Hello everyone 👋🏻😊
I have been thinking about compiling some of the 80s remixes I have heard recently. Some of these have featured in my Chronicles collections, and some are newly discovered. They include remixes, covers and reworks. The Supermode - Tell Me Why track is not a direct remix of any 80s tune; the song interpolates two Bronski Beat songs from their album The Age of Consent. The music is sampled from the song "Smalltown Boy", and the lyrics are taken from the song “Why?”.
I hope you enjoy listening to this collection of tracks that I have mixed.
Global chart history
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Tracklist
Playing tracks by B Jones & Vil Anders, The Human League, Soul II Soul, S'Express, Adeva and more.
Comments
I really enjoyed this Boothy! Thank you 😊 🙌🙌🙌🙌
I'm glad you enjoyed it Fleur 😁😊
Love love love this selection of tunes! Awesome Mr Booth 🔥🔥💃💃🫶🫶
Aww thanks Kathryn 😊🥰
“Congratulations Paolo Booth, your selection is truly refined! I know it wasn’t easy, but you delivered an impeccable result. 🎶👏
PABLO. You had me at Taylor Dane. DAMN BRO!!!🚀🚀🚀🚀📢📢📢📢📢📢
Haha, yes Steve what a tune, I had it on 7" vinyl back in the day 🔊🎶🔥🙌🏼
That was great to listen to ,thank you Paul ! 🔥🔥🔥🔥💜
Thanks Jackyll, I'm glad you enjoyed it 😁💜
shock and awe(some)! this is the battlefield we fight the 80s wars and there's only gonna be one winner. get in the boothy lad! m
Cheers Matt, thanks for listening 😁😊
@Boothy_ did well with the 80s mate, considering you're way to young to remember the electropop wars. awesome set, paul. m
@matt-fiveash haha thanks mate 😁😆
Tracklist | Year and original artist, if not listed in the remix
B Jones & Vil Anders - Bizarre Love Triangle | 1986 – New Order
The Human League - Don't You Want Me (Purple Disco Machine Extended Mix) | 1981
Soul II Soul - Back to Life (PINTO. Maccabi Edit) | 1989
S'Express - Theme From S'Express (Detlef Remix) | 1989
Adeva - In & Out of My Life (Michael Gray Remix) | 1988
Block & Crown - The Look (Of Love) (Original Mix) | 1982 - ABC
Christian Burns, Yero - Wonderful Life (Kryder's Extended Guilty Pleasure Mix) | 1987 - Black
Tchami, Marshall Jefferson - Move Your Body [Select Mix Remix] | 1987 - Marshall Jefferson
R Plus - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Tensnake Extended Remix) | 1980 - Joy Division
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax (DJ SAVIN & Alex Pushkarev Remix) | 1984
Tiesto, Tears for Fears, GUDFELLA - Rule The World (DEPARTAMENTO Extended) | 1985 - Tears for Fears
Supermode - Tell Me Why (James Carter Extended Remix) | 1984 - Bronski Beat
Product Of Us, Émilie Rachel - Self Control (Original Mix) | 1984 - Laura Branigan
House On Mars - Pump Up the Volume (Ivan Jack Remix) | 1987 - M.A.R.R.S.
Jimi Polo - Better Days (Sasha Remix) | 1989
Marc Korn x Semitoo x Just Mike - La Isla Bonita (Extended Mix) | 1986 - Madonna
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (Silver Nail Remix) | 1983
A-ha - Take on Me (HAAS Remix) | 1984
Kevin McKay, Terri-Anne - Rhythm Is Gonna Get You (Extended Mix) | 1987 – Gloria Estefan
Eurythmics - Here Comes the Rain Again (Nollan Remix) | 1983
Soft Cell - Tainted Love (LAWZ Extended Mix) | 1981
Block & Crown Ft Daniel Goodheart - Smalltown Boy | 1984 – Bronski Beat
Ghostbusterz - Tell It to My Heart (23Beach Club Mix) | 1987 – Taylor Dayne
Technotronic - Pump Up the Jam (Max Pavlov Remix) | 1989
Benny Royal & Dani Hageman - Tigereye (Original Mix) | 1982 – Survivor - Eye of The Tiger
Next Promises, Sonaba - Enjoy the Silence (Extended Mix) | 1980 - Depeche Mode
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (KREAM Remix) | 1985
Irene Cara - Flashdance...What a Feeling (Yastreb Remix) | 1983
Madonna - Like A Prayer (DJ Dark Extended Remix) | 1989
Danny Darko, Aidark - Sweet Dreams (Original Mix) | 1983 - Eurythmics
Michael Cassette - Crockett's Theme (Extended Mix) | 1988 - Jan Hammer
Inner City - Good Life (Centurion Wave Remix) | 1988 - Inner City, Kevin Saunderson
Herbie Hancock - Rockit (D'First & Syntheticsax Remix) | 1983
Grum - Shout (Extended Mix) | 1984 - Tears for Fears
Anza, InfeXus - Africa (Extended Mix) | 1982 - Toto
Safri Duo, Michael Parsberg, Isam B - Mad World (Original) | 1982 – Tears for Fears
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (KaktuZ RemiX) | 1987
Fabio Aurea - Come into My Life | 1987 – Joyce Sims
Whitney Houston - So Emotional (Forbid Bootleg) | 1987
Elton John, Dua Lipa - Cold Heart (Claptone Extended Mix) | 1989 - Elton John - Sacrifice
Disko Junkie - Cry (Just A Little) (Original Mix) | 1988 – Brenda Russell – Piano in The Dark
DJ Femme, Hayley Teal - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Optical Disco Remix) | 1987 - Whitney Houston
