Best remixes/re-edits BY the Chemical Brothers

[Wolkenkrabber]

It's over two years since we did Best remixes OF the Chems. We do already have a thread of A complete list of all the Remixes... (thanks Joslyn for the list). But most importantly now, I wanna know: what are the best remixes by the Chems/Tom?
 
I want to be a bit more open minded in this thread compared to the "remixes OF" thread. So anything remixed, re-edited or re-touched by the hands of Chems/Tom is acceptable. The one exception is probably live. Because if we include live stuff here, it may become a discussion solely about live takes.

My Top 10:

Manic Street Preachers - La Tristesse Durera (vocal mix) 1994
Spiritualized -I think I'm In love (Chemical Brothers mix) 1998
Mercury Rev - Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp (Chemical Brothers remix) 1998
Oasis - Falling Down (Chemical Brothers remix) 2008
Saint Etienne - Like A Motorway (Chekhov Warp Dub) 1994
Primal Scream - Jailbrid (Dust Brothers mix) 1994
New Order - Here To Stay (Full Length Vocal or Extended Instrumental - I can't decide) 2002.
I Break Horses - Hearts (R.A.R. mix) 2011
Leftfield - Open up (Dust Brothers remix) 1993
Klaxons - Love Frequency (Tom Rowlands remix) 2014

Must admit that if we did include live, I'd probably try to squeeze Wide Open in there somewhere.

I haven't managed to squeeze in Nine Acre Dust, Bug Powder Dust, XTC, Slow or Voodoo People, but I wanted to keep it to ten tracks, so something had to give.

My list (which I might change if anybody reminds me of something major I've forgotten) is pretty straightforward in terms of it being official remixes, with the possible exception of Here To Stay. If other people want to go more "off-piste" then fair enough.

I see no reason why we can't include Chemical remixes or alternative mixes of the Chems own stuff such as: Life Is Sweet remix 1 and 2, Chicos Groove mix 2, Wide Open (light of the moon), Alive Alone (Coconut Dub), Eve of Dubstruction and Skipping Like A Stone (Chems Extended mix). And the Big Beat Space Gospel (i.e DJ) version of Goodbye, Don't Fight Control, and perhaps even Fantai which is an alternative take on GTKO, oh and Mind Response too.

Then there are all those Chemical edits of other people's tracks like Lack Of Love, Bolis Pupil's Teknow, Too Hot (Xanadu's Sure Shot re-edit), and Pumisher's Erection Song which is a re-edit of...something(!).

Now that I've said all that, my list looks very "white bread". But hey, there are some good remixes amongst the official ones. The more off-piste stuff isn't necessaily better, just...different.

Some observations on remixes commissioned from The Chems. There was a real fall off in remixes after Swastika Eyes in 1999, with some big gaps after that (-years!).

The most recent official remix is I think, New Order's Tutti Frutti (2016), which probably only happened because Tom (co-) produced a couple of tracks on Music Complete. Similarly the Klaxons remix (2014) probably only happened because Tom produced the whole album. The I Break Horses mix happened (I believe) because Tom showed an interest in IBH rather than because Tom/Chems were approached. So I suspect the last 'regularly' commissioned remix was Boys Noize XTC in 2013.

It would be nice to get more Chems remixes but at this point I guess they're seen as a "legacy" act, so current/young acts probably aren't going to pursue them. I guess it's common for remixers to have a sweet spot of several years where everybody wants them, and then the industry moves on to someone new...

Oh and my least fave Chemical remixes? I can't do ten but here are several:
1) Republica - Out Of This World (remix & dub) . Surely this was just for the cash? The song is a dud, a Chems remix couldn't save it.
2) Dave Clarke - No One's Driving. I slightly prefer the original, but either way the track doesn't really do it for me.
3) Justin Warfield - Pick It Up Y'all. Again the original track doesn't do it for me. I've never heard the "no rap" version. Could that change my mind?

Over to you (I hope) for your best and worst...

[ThePumisher]

Method Man - Bring The Pain (Chemical Mix)
Method Man - Bring The Pain (Chemical Instrumental)
Manic Street Preachers - La Tristesse Durera (Vocal Mix)


For the worst i've first got to take listen of all of them again

[Joslyn]

@Wolkenkrabber again an impossible question to answer. My list always differs, depending on my mood I might go for laidback/euphoric remixes or the EPD era ones or even later bangers.

