Records are like drugs, and a good record dealer is like a good drug dealer in that he/she knows just what it takes to separate you from your hard-earned dough.
I was at Jerry’s Records last week (as I am apt to be) and within seconds of walking in he tells me that he has boxes of singles that I’m going to want to look through, boxes filled with “the kind of shit I like.”
Sighing, because I am trying to save money, I am led to the boxes, where I proceed to grab about 50 bucks of awesome 12″ singles from Sparks, Aztec Camera, The B-52s and more. As I go to pay Jerry, he points to two more boxes and says “oh, you should look through these too, they’re all rare DJ mix records.”
I glance over at the stack of boxes and turn my head away, “No!” I say with the kind of authority a junkie says when presented with a hit, “I’m trying to save money, whatever is in there, I don”t need it.”
“Are you sure?” I got some good stuff in there?”
“No, I need to save-”
“I saw some rare Depeche Mode in there.”
“Where are these records again?”
Sigh.
Anyways, he was right. Those boxes did have some pretty oddball Depeche Mode stuff. Oddball Depeche Mode stuff that I of course bought. So enjoy.
Depeche Mode
Mega Mix Part 1
Mega Mix Part 2
Depeche Mode Medley 1987
The two “Mega Mix” tracks are taken from an unofficial 1990 single put out by the bootleg label On-USound, who released several bootleg mixes in the late 80s and early 90s. Despite being a bootleg, it’s very professional sounding, and rather creative as well, incorporating album cuts, single remixes and even some live stuff. Quality shit all around.
“Depeche Mode Medly 1987,” is an official remix, but ironically it’s not nearly as good as the bootleg mix, and the single from which it came is incredibly unprofessional and cheap looking. First of all, it has no real title, just a generic “M” logo at the top, it turns out that it’s from a DJ remix series that was just called “M.” This is the first in the series, so its official name is M1.
On side one are the two standard versions Enigma’s “Mea Culpa” and Eon’s “Spice.”  Good songs to be sure, but they really don’t have much in common so their combined inclusion is bizarre. Furthermore, “Mea Culpa” is spelled wrong (“Mia Culpa”) giving the whole thing a very amateur feel. The DM medley takes up the B-side, and like I said before, it’s not as good as the bootleg mixes, but if you’re like me and worship the Mode, it’s worth a listen if for curiosity sake and nothing else.
Kylie Minogue
Confide In Me (The Truth Mix)
Confide In Me (Big Brothers Mix)Â
I’ve mentioned this in the past, but my knowledge of Kylie’s early 90s output is really limited, thanks to be me being in the one industrialized country on the planet who didn’t care about Kylie Minogue during most of the decade. As such, I’ve been trying to catch up ever since. I just heard this song for the first time when I picked up this single last week and, damn if it isn’t one of the best pop songs I’ve heard in a long time. This is an amazing tune: dreamy, sexy, beautifully-produced and, most of all, perfectly sung by Kylie. Damn. It’s annoying that this song wasn’t a hit in the states. How the hell did that not happen? My country is dumb.
Also, while “The Truth Mix” is probably the better of the two, I love the “Big Brothers Mix” because it discos the fuck out the song. Fabulous.
I first heard “Confide in Me” in London 18 years ago. I was staying at a bed-and-breakfast and listening to one of those Saturday chart countdowns. As I was getting into the tub, they played “Confide in Me,” which was at No. 2 that week. Trust me: That song was made for a relaxing bubble bath. One of her very best records. I, too, thought it would be a hit in America.
I found the Depeche Mode Medley more enjoyable than the Mega Mixes, but each to their own.