Banderas - She Sells (1991)

To commemorate the passing of the game changing Brexit in the UK (whether you are in favour or not), here is the remixes of the second single by British female synth-pop duo and Isle postees Banderas  The song itself almost hit the UK Top 40, reaching a frustrating #41.  The remixes are done by electronic rock group Apollo 440 and change the song up considerably, increasing the tempo and adding harder techno and house flourishes.  Much better than the original, IMO.

Here is the video for the original She Sells

Download She Sells

1 She Sells (Apollo 440 Edit)
2 She Sells (Digital Hardcore Mix)
3 She Sells (Alternative 7" Mix)
4 Why Aren't You In Love With Me?

Anna G - G'Ding - G'Ding (Do You Wanna Wanna?) (1990)

So, I FINALLY got to thinking about ripping something for this blog again, and this release was at the top of a pile. I figured a song as trashily delicious as this, a sort of euro-house/acid house hybrid, was perfect.  I had tried to find info on Anna G many years ago and came up empty. However, as I was ripping the record this past weekend, I realized that the lady on the cover looked oddly familiar.  Then I considered the name.  It finally occurred to me that Anna G is British beauty Anna Garcia!  I had never heard of Anna Garcia until recently, due to the unfortunate passing of my idol Prince. She was mentioned in an article about attendees of his memorial.  Apparently she dated and lived with him in the late 1980s, and he gave her the name Anna Fantastic. I immediately scoured the internet to find more info about her, shocked that I had never heard of her, considering how obsessed I was with all of Prince's 'women' as a young'un.  I found her on Facebook and saw a brief video clip she posted with her version of Isle postee Carmen Electra's amazing "Fantasia Erotica", shocked to discover that she co-wrote and recorded it first for a proposed female trio also called Anna Fantastic.  Further research revealed that she later joined another female group called La Switch, who released a couple of singles in 1995, "Kiss Me Baby" and "Never Let You Go!", and the dance music collective Positive Connextion.  It also revealed that in 1988 she had released a song, before she met Prince, using the moniker Sheree, the Italo-dance hit "Ronnie - Talk To Russia!", which I was already familiar with.  Even more bizarre, it was not a remake of the Prince track of the same name from his Controversy album, despite the fact that the title is so unique and political.  Perhaps it was somehow responsible for their introduction...  Anyway, I immediately became obsessed with her, regretting that I hadn't heard of her sooner, but thankful to Prince for once again introducing me to a beautiful and mysterious muse, just like he did in my tender years.  (She now occasionally still records - she released a jazz album in 2011 - and is a realtor in Beverly Hills. And still looks fabulous.) Fast forward to this past Saturday.  After ripping the record and relaying this whole story to my boyfriend, I check my Facebook the next day, and who do I get a Facebook friend invitation from but Anna Garcia herself?!  Bizarre coincidence, or divine Princely intervention?  Who knows?  But please enjoy. ;)

Download G'Ding - G'Ding (Do You Wanna Wanna?)

1 G'Ding - G'Ding (Do You Wanna Wanna?) (Energy Mix)
2 G'Ding - G'Ding (Beats & Trumpet)
3 G'Ding - G'Ding (Do You Wanna Wanna?) (Raw Mix)
4 G'Ding - G'Ding (Do You Wanna Wanna?) (Wicked Mix)

Maureen - Don't Fight The Music (1989)

Hi!  I know, it's been too long.  But here is a record I ripped awhile back and forgot to post.  I featured Maureen Walsh's only album on the Isle in 2009 and mentioned this, her first ever solo single.  Well, here it is, a brilliant house slammer for you to enjoy. :)






Download Don't Fight The Music

1	Don't Fight The Music (Don't Fight Mix)
2	Don't Fight The Music (Vocal Club Mix)

The Reynolds Girls - Get Real (1989)

Liverpudlian sisters Linda and Aisling Reynolds has a huge hit in the UK in 1989 with the divisive "I'd Rather Jack", a Stock, Aitken & Waterman produced song that criticized the stuffy old music critics and DJs who snubbed the current pop music.  Despite its hit status, the girls were dropped from the PWL label, likely due to the contempt the single generated.  They quickly formed their own label and released "Get Real", a similarly poppy house track.  It was a total bomb and the girls disappeared, though sister Linda eventually had a brief stint in a truly horrible euro-house band, Hype.  I think "Get Real" should have been a hit too, however.

Download Get Real

1	Get Real
2	Get Real (Hip House Radio Edit)

Shirley Lewis - (You Used To Be) Romantic (1988)

I did a post on Shirley Lewis on The Isle Of Deserted Pop Stars some time ago, and mentioned that this single preceded her album on A&M Records and likely led to her album deal. It does not appear on the album, but would have fit well with its poppier side. As my friend Max pointed out, it is a remake of the Jo Joe song from 1987 and is very similar, not surprising considering it was produced by the same team of Jolley/Harris/Jolley, who also wrote it. The remixes here dance it up a bit.


