percussion and dramatic false ending. This Jellybean mix turns up the groove and pushes the rhythm track to the front of the mix.

26 – Freeez - I.O.U. (Mega-Mix 12") (Remixed by John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez and John Robie  - 8.38)

This unlikely collaboration between a white jazz-funk outfit from London and Arthur Baker, the pioneering producer behind Hip Hop label Tommy Boy Records (including ground-breaking tracks by Afrika Bambaataa and Soul Sonic Force), would become one of the most influential dance/pop records of the 80’s, reaching No.2 on the UK singles chart and hitting No.1 on US Club charts in June 1983. The exhilarating mix of falsetto vocals, frantic hip hop beats and crazy fairlight vocal cut-ups still sounds incredibly fresh thirty years on.

25 – Ultravox – We Came To Dance (Extended Version) (Mixed by Geoff Emerick - 7.38)

This was the fourth Top 20 single released from the bands ‘Quartet’ album. Rather surprisingly, the album was produced by George Martin and accordingly, has a much warmer, more analogue, feel in comparison to their previous albums. This mix by Geoff Emerick strips away most of the vocal and instrumentation, and with nods to Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk, replaces them with a relentless, monotonous, hypnotic bass line and washes of icy synthesizer lines.

24 – Bryan Ferry – Slave To Love (Special 12” Re-Mix) (Remixed by Bob Clearmountain  - 5.56)

The Roxy Music front-man was enjoying a massive resurgence of commercial success with his sixth solo album, ‘Boys & Girls’ (his first in seven years). Stylistically similar and exuding the same brand of cool sophistication as the last Roxy Music album, ‘Avalon’, ‘Slave To Love’ was a Top 10 single in 1985. This extended mix by Bob Clearmountain starts with a crash of thunder before giving way to a languid and atmospheric Daniel Lanois-esque ambience.

23 – Soft Cell – Torch (12” Extended Version) (Mixed by Mike Thorne - 8.27)

First of two 12” singles by Marc Almond and Dave Ball on the list. Like the majority of the extended mixes produced by the band, this features some completely new verses and an extended middle section. Here we get a sung/spoken conversation between besotted fan Marc, declaring his undying love to the jaded and indifferent torch singing Diva, as voiced by Cindy Ecstasy – so let’s recap – that’s the opening gay front-man trying to seduce the tone deaf female singer, who just happened to be the bands drug dealer at the time (allegedly).

22 – Echo & The Bunnymen – Never Stop (Discotheque) (Mixed by David Balfe and The Bunnymen - 4.45)

With a slightly uncomfortable nod to the emerging electro-rock genre, as epitomised by New Order and their work with Arthur Baker and John Robie, this non-album single proved to be an interesting, if swiftly abandoned, experiment. Sequenced synthesiser lines, staccato strings, U2-esque guitar riffs and a killer xylophone hook...only in the 80’s!

21 – Sybil – My Love Is Guaranteed (PWL Pump Up The Volume 12” Mix) (Remixed by Phil Harding  - 7.38)

At the height of their success, the PWL Hit Factory team would release multiple 12” remixes for every release. The turnaround on these mixes was so fast that they were often able to ‘tip their hats’ to the big club hits of that particular moment. The logic being that DJ’s would mix their records with the ‘cooler’ club tracks and increase their exposure. This ‘Pump Up The Volume’ mix of Sybil’s No.47 hit from August 1987 is a perfect example of this. Mimicking M/A/R/R/S massive No.1 ‘Pump Up The Volume’ to great effect, It also served as a cheeky two fingered salute from Pete Waterman to the M/A/R/R/S collective, to go with the court injunction he had already served to limit the songs International release, following the discovery, within the track, of an unauthorised sample from the SAW team’s ‘Roadblock’ single.

