I can't speak for DJ's these days, but when I frequented nightclubs in the early 90s, the 'Even Better Than the Real Thing' remix was huge!
Edit: that particular remix was pretty much their first major release as just a remix iirc. The Fly 'Lounge Fly' remix appeared on the flip side of The Fly 12" single the year before.
it goes back ten years before that. I remember New Year's Day and Two Hearts beat as one being played in Clubs in 1983. U2 have been in the remix game a long, long time.
Those early mixes from War were always referred as the US mixes. Wire was the next one up. Although I do remember some interesting unofficial mixes of ‘I fall down’ from Jeepgirlz back in the day.
Yup. Same with 'Lemon (Bad Yard Club Mix)'. That one was a hit at clubs in Canada and one of my personal favorites too (along with the 'Even Better than the Real Thing' remix you mentioned!). 90s U2 had some great dance club stuff.
I'm with you, I've always been fairly flummoxed at the sheer amount of remixes that exist (I also think most of them are terrible, but I suppose that's another discussion).
Tangentially, I'm also surprised there aren't more stems floating around of all these U2 songs. All of these DJs and remixers would need those isolated tracks to be making all these remixes. Now \*those\* I would absolutely love to have.
There are some studio session multi tracks and stems for a few songs out there, but mostly from more recent aongs. I've been trying to get them for about 2 years now. Unfortunately, the only person I know who has them is not a U2 fan and will only trade them for unreleased recordings or multi tracks that he doesn't have from Pink, Katy Perry, Adele, or similar artist. I've even offered to straight up purchase them and to have them name their price, but that was met with a hard "no" from the person.
Agreed, remixing for the sake of remixing seems to yield... mixed results.
Heck, I can even count the numbers of DJs that I consistently like to hear deliver a U2 remix on one hand:
• Andy "Redanka" Holt
• Garrett "Jacknife" Lee
• Fish Out Of Water
• Perfecto (Paul Oakenfold, recently with Danny Stubbs, TILT)
Then there are a few one-off or individual remixes that are pretty cool.
it got real bad with AB and Zooropa. Pop was the death knell. I remember the Joshua Tree and R+H singles and the B-sides were awesome. U2 singles were worth buying because of the demos and unreleased B-sides. Glorious times they were.
Paul Oakenfold. Sick DJ. Has been around for a while. Always spins in tracks of his favorite band into his sets. U2! He’s remixed a lot of their tracks as well (Perfecto). Saw him open for Pet Shop Boys and New Order and I think he played 2-3 U2 remixes!
Remixes are easy extra content to fill up single releases or be added on as bonus tracks or extra tracks for sale. It does not cost anything to have a remix made. They are not paying the remixers normally. It's also a way to reach a different crowd and get more spins on a chart that they normally would not appear on.
Back in the day they would release a single and have two or three b sides with it. As you get on in years it's harder to produce a ton of songs to fill up these releases so it's easier to just have some remixes. I personally don't listen to U2 remixes. My main band, Depeche Mode, on the other hand I'll listen to them. U2 also seems to get the super trendy remixers that make the songs overly club sounding.
Good context -- back in the days of CD singles you would need at least 3 b sides for each single and U2 weren't exactly known for having a ton of leftover songs from albums, so remixes were an easy fix. Plus it was a stated goal of the band that they wanted to get played in dance clubs -- a place where they apparently spent a lot of time back then. Curious, though, as a fellow U2/DM fan, I've really never heard many of the DM remixes -- any recommendations on where to start?
If you have Spotify all the 12" vinyl box sets they've been releasing for the past couple of years are on there which should keep you going for a while. I presume they're also on Apple Music too.
DM is my #2 band. I bought as many of the Strike series CDs I could find. I'm still missing several in the series but DM always has some great remixes, official and unofficial. Razormaid did a bunch of great unofficial ones, IMO.
Bono spoke about it in an interview some time in the 90's - basically, in Europe at the time, the club/disco scene was in full swing. Not much U2 stuff fits in that atmosphere, so they allowed remixes to be made by different artists to get their music some play in that environment (paraphrasing - it's been literally decades since I read the interview).
It really hit with Achtung Baby, but they have some remixes from earlier as well.
'Lemon (Bad Yard Club Mix)' and "Even Better than the Real Thing (Perfecto Mix)' are my favorite U2 remixes ever. They were super popular in Canadian dance clubs in the 90s as well - so that's why they insist on putting them out.
