Hi NRG - search and destroy

So Many Men, So Little Time-Miguel Brown Boystown Gang-Cruisin' the Streets

And all the show tune covers: "If My Friends Could See Me Now" from Sweet Charity, "I Am What I Am" from La Cage Aux Folles, "High Flying Adored" from Evita, etc. They count, right?

In Eighties NYC, Hi NRG was associated with the proto-circuit queen crowd at the Saint, while scoffed at by the house snobs at the Garage, if I recall correctly. Which is understandable, I guess, as it's the most inane music the world has ever known. But that doesn't mean I don't love it.

Abigail's Hi NRG cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is great, surprisingly poignant for this genre. My favorite Nirvana cover, actually.

Destroy: Whoever did the Hi NRG version of that 4 Non Blondes song I can't bring myself to name.

I was definitely more of an East Village rock homo, I actually only went to the Saint once (to see Divine perform) and the Garage a couple of times. Not really my scene, but I worked at a gay bar/disco in the East Village, so I had a lot of friends and co-workers who would hang out at my bar and head over to the open-all-night Garage after we closed.

Yeah, "So Many Men" is a colossal dud, isn't it? It just reminds me of early AIDS and it's such a lame song. And is Miguel a guy or a girl? I don't really remember "High Energy" except the chorus. Pretty forgettable.

So yeah, our tastes, history do seem very similar. Still, I wish knew a fraction of what you do--I've heard so few of the songs in your original post. "J.R. Is Dancing Pogo"--is it as good as it sounds?

My knowledge of this stuff (whatever it is) is haphazard. I got most of these tracks on cassettes out of Singapore and Hong Kong that I bought three-for-a-dollar in SF’s Chinatown; they have names like "East Beat" or "Summer Dance Hits." A whole mess seemed to have fallen off a truck in the late ’80s, since I was buying them all through the ’90s, and none of the gifty stores seemed to ever run out of them.

My first brush with Hi-Nrg music started in South Africa in 1983/1984, with a cassette called "HIGH-ENERGY DOUBLE DANCE - Volume 2".

I was 10 or 11 years old, and a friend of the same age had asked for this cassette as his birthday party gift. Before wraping it, i popped it into my cassette player and heard my first Hi-Nrg track ever, MARSHA RAVEN's - 'False Alarm'.

Having just turned 11 years old, and growing up in the old South Africa, i'd never been to a disco or clubbing before, but when i heard this sound, and the story line lyrics in these 'High Energy' songs - i was hooked (and still am today!).

In retrospect, listening to that "HIGH-ENERGY DOUBLE DANCE Volume 2" cassette was to be a life changing influence. I ended up working in the Music Industry, releasing compilation CD's, travelling the world and currently live in London, England.

That cassette started my interest in music and i started collecting records at a furious pace. With the limited 'pocket money' resources that i had, i ended up buying all the back catalogue early 80's sale compilations that i could find. The entire HIGH ENERGY DOUBLE DANCE series (Volumes 1 - 15) released by Principle Records (SOUTH AFRICA) in the 80's - and EUROBEAT 2LP Compilations released by TEAL TRUTONE (SOUTH AFRICA) were particually influencial.

Classic HI-NRG lyrics read like short stories. They tell tales of searching for love, happy times, breaking up, the lonely times, hope, fantasy and ecstacy, lust....but most of all - PASSION!!!

Some of the early classics do this best. Check out: 'Earthquake' by FLIRTATIONS; 'Catch Me (i'm falling in love)' by MARSHA RAVEN; 'So Many Men, So Little Time' by MIQUEL BROWN; 'High Energy' by EVELYN THOMAS; 'False Alarm' by MARSHA RAVEN; 'I Am What i Am' by GLORIA GAYNOR; 'Searchin' (got to find a man)' by HAZELL DEAN; 'Coming Out Of Hiding' by PAMELA STANLEY; 'Whatever You Do (wherever you go)' by HAZELL DEAN; 'Somebody To Love' by CAFE SOCIETY; 'Where Is My Man?' by EARTHA KITT; 'Fighting For Our Lives' by PEOPLE LIKE US......+ plus many more...

the soundtracks of our lives...

Thanks-
Sabine

Apparently these guys are huge in Mexico.

