The Raw & the Remix

Last updated

The Raw & the Remix
The Raw and the Remix cover.jpeg
Remix album by
Fine Young Cannibals
Released11 December 1990
Recorded1985–1990
Genre
Length58:57
Label
Producer
Fine Young Cannibals chronology
The Raw & the Cooked
(1989)		The Raw & the Remix
(1990)		 The Finest
(1996)

The Raw & the Remix is a remix album by English alternative band Fine Young Cannibals, released in 1990 by I.R.S. Records, MCA Records and London Records. It contains remixes and alternate versions of songs by the band, mostly from their 1989 album The Raw & the Cooked . Several of the remixes were created by David Steele and Andy Cox of the band, whilst others were created by disc jockeys such as Smith & Mighty, Youth, Jazzie B, Nellee Hooper and Derrick May. The remixes on the album are said to be significantly different from the originals, some of which contain major stylistic differences in the arrangements.

Contents

Upon its release, the album only reached number 61 in the UK Albums Chart, becoming a relative commercial failure compared to previous releases, although it was still somewhat successful for a remix album with minimal promotion, and for a remix compilation, as its contents were previously released on the band's twelve-inch singles. The album received mixed to positive reviews from critics and was the band's final album before splitting up.

Background

In 1989, the Fine Young Cannibals' soul and dance-influenced second album The Raw & the Cooked became a major international commercial and critical success, scoring two number 1 singles in the United States, "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing". [1] The album itself also reached number 1 in the United Kingdom and United States. [2] [3] For the band's record labels I.R.S. Records and London Records, the album's success was unprecedented, and "they didn't know how to handle it." [4] The band's third album was eagerly anticipated by their labels, who were hoping it to top the success the band had achieved in 1989. [4]

Nonetheless, by late 1990, nearly two years had passed since the band released The Raw & the Cooked, and there was no new album by the band in sight. [5] The band were infamous for their "sluggardly production pace", owing to how three years had passed between their first two albums, and as The Raw & the Cooked was a major success, there was still big anticipation for new music by the band. [6] Inspired by these factors, the band's record label, I.R.S. Records, took this an opportunity to release a remix album of the band's material as a "stop gap" between the band's albums. [5] Remixes of the band's material, most of which were gathered on the remix album, were released as B-sides to their 1989 singles. [5]

Content

Dj prince paul-02.jpg
Martin Glover - Ilosaarirock 2009.jpg
Prince Paul (left) and Youth (right) were amongst those contributing remixes to the album.

For The Raw & the Remix, I.R.S. compiled numerous 12-inch remixes of the band's songs, most of which were from The Raw & the Cooked, and all of which are considered dance floor friendly. [5] The 59 minute collection features "significant variations" of the original versions of the band's songs, some of which add raps, such as Monie Love's guest appearance on the second remix of "She Drives Me Crazy", which itself was by David Steele and Andy Cox of the band, and numerous "major stylistic arrangements", such as the "dub dissection" on Smith & Mighty's remix of "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be", and the "Soul II Soul stamp" on the other remix of the song by Jazzie B and Nellee Hooper. [6] Three of the band's biggest hits, "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be", "She Drives Me Crazy" and "I'm Not Satisfied", appear twice on the album in different remixes. [6]

Besides the aforementioned David Steele, Andy Cox, Smith & Mighty, Nelle Hooper and Jazzie B, remixes on the album are also contributed by David Z, Prince Paul, Matt Dike, Steve Thompson, Derrick May, Michael Barbiero and Youth. [7] The LP version of the album only contains ten tracks, whereas CD and cassette editions feature two further remixes, including techno innovator Derrick May's "Mayhem Rhythm Remix" of "Tired of Getting Pushed Around," the sole single by Cox and Steele's side-project acid house band Two Men, a Drum Machine and a Trumpet, [6] which was a Top 20 hit in the UK in 1988. [8] This is one of two remixes on the album not created using material from The Raw & the Cooked, the other being "The Mix With No Beard" of "Johnny Come Home", a song from the band's eponymous 1985 debut album. [7]

The material on the album had already been released on the band's twelve-inch singles, although many of the remixes are edited from the original versions released on the singles, namely "She Drives Me Crazy (The Monie Love Remix)", "It's OK (It's Alright) (Ploeg Club Mix)" and "Tired of Getting Pushed Around (The Mayhem Rhythm Remix)". [9] Furthermore, the "Smith & Mighty Version" of "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" is an edit of the song's original "12" Mellow Mix", and numerous other remixes on the albums are renamed from the originals, such as the "Extended Version" of "Don't Look Back", which is renamed the "12" Version". [9]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
New Musical Express 6/10 [12]
Select Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Trouser Press (positive) [6]