I love you got 'Here to Stay' in your top 10, not really a remix or re-edit but a produced by. With that in mind, I will put some surprises on my list. I'll leave this one out although I agree it's a great track. And I will also be looking into their remixes of their own work.

I am shocked by your least favorite list. Those are some of my early catches and in my opinion some great remixes. My least favorite would be the remix for Deep Throats 'Mouth Organ'. Such an uninspiring work. Oh, and let me get this off my chest, the unreleased remix of 'Teardrop' also won't be on my list. The original is impossible to beat.
Pumishers fav did not get a spot as well. I have 3 different releases with 'Bring the Pain' on them and all 3 also include Prodigy remix of 'Release yo'delf' which is impossible to beat.

So what's on my list (now):
Manic Street Preachers - Everything must go
Spiritualized - I think I'm in love
Those 2 are my absolute favorites, got both on 12" promos and it always get a smile on my face when the last 2 tracks of BGWIO kicks in.
Oasis - Falling down
The Gallaghers brothers sound like the Beatles at the most psychedelic due to the Chemical Brothers (Prodigy Liam totally dropped the ball on his remix)
Swordfish - The get on
Another great remix from the early days which did not get a lot of reappearances on later compilations.
Prodigy - Voodoo people
Tom and Ed totally transformed the track into something completely different, acid and dub and more voodoo as the original. The rituals in the remix video got even more disturbing.
Primal Scream - Burning Wheel and Swastika Eyes
The first incredible funk, drum break, and bassline, the other incredible dancefloor banger. A transition for both bands, with XTRMNTR and Evil Heat Primal Scream made 2 incredible electronic-inspired albums (both great imo) while Chemical Brothers also left their breakbeat era EPD/DYOH for more 4 to the floor with Surrender/Come with Us
The Diamond Sky - Surrender remix
Studio K - Sunshine Underground remix
Both from the Let Forever be single and thus Surrender Era and incredible funky, new iteration of the album tracks. They also had a great Under the Influence remix and Enjoyed an Out of Control remix but those 2 are less appealing to me.
Beth Orton - Daybreaker (produced by the Chemical Brothers)
After 2 appearances on Chemical albums, the Brothers return the favor and produce this beautiful track from Beths' Daybreaker album.
Tinie Tempah - Looking Down the Barrel (produced by Tom Rowlands)
I could have placed New Orders Here to Stay or Singularity or the remix of Love Frequency (to be fair I like more) but this track is so left field for Tom and even more for Tempah. It's got some awesome production sounds and noises in it.

So I smuggled 11 tracks into this top 10. Some obvious, some oddballs and a whole bunch of tracks I love that didn't make the cut so honorable mentions:

Nine-acre dust
Open up
Out of this world (I love the build-up and the transition from breakbeat to 4 to the floor beat)
Love Frequency
Song for Shelter
Like a motorway
Slow

[Wolkenkrabber]

I will also be looking into their remixes of their own work.

I kinda overlooked the Secret Psychedelic mixes in my OP.
The Let Forever Be one was probably my fave, but the drums drop out around 3:32, never to return. So it feels kinda incomplete.
Too bad, because there's something worthwhile about the re-worked production melody here.

My least favorite would be the remix for Deep Throats 'Mouth Organ'. Such an uninspiring work

I quite like that "Dust Brothers" big beat/hip hop groove, but then I listen to the original and I think: there's more actual mouth organ/harmonica on the original and it's probably a shame to reduce that. So it's "Swings and Roundabouts" for me...

let me get this off my chest, the unreleased remix of 'Teardrop' also won't be on my list. The original is impossible to beat.

I suspect that's why it never got released. I imagine Tom reached a point where he thought: Nah, I'm not helping.
Fatboy Slim said something similar about Star Guitar in 2012: it was already perfect so he gave up - as mentioned in the final paragraph of the Wikipedia page for Star Guitar (yeah there's a Wikipedia page!). Someone has not held back in the 'Structure' section of that wikipedia page either, where it says, "It contains a four measure-long acoustic guitar sample from the beginning of the David Bowie song, "Starman", hence the name, "Star Guitar". This sample is repeated throughout the majority of the track..."

