Saturday 28 November 2009

So who are your all time favourite remixers??

Here I'm going to stick my neck out and name my all time top 15 favourite remixers.
To be honest the list in my poll contains all my favourites and I've also probably mixed some great ones out of that list e.g. Farley/Heller, D-Ream, Red Jerry, Andy Weatherall, Tony Humprhries, Steve "Silk" Hurley, Love To Infinity, Brian Transeau, CJ Mackintosh, Junior Vasquez.
I could of gone on and on, but had to draw the line somewhere.
So please use the poll to vote and also drop me a comment in the comments box below this post.
Who are your Top 5 fave remixers?
Here's my Top 15 list and the justifications why.
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PCC's All Time Top 15 Favourite Remixers

1. Brothers In Rhythm - Simply the untouchables, virtually every single one of their remixes is awesome. Everyone is a true epic which takes you on a journey. They were one of the most profilic remixers and far and away the best. Head and shoulders above anyone IMHO! They simply made too many fantastic remixes to mention them and all the best ones are on this blog.
My faves of what they did; Brue Hornsby - The Way It Is, Shakespeare's Sister - Your History, U2 - Staring At The Sun, Dina Carrol - Ain't No Man, Secret Life - Love So Strong, I could go on and on. Steve Anderson also did some fantastic remixes aside from BiR and I classify these in this No.1 ranking. Again some amazing, amazing tracks, notably Gloria Gaynor - Last Night, Olivia Newton John - Xanadu (totally disco-licious), Duran Duran - Save A Prayer, Paul McCartney, Deliverance, all absolutely amazing tracks.
Dave Seaman was also a great club DJ and Steve Anderson is simply a musical genius.

2. Jimmy Gomez - Just edges it over Chris and James. The quality of some of his remixes were amazing. Think Brian Kenndey - Love, Life and Happiness, M-People - Dreaming, Sunscreem - Looking At You, Anthony White - Love Me Tonight. All absolutely awesome.
Did some great stuff with Chris and James, also and some stuff with Chris as The Delorme and is still putting out some decent stuff occasionally under the Freemasons monicker.
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3. Chris and James - It's amazing that all the above 3 remixers came from the DMC stable. There must have been something in the water there. C&J put out some amazing tracks and not just remixes, but some fantastic original productions (as well as being amazing DJs). Their remix of EBTG's - Missing is still one of my favourite remixes ever. It was a travesty how Todd Terry got all the plaudits for his dull, boring remix, when the C&J one was truly monstrous. Other amazing remixes included Liquid - One Love Family, Soundstation - Do You Feel It, INXS - Original Sin, Medium High - The Pleasure, plus many, many more posted on the blog.

4. Graeme Park - His remixes were also just so spot on. They were all very similar in style and generally they were remixes of fabulous house tracks, to which he added a brilliant bit of subtle piano and a slightly groovier beat, but they were always so consistently good. Some of the tracks were just fantastic pieces of house music, which are timeless and still sound amazing today. Check out Mariah Rowe - Sexual, Eddie Flashin Fowlkes - You Can't Turn Me Out and of course who could forget Brand New Heavies - Back To Love and many more which are yet to post on the blog.

5. Frankie Knuckles - Just the sheer quality of his remixes, the amazing production, the beautiful piano and strings, quite simply house music perfection. Check out Electribe 101 - Talking With Myself, Michael Jackson - Rock With You, Alison Limerick - Where Love Lives, Toni Braxton - Unbreak My Heart and many more.

6. David Morales - I was struggling to decide between Morales and Todd Terry, but think that Morales just edged it. I actually think Todd Terry's are more consistently good and Morales are more hit and miss, but some of the tracks he was done are simply awesome. Tracks like, M-People - Itchychoo Park, Novocento - Night and Day, Mariah Carey - Dream Lover, Kuva - Is'nt It Time, Selena - I'm Getting Used To You and lots, lots more of classics.

7. Todd Terry -There just something about his remixes that have sheer quality stamped all over them and of course he has produced lots of original house classics under many aliases, just check a few of this list and it'll remind you of some of the quality tracks he has been behind, Orange Lemon, Royal House, Black Riot, CLS, Gypsymen and lots more. His tracks have the feel that he brings the beat really "out front" and the beat sounds crunchier than all other tracks and remixes, it must be some technical effect he uses? His finest remixes IMHO, Annie Lennox - Littel Bird, Marth Wash - Carry On, PM Dawn - Watcher's Point of View

8. Oakenfold and Osborne - It might come as a surprise to them so low in the list, as they have produced some brilliant stuff over the last 20 years, but also some dross as well. They've also produced some brilliant own production tracks.
Best remixes IMHO are U2 - Lemon/Orange, U2 - Even Better Than The Real Thing, Mansun - Wide Open Space, Solid Gold Easy Amex - Enjoy and many, many more.

