One of the highlights of pop producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman’s 80’s magic was the short lived career of Mel and Kim.
Before they were creating hits for Bananarama, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, the trio of writers and producers crafted dancefloor fillers for sisters Mel and Kim. Now the duo’s music is being revisited with a box set of their singles.
The new collection from Cherry Red Records features 72 tracks, and since the girls only had four singles during their short lived career – that means the collators of this collection must have tracked down every single remix that was ever commissioned.
Mel and Kim first burst onto the charts with Showing Out in late 1986, with it’s calls to “get fresh at the weekend” it went to number three on the British charts and number twelve here in Australia.
The follow up single Respectable came a few months later and it was a number one hit in 1988. The tune still gets played regularly out on the terrace at Connections Nightclub.
The third single from the duo was the title track from their debut album F.L.M, which stood for ‘Fun, Love and Money’. Sadly by this stage Mel had been diagnosed with cancer and was too ill to appear in promotional videos.
In 1990 Mel contracted pneumonia and passed away. Her immune system had been left weak following chemotherapy treatment. She was just 23 years old. Sister Kim went on to have further pop hits in the UK.
The new box set will delight fans, and many of the mixes included are rare and may not have been heard before.
Here’s the track listing.
DISC ONE
SHOWING OUT (GET FRESH AT THE WEEKEND)
1. SHOWING OUT
2. SYSTEM (HOUSE MIX)
3. SHOWING OUT (EXTENDED VERSION)
4. SHOWING OUT (THE MORTGAGE MIX)
5. SHOWING OUT (THE FREEHOLD MIX)
6. SHOWING OUT (EDIT)
7. SYSTEM (GARAGE VOCAL)
8. SYSTEM (12” HOUSE MIX)
9. SYSTEM (ALTERNATIVE MIX)
10. SYSTEM (ORIGINAL 12” MIX)
11. SYSTEM (U.S. ALBUM EDIT)
12. SYSTEM (DUB)
13. SYSTEM (INSTRUMENTAL)
DISC TWO
RESPECTABLE
1. RESPECTABLE
2. RESPECTABLE (EXTENDED VERSION)
3. RESPECTABLE (EXTRA BEATS VOCAL)
4. RESPECTABLE (THE TABLOID MIX)
5. RESPECTABLE (SHOP MIX)
6. RESPECTABLE (FULL ALBUM VERSION)
7. RESPECTABLE (ALTERNATIVE 12” MIX)
8. RESPECTABLE (PETE HAMMOND MIX)
9. RESPECTABLE (MEGA REMIX)
10. RESPECTABLE (EXTRA BEATS VERSION)
11. RESPECTABLE (INSTRUMENTAL)
12. RESPECTABLE (12” INSTRUMENTAL)
DISC THREE
F.L.M.
1. F.L.M.
2. F.L.M. (EXTENDED VERSION)
3. F.L.M. (CLUB MIX)
4. F.L.M. (SONIC REMIX)
5. F.L.M. (AUTO MIX)
6. F.L.M. (TWO GROOVES UNDER ONE NATION REMIX)
7. F.L.M. (TWO GROOVES DUB)
8. F.L.M. (TWO GROOVES UNDER ONE NATION 7” MIX)
9. F.L.M. (PHIL HARDING MIX)
10. F.L.M. (BEAT BOYS MIX)
11. F.L.M. (BEAT BOYS DUB)
12. SHOWING OUT / RESPECTABLE (MEGA MIX)
DISC FOUR
I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU
1. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (POP RADIO 7” MIX)
2. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (HIP HOP RADIO MIX)
3. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (STARDOM GROOVE CLUB MIX)
4. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (KICK ’N LIVE MIX)
5. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (GROOVE DUB)
6. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (DONE PROPERLY DUB)
7. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (POP RADIO MIX)
8. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (CHICAGO CLUB MIX)
9. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (CHICAGO DUBSTRUMENTAL)
10. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (YOYO’S 12” MIX)
11. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (ORIGINAL MIX)
12. I’M THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (INSTRUMENTAL)
DISC FIVE
THAT’S THE WAY IT IS
1. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS
2. YOU CHANGED MY LIFE
3. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (EXTENDED VERSION)
4. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (HOUSE REMIX)
5. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (ACID HOUSE REMIX)
6. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (ACID DUB)
7. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (ACID POP MIX)
8. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (ORIGINAL 12” MIX)
9. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (ORIGINAL DUB)
10. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (INSTRUMENTAL)
11. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (ACID POP INSTRUMENTAL)
12. YOU CHANGED MY LIFE (INSTRUMENTAL)
13. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (RADIO JINGLES)
DISC SIX
MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY
1. MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY
2. YOU CHANGED MY LIFE (ALTERNATIVE MIX)
3. MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY (EXTENDED VERSION)
4. MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY (INSTRUMENTAL)
DISC SEVEN
MEGAMIX: NINETY!
1. THE MEL & KIM 1990 MEGA-MIX
2. SHOWING OUT (THE ITALO HOUSE REMIX)
3. THE MEL & KIM 1990 MEGA-MIX (EXTENDED VERSION)
4. THE MEL & KIM 1990 MEGA-MIX (ALTERNATIVE VERSION)
5. THE MEL & KIM 1990 MEGA-MIX (TECHNO VERSION)
6. SHOWING OUT (THE ITALO HOUSE 12” REMIX)