Trouble In Paradise - Sylvester
Desire - Paul Parker
Love Reaction - Divine
I Love Men - Cinema
Do You Wanna Funk - Sylvester/Patrick Cowley (excerpt only)
Lucky Tonight - Sarah Dash (yes, her out of Labelle)
Beeline - Miquel Brown
High Energy - Evelyn Thomas

I'll do the rest later...

Fancy - Chinese Eyes
Albert One - Turbo Diesel
Blue Monday (excerpt)
Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way

If someone could name the last 2 songs on track 4, I'd be grateful.

(*) - not Thelma Houston, Michael - and the excerpt from "Blue Monday" is actually Divine's "Love Reaction".

Have to say that Part 1 is streets ahead of the rest, quality-wise.

I have this other great Polymarchs mix I got from a friendly soul in the ILM room, perhaps you could help me with a couple more IDs?

If the other Polymarchs mix is more like Part One, then sure. If it's more like Parts Two to Five, then please send strong anti-depressants.

amazing song, even more amazing video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHyBzXpP7ts

as posted to an italo thread:

a "hi-nrg" mix I made a few weeks ago for a radio show, with much italo and italo-adjacent sounds. Arguably more "italo" than "hi-nrg" but who's counting?

https://soundcloud.com/the-magic-message/009-magic-message-radio-dan-selzer-womr-921-wfmr-913?fbclid=IwAR3Gs4TSPHALkZWUCktQuKhQN09rUQ45dqDhhIrw62CTqcTFkUTyqC-TFFw

Complete tracklist:

1. Data - Living Inside Me
2. Vicious Pink - Cccan’t You See
3. Ashaye - Electricity
4. Peppermint - Light a Light (US Mix)
5. Klein and M.B.O. - Keep In touch (Dub)
6. Tapps - My Forbidden Lover
7. Shy Rose - I Cry For You
8. Gotcha - You’re Wrong
9. Hotline - Guilty
10. New York Models - Love on Video
11. Jock Hattle - Yes No Family
12. Los Angeles TF - Everlasting Fever
13. Amanda Lear - Love Your Body
14. Ramming Speed - When You Walk in the Room (Instrumental American mix)
15. Azul Y Negro - La Noche
16. Rofo - Flashlight on a Disconight
17. Lauren Grey - Putting the Night on Hold
18. Vera - Baby Won’t You Dance With Me
19. Charlene Davis - Aggression
20. Lime - Babe, We’re Gonna Love Tonite
21. Phyllis Nelson - Don’t Stop the Train

i'm counting. it's inarguably more "italo" than "hi-nrg" ;-)

i have pondered putting together a hi-nrg comp for years but figure it has just too limited appeal. it's hard to get across just how massive hi-nrg was in scotland in the 80s and even into the early 90s before the rave scene annihilated it. but even then scotland's home produced rave output had a lot of hi-nrg in its dna.

I think one can argue enough of these tracks sit on the fence between the two! But yeah the goal wasn't to make some kind of definitive or representative/defining hi-nrg mix, otherwise there would've been a lot more San Francisco there. Really some of it are hi-nrg records I've had forever that I've always wanted to make a mix of, while some are things I've bought more recently while buying italo stuff that I find just a bit faster and more hi-nrg than my usual italo selections.

FWIW, I would totally buy a stirmonster Hi-NRG comp! It’s under-anthologised, and what with the likes of Krystal Klear keeping the flame burning, it might find its market.

They do indeed Dan. i just couldn't resist rising to your bait!

Cheers Mike! So much Hi-NRG still sounds soooo great and audiences will still freak out to it.

Yeah I think this stirmonster hi-NRG mix needs to happen. If I may say.

Dan's mix, in turn, looks choice.

Can't believe I made that mix a few weeks before this new Roman Flügel track came out, would've been fun to throw it in.

https://romanfluegel.bandcamp.com/track/mega

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgZdXJxpODw

BEST SONG

woah! that's going straight on the wants list.

