The golden age of 12" singles or The art of the mix?

1981

Modern Romance - Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey (12" version) (1981)

Classix Nouveaux - Never Again (extended version) (1981)

Japan - Visions Of China (extended remix) (1981)

Simple Minds - Sweat In Bullet (12" version) (1981)

Soft Cell - Bedsitter (12" extended mix) (1981)

Grace Jones - Walking In The Rain (12" version) (1981)

Journey - Dont Stop Believing (12" extended version) (1981)

Duran Duran - My Own Way (Night Version) (1981)

Duran Duran - My Own Way (Night Edit) (1981)

Bucks Fizz - The Land Of Make Believe (extended version) (1981)

Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement (12" extended version) (1981)

Daryl Hall & John Oates - I Cant Go For That (No Can Do) (12" version) (1981)

Kim Wilde - Cambodia (extended version) (1981)

1982

Toni Basil - Mickey (extended version) (1982)

Soft Cell - Say Hello Wave Goodbye (extended version) (1982)

Gary Numan - Music For Chameleons (12" extended version) (1982)

The Associates - Party Fears Two (extended version) (1982)

ABC - Poison Arrow (12" extended version) (1982)

ABBA - Head Over Heels (The Bucabeach extended mix) (1982)

Stevie Nicks - Edge Of Seventeen (extended version) (1982)

Depeche Mode - See You (extended version) (1982)

Falco - Der Kommissar (extended version) (1982)

Imagination - Just An Illusion (12" extended version) (1982)

1982

Bucks Fizz - My Camera Never Lies (12" extended version) (1982)

Altered Images - See Those Eyes (extended version) (1982)

Visage - The Damned Don`t Cry (extended mix) (1982)

B-Movie - Nowhere Girl (12" extended version) (1982)

The Jam - Precious (12" extended version) (1982)

Classix Nouveaux - Is It A Dream (12" extended version) (1982)

Shakatak - Night Birds (extended version) (1982)

Bananarama & Fun Boy Three - Really Saying Something (extended version) (1982)

Tears For Fears - Pale Shelter (12" original extended version) (1982)

Roxy Music - More Than This (Dreamtime Mix) (1982)

1982

Dazz Band - Let It Whip (extended) (1982)

Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots (extended) (1982)

Shalamar - A Night To Remember (12" mix) (1982)

Spandau Ballet - Instinction (re-mixed and extended version) (1982)

Talk Talk - Talk Talk (extended mix) (1982)

Simple Minds - Promised You A Miracle (12" mix) (1982)

Kid Creole & The Coconuts - I`m A Wonderful Thing Baby (Greg Wilson Edit) (1982)

The Fun Boy Three - The Telephone Always Rings (12" version) (1982)

The Associates - Club Country (12" version) (1982)

Depeche Mode - The Meaning Of Love (12" version) (1982)

Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes (remix) (1982)

ABC - The Look Of Love (extended version) (1982)

ABC - The Look Of Love (USA Remix - Dub Version) (1982)

ABC - The Look Of Love (instrumental) (1982)

Queen - Body Language (remix) (1982)

Gang Of Four - I Love A Man In A Uniform (12" extended) (1982)

Gang Of Four - I Love A Man In A Uniform (Dub Version) (1982)

New Order - Temptation (12" version) (1982)

Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf (Night Version) (1982)

Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf (instrumental) (1982)

I think it’s high time we dusted this thread off and brought it back to the surface.
Hopefully, there are plenty of you out there eager to jump in and share your thoughts.

If you won't... well, I'm sure someone else will...😁

When you look at Depeche Mode's massive, lush catalog of 80s 12" singles, there is so much goodness to choose from. Even if we set aside those gorgeous colored vinyl pressings or the sheer rarity of certain B-sides, one specific release still stands head and shoulders above the rest. It’s a bit of a standout, mostly because it’s a double pack:

It`s Called A Heart / Fly On The Windscreen (1985) (2x12") (Limited Edition) (Mute)



It`s Called A Heart (Extended) (A)

Fly On The Windscreen (Extended) (B)

Once you flip over to that second disc, you hit the real treasure hunt...

It`s Called A Heart (Slow Mix) (C)

Fly On The Windscreen (Death Mix) (D)

Just for the record, sides C and D are credited as "remix by Gareth Jones."

It feels right to revisit this double maxi-single, especially since it just crossed that big 30-year milestone recently.

Sadly, it still hasn't found a spot in my own collection. So, if anyone happens to have an extra copy they're looking to part with and wants to find it a good new home, please don't be a stranger.😛

Even if it’s the absolute worst single on side A of a DM record from before 1996, I am simply not selling it.

I am choosing to split their discography into pre-1996 and post-1996 eras, and I do so for good reason. This particular release is truly exceptional, especially since the B-side features such fantastic remixes.

In that specific double edition, the release was only handled by Mute UK and Intercord out of Germany.
In other countries, they just use the standard 12-inch version.

In the States, we don't bother with that standard B-side; instead, we opt for the Flexible version on the flip side.

Well, let’s take a quick moment to look at those other versions from across the pond... over in the States.

Depeche Mode - It`s Called A Heart (1985) (12") (US) (Sire) (Mute)

It`s Called A Heart (Emotion Remix) (A1)

It`s Called A Heart (Emotion Dub) (A2)

Remix by Joseph Watt

Flexible (Deportation Mix) (B1) (this is basically the "Pre-Deportation Mix." It's virtually identical to the one above, except instead of fading out at the end, it just abruptly stops.)

Remix by Bert Bevins

B2 - It`s Called A Heart (single version)

Truly impressive work from Joseph Watt, who is largely responsible for the success of most of those incredible Razormaid Mixes.