I'm convinced that the 'Even Better..' remix was solely responsible for dance music finally becoming acceptable to the mainstream in Ireland.
Kind of like 'well if U2 are doing it then it must be ok to like it'. \*sigh\*
I'm not sure about this, but I think these remixes started in the 90s to try to get into clubs and parties. A DJ playing in a club might opt for remixes as part of a set. In the 2000s this became even more popular. Currently I don't know if that makes so much sense. Personally I like remixes that are less electronic and more reinterpretations of songs. Influx Mix by Elevation was a great opening for the tour, for example.
I think my issue is that I'm just not into the style of a lot of the producers who do them. I couldn't honestly say if they are good or bad because I have no reference point (I do like the Kygo and Beck ones though).
The remixes I tend to really like are when it is studio producers doing new mixes (a la Walk On single mix, the Pop single mixes, Dirty Day remixes) that change up the track but keep the main structure.
Gotta say, some of them are actually good. I like that (can’t remember it’s name) completely different song they made from the bridge of ‘Lemon’. I think some are interesting
Mmmm I only love a handful.. Magnificent Fred Faulke, EBTTRT fish out of water and YTBTAM Kygo.
These new ones I find uninspired and tacky. They're better off remixing some older stuff for the fun of it.
I’m really enjoying the remixes. We want U2 to be weird and fun but when they do we criticize them? Let them partner with who they want and put out what they want. Sheesh.
The only remix of theirs I’ve ever heard in a club was EBTRT and that was well over 30 years ago, since then, all of the remixes have been done by nomark nonentities 🫤I think the days of bands getting a raft of big name DJs and producers to do a load of remixes are over, but either spend some money or put some imagination into it if you’re looking to bring out some remixes.
A lot of their remixes are pretty damn good. Listen to the Perfecto Lemon mix, the Quincy & Sonance Beautiful Day Mix, the Kervorkian New Year's Day mix, the Streets Flood mix, the Magnificent RAC mix. They are all versions of the song that make the original version mean more. None of them are as good as the original versions of the songs, but they are all still really good
DJs were not paid to spin those remixes. Often they were sent a 12" well ahead of any official release. It was a win/win. DJs got to play music that wasn't released yet to get people talking about it and the labels were getting free exposure and airplay.
The Orb did a remix of a U2 song that was never released. (Can't remember which song it was now.) Alex from the Orb had some acetates created of the remix and played it when he would DJ on occasion. Mostly to test it out on the crowds. Still would love to hear what he did. I only heard about it when he ended up selling it 20 or so years ago.
I see some bands out there which don't really release any remixes anymore, and some of the fan base gets worked up about it. They might ask why they're suddenly "lazy" about soliciting remixes or don't understand why they did before, and can't do the same now. Duran Duran comes to mind as one.
Guess we have it easier than some others in that respect. And if someone doesn't like them, there's always the option to not listen to them.
I've heard a few Ibiza live streams where U2 remixes have been played post 2010s, Rusty Egan played their remix of Summer of Love during one of their sets for example: [https://www.mixcloud.com/rustyegan/welcome-to-the-beach-papaya-beach-ibiza/](https://www.mixcloud.com/rustyegan/welcome-to-the-beach-papaya-beach-ibiza/)
Yeah I wish I knew the answer to this, especially for the last decade or so. The ATYCLB box set didn't need 5 LPs of remixes. Give us unreleased demos! The fact that Winter was not a bonus track on the NLOTH vinyl in favor of 2 remixes blows my mind and irritates the hell out of me.
Some remixes are cool they're just unnecessary in my opinion.
I can't speak for DJ's these days, but when I frequented nightclubs in the early 90s, the 'Even Better Than the Real Thing' remix was huge! Edit: that particular remix was pretty much their first major release as just a remix iirc. The Fly 'Lounge Fly' remix appeared on the flip side of The Fly 12" single the year before.
it goes back ten years before that. I remember New Year's Day and Two Hearts beat as one being played in Clubs in 1983. U2 have been in the remix game a long, long time.
Those early mixes from War were always referred as the US mixes. Wire was the next one up. Although I do remember some interesting unofficial mixes of ‘I fall down’ from Jeepgirlz back in the day.
yup it was the days of the New York Club mix and US mix.
Yup. Same with 'Lemon (Bad Yard Club Mix)'. That one was a hit at clubs in Canada and one of my personal favorites too (along with the 'Even Better than the Real Thing' remix you mentioned!). 90s U2 had some great dance club stuff.