Alesso, John Alto - Lonely Heart (Extended Mix) | 1983 – Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
Europe - The Final Countdown (Amir Telem Remix) | 1986
CASSIMM - Valerie (Extended Mix) | 1987 - Steve Winwood
Block & Crown - Thriller | 1982 - Michael Jackson
Bob Sinclar - Cruel Summer (Club Mix) | 1983 - Bananarama
Kevin McKay, Katie McHardy - Everywhere (Extended Mix) | 1987 - Fleetwood Mac
Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me) (Jet Boot Jack Remix) | 1985
Ivan Kay, Fiorez - People Hold On (Ghostbusterz Extended Remix) | 1989 - Coldcut, Lisa Stansfield
Chaka Khan, Mo Falk - Ain't Nobody (Hypelezz Edit) | 1989 - Chaka Khan
Pet Shop Boys - Suburbia (Wet Republic Remix) | 1986
Blank Sense - Blue Monday (Extended Mix) | 1983 – New Order
The vibrant and often flashy pop music of the 1980s laid the essential groundwork for modern house music. While house emerged from Chicago's underground clubs, its sonic identity and creative ethos were profoundly shaped by the accessible technology and musical innovations of '80s pop. The decade's widespread adoption of synthesisers, drum machines, and sampling technology provided the very tools that pioneering house producers used to create a new genre.
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80s Pop: The Technological Revolution 💻
The 1980s were a pivotal time for music technology. As instruments became more affordable and user-friendly, producers were freed from the constraints of traditional bands and studios. This DIY spirit was a core part of both '80s pop and early house.
• Synthesisers: Synthesisers were no longer just for experimental artists; they became a cornerstone of mainstream pop. The Yamaha DX7 and its distinctive, metallic sounds became ubiquitous, and the Roland Juno series provided the lush, warm pads that defined the era. House producers, particularly in the deep house subgenre, adopted these instruments to create emotional melodies, atmospheric textures, and funky basslines that were impossible to produce with traditional instruments.
• Drum Machines: The Roland TR-808 and TR-909 are perhaps the most influential pieces of '80s technology for dance music. While they were a staple in pop, new wave, and hip-hop, their programmed, four-on-the-floor rhythms became the "heartbeat" of house music. The iconic, deep kick drum and crisp hi-hats of the 808 are still instantly recognisable in countless house tracks today.
• Sampling: The advent of sampling technology, pioneered by instruments like the Fairlight CMI, allowed artists to lift and manipulate sounds from other recordings. This technique, used to great effect in both '80s pop and hip-hop, became a defining feature of house music. Producers would sample vocals, instrumental snippets, and percussive loops from classic disco and funk records, re-contextualising them to create new, dance-focused tracks.
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Shared Musical DNA 🧬
Beyond the hardware, 80s pop and modern house music share a common musical vocabulary.
• Repetitive, Grooving Basslines: The funk and disco-influenced basslines of '80s pop artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna created an infectious dance floor energy. House music took this concept and made the bassline the central melodic and rhythmic element, often creating repetitive, hypnotic loops that drive the entire track.
• Uplifting Vocals: While house music is often instrumental, many of its most iconic tracks feature soulful, gospel-inspired vocals. This tradition can be traced back to the powerful vocal performances in disco and '80s pop, which focused on themes of love, unity, and self-expression.
• The "Four-on-the-Floor" Beat: The pulsing, four-on-the-floor rhythm was the rhythmic foundation of '80s disco and dance-pop. This beat, where the kick drum hits on every quarter note, is the single most defining characteristic of house music. It's what makes the genre so fundamentally danceable and allows DJs to seamlessly mix tracks together.
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Legacy in Modern House Music 🎵
The influence of '80s pop is not just a historical footnote; it continues to be a driving force in contemporary house. Many modern artists actively embrace and update the sounds of the '80s, blurring the lines between pop and house. Producers frequently use vintage synth presets, sample '80s tracks directly, or recreate the analog warmth of the era with modern tools. This ongoing fascination with the '80s sound proves that the fusion of pop melodies and electronic beats from that decade was not just a passing trend—it was the birth of a new musical language that remains as relevant and powerful as ever.