Classic Remixes

There was a time when you could walk into your average record store and find the singles section by spotting the big block of black rows. These rows signaled the whereabouts of the Ds and tended to eat up a disproportionate space of the singles section. In 2004, the Mute label condensed all of these releases into Remixes 81-04, which itself was ironically (or fittingly) presented in multiple versions. This particular version is a triple-disc set that attempts to function as a representative sampling of Depeche Mode's innumerable remixes. It does an admirable job, making a point to highlight glorified extended versions and radical reworkings alike.

Following on from the highly successful first two editions of Dance Masters, featuring the classics mixes from maestros Shep Pettibone and Arthur Baker, the spotlight turns to another remix legend, John Luongo. Boston born, John is one of the truly legendary DJ's and remixers of the Disco era. John got his break at Epic by overdubbing percussion from saltshakers and spoons onto a promo and then passing them back the tape. This resulted in him being flown to New York and put in a studio (of his choice) to mix and produce Melba Moore's "You Stepped Into My Life". From this point everything he touched was a hit. He went onto remix Disco classics by Jackie Moore "This Time Baby", Dan Hartman "Vertigo Relight My Fire" and Patti Labelle "Music Is My Way Of Life". John, however, was not afraid of remixing artists that didn't fit into the disco genre, and this attitude is borne out by the tracklisting of this compilation on which Gladys Knight and The Pips rub shoulders with ZZ Top, and Billy Idol and Baltimora appears alongside Bill Nelson and I Level.