20 – Depeche Mode – Just Can’t Get Enough (Schizo Mix) (Remixed by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode - 6.46)

With only their second hit single Depeche Mode were already keen to prove that they were more than just a boy band who played synthesisers. This ‘Schizo’ mix of ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ strips away the pure pop exhilaration of the original and drops down into extended Kraftwerk-esque instrumental passages that transform the track into a hypnotic electro classic.

19 – ABC – Be Near Me (Munich Disco Mix) (Remixed by Martyn Webster - 4.58)

Following the commercial success of 1982’s seminal ‘Lexicon Of Love’ was proving to be an on-going nightmare for Martin Fry and Mark White. By the spring of 1985 they were still searching for that all important follow-up Top 10 hit. The first single from their forthcoming ‘How To Be A Zillionaire’ album (‘How To Be A Millionaire’) had stalled at No.49. Many assumed that its fashion-forward mix of bright electro beats, nods to Shannon’s ‘Let The Music Play’ and cartoon imagery was too much of a leap for their fanbase. ‘Be Near Me’ definitely had more in common with the lush orchestration and swooning balladry of their biggest hits, but it too failed to break the UK Top 20.This Mark Webster remix strips away all traces of the aforementioned orchestration and lays out a blistering mix of bombastic drums, Chic inspired sweeping strings, funky guitar licks and a relentless ‘That’s Right’ vocal chant.

18 – Heaven 17 – Let Me Go (Extended Mix) (Mixed by B.E.F. and Greg Walsh - 6.20)

Released as the first single from ‘The Luxury Gap’ and following a period of growing critical acclaim, ‘Let Me Go’ unexpectedly failed to break the UK Top 40, stalling at No.41 in October 1982. A curious mix of film-score chic and the white-boy funk / soul that had infused the ‘Penthouse and Pavements’ album, it stands as the creative bridge between cult success and the eventual commercial breakthrough they experienced with their next release, ‘Temptation’ (No.2 in April 1983).

17 – Visage – Visage (Original 12” Dance Mix) (Mixed by Midge Ure & Visage - 6.01)

This was the third hit from the eponymous debut album and perfectly exemplifies the euro-cool club mixes that the band had become synonymous with. Built purely to fill the dancefloors of underground New Romantic clubs and reflecting everything that was cool about the Blitz scene – outlandish fashion and make-up, the towering influence of Bowie and, obviously, chucking in a few lyrics in French.

16 – Yazoo – Nobody’s Diary (Extended Mix) (Mix by Eric Radcliffe - 6.08) / State Farm (Extended Mix) (Mix by Eric Radcliffe - 6.36)

The first double ‘A’ side entry to my list. By May 1983, Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet were nearing the end of their short, and highly successful, time together. Within a matter of months the band would release their second album (‘You & Me Both’ - No.1 in July 1983) and then promptly split up. This would be the last single released before Yazoo called it a day. ‘Nobody’s Diary’ is a poignant pop track written by Alison Moyet, while the B-side, ‘State Farm’, sees the duo returning to ‘Situation’ territory, to deliver another impossibly credible underground club track. Featuring an improbably infectious groove (considering it is the creation of a group of pasty white synth boffins from Basildon) and made complete by Moyet’s insanely funky vocal grunts and chants.

15 – Sonia – You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You (XXX Kiss Mix) (Remixed by Phil Harding  - 8.06)

Another of the SAW/PWL teams ‘sound-alike’ remixes. This time Sonia’s debut, No.1 single is given the Lil’ Louis treatment. ‘French Kiss’ was THE biggest record to break-out from the underground club scene for years and, here, Phil Harding declares his undying love and admiration for the track by re-creating the hypnotic instrumental and laying Sonia’s vocal on top. The effect is to turn the pure pop declaration of teen-love into something altogether more sinister and unnerving. My only criticism - perhaps we didn’t really need the re-created orgasmic screams from Sonia (who had just turned eighteen at the time).

