Sadly, the two key figures behind Dead or Alive – Vocalist Peter Burns and multi-instrumentalist Steve Coy – are no longer part of the material world. Coming out of England, Dead or Alive are famously recognized for their massively successful 1984 single “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record),” but are a band that possess a far richer history.
Looking back, the story really began in the late 1970s, pre-dating the Dead or Alive days, when Burns fronted the more Gothic Post-Punk band going by the name Nightmares in Wax. Interesting beginnings, once Dead or Alive started to take shape in the early 1980s their lineup included a list of talented players; including Wayne Hussey who departed the band in ’83, going on to join Sisters of Mercy and then form The Mission. All these tidbits of details laid out, Burns, who passed away at the age of 57 in October of 2016, truly was a unique, creative individual. Beyond his voice itself, his artistic vision was truly something special, and matched with the instrumental abilities of Steve Coy, who passed on at 56 years of age in May of 2018, they made Dead or Alive a force to be reckoned with.
Known for what is dubbed Hi-NRG (pronounced “high energy”) sound, from an origin’s perspective, you could really look to the up-tempo Disco tunes from the late ‘70s recorded by the likes of Donna Summers, among others, as a starting point. That said, Dead or Alive truly excelled with their brand Hi-NRG during their time in a way that quickly grabbed attention at European dance clubs and beyond. In fact, even years after both Burns and Coy’s passing, Dead or Alive are inspiring listeners.
Proving their impact’s longevity, in 2024 a new Dead or Alive album is upon us… but not in the traditional sense of the word. Explaining this, Pete “Mix Master” Hammond (a highly accomplished engineer credited on 11 #1 hits and 55 top 10 hits out of 140 United Kingdom single releases) was asked to remix some Dead or Alive tunes. Accepting the project, Hammond reworked the songs in a light similar to the classic Hi-NRG Dance style. Rather interesting, Demon Records picked up the project, and now prepared to release it as Dead or Alive – The Pete Hammond Hi-NRG Remixes.
Eleven remixes in total, it will be available as a 2-CD set on April 26th, but also a 2LP edition on April 20th as a Record Store Day exclusive. Two great options for collectors, it should also be mentioned that these remixes are not only handled with care and with respect to Dead or Alive, but also have input from Steve Coy’s widow, Marina Zacco Coy. Considering this, it should also be stated that as outlined in the well-drawn up liner notes of the release, these remixes are not in any way meant to replace or even improve on the original songs, but merely offer a different take, while paying homage to Dead or Alive.
All factors put in front of you, and going into this with an open mind, each song is an intricately crafted, lengthy Dance remix that truly sounds spectacular. In them you can hear all original sounds, but broken down and reconstructed in a fashion that proves Peter Hammond handled it with care. Amidst it all you get lively mixes of a list of Dead or Alive songs; including well-known favorites and deeper cuts. With this, the LP pressing is offered in transparent blue and yellow or red 140 gram vinyl. Quite fitting to match the brightness of Dead or Alive’s music, it should be known that the LP pressing is extremely limited to 750 copies… so if you want one, you better act quickly.
In the end, Dead or Alive – The Pete Hammond Hi-NRG Remixes is a great collection to have if you are a fan of their music and want to hear some tasteful remixes. That is why Cryptic Rock gives this new release 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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