Archive for the ‘Adam Ant’ Category

Parenthetical Aside (Not Aside)

Wednesday, July 13th, 2016

It’s been a rough month or so hasn’t it? Here’s some silly remixes.

Was (Not Was)
(Stuck Inside Of Detroit With The) Out Come the Freaks (Again) (The Mighty Mook Mix)
(Stuck Inside Of Detroit With The) Out Come The Freaks (Again) (The Bobby Maggot Mix)
Those are far too many parenthesis.

While I love living in Japan, and the record stores here are the best in the world, I do feel that most of them fall short in my bread and butter, which is obscure 12″ singles to B-tier 80s and 90s pop acts. Yeah, I can find a MSFL pressing of Dark Side Of The Moon ($800) or a mint mono copy of The Velvet Underground and Nico with the original front and back cover both in tact (I didn’t even look) but 12″ singles to Big Audio Dynamite, Yaz, Pop Will Eat Itself or Adam Ant are slim in supply it seems. So I get pretty stoked when I can come across a few. Scored these remixes at Recofan last week, along with another set of remixes to the same track that I’m not sharing because they’re available on Amazon legally.

“Out Come The Freaks” is no “Hello Operator…I Mean Dad…I Mean Police…I Can’t Even Remember Who I Am” but it’s pretty good.

Adam Ant
Apollo 9 (Extended Re-Mix Version)
Yes, I realize that I just said I can’t get Adam Ant singles in Japan. I bought this in America last year so shut up.

Speaking of America (oh God why would anyone do that) I’m going to America next month, so expect plenty of updates regarding pizza, record stores and a general state of malaise and unending depression.

Posted in Adam Ant, remixes, Was (Not Was) | No Comments »

The Neverending Blog Post

Thursday, December 12th, 2013

This past weekend I got so constipated that I had to go to the hospital.

Yeah, so how you doing?

I know this blog has kind of turned into me complaining about how I don’t have time to do anything and that moving to another country is super stressful but damn, I don’t have time to do anything! And moving to another country is super stressful! I did get a lot of stuff done, however, when I wasn’t doubled over in a hospital bed in agonizing pain. Got my apartment in Japan reserved. Started the prep to get my house on the market here. Packed up even more things for storage. But today I started the biggest endeavor of this entire process, I started packing up my records. And you know what? IT DIDN’T REALLY FEEL REAL UNTIL THEN.

Oh boy this is going to be a long month.

Limahl
Never Ending Story (Club Mix)
Never Ending Story (Instrumental)
I grew up with The Neverending Story. I remember watching the film repeatedly and, as a young geek, hoping and dreaming that I would one day have an awesome giant dog dragon that I could use to lay smite to my schoolyard enemies. That, sadly, never happened – but the dream remains. Who knows, maybe they have those in Japan.

There are apparently two different versions of The Neverending Story, the original, uncut European version and an edited and abridged version that was sent over to America. In addition to being slightly edited in length, the American version also features a different score that was composed by legendary techno god Giorgio Moroder, marking the first time ever that someone said “let’s make the movie appeal more to American audiences by replacing the orchestral music with euro dance music.”

While I’m sure the European version is more in line with the director’s original vision, it doesn’t have the awesome theme song by Limahl, so it can fuck right off.

Adam Ant
Room At The Top (21st Century Mix)
Another Art Of Mix DJ-only remix, albeit a very good one of an excellent track. This same LP had an amazing remix of “Vogue” that I shared a few weeks/months/somethings ago – probably making it the greatest DJ mix LP I own.

Did I mention this song is great? Cuz goddamn this song is great. Adam Ant is right y’know, there is always room at the top and don’t let them tell you is not. Fuck the man! Dress like a dandy highwayman and live your dreams!

Posted in Adam Ant, Limahl, remixes | 4 Comments »

Pussycat Boots

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

Adam Ant
Puss’n Boots (Extended Version)
Kiss The Drummer (Extended Version)
Okay, Phil Collins produced and played drums on one of these tracks. Guess which one?