Here is the video.

Download (You Used To Be) Romantic

1		(You Used To Be) Romantic (Some Like It Hot Mix)
2		(You Used To Be) Romantic (The Hot & Bothered Remix)
3		(You Used To Be) Romantic (Romancing The Street Mix)
4		(You Used To Be) Romantic (Terrific Dub)

Queen B - Red Top Hot Shot (1989)

Queen B was a British duo comprised of Belinda Lee (nee Leith) and Ray Kovacs. This was their only single, and though it was given a huge push in the UK, it was not a hit. Plans for an album were scrapped and the two broke up. The duo Shampoo would have greater success with this punk-pop sound a few years later. Belinda later joined the alt-rock group Daisy Chainsaw, replacing the lead singer. It is rumoured that the original Queen B songs have recently gotten a publisher behind them, so perhaps we'll hear more soon.

Here is the video which also includes an interview.

Download Red Top Hot Shot

1		Red Top Hot Shot (Lead-Free Mix)
2		Red Top Hot Shot
3		Gardening

Exception - Jump With It (1986)

This is another of those imports that I picked up from a dollar bin back in the day. I know nothing about Exception other than that the song was written and produced by British production trio Jolley/Harris/Jolley, who would later go on to release their own songs under monikers like Spider, Circuit and Mann. (Perhaps this was just another moniker.) They had their greatest success many years after this as trippy soul act Innocence, which was fronted by Isle Of Deserted Pop Stars featured artist, Gee Morris. This is one of their earliest works, and is clearly made to sound like a Stock, Aitken and Waterman song, especially something by Mel & Kim. It was even released on Mel & Kim's SAW based label, Supreme (that's SAW act Princess' hand you see on the sleeve). One other song was released by Exception, "Slap You Back", which appeared on the Mona Lisa soundtrack the same year, and it's unsurprisingly reminiscent of something by Princess.

Download Jump With It

1		Jump With It (High St. Mix)
2		Jump With It (7" Radio Version)
3		Jump With It (The Camden Dub Mix)

Kerry Shaw - Could This Be Love? (1993)

Brit Kerry Shaw released this one single, an upbeat techno-house number which never became a hit. She later became part of indie-pop band Whistler with former EMF member Ian Dench. They released two albums at the end of the 1990s and then split. No idea what she's up to now, but it's a shame she didn't release more singles like this one.



Download Could This Be Love?

1		Could This Be Love? (Night Fever Mix)
2		Could This Be Love? (Diss-Cuss Vocal Mix)
3		Could This Be Love? (The Chameleon Mix)

Lizzie Tear - Silver Surfer (1989)

Lizzie Tear was a lovely British lass who had promise that was unfortunately never fully realized. She was signed and produced by the group ABC, and an EP, Enter The Lizard, was released as well as several singles in the late 1980s. This track is indeed an ode to the Marvel superhero. The Radical Mix is by Tim Simenon of Bomb The Bass and Nellee Hooper of Soul II Soul, but is mostly instrumental. I prefer the Apocalypse Surf Mix, which is a lost freestyle classic, IMO, in the vein of Mantronix.


Download Silver Surfer

1		Silver Surfer (Radical Mix)
2		Silver Surfer (Percapella)
3		Silver Surfer (Apocalypse Surf Mix)

Glass - Stop In The Name Of Love (1990)

As promised, here is the second single from mystery girl group Glass. It is indeed a remake of the Supremes classic, with an updated, housier vibe. It also includes another original track, "Love And Devotion".






Download Stop In The Name Of Love

1		Stop In The Name Of Love (Motormix)
2		Stop In The Name Of Love
3		Love And Devotion

Romi & Jazz - Love Crime (1989)

From what I can gather, Romi & Jazz were British sisters of Indian descent. They released a few singles in the late 1980s that were pop-house with Indian or Bhangra flavour (the other two being "People In The House" and "Reach Out".) They were fortunate enough to have David Morales remix this. They are better known for their next single "One Love One World", however, as it was written and produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman, though it was not a hit.



Download Love Crime

1		Love Crime (David Morales Mix)
2		Love Crime (Red Zone Mix)
3		Love Crime (Paul Borg Mix)

Glass - It's Amazing (1989)

Like Girls Talkin', which I posted recently, Glass is also a mysterious girl group comprised of sisters (Gemma, Shauna, Nicola and Dana) who are apparently from the UK and emerged in 1989. They managed to release two singles, however, the other being their remake of The Supremes "Stop In The Name Of Love", which I'll post later. This track is the better of the two, a very trippy house jam produced by David Barratt, who would later work with Taylor Dayne and Anastacia, among others, and remixed by Freddy Bastone. The 'Mental Penetration Mix' is a dub version that samples Tears For Fears' "Change". The other track, "Real Love", was produced by Jah Wobble, strangely enough.