Speaking of Fatboy, I see you have Song For Shelter in Honourable Mentions. I do think the Chems mix is probably more "danceable" than the original, so if that was the aim then hey, job done! However musically, I prefer Fatboy's original. The remix misses out on the whole "big bright yellow sun" ending...

Must admit that when I bought Fatboy's Greatest Hits Remixed (2007) 2CD, I got to the end and thought: not too many people managed to improve on Fatboy's original tracks. The only exception being Timo Maas's remix of Star 69 (love that piano), and possibly Jon Carter's remix of Jin Go Lo Ba, both of which I already owned.

Swordfish - The get on
Another great remix from the early days which did not get a lot of reappearances on later compilations.

This feels like a "we're still learning" kinda remix to me. Not the Chems at the top of their remixing game IMHO.
Mind you, the same could perhaps be said for the Jailbird remix that I put in my Top 10. At the time though (and yes I did hear it back in '94), it felt like a revelation, and to some extent a salvation of the Primals 'new' album. They went from Scremadelica to a fairly straightforward rock album, and the Jailbird remix felt like a reminder of the Primals' dance side. And back in '94 who else was making beats that large? This was "Big Beat" hitting me over the head for the first time. What a rush!

Tinie Tempah - Looking Down the Barrel (produced by Tom Rowlands)
...So I smuggled 11 tracks into this top 10

Well I did encourage people to think outside the box, and hey thanks for putting the effort in, I'm glad somebody did! But is this reeeeally one of their top 10 or 11 best 'external' productions? You do have good stuff on your list BTW -Spiritualized, Manics, Oasis, Prodigy. But Tinie Tempah? Hmmm.
Nonetheless, I'd still like to see more adventures in production from RAR into the wider world of music. I saw something today that said early 2000s music is back in vogue. So surely it's only a matter of time for Big Beat/Chems...

[Enjoyed]

Speaking of Fatboy, I see you have Song For Shelter in Honourable Mentions. I do think the Chems mix is probably more "danceable" than the original, so if that was the aim then hey, job done! However musically, I prefer Fatboy's original. The remix misses out on the whole "big bright yellow sun" ending...

I'd argue the Big Bright Yellow Sun ending is not really part of Song For Shelter, but rather another great example of a cyclical end to an album, leading back into Talkin' Bout My Baby (vis-à-vis, FTBF). It would be like remixing Content by BT, and including the Flaming June reprise (I wanted to use Dream On in this example, but that outro section is actually a lot more related to the rest of the track, and thus defeats my point!).

That said, I agree with your overall take - which is that, while more danceable (along with the Pete Heller remix), it just looses the magic of the original. 3 minutes and 20 seconds of beatless vibes is somehow infinitely better than any 'dancefloor' version. It makes that drop all the more sweet.

Must admit that when I bought Fatboy's Greatest Hits Remixed (2007) 2CD, I got to the end and thought: not too many people managed to improve on Fatboy's original tracks. The only exception being Timo Maas's remix of Star 69 (love that piano), and possibly Jon Carter's remix of Jin Go Lo Ba, both of which I already owned.

Trying not to hijack this thread and make it all about Norman, but I wanted to toss a few other great examples to go along with the fucking excellent Timo remix:
Darren Emerson's remix of Sunset. I find the original one of his weakest singles.
Midfield General's Disco Reshuffle of the aforementioned Talkin' Bout My Baby. Sometimes just adding drums and editing a few things is all that is needed - and this is the perfect example of a less-is-more "remix".

[𝒥𝑅𝒮𝒵]

I'd argue the Big Bright Yellow Sun ending is not really part of Song For Shelter

It's another, unlisted "hidden" track, a reprise of "Talkin Bout My Baby". It even appears as standalone track on certain digital versions of the album

[𝒥𝑅𝒮𝒵]

https://www.discogs.com/release/161535-Fatboy-Slim-Halfway-Between-The-Gutter-And-The-Stars/image/SW1hZ2U6MTI1NDAxMDc=

Some CD booklets even list it as the 12th track