EU Import
The title is self-explanatory: 12" mixes of songs from 1983. Over 5 hours of music across 4 discs. This particular compilation attracted me for several reasons: 1) 1983 is smack dab in the middle of my high school days, 2) there's a nice mix of familiar and unfamiliar tunes here, and 3) there are at least three extended versions on the compilation that I've been looking for on CD for a good long while. Those three are the Jellybean Benitez remix of Say Say Say by Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson, which should have been included on the 2015 Archive Collection edition of Pipes Of Peace.
The Jellybean Benitez remix of Billy Joel's Tell Her About It, which I owned on vinyl back in 1983, I mentioned in my post on An Innocent Man, and should have been included in the mediocre box set, My Lives.
The Special Remix Version of Our Lips Are Sealed by Fun Boy Three. I also owned that 12" single and played both sides frequently back in '83 and '84. Side one contained the mix found here on CD Three, track 9. Side two had the single edit and a mesmerizing Urdu version which I tracked down on the 1997 compilation disc, Really Saying Something: The Best of Fun Boy Three.
So for a guy like me, this purchase was a foregone conclusion. And for anyone who danced their ass off to these tracks at school dances, this is fantastic set and well worth the price (I paid $22.64, your mileage may vary.)
Tracks: Speaking of dancing, I've included chart peaks on the Billboard dance/disco charts and, if a particular remix has previously appeared on the blog, a link to that other disc (★).
| CD 1 (78:42) | ||||
| Artist | Song | Time | Dance | CD |
| Wham! | Bad Boys (12" Version) | 4:58 | 28 | |
| Eurythmics | Right By Your Side (12" Remix) | 12:22 | 32 | |
| Duran Duran | Union Of The Snake (The Monkey Mix) | 6:27 | 33 | ★ |
| Spandau Ballet | Communication (Club Mix) | 4:27 | 59 | ★ |
| The Human League | (Keep Feeling) Fascination (Extended Version) | 4:58 | 1 | |
| Howard Jones | New Song (Extended Version) | 5:36 | 4 | |
| O. M. D. | Genetic Engineering (312MM Version) | 5:10 | - | |
| Blancmange | Blind Vision (Long Version) | 9:38 | 3 | |
| Ultravox | We Came To Dance (Extended Version) | 7:38 | - | ★ |
| Tears For Fears | The Way You Are (Extended Version) | 4:33 | - | |
| Thompson Twins | Hold Me Now (12" Version) | 9:46 | 1 |
| CD 2 (77:45) | ||||
| Artist | Song | Time | Dance | CD |
| Adam Ant | Puss 'N Boots (Extended Version) | 5:05 | - | |
| Bananarama | Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye (12" Version) | 9:46 | 14 | |
| The Belle Stars | Sign Of The Times (Remixed Extended 12" Version) | 5:36 | 43 | |
| Bucks Fizz | When We Were Young (Extended Club Mix) | 6:27 | - | |
| Thompson Twins | We Are Detective (More Clues) | 5:49 | - | |
| Haysi Fantayzee | Shiny Shiny (US Dance Mix) | 4:34 | - | |
| Altered Images | Don't Talk To Me About Love (Extended Version) | 6:59 | - | |
| Kajagoogoo | Ooh To Be Ah (The Construction Mix) | 6:37 | - | |
| Paul Young | Come Back And Stay (Extended Club Mix) | 7:24 | 42 | |
| Heaven 17 | Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry (Extended Dance Version) | 6:19 | 34 | ★ |
| Soft Cell | Soul Inside (12" Mix) | 11:57 | - | |
| Taco | Puttin' On The Ritz (Extended Version) | 6:04 | 37 |
| CD 3 (79:13) | |||||
| Artist | Song | Time | Dance | CD | |
| Irene Cara | Flashdance...What A Feeling (Remix) | 7:11 | 1 | ||
| Freeez | I.O.U. (Megamix) | 8:44 | 3 | ||
| New Order | Confusion (12" Version) | 8:14 | 5 | ||
| Rockers Revenge | The Harder They Come (Extended Version) | 8:35 | 13 | ||
| Forrest | Rock The Boat (High Dynamic Re-Mix) | 8:44 | 9 | ||
| Modern Romance | Don't Stop that Crazy Rhythm (Extended Version) | 6:33 | - | ||
| Level 42 | The Chinese Way (Extended Version) | 7:03 | - | ||
| Madness | Wings Of A Dove (12" Blue Train Mix) | 6:09 | - | ||
| Fun Boy Three | Our Lips Are Sealed (Special Remix Version) | 6:06 | - | ||
| The Style Council | Long Hot Summer (Extended Version) | 7:02 | - | ||
| Nick Heyward | Whistle Down The Wind (12" Version) | 4:52 | - | ★ |
| CD 4 (77:46) | |||||
| Artist | Song | Time | Dance | CD | |
| Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson | Say Say Say (12" Version) | 5:42 | 2 | ||
| Billy Joel | Tell Her About It (Special Remix Version) | 5:36 | 38 | ||
| The Fixx | One Thing Leads To Another (Extended Version) | 8:00 | 14 | ||
| Debbie Harry | Rush, Rush (Extended Version) | 4:47 | 28 | ||
| Laura Branigan | Gloria (12" Version) | 5:55 | 4 | ||
| Miquel Brown | So Many Men, So Little Time (12" Vocal) | 8:14 | 2 | ||
| Divine | Shake It Up (12" Vocal) | 6:08 | - | ||
| Ryan Paris | Dolce Vita (Extended Disco Mix) | 7:31 | - | ||
| Lydia Murdock | Superstar (Long Version) | 9:07 | - | ||
| Phil Fearon & Galaxy | Dancing Tight (Dance Mix) | 6:14 | - | ||
| Donna Summer | Unconditional Love (Extended Version) | 5:16 | - | ||
| Tina Turner | Let's Stay Together (Album Version) | 5:15 | 1 |
With very few exceptions, my personal sweet spot for lengths of "extended mixes" is somewhere between 5½ - 7 minutes, so when we get to 9+ minutes, my cup runneth over.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: After home high school football games on Friday nights, a school club (Interact, maybe?) sponsored "Victory Dances." Admission: $2. The dances were held in an old city-owned building simply known as the "Service Center" which was a former USO building built during World War II. Amazingly, it is still in use today. I'm not sure when the victory dances kicked off after the end of the football game (pun intended and I apologize for nothing), but by the time I got home from the game, changed out of my marching band uniform into an outfit that more than likely included a skinny tie, and made it to the Service Center, it was usually 10:45 or 11 PM. Stairway To Heaven was normally scheduled for 11:50, so that doesn't leave much dance time for young Mark. Nevertheless, I danced as if I was hopped up on cocaine and returned home sufficiently exhausted.
Postscript: at my recent high school reunion, I was once again a dancing fool and one female classmate commented that I "still got it" so I've got that going for me, which is nice. The aforementioned fool at the aforementioned 40 year reunion:
Previously revisited for the blog:
Now 80s Alternative (2023)
Now That's What I Call 12" 70s (2022)
Now That's What I Call Christmas! (2001)
Now That's What I Call Music! 1981: The Millennium Series (1999)
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