Download It's Amazing

1		It's Amazing (Body Penetration Mix)
2		It's Amazing (Mental Penetration Mix)
3		It's Amazing (7")
4		Real Love

Girls Talkin' - Girls Talkin' (1989)

So, I finally got a USB turntable and can now rip vinyl to MP3, which is what I originally intended this blog to be about. Yay! So I thought I'd start with one of my fave obscurities, the trio Girls Talkin' and their self-titled song. It's an electro-hiNRG-house-pop song, and though I haven't the vaguest clue as to who they are (though the record sleeve give clues that they are the Mills sisters from the UK and an album was planned - though nothing else was ever released as Girls Talkin', they did release another song called "Be Fair" as Rhythm Reign.), I have always adored the club mix of this track.

Download Girls Talkin'

1		Girls Talkin' (We're Talkin' Club Mix)
2		Girls Talkin' (Radio Mix)
3		Didn't Choose Love

The Tamperer Featuring Maya - Hammer To The Heart (1999)

The Tamperer (Mario Fargetta & Alex Farolfi) featuring singer Maya had a couple huge dance hits in the late 1990s with "If You Buy This Record (Your Life Will Be Better)", which sampled Madonna's "Material Girl", and "Feel It", which sampled The Jacksons' "Can You Feel It". They released one album and then this non-album track, which apparently samples ABBA's "Gimme Gimme Gimme", along with another new song, "Step Out".



Download Hammer To The Heart

1		Hammer To The Heart (Metro Extended Mix)
2		Hammer To The Heart (Metro 7" Mix)
3		Hammer To The Heart (Pure Energy Extended Mix)
4		Hammer To The Heart (Pure Energy Airplay Mix)
5		Step Out

Alex Cartañá - Hey Papi (2004)

Alex Cartañá had a big hit as the featured vocalist on "Shake It (Move A Little Closer)" by Lee-Cabrera. She released this R&B/pop single as her first solo song, but it was only a minor hit. A follow-up "Lost Ur Mind" was released digitally but didn't do well, so a physical release and an album were scrapped. Great track, and the lost album tracks are equally great. Alex is planning on releasing a new album soon, thankfully.



Here is the video.

Download Hey Papi

1		Hey Papi (Original Mix)
2		Hey Papi (Alex Cartana Vs. Beatdown Riddim)
3		Hey Papi (MAC-1 Remix)

International Chrysis - Rebel Rebel (1994)

International Chrysis is really Dead Or Alive. Pete and Steve decided to release this under another name so people didn't associate it with Dead Or Alive, in the hopes of grabbing a new audience. It didn't work, especially since Pete's voice is unmistakable. It is a remake of the David Bowie classic, and also includes another track, The Right Stuff. Both tracks later appeared on the Dead Or Alive album Nukleopatra.


Here is the video.

Download Rebel Rebel

1		Rebel Rebel
2		Rebel Rebel (The Hole Mix)
3		Rebel Rebel (The Safe Hands Mix)
4		The Right Stuff

Blue Pearl - (Can You) Feel The Passion (1992)

I just featured Blue Pearl's self-titled album on The Isle Of Deserted Pop Stars, and thought I'd share this non-album single here. It was their biggest and last hit, and is basically a reworking of Bizarre Inc.'s rave track "Playing With Knives", which appears on Bizarre Inc.s album Energique, also featured on the Isle.




Here is the video.

Download (Can You) Feel The Passion

1		(Can You) Feel The Passion (Youth Mix)
2		(Can You) Feel The Passion (U.S. Mix)
3		(Can You) Feel The Passion (Adrenalin Mix)
4		(Can You) Feel The Passion (House Mix)
5		(Can You) Feel The Passion (Zen Mix)

The Flavour - No Matter What U Do (I'm Gonna Get With U) (1993)

The Flavour was really producers Neil Claxton and Johnny Jay, also known as Development Corporation. They based the act around three women and released a couple of singles with them, the other being "Get Your Hands On Me". The music was basically disco-house, and this song is like a proto-Spice Girls track (think "Who Do You Think You Are"). Some mixes use a sample of Rose Royce's "Car Wash".


Download No Matter What U Do (I'm Gonna Get With U)

1		No Matter What U Do (The Tesko Radio Mix)
2		No Matter What U Do (The Corporation Express Dub Mix)
3		No Matter What U Do (The Seattle Trance Mix)
4		No Matter What U Do (The Tesko Development Vocal Mix)
5		No Matter What U Do (The Full On Seattle Mix)
6		No Matter What U Do (The Red Underground Mix)