The Remix Album (titled The #1 Remixes (EP) in North America) is the first remix album by British singer Lisa Stansfield, released by Arista Records on 2 June 1998. It contains remixes of songs originally included on the 1997 album, Lisa Stansfield. The tracks were remixed by prominent US and UK producers: Hex Hector, Junior Vasquez, Victor Calderone, Frankie Knuckles, Hani, K-Klass, Mark Picchiotti, the Black Science Orchestra and the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The album garnered favorable reviews from music critics and reached number eighty-two on the Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Background
In 1997, Stansfield released her eponymous album, which spawned four number-one singles on the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs: "People Hold On" (The Bootleg Mixes), "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up," "Never Gonna Fall" (two weeks at the top) and "I'm Leavin'." This success prompted Arista Records to release the album with remixes of songs from Lisa Stansfield.
Content
The album, titled The #1 Remixes (EP) was released in North America on 2 June 1998. It includes nine tracks remixed by prominent producers: Hex Hector ("I'm Leavin'"), Junior Vasquez and Victor Calderone ("Never Gonna Fall"), Frankie Knuckles and Hani ("Never, Never Gonna Give You Up"), the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels ("People Hold On"), K-Klass ("The Real Thing") and the Black Science Orchestra ("The Line"). In Europe, it was titled The Remix Album and released on 8 June 1998. It contains all the remixes from the North American edition plus one more remix of "The Real Thing" by Mark Picchiotti.
Reception
Critical reception
Professional ratings |
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Review scores |
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Source | Rating |
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AllMusic | [1] |
The album received positive reviews from music critics. According to Jose F. Promis from AllMusic, it is more a showcase of hot dance remixers than anything else but it's fine. The album begins with the radio edit of the Hex Hector mix of "I'm Leavin'," a melancholy ballad that "absolutely shines" as a dance track, and should have become a hit in a similar vein to Everything but the Girl's "Missing." Two mixes are included of her "excellent" interpretation of Barry White's "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up," one being a "dreamy, joyful, sophisticated," rather mid-tempo remix courtesy of the legendary Frankie Knuckles, and the other being the "revved-up" Hani mix. "Never Gonna Fall" makes two appearances as clubby remixes, with the Victor Calderone mix being more of a collection of beats than an actual song. A longer mix of the album version of the "relentless" "People Hold On" is thrown in, as well as a single-length, funky mix of The Real Thing and a "sleek, housy, elegant" take on "The Line." Promis stated that this album is an absolute must for fans of late-'90s dance music, and especially for fans of this extremely underrated songstress.
Commercial reception
The album entered the Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and peaked at number eighty-two.[2]
Track listing
1. |
"I'm Leavin'" (Hex Hector Radio Mix) | Crayge Lindesay, Telisa Stinson | Ian Devaney, Peter Mokran |
4:17 |
2. |
"Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (Frankie Knuckles Mix) | Barry White | Devaney, Mokran |
8:42 |
3. |
"The Real Thing" (Mark!'s Good Time Disco Vocal) | Lisa Stansfield, Devaney | Devaney, Mokran |
11:25 |
4. |
"Never Gonna Fall" (Junior Vasquez Mix) | Stansfield, Devaney | Devaney, Mokran |
8:34 |
5. |
"People Hold On" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Mix) | Stansfield, Matt Black, Jonathan More | Dan Bewick, Matt Frost |
6:11 |
6. |
"Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (Hani Mix) | White | Devaney, Mokran |
8:54 |
7. |
"I'm Leavin'" (Hex Hector Club Mix) | Lindesay, Stinson | Devaney, Mokran |
10:06 |
8. |
"Never Gonna Fall" (Victor Calderone Mix) | Stansfield, Devaney | Devaney, Mokran |
7:12 |
9. |
"The Real Thing" (K-Klassic Mix) | Stansfield, Devaney | Devaney, Mokran |
4:44 |
10. |
"The Line" (The Black Science Orchestra Mix) | Stansfield, Devaney, Terry Gamwell | Devaney, Mokran |
5:58 |
1. |
"I'm Leavin'" (Hex Hector Radio Mix) | Lindesay, Stinson | Devaney, Mokran |
4:18 |
2. |
"Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (Frankie Knuckles Mix) | White | Devaney, Mokran |
8:41 |
3. |
"Never Gonna Fall" (Junior Vasquez Mix) | Stansfield, Devaney | Devaney, Mokran |
8:35 |
4. |
"People Hold On" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Mix) | Stansfield, Black, More | Bewick, Frost |
6:11 |
5. |
"Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (Hani Mix) | White | Devaney, Mokran |
8:55 |
6. |
"I'm Leavin'" (Hex Hector Mix) | Lindesay, Stinson | Devaney, Mokran |
10:07 |
7. |
"Never Gonna Fall" (Victor Calderone Mix) | Stansfield, Devaney | Devaney, Mokran |
7:12 |
8. |
"The Real Thing" (K-Klass Mix) | Stansfield, Devaney | Devaney, Mokran |
4:44 |
9. |
"The Line" (The Black Science Orchestra Mix) | Stansfield, Devaney, Gamwell | Devaney, Mokran |
5:58 |
Charts
Credits and personnel
Credits taken from AllMusic.[4]
Release history
Region |
Date |
Label |
Format |
Catalog |
North America[5] |
2 June 1998 |
Arista |
CD |
07822 19012 2 |
Europe[6] |
8 June 1998 |
74321 58993 2 |
References
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| Remix albums | |
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