14 – Elton John – I Don’t Wanna Go On With You Like That (Pettibone 12” Mix) (Remixed by Shep Pettibone - 7.15)

1988 saw Elton enjoying an extended period of commercial indifference in the UK. Aside from an anomalous re-issue of ‘Candle In The Wind’ reaching No.5 in January, he hadn’t scored a UK Top 10 single since ‘Nikita’ in 1985. Things were looking a lot rosier in the US. His perceived comeback album, ‘Reg Strikes Back’, hit No.16 on the US Billboard Chart (two places higher than in the UK) and the single ‘I Don’t Wanna Go On With You Like That’, reached No.2 on The Hot 100 (an improvement on its UK No.30 chart placing). This remix by Shep Pettibone transforms the song into a hi-energy dancefloor monster, with extended piano riffs and orchestral stabs, ending with a bemused Elton proclaiming ‘That was brilliant, what was that?’

13 – Blancmange  - Game Above My Head (Long Version) (Mixed by John Owen Williams and Blancmange - 7.14)

This is the second B-side on my list. Originally released in this ‘long version’ as the flip-side to the 12” release of ‘Waves’ (the fourth and final single released from the band’s debut album ‘Happy Families’). More stripped down and purely ‘electronic’ than most of their songs, but sharing the faintly middle eastern rhythms of their biggest hit ‘Living On The Ceiling’, this is by far the bands most interesting and experimental commercial release, pointing perhaps, to a creative road not taken.

12 – Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love (Alternative 12” Version) (Re-produced by Kate Bush - 3.48)

This 12” version is a unique addition to the list, clocking in at a mere forty five seconds longer than the original album version, but having been completely re-recorded for the 12” format. Leaving the pounding drum track intact and adding sawing strings and a simplified, almost live/one-take vocal, Kate strips back the majority of the original elements of the song to deliver a much more concise and minimalist mix. As such, it acts as a precursor to her ‘Directors Cut’ re-recording project released over twenty five years later.

11 – The Lover Speaks – Every Lovers Sign (New York Mix) (Remixed by Andy Wallace and Bruce Forest - 5.57)

Best remembered as the original artists behind Annie Lennox’s ‘No More ‘I Love You’s’’ (her cover version was a No.2 hit in February 1995) this UK duo should be credited with releasing one of the most underrated (and unheard) debut albums of the 80’s. This remix of the third single from the album beefs up the synth bass-line and rhythm track, adding much needed ‘muscle’ to the, rather weedy by comparison, original album version.

10 – Stephanie Mills – The Medicine Song (Original Mark Berry 12” Mix) (Remixed by Mark Berry - 6.40)

Most famous for her international breakthrough hit, the silky sweet ‘Never Knew Love Like This Before’ (No.4 in October 1980), the New York born soul singer had subsequently failed to crack the UK singles chart with any of her subsequent releases. By the time her 1984 ‘I’ve Got The Cure’ album was released, she had transformed into something altogether more confident and edgy. Dressed in a stylised, sexy nurses’ uniform, she delivers the sexually aggressive ‘Medicine Song’ lyric as a much more liberated, soul diva. This Mark Berry 12” mix adds to the dynamic tension already present within the song, ramping up the powerful synth stabs, rolling drum loops and some seriously sexy vocal ad-libs...’Mama’s gonna give you some medicine...I got the cure!’

9 – Simple Minds – Speed Your Love To Me (12” Version) (Remixed by Steve Lillywhite  - 7.29)

In 1983/1984 Steve Lillywhite had fingers in a couple of very profitable pies, as he nurtured a production monopoly over two of the UK’s biggest International rock exports, U2 and Simple Minds. His work on U2’s ‘War’ had acted as the perfect template for the sonic landscape that Jim Kerr and the Simple Minds camp had been hoping to map as they moved from ‘New Gold Dream 81 82 83 84’ to ‘Sparkle In The Rain’. ‘Speed Your Love To Me’ was the second single released ahead of the album (following ‘Waterfront’ - which had just matched the No.13 peak of their previous biggest hit, ‘Promised You A Miracle). This Steve Lillywhite extended remix kicks off by elevating Kirsty MacColl’s ethereal backing vocals to front and center of the track, adding breaks of thunderous driving drums, clattering percussion and an air of thrilling urgency, not to mention a ‘before it’s time’ chill out coda of whispering guitar chords and backward drum loops.