Let's pivot for a second to another little "syndrome" I've noticed...

Back when I first dove headfirst into the music scene and started collecting 7" singles during the 80s, there was one thing I absolutely loved about them. It was the fact that the B-sides almost always featured a "clean" instrumental version of the A-side track.
Because they had more breathing room due to their length, 12" singles didn't really face those same constraints. Instead of playing it safe with an instrumental, they usually opted for two or three different remixes of the lead single.

The genres that stuck most faithfully to that old-school tradition were disco and, specifically, the whole Italo-disco movement.
I’ve stumbled upon so many Italo-disco records over the years that follow this exact pattern—just a solid, extended instrumental sitting right there on the flip side.

Now, there’s one group that decided to have a bit of fun by subverting that very tradition, and that's New Order, particularly with this release:

New Order - Thieves Like Us (1984) (12") (Factory)

Thieves Like Us (6:36) (A)

...while the B-side gives you the track Lonesome Tonight.

But here's the kicker: if you actually want that brilliant, "pure" instrumental of the title track, you can't find it there. You actually have to hunt down a completely different maxi-single, specifically this one (which was a bit of a rarity, released mostly in places like Europe or Japan):

New Order - Murder (1984) (12") (Factory)

Thieves Like Us (Instrumental) (6:57) (B)

The A-side on that one is actually the older instrumental for Murder from back in the winter of '82.

I wouldn't bother pointing out such a niche detail if it weren't for the fact that this might be their absolute finest work, making this little quirk a true collector's curiosity.

👍

And one of those shorter maxi-singles too.

Salt-N-Pepa - Push It (12inch)

The music video was so absurdly wild that I ended up buying both the 7-inch and the 12-inch immediately. 😁

It paired quite well with


Yello - Vicious Games 12''

One of those tracks that genuinely makes the hair on your neck stand up.

And there’s that one particular instance where you can't even begin to determine which side holds the upper hand.


>Michael Jackson - Beat It

...it’s a bit of an unusual approach when a single doesn't just expand an EP using the standard playbook. Instead, they basically strip everything back to the track's instrumental skeleton. It's like taking a house and removing all the furniture just to show off the architecture; the vocals end up completely relegated to the background here...

Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know (Monster Mix) (12") (1983)

analogbear40 said:....and this is what happens when a single isn't just expanded into an EP using the standard formula, but instead undergoes a complete overhaul where the instrumental backbone of the track is beefed up, effectively pushing the vocals entirely into the background.....

Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know (Monster Mix) (12") (1983)

Well, that seems fairly obvious once you actually look at the title.
A remix is a new, complex arrangement involving "additional production," whereas an extended version is simply lengthened. Unfortunately, some releases are mislabeled as either an "Extended" or a "Remix" when they don't truly fit those descriptions.
Technically speaking, an extended version should be created solely from the existing master tape and shouldn't include any added beats.

Let’s take a quick dive into some of the absolute gold standards when it comes to thematic remixes...

Icehouse - Crazy (1987) (12") (US Import)

So, this massive global smash by Icehouse—the track that really put them on the map back in '87—was released across several different 12-inch singles, each sporting some pretty fascinating variations.

Beyond just the standard album version, you've got options like:

Crazy (Manic Mix) (12") (1987)

Crazy (Mad Mix) (12") (1987)

Crazy (Midnight Mix) (12") (1987)

If you're hunting for the best one, grab that US import mentioned above. It’s the winner because, alongside two solid, high-quality mixes, it features that incredible "Midnight Mix." It’s this beautifully stripped-down version where the drums and rhythm take a backseat, allowing those lush harmonies and melodies—the very soul of the song—to truly step into the spotlight... 👏👏

...just wanted to jump in here and add my two cents to the sister thread next door...



Who would have guessed that the cover art up there actually belongs to the best-selling 12" single in history?😛

...even though there are a handful of other mixes floating around out there, this might just be one of the longest A-side single extended versions ever put to wax...



Yello - The Race (12") (US) (Fontana)

Yello - The Race (13:22) (1988) (extended version)

analogbear40 said:......to build slightly upon the sister thread next door......



Who would have guessed that this cover art represents the best-selling 12" single in history? 😛

Even the first pressing was a bit of a headache
since shipping costs actually outweighed the retail price.

analogbear40 said:.....regardless of the various alternative mixes listed below, this is likely one of the longest A-side extended singles ever released......



Yello - The Race (12") (US) (Fontana)

Yello - The Race (13:22) (1988) (extended version)

If I recall correctly, the long version of Santa Esmeralda's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" clocks in at 16:11, making it even longer—one of those rare maxi-singles released at 33 RPM on the American market simply because they had to accommodate the length.

ABC - That Was Then But This Is Now (12") (1983)



Talk about some "positive advertising" for this 12-inch release... 🤣

"this record is exactly the same as the 7" version. The Choice is Yours." 😁

When the Chicago house sound finally burst onto the scene, it changed everything...

Steve " Silk Hurley - Jack Your Body (12") (Underground Records) (December 1986)

Jack Your Body (Club Your Body) (A1)

Jack Your Body (Dub Your Body) (A2)

Jack Your Body (home made) (B1)

Hit number 1 on the USA singles chart - January 1987.

Cabaret Voltaire - Drinking Gasoline (EP) (2x12") (Some Bizzare) (1985)

Kino (A) (1985)

Sleepwalking (B) (1985)

Big Funk (C) (1985)

Ghost Talk (D) (1985) (live at Hammersmith Palais 1984 - version)

Stephen Mallinder & Richard h Kirk (Pittsburgh's Finest) during their golden era (1983-1985)