It's actually a remake of a 1979 disco tune by Front Page, which is pretty good in itself tbh. Not sure where Krukutz are from, maybe Italy? It actually sounds really amazing when if pitch it down by about 8bpm ....but i think i probably feel the same way about every hiNRG song if i'm honest

fab!

i have the front page 12" but i think i like this better. i was guessing they were maybe italian too.

i'm fond of this hazell dean track hasn't yet been mentioned in this thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP44iYQrGZc

i saw her do a live PA around the time that came out and don't think i've heard it since. good!!

anyone know much about 'dance crazy' by chai-am? i have the original which i'm not really that keen on but this remix is great but it has sort of turned it into more of a juiced-up electro thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1dd3u1jM3k

and then there's this (way too short) version by frank hatchett and is it a cover or is it his original or what?? was really weirded out when i heard it last week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42tVcgEebvM

john edmed from chai-am has one weird list of credits btw - goes from playing guitar & dobro on some seriously iffy-looking uk country records to wacking out hiNRG knock-offs and remixing the danse society and shriekback in the space of three years

oh wait he produced 400 blows version of 'movin' as well, good record that

i had always thought chai-am was 400 blows related but i guess edmed / illuminated is the common factor. intrigued now if the frank hatchett came first or later and if there is a longer version?

yeah me too. that frank hatchett also has a sick colonel abrams cover on it btw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZkTqkeZ64c

anyhow, back to hiNRG soundz:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VG9Lsj1OVE

another fave, from an LA duo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugl-_N7EiMM

i dug this one out while sorting out some records. i think i like it more now than i did then. i remember being sold this with the claim it was a secret Nitzer Ebb side project. T

i dug this one out while sorting out some records and I think i like it more now than I did then. I remember being sold this with the claim it was a secret Nitzer Ebb side project. That probably isn't true but it is produced by the mighty Phil Harding so shares some of the same mix DNA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAo_SsqA1Sg

And speaking of Phil Harding remixes of industrial types, this is the remix (Essential Mega-Mix) that he did (with Pete Waterman) of U-BahnX "Young Hearts Of Europe", which came out in spring 1985. The band were managed by Dick O'Dell, and included a former member of The Pop Group. My partner hung out with them a few times, shortly before we met, which is how I came to hear it (few others did).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwXoKHkjrQ0

In advance of pitching an 80s Hi-NRG retro night to a venue which I have in mind, I put together a "proof of concept" test mix, using stuff that happened to be lying around on my laptop. It makes for an accurate representation of what I was actually dancing to at the time.

https://www.mixcloud.com/miketd/the-boys-come-to-town/

Track listing:
T-Shirts and Tight Blue Jeans - Divine
Big In Japan - Alphaville
I'm Not Scared (Disco Mix) - Eighth Wonder
Self Control - Laura Branigan
Victim Of Love (Extended Mix) - Erasure
Around My Dream - Silver Pozzoli
American Love - Rose Laurens
Where Is My Man - Eartha Kitt
This Time I Know It's For Real - Donna Summer
Love In The First Degree (Eurobeat Style) - Bananarama
What Have I Done To Deserve This? (Shep Pettibone Mix) - Pet Shop Boys ft Dusty Springfield
Fascinated - Company B
I Love My Radio (Midnight Radio) - Taffy
Happy Station [Scratch Mix] - Fun Fun
Rock the Boat (High Dynamic 12 Inch Remix) - Forrest
Body Rock (Peter Slaghuis Remix) - Maria Vidal
Boys (Summetime Love) - Sabrina
If You Love Somebody (The Munich Mix) - Barbara Doust
Passion (Remix) - The Flirts
Dirty Talk - Klein & MBO
Get Up Action - Digital Emotion
Get Ready - X Ray Connection
Dolce Vita - Ryan Paris
In The Evening - Sheryl Lee Ralph
In The Name Of Love - Sharon Redd
Remember Me/Ain't No Mountain High Enough Suite - Boystown Gang
It's A Sin (Ian Levine remix) - Pet Shop Boys
I Feel Love (Patrick Cowley Megamix) - Donna Summer
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - Eurythmics
You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) (12" Performance Version) - Dead Or Alive
Do Ya Wanna Funk - Sylvester with Patrick Cowley
Searchin' - Hazell Dean
Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Boys Town Gang
I Am What I Am - Gloria Gaynor
The Visitors (12" Disconet Mix) - ABBA
Lay All Your Love On Me - ABBA
So Many Men, So Little Time - Miquel Brown
Countdown (Here I Come) - Kofi and the Lovetones
Take A Chance (On Me) - Waterfront Home
Love Reaction - Divine
Shake it Up - Divine
La Cage Aux Folles - Le Jeté
The Night (La Noche) - Azul Y Negro
Lucky Tonight - Sarah Dash
Always On My Mind (Extended Dance Version) - Pet Shop Boys
Losing My Mind - Liza Minnelli
Ride On Time - Black Box
Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Stop! - Erasure
The Only Way Is Up - Yazz
I Beg Your Pardon - Kon Kan
Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
Situation (12" Remix) - Yazoo
Let The Music Play - Shannon
Give Me Tonight - Shannon
Tell It To My Heart - Taylor Dayne
Helyom Halib - Cappella
Stand Up For Your Love Rights - Yazz
Venus - Bananarama
Gloria - Laura Branigan
Party - Julius Brown
Rocket To Your Heart - Lisa
Who's Your Boyfriend - Eric
Saving Myself - Eria Fachin
I Believe In Dreams - Jackie Rawe
Let Me Feel It - Samantha Gilles
You're My Heart, You're My Soul - Modern Talking
It's My Life - Talk Talk
Maybe This Time - Norma Lewis
Flashdance... What A Feeling - Irene Cara
If You Could Read My Mind - Viola Wills
I'm Not In Love - Scherrie Payne
When Will I See You Again - Magda Layna
Don't Go - Yazoo
Never Can Say Goodbye (Shep Pettibone Extended Remix) - The Communards
Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat

I have been so obsessed with the Kazino version of Around My Dream, esp the video. It's all I listen to.

mike, are you still in my city or am I remembering wrong? Would go to a Hi-NRG night.

I'm no longer in your city, but I'm going to be pitching to a venue in that city!

Oooh, well, I'll keep an eye out!

WOW at that Kazino video! Turns out that its B-side, "Binary", ended up on the third Disco Not Disco comp, alongside the likes of Delta 5, Quando Quango and Material.

One thing I noticed when putting my mix together is that quite a lot of Hi-NRG tracks add occasional two-bar sections that break the four-bar flow, which can make on-the-fly transitions a bit tricky if you're not expecting them.

I'd also forgotten how much the breakdowns scream SNORT YOUR POPPERS NOW! - they are absolutely precision engineered to maximise nitrate hits. (And in the case of Forrest's otherwise iffy cover of "Rock The Boat", the breakdown was the whole point of the track; at the height of its popularity, the DJ at our club would use two copies to double its length.)

hey mike - i think you posted the wrong mix link.

Hmm, I just checked it on my logged-out-of-Mixcloud iPad and it worked fine. Try mixcloud dot com forward slash miketd - it should be at the top of the list.

apologies. it must have been some weird cache issue as it was playing your other mix with the TRB mash up when i tried to listen before. All good now.

Yeah, Mixcloud tends to remember the last mix you were listening to, and so it must have automatically resumed that one.

The pitch has been enthusiastically accepted (and the Mixcloud set helped), so I'll be playing a Hi-NRG set in Nottingham in July (date TBC). Very happy about this.

Woo! Go Mike!

donna rouge posted the hazell dean version of this one upthread but i hadn't heard the original before and i really love it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Euxu6PuxGXc
Kerry Delius - They Say It's Gonna Rain

the b-side though is really different, a drum machine & spoken word piece with kind of a feverish postpunk atmosphere... probably not really one for this thread, but hey what the heck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eMp7k6DysA
Kerry Delius - Dear Christine

Having heard it first a couple of years earlier, I always preferred the Kerry Delius original over the Hazell Dean cover, but now that I’m revisiting all these tracks, I’m leaning towards Hazell’s for the first time. That might just be for practical “this one would work better on a dance floor”reasons, though.

yeah the original sounds very wonky by comparison (not a diss!). love the slight dolly parton-ish vibrato in her voice too

oh i didn’t know the hazell version was a cover! this version is great too, also love the vibrato

those fire island/pine walk cassettes that were recently rediscovered and digitized are an absolute hi NRG goldmine, have encountered so many incredible tracks from listening around. here’s a few faves:

Baiser - Darling Forever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfYoEno5YzQ

Shooting Party - Safe in the Arms of Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKcBAmIsmVk

Eddy Skyn - It’s a Lie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1nigWuqGik

Advance ft. Maxine - If He Knew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIknQIOM29g

liking this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp0_5GRsNcg
Amanda Manchanile ‎– Love Automation