The first time hearing this incredible remix of Billy Idol’s Flesh For Fantasy in 1984, I did not pay much attention to it for no reason at all. I’ve always loved the original LP version, but my brain failed to register Below The Belt Mix. It had all the elements which I craved in any given track in those times: drum machines, samples of stuttering vocals and guitar stabs, synthesizers, etc.  Tight programming and blending of electronic synth, pop and rock music, produced by Keith Forsey who had worked extensively with Giorgio Moroder (go figure Below The Belt Mix sounding electronic!) — the godfather of electric disco, also notoriously known for his mind-blasting The Chase theme soundtrack of Midnight Exress motion picture!

The day which Below The Belt Mix floored me and left me breathless was at an all-nude strip bar near LAX airport, early one Summer afternoon in 1993. The place wasn’t packed. I was having a few drinks and watching the dancer peel off all her clothes on stage while listening to the loud music. Below The Belt Mix came on next. And she cirque-du-soleil’ed nude to it deeply into the flesh, heart & spirit of the song, as if it was her last dance in the world.

Billy Idol – “Flesh For Fantasy” (Below The Belt Mix)…

Artist: Billy Idol
Title: Flesh For Fantasy (Below The Belt Mix)
Year: 1984
Label: Chrysalis Records.

Billy Idol – “Flesh For Fantasy” (Below The Belt Mix) (mp3)

 

Music Video: Billy Idol – “Flesh For Fantasy”…

I have nothing to say about this track other than it is great. Oh yeah, I did some little EQ adjustment, added a touch of reverb tweaked  with my own custom parameters, and slapping quick final mastering … making both tracks below to sound brighter, beefier and  clearer with more ambience & presence.

Spandau Ballet – “Lifeline” (Dub Version)…

Artist: Spandau Ballet
Title: Lifeline (Dub Version)
Year: 1983
Label: Chrysalis Records
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

Spandau Ballet – “Lifeline” (Dub Version) (mp3)

 

Spandau Ballet – “Lifeline” (Acappella)…

Artist: Spandau Ballet
Title: Lifeline (Acappella)
Year: 1983
Label: Chrysalis Records
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

Spandau Ballet – “Lifeline” (Acappella) (mp3)

 

Another great Tears For Fears 12″ single. This track was recorded and released in the UK charts in 1984, well before the release  of their 1985 LP/album release Songs From The Big Chair. It showcased the group’s edgier sound, intricate production and, most importantly, the creative use of sampling. Beat Of The Drum Mix was clearly one of the earliest remix tracks with sampled vocals, loops and snippets as well as loops, that were sequenced and arranged together on top of all other synths and multi-tracked layers of instrument/vocal performances recorded by the band. For example, the string-hits at the beginning Beat Of The Drum Mix were sampled from a Barry Manilow track; James Brown vocal snippets near the end; and the other samples were real ambient noises, drum shots/rolls, orchestral and horn stabs, ambient and weird noises, guitar strums/chords, and Tears For Fears’ own vocals.

All the sampling were done with the Fairlight CMi-2 which was, at that time, the most sophisticated and highly advanced sampling/sequencing/digital-editing workstation.  It featured a mainframe computer, large keyboard-instrument controller, computer monitor and a light-pen.  Watch this video demonstration of the Fairlight. Also watch this other video of the Fairlight being demonstrated by Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran.

The meaning of Mothers Talk stems from two ideas:

  1. Something that mothers say to their children about pulling faces; they say the child will stay like that when the wind changes; and
  2. The inspiration by the anti-nuclear cartoon book When The Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs.

Tears For Fears – “Mothers Talk” (Beat Of The Drum Mix)…

Artist: Tears For Fears
Title: Mothers Talk (Beat Of The Drum Mix)
Year: 1984, 1985, 1986
Label: Mercury Records; Polygram; Phonogram; Vertigo
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

Tears For Fears – “Mothers Talk” (Beat Of The Drum Mix) (mp3)

 

Tears For Fears – “Mothers Talk” (US Remix)…

Artist: Tears For Fears
Title: Mothers Talk (US Remix)
Year: 1984, 1985, 1986
Label: Mercury Records; Polygram; Phonogram; Vertigo

Tears For Fears – “Mothers Talk” (US Remix) (mp3)

 

Fairlight CMi demonstration by Greg Sneddon…

Fairlight Cmi demonstration by Nick Rhodes & other artists…

When The Wind Blows…

I love this version of Head Over Heels (Preacher Mix) by Tears For Fears. It’s nice and long with outstanding edits and arrangements that takes you on a long journey. Layers and layers of real music instruments and electronic synthesizers. Intricate production. A work of art!  I wish that I wrote this song. I recorded this track off of an imported 12-inch record (pressed in Germany) which I’ve had in my collection since the mid 80’s. The Preacher Mix is comprised of three parts: (1) intro Broken, (2) the main song Head Over Heels, and (3) outro Broken —- with all three playing in consecutive order. The intro and outro versions of Broken sound different from each other. However, the Broken-outro part in the album version of Head Over Heels is completely a different version/mix than the one in Preacher Mix; it sounds like a live performance than a studio-production (although I am not sure if it is really “live” or just made to sound that way).

The Preacher Mix was available only on 12-inch record for a long time.  It wasn’t even available on Tears For Fears’ 1985 album Songs From The Big Chair, nor was it available on their 1999 remastered release of Songs From The Big Chair which included all the original tracks from the album plus several bonus B-sides tracks/remixes. But in 2006, The Preacher Mix was included in yet another remastered, 2-disc deluxe edition release of Songs From The Big Chair on CD

Tears For Fears – “Broken / Head Over Heels / Broken” (Preacher Mix)…

Artist: Tears For Fears
Title: Broken / Head Over Heels / Broken (Preacher Mix)
Year: 1985
Label: Mercury Records
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

Tears For Fears – “Broken / Head Over Heels / Broken” (Preacher Mix) (mp3)

 

Tears For Fears – “Head Over Heels/Broken” (Album Version)…

Artist: Tears For Fears
Title: Head Over Heels/Broken (Album Version)
Year: 1985
Label: Mercury Records

Tears For Fears – “Head Over Heels/Broken” (Album Version) (mp3)

 

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