8 – Altered Images – I Could Be Happy (12” Dance Mix) (Remixed by Martin Rushent - 5.39)

Following their breakout hit, ‘Happy Birthday’, this was another Top 10 hit for the Scottish pop stars in December 1981. Produced by Martin Rushent during the same period he was working with The Human League. Here, he applies many of the same dub techniques he had so successfully employed to extend and re-model the biggest hits from ‘Dare’. Rushent transforms the track into a throbbing, joyous, rollercoaster ride of jangly guitar riffs, chimes and cut-up vocal samples. The mix was so beloved by the band that it was this version that appeared on the ‘Pinky Blue’ album instead of the three minute radio mix.

7 – Depeche Mode – Route 66 (Beatmasters Mix) (Remixed by The Beatmasters - 6.20)

This track was the B-side to ‘Music For The Masses’ third single ‘Behind The Wheel’. Chuck Berry’s rock ‘n’ roll classic may seem like a curious choice of song to cover for the UK synth-pop pioneers, but as they moved further into darker and, what would initially appear to be, less commercial territory, they had something to prove. Like the album’s title, this cover version was meant as an ironic, tongue in cheek, challenge to the expectations of the bands very vocal critics and doubters. This was the sound of a band having fun. Remixed by The Beatmasters (who were carving out a very lucrative career for themselves, delivering hit 7” radio mixes for the likes of The Shamen, Betty Boo and as artists in their own right). A driving guitar hook (pun intended) pushes the track forward, punctuated with vocal snippets from vintage US TV game shows all adding up to one of the quirkiest and unlikely additions to the list.

 6 - Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Two Tribes (Carnage) (Mixed by Stephen Lipson - 7.54)

Repeating the No.1 success of ‘Relax, this epic second single from ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’ would prolong its stay atop the UK singles chart with the staggered release of several remixes, spread across multiple 12” singles. While ‘Annihilation’ is considered by many as the definitive ‘Two Tribes’ remix, I always preferred ‘Carnage’. This Stephen Lipson mix takes Frankie back to where they belong – the dancefloor. Starting with a ubiquitously epic, orchestral fanfare, it borrows the pumping bass line from its predecessor and throws in a few samples of an orchestra falling down a flight of stairs for added drama. Peppered with the ominous ‘This Is The Last Voice You Will Ever Hear’ public announcements and the ‘My Name Is...’ introductions from the more laddish element of the band - this is Frankie, simultaneously, at their most provocative and most playful. Well ‘ard!

5 – Donna Summer – I Feel Love (Patrick Cowley Mega Mix) (Remixed by Patrick Cowley - 15.45)

The original version of ‘I Feel Love’ would lay the foundation on which was built the next thirty years of dance music (from Disco to EDM and everything in-between). Giorgio Moroder’s pulsing bass and sequenced synth lines would change the perception of synthesisers and all electronic music in general. Prising it out of the cold white hands of the German boffins (who were using it to make interesting noises on their pocket calculators) and leading it out onto the world’s dancefloors, to be embraced by the clambering, white-suited, masses. This Patrick Cowley ‘Mega-Mix’ was released a mere five years after the original (in 1982), and stands as a 12” remix master-class to rival the ‘Young Person’s Guide To The Twelve Inch’ mix of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘Rage Hard’. At nearly sixteen minutes long, it’s by far the longest track on my list. Throwing everything a modern recording studio has to offer at it, the mix is bursting at the seams with sound-effects and crazy synthesiser solos. Desperate to maintain the hypnotic groove of the original, Cowley isn’t afraid to strip away the newly added layers, to leave the solitary, mesmerising bassline, front and center on several occasions during its extended running time. Disco Heaven!