Absolutely. Some great remixes from, AB, Zoo and Pop
Perfecto mixes of EBTTRT and Lemon were massive club hits. Love a U2 dance mix.
The Even better remix EP outsold the original single release.
'Lemon (Bad Yard Club Mix)' was a huge hit in dance clubs in Canada too (and one of my personal faves).
I'm with you, I've always been fairly flummoxed at the sheer amount of remixes that exist (I also think most of them are terrible, but I suppose that's another discussion). Tangentially, I'm also surprised there aren't more stems floating around of all these U2 songs. All of these DJs and remixers would need those isolated tracks to be making all these remixes. Now \*those\* I would absolutely love to have.
I'd love an instrumental version of AB and Zooropa.
I love them
There are some studio session multi tracks and stems for a few songs out there, but mostly from more recent aongs. I've been trying to get them for about 2 years now. Unfortunately, the only person I know who has them is not a U2 fan and will only trade them for unreleased recordings or multi tracks that he doesn't have from Pink, Katy Perry, Adele, or similar artist. I've even offered to straight up purchase them and to have them name their price, but that was met with a hard "no" from the person.
I enjoyed them when they were a rare add-on to a B-Side, but these new remix dumps are no bueno.
Agreed, remixing for the sake of remixing seems to yield... mixed results. Heck, I can even count the numbers of DJs that I consistently like to hear deliver a U2 remix on one hand: • Andy "Redanka" Holt • Garrett "Jacknife" Lee • Fish Out Of Water • Perfecto (Paul Oakenfold, recently with Danny Stubbs, TILT) Then there are a few one-off or individual remixes that are pretty cool.
don't forget Francis Kevorkian, he was gold as well.
it got real bad with AB and Zooropa. Pop was the death knell. I remember the Joshua Tree and R+H singles and the B-sides were awesome. U2 singles were worth buying because of the demos and unreleased B-sides. Glorious times they were.
Discotheque was big in European clubs.
Paul Oakenfold. Sick DJ. Has been around for a while. Always spins in tracks of his favorite band into his sets. U2! He’s remixed a lot of their tracks as well (Perfecto). Saw him open for Pet Shop Boys and New Order and I think he played 2-3 U2 remixes!
his remixes were the sh.. in the 90's.
Remixes are easy extra content to fill up single releases or be added on as bonus tracks or extra tracks for sale. It does not cost anything to have a remix made. They are not paying the remixers normally. It's also a way to reach a different crowd and get more spins on a chart that they normally would not appear on. Back in the day they would release a single and have two or three b sides with it. As you get on in years it's harder to produce a ton of songs to fill up these releases so it's easier to just have some remixes. I personally don't listen to U2 remixes. My main band, Depeche Mode, on the other hand I'll listen to them. U2 also seems to get the super trendy remixers that make the songs overly club sounding.
Good context -- back in the days of CD singles you would need at least 3 b sides for each single and U2 weren't exactly known for having a ton of leftover songs from albums, so remixes were an easy fix. Plus it was a stated goal of the band that they wanted to get played in dance clubs -- a place where they apparently spent a lot of time back then. Curious, though, as a fellow U2/DM fan, I've really never heard many of the DM remixes -- any recommendations on where to start?
If you have Spotify all the 12" vinyl box sets they've been releasing for the past couple of years are on there which should keep you going for a while. I presume they're also on Apple Music too.
Appreciate the tips. I'm on Apple Music so I'll have a look there and see what they've got.
Remixers do get paid a flat fee normally, anywhere from $100-$20000.
DM is my #2 band. I bought as many of the Strike series CDs I could find. I'm still missing several in the series but DM always has some great remixes, official and unofficial. Razormaid did a bunch of great unofficial ones, IMO.
Bono spoke about it in an interview some time in the 90's - basically, in Europe at the time, the club/disco scene was in full swing. Not much U2 stuff fits in that atmosphere, so they allowed remixes to be made by different artists to get their music some play in that environment (paraphrasing - it's been literally decades since I read the interview). It really hit with Achtung Baby, but they have some remixes from earlier as well.
'Lemon (Bad Yard Club Mix)' and "Even Better than the Real Thing (Perfecto Mix)' are my favorite U2 remixes ever. They were super popular in Canadian dance clubs in the 90s as well - so that's why they insist on putting them out.
They like dance culture but they're not a dance music band. This is how they get their music into that world. Pretty simple really.
they've been doing it since 1983, NYD and Two Hearts were everywhere.