The Raw & the Remix was released on 11 December 1990; in the United Kingdom, it was released by London Records and in a separate edition by MCA Records, whilst in the United States, it was released by I.R.S. Records and MCA. [9] The original London Records UK edition featured a slightly different artwork than those used on the MCA Records UK edition and American editions. [9] The booklet features four flaps which can be folded out to create a cross. [9] The band's abbreviated name, FYC, is used throughout the packaging instead of the band's full name; the abbreviation was introduced in 1989 in order to make the band more marketable and in order not to alienate those put off by the usage of the term "cannibals" in the band name, and although The Raw & the Cooked and its singles featured both the band's full name and FYC abbreviation, The Raw & the Remix is the band's only release to feature the abbreviation alone. [14]

The album was not a commercial success, debuting and peaking at number 61 on the UK Albums Chart and only staying on the chart for one week. [15] Writer Steve Binnie, in his 2014 book The Sound of the Crowd, described the album as having "limped" to its chart position. [16] Though this was a relative failure compared to the number one peak achieved by The Raw & the Cooked, the remix album is still seen as a mild success when its near lack of promotion and status as a remix compilation of previously released mixes is taken into consideration. [15]

The album has received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Trouser Press praised the album, singling out the "danceable overhauls" and "significant variations." [6] In the Encyclopedia of Popular Music , writer Colin Larkin rated the album three stars out of five. [11] William Ruhlmann of Allmusic only rated the album two stars out of five, suggesting that although the remixes may sound good on a dance floor, "off the dance floor, none of this improves on the originals." [5] Pop Rescue said the album was successful in bringing the band to a wider audience. [17] In his book Rhythm and Noise: An Aesthetics of Rock (1996), writer Theodore Gracyk described the album as a great example of remix albums being released at the time with "intention to produce something that is to be treated as a distinct work, usually signaled by the fact that the remix is given a separate title." [18] He described the album as containing "radically revamped versions of earlier tracks." [18] BMG Music Service included the album in their "Best of the '80s" list in a 1997 issue of Spin magazine. [19]

Although The Raw & the Remix was only intended as a "stop gap" in the band's career, [16] it was ultimately the last album before the band split-up due to being tired of being a band, although in 1996, the band briefly reunited to record a new song, "The Flame", for their 1996 compilation album The Finest , after which they disbanded permanently. [4] When The Raw & the Cooked was remastered and re-released in 2013 in a deluxe edition featuring numerous bonus tracks, the opportunity was taken to include some of the remixes that feature on The Raw & the Remix, although not every remix from the album is featured, as "Edsel were never going to be able to include everything." [20]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."She Drives Me Crazy (David Z 12" Version)" (remix by David Z.)7:04
2."I'm Not Satisfied (New York Rap Version)" (remix by N. Bowie)3:59
3."Good Thing (12" Version)"4:37
4."Johnny Come Home (The Mix With No Beard)" (remix by Mark Moore, James Reynolds)4:46
5."I'm Not the Man I Used to Be (Jazzie B & Nellee Hooper Version)" (remix by Nellee Hooper, Jazzie B)4:40
6."She Drives Me Crazy (The Monie Love Remix)" (remix by Andy Cox, David Steele)4:54
7."I'm Not Satisfied (Matt Dike Remix)" (remix by Matt Dike)4:36
8."It's OK (It's Alright) (Ploeg Club Mix)"4:34
9."I'm Not the Man I Used to Be (Smith & Mighty Version)" (remix by Smith & Mighty)4:37
10."Johnny Takes A Trip"5:01
11."Tired of Getting Pushed Around (The Mayhem Rhythm Remix)" (remix by Derrick May)4:01
12.""Don't Look Back" (12" Version)" (remix by Michael Barbiero, Steve Thompson, Youth, Steele/Cox)5:52

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fine Young Cannibals</span> English pop rock band

Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) were an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984 by former The Beat band bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox with singer Roland Gift. Their self-titled 1985 debut album contained "Johnny Come Home" and a cover of "Suspicious Minds", two songs that were top 40 hits in the UK, Canada, Australia and Europe. Their 1989 album, The Raw & the Cooked, topped the UK, US, Australian and Canadian album charts, and contained their two Billboard Hot 100 number ones: "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I.R.S. Records</span> American record label

I.R.S. Records was a major American record label founded by Miles Copeland III and Jay Boberg in 1979. I.R.S. produced some of the most popular bands of the 1980s, and was particularly known for issuing records by college rock, new wave and alternative rock artists, including R.E.M., The Go-Go's, Wall of Voodoo, and Fine Young Cannibals. Currently the label is distributed by parent company Universal Music Group.