9. Roger Sanchez - A bit like Morales produces a lot of remixes and many not that great, but some that are truly amazing, especially when he bangs in the piano. Just check out Charlotte - Sugar Tree, Basia - Drunk On Love, M-People - Moving On Up and a truly fabulous remix of The Police - Walking On The Moon.

10 . T-empo - T-empo made remixes a bit like BiR, huge epic journeys, with massive cascading piano breakdowns. Just check out tracks like Propaganda - P-Machinery, The Coming Out Crew - Free, Gay and Happy, Duran Duran - Falling Down, plus many more. Tim Lennox (one half of T-empo) was a great club DJ also.

11 . Luvdup - The Luvdup Twins produced some absolute belters. They had a fantastic knack of playing exactly the sort of tracks you wanted to hear when they DJ'd, massive pumping tracks and a really wide avried mix of house, disco and handbag. Their remixes always hit the spot.
Their remix of Sam Ellis - Club Lonely - was true genius, also check out - Soft House Company III - What You Need - (just check the piano!!), Rollo Goes Camping - Get Off Your High Horse, plus lots of others.

12. Tiesto - Quite simply some amazing Trance remixes. He remixed some of my all time favourite trance tracks, always pumping, but also very melodic and with huge atmosphere. Check out, Delirium - Silence, Paul Oakenfold - Southern Sun, Jan Johnston - Flesh, Gouryella - Gouryella.

13. Matt Darey - As with Tiesto above, he has produced some wonderful trance moments, Check out, Binary Finary - 1998 and 1999, Agnelli & Nelson - El Niño, Li Kwan - Point Zero. He also teamed up with Red Jerry under the Lost Tribe monicker.

14. Clivillés and Cole - There was a time around 1991 when they were simply the hottest amd most prolific remixers out there and they also produced some absolute classics. Notably, Mariah Carey - Make It Happen, Michael Jackson - Black and White, First Choice - Doctor Love, Mariah Carey - Anytime You Need A Friend, and many, many more classics.

15. Stonebridge - It was a very diffilcult choice the last one in my Top 15 and it came down to Bottom Dollar, Lisa Maire Experience, Way Out West and Stonebridge.
Stonebridge just nicked it as they have produced some absolutely brilliant club tracks and always of a very high quality. Check out Donna Giles - And I'm Telling You, Chrissy Ward - Right and Exact (a big fave of mine), Shuana Davis - Getaway, and many many more.

Well folks there you have it, that's my list of all time Top 15 favourite remixers.
If you want links for all the tracks listed above they are all on the blog, just scroll down on the Artists and Remixers list.
Please let me have your comments and thoughts on your Top 5 fave remixers (or Top 15 if you're like me and can't keep it down to 5). Let me know which were the fantastic tracks they remixed which in your opinion made them so good.
Also don't forget to vote on the poll.
Enjoy peeps!

Best regards, PCC

22 comments:

Arthit said...

No Sure Is Pure? Maybe at # 16?

docomospur said...

This will probably reveal my age (!) but my old school choices would be Shep Pettibone and Arthur Baker :-)

Chris Horner said...

Very close between BIR and C&J but think Brothers In Rhythm just nick it for me. Best current remixers for me are Above & Beyond right now.

Dj Ste Mc Gee said...

Pretty tough decision this but purely on the basis that I absolutely adored Jimmy Gomez's work in the 1990's and am a huge fan of the Freemason's more recent stuff I choose Jimmy (aka James Wiltshire) Mr Gomez was inspirational to me back in the day and his reworking from back then where far ahead of their time and still sound fresh today.

PhunkyDiscoBoy said...

1.Masters At Work
2.Frankie Knuckles
3.Todd Terry
4.David Morales
5.Roger Sanchez
6.CJ Mackintosh
7.Steve"Silk"Hurley
8.Grant Nelson
9.Marc Kinchen
10.Stonebridge
11.Love To Infinity
12.DJ Sneak
13.Jazz N Groove
14.Joey Negro
15.Maurice Joshua

Anonymous said...

#1. Junior Vasquez

2.Shep Pettibone
3.Clivilles and Cole
4.Todd Terry
5.Danny Tenaglia
6.Farley & Heller
7.David Morales
8.Steve 'Silk' Hurley
9.Razor 'N Guido
10.Fast Eddie

Holty said...