Marketing + Exposure + Money
I'm convinced that the 'Even Better..' remix was solely responsible for dance music finally becoming acceptable to the mainstream in Ireland. Kind of like 'well if U2 are doing it then it must be ok to like it'. \*sigh\*
I think the answer is Europe. If it doesn’t have a four on the floor beat it’s not getting played in public spaces.
I'm not sure about this, but I think these remixes started in the 90s to try to get into clubs and parties. A DJ playing in a club might opt for remixes as part of a set. In the 2000s this became even more popular. Currently I don't know if that makes so much sense. Personally I like remixes that are less electronic and more reinterpretations of songs. Influx Mix by Elevation was a great opening for the tour, for example.
I think my issue is that I'm just not into the style of a lot of the producers who do them. I couldn't honestly say if they are good or bad because I have no reference point (I do like the Kygo and Beck ones though). The remixes I tend to really like are when it is studio producers doing new mixes (a la Walk On single mix, the Pop single mixes, Dirty Day remixes) that change up the track but keep the main structure.
Most of their mixes are pants, but that being said you wouldn’t have got the epic version of lady with the spinning head if they didn’t try.
Gotta say, some of them are actually good. I like that (can’t remember it’s name) completely different song they made from the bridge of ‘Lemon’. I think some are interesting
1000% with you. They should put out some random live shows from different times/eras.
Mmmm I only love a handful.. Magnificent Fred Faulke, EBTTRT fish out of water and YTBTAM Kygo. These new ones I find uninspired and tacky. They're better off remixing some older stuff for the fun of it.
I’m really enjoying the remixes. We want U2 to be weird and fun but when they do we criticize them? Let them partner with who they want and put out what they want. Sheesh.
The only remix of theirs I’ve ever heard in a club was EBTRT and that was well over 30 years ago, since then, all of the remixes have been done by nomark nonentities 🫤I think the days of bands getting a raft of big name DJs and producers to do a load of remixes are over, but either spend some money or put some imagination into it if you’re looking to bring out some remixes.
A lot of their remixes are pretty damn good. Listen to the Perfecto Lemon mix, the Quincy & Sonance Beautiful Day Mix, the Kervorkian New Year's Day mix, the Streets Flood mix, the Magnificent RAC mix. They are all versions of the song that make the original version mean more. None of them are as good as the original versions of the songs, but they are all still really good
I'm sure the club remixes were big during Zooropa and Pop years.
DJs were not paid to spin those remixes. Often they were sent a 12" well ahead of any official release. It was a win/win. DJs got to play music that wasn't released yet to get people talking about it and the labels were getting free exposure and airplay. The Orb did a remix of a U2 song that was never released. (Can't remember which song it was now.) Alex from the Orb had some acetates created of the remix and played it when he would DJ on occasion. Mostly to test it out on the crowds. Still would love to hear what he did. I only heard about it when he ended up selling it 20 or so years ago.
Depeche Mode is another band who have put out tons of amazing remixes.
Anywhere to get started on them, besides their singles? I remember digging Exciter when it came out
Their music lends more to remixes, obviously.
I see some bands out there which don't really release any remixes anymore, and some of the fan base gets worked up about it. They might ask why they're suddenly "lazy" about soliciting remixes or don't understand why they did before, and can't do the same now. Duran Duran comes to mind as one. Guess we have it easier than some others in that respect. And if someone doesn't like them, there's always the option to not listen to them.
I've heard a few Ibiza live streams where U2 remixes have been played post 2010s, Rusty Egan played their remix of Summer of Love during one of their sets for example: [https://www.mixcloud.com/rustyegan/welcome-to-the-beach-papaya-beach-ibiza/](https://www.mixcloud.com/rustyegan/welcome-to-the-beach-papaya-beach-ibiza/)
Yeah I wish I knew the answer to this, especially for the last decade or so. The ATYCLB box set didn't need 5 LPs of remixes. Give us unreleased demos! The fact that Winter was not a bonus track on the NLOTH vinyl in favor of 2 remixes blows my mind and irritates the hell out of me. Some remixes are cool they're just unnecessary in my opinion.
Because Edge is like a divorced dad who discovered Fruity Loops Every single one is insufferable
U2 90s remixes were the best. They should've stopped with them after Pop.
Who cares?
Well, it's kind of the point of this subreddit, isnt it? Discuss all things U2? Why so salty?