<i>Radiation</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Marillion

Radiation is the tenth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 1998. Recorded at The Racket Club between November 1997 and June 1998, it was co-produced and mixed by Stewart Every. The album was remixed by Michael Hunter in September to November 2012 and a reissued remastered version was released in 2013.

Andrew Cox is a British guitarist, who along with Dave Wakeling, formed ska band The Beat in 1978.

Mint Royale is the alias of electronic music producer Neil Claxton and, until 2004, a duo consisting of himself and Chris Baker, originating from Manchester, England. It was founded by Claxton and Baker in 1997. Baker left the band in 2004, but Claxton continued to produce music under the pseudonym "Mint Royale" until 2016. In 2020, Claxton returned to releasing music under the Mint Royale name.

<i>The Raw & the Cooked</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Fine Young Cannibals

The Raw & the Cooked is the second and final studio album by British rock band Fine Young Cannibals, released in 1989. The title of the album was lifted from the book of the same name by French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss. Four songs from the album first appeared in film soundtracks in the mid-1980s, three of which were soul tracks from the Tin Men film. The band had already recorded over half of the album by the time David Z came to produce the remainder. His work with the band, which resulted in dance-rock material, included studio experimentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josie (Blink-182 song)</span> 1998 single by Blink-182

"Josie" is a song by American rock band Blink-182, released on November 17, 1998, as the fourth single from the group's second studio album, Dude Ranch (1997). "Josie" was primarily written by bassist Mark Hoppus about an idealized girlfriend, and the song includes references to the bands Unwritten Law and Dance Hall Crashers, bands the trio toured with between 1995 and 1996.

David "Shuffle" Steele is an English musician who was a member of the Beat and Fine Young Cannibals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Drives Me Crazy</span> 1988 song by Fine Young Cannibals

"She Drives Me Crazy" is a song by British group Fine Young Cannibals, released in 1988 by London Records as the first single from their second and final album, The Raw & the Cooked (1989). The song was written by the group's frontman Roland Gift with David Steele and produced by FYC with David Z. It peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart in January 1989, becoming the band's highest charting single. "She Drives Me Crazy" proved an even bigger hit in the US, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on 15 April 1989 for one week and becoming the first of two chart-topping singles for the band on that chart. It also reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart, as well as in countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, New Zealand and Spain. It reached the top 3 on several European charts including Belgium, West Germany, Iceland, Ireland and Switzerland. Two different music videos were produced for the song, directed by Philippe Decouflé and Pedro Romhanyi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Thing (Fine Young Cannibals song)</span> 1989 single by Fine Young Cannibals

"Good Thing" is a song by British band Fine Young Cannibals, released as the second single from their second and last album, The Raw & the Cooked (1989). The song was their second and final US number-one, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on 8 July 1989. It also peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart. The song made its first appearance in Tin Men (1987). Fine Young Cannibals portrayed a nightclub band in the movie, performing this song and three others. The film is set in Baltimore in 1963, and the song's retro soul style is consistent with that setting. Jools Holland played piano on the track, noting that it was "one of the biggest selling records I've ever played on".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summer Breeze (song)</span> 1972 song by Seals and Crofts

"Summer Breeze" is a 1972 song by American soft rock duo Seals and Crofts. It is the title track of their fourth studio album, and was released as the album's lead single in August 1972. The song reached No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. In 2013, it was ranked No. 13 in Rolling Stone′s "Best Summer Songs of All Time". The song also became a hit for the Isley Brothers in 1974.

<i>The Finest</i> (Fine Young Cannibals album) 1996 greatest hits album by Fine Young Cannibals

The Finest is a greatest hits album by British rock band Fine Young Cannibals, released in 1996 by London Records and licensed in the United States to MCA Records. It includes tracks from the band's two studio albums Fine Young Cannibals (1985) and The Raw & the Cooked (1989), plus a track from the film Something Wild and three new tracks. "The Flame" was released as an accompanying single, making number 17 in the UK chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Not the Man I Used to Be</span> 1989 single by Fine Young Cannibals

"I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" is a song by British pop-rock band Fine Young Cannibals. It was released as the fourth single from the band's 1988 album The Raw & the Cooked. The song reached the top 40 charts in the United Kingdom, Canada, Austria, and the Netherlands. It also appeared on the CD version of the compilation album Now 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is All We Need</span> 1997 single by Mary J. Blige

"Love Is All We Need" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige, with a guest rap from Nas. It was written by Blige, Nas, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis for Blige's third studio album, Share My World (1997), while production was helmed by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The song contains a sample of the song "Moonchild" (1985) as performed by American singer Rick James. With its more buoyant tone, it stood in conspicuous contrast to much of the more dark-rooted material featured on Blige's earlier albums.