PCC ..Boy do you know how to come up with tough polls :)

1. Brothers in Rhythm
2. Chris & James
3. Frankie Knuckles
4. Luvdup
5. Hustlers Convention
6. Love to Infinity
7. David Morales
8. Oakenfold & Osbourne
9. Todd Terry
10. Sasha (Earlier Works)
11. Stonebridge
12. Sure Is Pure
13. Rollo
14. T-Empo
15. Above & Beyond

Take Care Bud.

Wee-Ste said...

my top 3
1. Chris & James
2. Jimmy Gomez
3. B.I.R

Also like some of the stuff Grinstretcher & Pete 'The Shaker' Bones did too.

Cheers
Take it easy

klub9 said...

Tough choice...

The 80s...Arthur Baker, Shep Pettibone and Jellybean

The 90s..BIR, Knuckles, Morales, MAW

The 00s... Freemasons, Quentin Harris, Steve Mac

Josh said...

All amazing remixers, but I must contest some of Todd Terry's work... He tends to use the same old drum loop over and over and over... Otherwise, great selection. I bet it was hard to choose.

harvs said...

Now then PCC toughie but here goes no particular order

1.Freemasons
2.Lisa Marie Experience
3.Above and Beyond
4.Thrillseekers
5.Dancing Divas
6.Matt Darey
7.Oakenfold /Osbourne
8.Tocadisco
9.Adam K and Soha
10.Sasha
11.Stonebridge
12.Ferry Corsten
13.Rollo

Retroboy said...

I don't think jimmy gomez was in anyway involved in The Delorme.... I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure that was chris day and one of phats n small?

harvs said...

also like to add early Raul Rincon mixes as well

Pure Club Classics said...

Thanks to all the great comments and feedback so far people.
Please feel free to drop me any suggestions of great tracks by some of the remixers who you have mentioned who may not have been on either my long list or shortlist. I'm always keen to hear of tracks which I may not be aware of.

Please keep the feedback coming.
Best regards, PCC
P.S. Retroboy - Jimmy Gomez (aka James Wiltshire) was most certainly part of The Delorme, as it was Chris Day himself who told me.

Retroboy said...

No he wasn't. James Wiltshire was in no way involved. I saw The Delorme pa at back to basics in about 93, with chris and James djing as well. I hung out with them afterwards and I think they'd been djing on dream fm. (remember that!). I've got all there records and they say day, Hayward, tyrell. Same on discogs.

Retroboy said...

And if you want to know something else, track down brothers in rhythms version of 'uninvited' from about 4 years before the freemasons. Sound familiar???????

Pure Club Classics said...

Retroboy, you are categorically wrong, James Wiltshire was part of The Delorme. I know that for a fact because Chris Day told me and he should know as they worked as The Delorme together.
If you want to discuss further drop me an email off-line.
Regards, PCC.
P.S. BiR remix of Unvited has been on the blog for months.

angelic said...

I would like to mention:
Shep Pettibone
Paul Dakeyne (DMC)
Ben Liebrand (DMC)

Unknown said...

1. Masters At Work. Period. This IS the standard!
2. Frankie Knuckles/David Morales
3. Steve 'Silk' Hurley/Todd Terry
4. E-Smoove/Maurice Joshua
5. Clivilles and Cole
6. Perfecto/Marc Kinchen (MK)
7. Roger Sanchez/CJ Mackintosh
8. Danny Tenaglia/Francois Kevorkian
9. Joey Negro/Tommy Musto
10. Grant Nelson (Groove Assassin)
11. Jazz-N-Groove
12. DJ Sneak
13. Farley & Heller (Fire Island)
14. Love To Infinity
15. Rollo and Sister Bliss

This list is so unfair...we need a MUCH bigger poll!

Pure Club Classics said...

Nice one Kenneth.
Quite a few people suggest Master at Work as their fave remixers.
To me they just didn't appeal, I find their remixes dull and boring with very few uplifting qualities, but hey the great thing about music is that it is so subjective. Your selection suggests you are much more of a house music purist (and probably US based??) than I am.
My favourites are remixers who transform tracks, providing great uplifting qualities.
Very much each to his own.
Thanks for your great comments though.
Best regards, PCC

Anonymous said...

(cluching the pearls) How can you leave out Richard Morel( Pink Noise)?

DanJ said...

Couldn't agree more with this list. BIR were prolific in the late 90s and everytime I heard Dave Seaman play out live, he always smashed it with sets that the crowd connected with.