4 – The Associates – Club Country (12” Extended Version) (Mixed by Mike Hedges & The Associates - 6.45)

Dundee acts as the unlikely backdrop for the birth of one of the brightest, but tragically short lived, 80’s pop careers. After years of experimental noodling and arty posing, Alan Rankin and Billy Mackenzie, had finally started to break into the mainstream with ‘Party Fears Two’ in February 1982. The otherworldly euphoria and widescreen drama of that track was matched, if not bettered, by its follow-up, ‘Club Country’, only a matter of months later. From its extended, thundering drum intro, to the sweeping synth-strings, all coated with layers of exquisitely unique vocals from Mackenzie, it’s a master-class in alternative pop - 80’s style. They were never to trouble the UK Top 20 singles chart again.

3 – The Human League – The Sound Of The Crowd (12” Version) (Remixed by Martin Rushent - 6.28)

It was make or break for The Human League in 1981. They had signed to Virgin Records in 1979, but had failed to deliver any hits. When the band imploded and split into two factions, it looked like it was all over. Front-man Phil Oakey had other ideas, and began to formulate a masterplan to become Sheffield’s answer to Abba. He met and recruited two teenage girls to act as backing singer/dancers, whisked them away on a European tour and in the process something miraculous happened (beside the non-involvement of Child Services). Their first single as The Human League Mk.2 (‘Boys & Girls’) failed to break the UK Top 40 and it’s rumoured that Virgin delivered an ultimatum - ‘The next one makes the Top 10, or you’re dropped’. Well it didn’t quite make it, ‘The Sound Of The Crowd’ reached No.12 in May 1981, but in just over six months the band would have the UK Christmas No.1 and hit the No.1 spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Don’t You Want Me’. That song would bring them their biggest UK and US success, while also delivering a bottomless royalty-cheque retirement plan for Oakey / Callis / Adrian Wright, This Martin Rushent remix set the tone for much of the bands early 80’s output. Built for the dancefloor (it was colour coded as ‘Red’ to prove it), it’s a joyride of warped synth melody lines, stuttering drum machines and ecstatic chanting vocals.

2 – Sister Sledge – Lost In Music (Special 1984 Nile Rodgers Remix) (Remixed by Nile Rodgers - 6.37)

This may be considered cheating, as the original version of the Philadelphia born siblings finest moment was released in August 1979, but this remix and 12” release came during a second wave of interest for their, Chic produced, ‘We Are Family’ album. Three of the four original singles from the album were Top 40 hits again in 1984, with ‘Lost In Music’ being the biggest, reaching No.4. This mix was completed during the same period that the Chic boys were remixing ‘The Reflex’ for Duran Duran, hence the inclusion of Simon Le Bon and Andy Taylor on backing vocals and the same use of cut-up vocals and sampled ad-libs on the remix. ‘Melody is good to me’ indeed!

1 – Soft Cell – Bedsitter (Extended Mix) (Mix by Mike Thorne - 7.50)/ Facility Girls (Extended Mix) (Mix by Mike Thorne - 7.15)

Second on my list from Soft Cell, and my favourite 12” of the 80’s. For me this was always a double ‘A’ side. The extended version of ‘Bedsitter’ (subtitled ‘Early Morning Dance Side’ on the back of the single) paints an extra thick, even darker, smudge of eyeliner over the already sordid tale of 24 hour party people living on the poverty line – dancing, drinking and loving away their troubles. On the flip side ‘Facility Girls’ (subtitled ‘Late Night Listening Side’) stretches the original two minute and twenty one seconds running time into a seven minute epic tale of young lovers, struggling to stay afloat as they face the pitfalls of their mundane jobs and the trials of everyday life. Filled with more kitchen sink drama than your average Homebase.