<i>Metal Rhythm</i> 1988 studio album by Gary Numan

Metal Rhythm is the ninth solo studio album by the English musician Gary Numan, released in September 1988 by I.R.S. Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Come Home</span> 1985 single by Fine Young Cannibals

"Johnny Come Home" is a song by British band Fine Young Cannibals, released as the first single from their debut album, Fine Young Cannibals (1985). It is similar to the style of many other of the band's hits, a mixture of rock and ska with Roland Gift's distinctive vocals, as well as a jazz-type trumpet solo. It was released in May 1985 by London Records and was one of the group's most popular hits. The song tells the gritty realistic story of a runaway youth, and alternates from the first-person narrative, explaining how his arrival in the big city has not turned out as he expected, to the view of the parents in the chorus, expressing their wish that he would come home.

<i>Intimacy Remixed</i> 2009 remix album by Bloc Party

Intimacy Remixed is the remix album to Intimacy, the third album by indie rock band Bloc Party. It was released on 11 May 2009 in the United Kingdom through Wichita Recordings, the band's primary label, in limited edition CD and triple LP formats to coincide with Bloc Party's worldwide touring schedule. The record entered the UK Album Chart at number 79. In the United States, it achieved a peak of number 15 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Look Back (Fine Young Cannibals song)</span> 1989 single by Fine Young Cannibals

"Don't Look Back" is a song by British pop-rock band Fine Young Cannibals. It was released as the third single from the band's 1988 album The Raw & the Cooked. The song reached the top 40 charts in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Not Satisfied</span> 1990 single by Fine Young Cannibals

"I'm Not Satisfied" is a song by British pop-rock band Fine Young Cannibals. It was released as the fifth single from the band's 1988 album The Raw and the Cooked. The single charted in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)</span> 1978 single by Buzzcocks

"Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" is a 1978 song written by Pete Shelley and performed by his group Buzzcocks. It was a number 12 hit on the UK Singles Chart and was included on the album Love Bites.

References

  1. ↑ Classic album revisited: Fine Young Cannibals "The Raw and The Cooked" - Metro Weekly
  2. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 200. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  3. ↑ Nimmervoll, Ed (13 July 2001). "Fine Young Cannibals". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Chalmers, Graham. "Interview: Roland Gift brings Fine Young Cannibals hits to Grassington" . Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Rhulmann, William. "AllMusic review by William Rhulmann". AllMusic . Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "English Beat". Trouser Press. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  7. 1 2 The Raw & the Remix (liner). Fine Young Cannibals. London Records. 1990.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ TWO MEN, A DRUM MACHINE & A TRUMPET | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "FYC The Raw & The Remix". Discogs. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  10. ↑ link
  11. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  12. ↑ Quantick, David (15 December 1990). "Long Play: Re-Hashed!". New Musical Express . p. 31.
  13. ↑ Higgingbotham, Adam (January 1991). "Raw Power". Select: 93. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  14. ↑ Johnson, Peter (June 1989). "Fine Young Cans". Spin. 5 (3): 73. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  15. 1 2 FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company
  16. 1 2 Binnie, Steve (27 November 2014). The Sound Of The Crowd - a Discography of the '80s (3rd ed.). lulu.com. p. 37. ISBN   978-1-326-07358-9 . Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  17. ↑ Martin, Andrew (7 October 2015). "POP RESCUE: 'The Raw & The Cooked' by Fine Young Cannibals (CD, 1988)". Pop Rescue . Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  18. 1 2 Gracyk, Theodore (19 March 1996). Rhythm and Noise: An Aesthetics of Rock. Duke University Press. p. 28. ISBN   0-8223-1743-5 . Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  19. ↑ "Freedom of Choice". Spin. 12 (10): 30. January 1997. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  20. ↑ Sinclair, Paul (1 February 2013). "Fine Young Cannibals: deluxe edition track listings confirmed". Super Deluxe Edition. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.