You’re wrong! He worked on “Puss’n Boots,” not “Kiss The Drummer.” You think he would have wanted to work on the song that promoted giving love to drummers, but I guess he was more of a fairy tale fan. The real important question to ask after analyzing all of this information is “how the hell did Phil Collins get involved on an Adam Ant album?” Was Adam Ant a big Lamb Lies Down On Broadway fan? Actually, that wouldn’t surprise me, but I would’ve pegged him as more of a Peter Gabriel fan.

But I digress, this single was recorded during the height of Adam Ant’s “New Romantic” period, as evident by that amazing cover you see. I love that for a brief moment in the early 80s the “slightly foppish dandy highwayman/pirate with a tinge of Mad Max” look was the epitome of sexy. Of course, it wasn’t the only time that happened. Thanks Johnny Depp. Both tunes are great examples of Adam at the height of his pop powers. I’m digging the hell out of the “Puss’n Boots” mix right now.

Faster Pussycat
Bathroom Wall (Remix with Intro)
Bathroom Wall (Remix)
I know two Faster Pussycat songs, this and “House of Pain.” And while “House Of Pain” made them stars (at least for a minute), I greatly prefer the sleazy fun that is “Bathroom Wall.” It’s also featured prominitely in The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II, the greatest rock documentary of all-time that you can’t get on DVD.

As for these remixes, they’re more like single edits than proper new mixes, cutting down the intro to get straight to the first verse as soon as possible. The “with intro” version includes a silly little two second sped up vocal clip. I prefer the one without it. But in the interests of my being a needless completest, here are both versions.

This reminds me though, if you have a tangential interest in both Faster Pussycat and covers of new wave songs (and why wound’t you?), then you should check out this cover of “Cities In Dust” by The Newlydeads, another band fronted by Faster Pussycat lead singer Taime Downe. It’s shockingly good.

 

Posted in Adam Ant, Faster Pussycat, remixes | 2 Comments »

This Post Is An Accurate Microcosm Of My Record Collection

Friday, December 16th, 2011

My 80s dance party continues. Seems like the best way to get in the holiday spirit if you ask me.

Eurythmics
Right By Your Side (Extended Mix)
This song is adorable. I want to hug it. So cute, so lovey-dovey, I should hate it…but it’s just so nice!

What’s not nice, however, is my recording of it. The distortion you hear on the track is caused by the record itself, not my recording equipment; my encoding equipment; your speakers; or an evil space monkey. Okay, maybe an evil space monkey is to blame. If anyone has a version of the song that has not been tainted by an evil space monkey that destroys record grooves, let me know. I’ll repay your kindness handsomely.

Thomas Dolby
Airheads’ Revenge
Revenge Rap
Airhead (Def Ears Mix) 
Airhead (Rusty’s Mix)
The subject of “Airhead” is a woman who Thomas Dolby believes to be of sub-par intelligence. It’s a funny song that manages to lay out a few funny insults while avoiding sexist tropes. Even better though, is the “Airhead’s Revenge” track, in which the subject of Dolby’s derision gets back at him…via a dope rap diss track! Oh snap! She’s there to tell him that HE is the airhead, and that he better shut his mouth before she shuts it for him. Kind of awesome, but entirely bizarre at the same time.

The “Revenge Rap” mix is just her diss track, with none of Dolby’s vocals, while the final two remixes are just alternate versions of the original song, with no rapping to be found. So if you like your rap and new wave synthpop segregated (you racist) then you’ll probably like those more.

Enjoy the new wave/rap/wtf hybrid. And just remember that the man who created it is the same man who helped to create the technology that made polyphonic ringtones possible.

Adam Ant
Room At the Top (7″ Radio Mix)
Room At The Top (Extended Version)
Room At The Top (House Vocal)
A song from the 20th century about a person with an 18th century brain in a 21st century head that was written by a man who liked to dress like he was from the 19th century. Fuckin’…80s man…I don’t know. It’s a good song though.

 

Posted in Adam Ant, Eurythmics, Thomas Dolby | 5 Comments »