- Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran
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Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran Remix album by Duran Duran Released 31 March 1998 Genre New Wave Length 70:30 Label EMI Producer Duran Duran and various Duran Duran chronology Medazzaland
(1997)Night Versions
(1998)Greatest
(1998)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1]
Pitchfork Media (4.6/10)[2] Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran is a compilation album of remixes by Duran Duran. From the very beginning of their career, the band had dubbed the extended dance remixes of their songs "night versions", as they were intended for play in nightclubs.
Unlike many of their contemporaries, Duran Duran didn't just extend the intro or loop the bridge section of a song to pad out a dance track for a 12-inch single. As Allmusic explained, "According to Nick Rhodes' liner notes, they recorded extended versions of their singles to be used in night clubs. Rather than have the master tapes cut and taped into remixes, Duran Duran went back into the studio and recorded longer versions of the songs with more instrumental breaks."
The collection had been in the works for some time, but it was released by Capitol/EMI in April 1998, about the same time that Duran Duran was dismissed from the record label after an eighteen year history. EMI was quick to start mining the band's back catalogue; Night Versions was followed seven months later by the greatest hits collection Greatest, and by another remix collection Strange Behaviour four months after that.
Similar to other releases in Capitol's "Essential" range, this disc was commercially available for only six months from the time of release. This may account for the inflated aftermarket value of the disc, considering all the material and more was released on the latter Strange Behaviour collection. It has given influence not only in title but also to its concept to the album Nite Versions by Soulwax.
The Music
The collection includes all of the singles released between 1981 and 1985, with the exception of their second single Careless Memories, and two album tracks. The majority of the songs are on the main audio disc.
Also included is a separate enhanced CD containing a bonus mix of "New Moon on Monday". To unlock the disc and enjoy the enhanced content, users were required to visit the DuranDuran.com official website. The process was difficult and error-prone, and did not function at all with many Apple Macintosh computers, and the reward was minimal: the audio quality of "New Moon On Monday" wasn't exceptional, and the promised video content turned out to be a slow-moving collage of album and single covers.
Track listing
CD One:
- "Planet Earth (Night Version)" – 6:16
- "Girls on Film (Night Version)" – 5:27
- "My Own Way (Night Version)" – 6:34
- "Hungry Like the Wolf (Night Version)" – 5:14
- "Rio (12" Dance Version)" – 6:42
- "New Religion (Night Version)" – 5:14
- "Hold Back the Rain (Remix)" [Carnival version] – 7:00
- "Is There Something I Should Know? (Monster Mix)" – 6:40
- "Union of the Snake (Monkey Mix)" – 6:23
- "The Reflex (Dance Mix)" – 6:34
- "The Wild Boys (Wilder Than Wild Boys Extended Mix)" – 8:00
CD Two:
- "New Moon on Monday (Extended Mix)" – 6:00
References
Duran Duran Simon Le Bon · Nick Rhodes · John Taylor · Roger Taylor
Andy Taylor · Warren Cuccurullo · Sterling Campbell · Stephen Duffy · Simon Colley · Andy Wickett · Alan Curtis · Jeff ThomasStudio albums Duran Duran · Rio · Seven and the Ragged Tiger · Notorious · Big Thing · Liberty · Duran Duran · Thank You · Medazzaland · Pop Trash · Astronaut · Reportage · Red Carpet Massacre · All You Need Is Now
Live albums Arena · Live at Hammersmith '82!
Compilations,
EPs and remixesCarnival · Master Mixes · Decade: Greatest Hits · Greatest · Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran · Strange Behaviour · Singles Box Set 1981–1985 · Singles Box Set 1986–1995 · The Essential Collection · From Mediterranea with Love
Singles "Planet Earth" · "Careless Memories" · "Girls on Film" · "My Own Way" · "The Chauffeur" · "Hungry Like the Wolf" · "Save a Prayer" · "Rio" · "New Religion" · "Is There Something I Should Know?" · "Union of the Snake" · "New Moon on Monday" · "The Reflex" · "Tiger Tiger" · "The Wild Boys" · "A View to a Kill" · "Notorious" · "Skin Trade" · "Meet El Presidente" · "I Don't Want Your Love" · "All She Wants Is" · "Do You Believe in Shame?" · "Burning the Ground" · "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" · "Serious" · "Ordinary World" · "Come Undone" · "Too Much Information" · "Drowning Man " · "None Of The Above" · "Breath After Breath" · "Femme Fatale" · "Perfect Day" · "White Lines" · "Lay Lady Lay" · "Out of My Mind" · "Electric Barbarella" · "Someone Else Not Me" · "Playing With Uranium" · "Last Day On Earth" · "(Reach Up for The) Sunrise" · "What Happens Tomorrow" · "Nice" · "Falling Down" · "All You Need Is Now" · "Girl Panic"
Promo Singles "Anyone Out There" · "Sound of Thunder" · "Shadows on Your Side" · "Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile)" · "Planet Earth" (Live) · "Is There Something I Should Know?" (Live)" · "Big Thing" · "Too Late Marlene" · "The Krush Brothers: LSD Edit" · "There Are Lots And Lots Of Ants" "Decadence" · "Cry Baby Cry" · "Skin Divers"
Videography Duran Duran Video 45 · Duran Duran · Dancing on the Valentine · Sing Blue Silver · Arena (An Absurd Notion) · The Making of Arena · As the Lights Go Down · Three to Get Ready · Working for the Skin Trade · 6ix by 3hree · Decade: Greatest Hits · Extraordinary World · Greatest · Live from London · Live at Hammersmith '82!
Related artists Arcadia · Power Station · Neurotic Outsiders · The Devils · Swahili Blonde
Related articles Discography · Awards and nominations · TV Mania · Duran Duran Tours · Duran Duran's charity concert at Villa Park 1983
Categories:- Duran Duran compilation albums
- 1998 remix albums
- 1998 compilation albums
- EMI Records remix albums
- EMI Records compilation albums
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