Steve Miller Band – Shangri-La (Canada 12″) (1984)

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By 1984, the Steve Miller Band had already enjoyed more than a decade of success, with classics such as “The Joker,” “Fly Like An Eagle,” and “Rock’n Me.” The band’s 1982 smash “Abracadabra” introduced Miller to a new generation of listeners, combining his familiar rock sound with synthesizers and a dance-friendly beat. Two years later, Miller continued experimenting with that formula on “Shangri-La.”

Released in 1984 as the lead single from the band’s thirteenth studio album, Italian X Rays, “Shangri-La” found Steve Miller moving even further into the electronic sounds of the decade. Written by Miller and bassist Kenny Lee Lewis, the song combined synthesizers, a funky bass line, electronic textures, and Miller’s unmistakable vocals. It was quite a departure from the guitar-driven rock that had made the band famous during the 1970s.

Italian X Rays was also a departure from a recording standpoint. The album was recorded digitally and made extensive use of electronic instruments and computer technology. Miller was enthusiastic about the new recording process and embraced the possibilities it offered.

“Shangri-La” reached No. 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 84 in Canada. Although it never matched the enormous success of “Abracadabra,” the single remains an interesting example of an established rock act experimenting with the increasingly electronic sound of the mid-1980s.

For the 12″ release, Capitol enlisted legendary New York DJ and remixer François Kevorkian, along with Jay Mark, to give “Shangri-La” a dance-floor makeover.

Kevorkian was already one of the most respected names in dance music, having worked with artists ranging from D-Train and Yazoo to Depeche Mode. His approach to remixing went well beyond simply extending a song. He could completely reshape a recording, bringing out its rhythm, creating new instrumental passages, and giving it an entirely different atmosphere.

The Extended Version of “Shangri-La” allows the song’s infectious groove to take center stage. The longer arrangement gives the percussion, electronic instrumentation, and funky bass line room to breathe, transforming Miller’s pop-rock single into something much more suited to the dance floor.

The Dub Version takes things even further, shifting attention away from the conventional song structure and toward the instrumental and rhythmic elements. It’s a particularly interesting listen for anyone who enjoys the more experimental side of eighties remixing.

Today’s featured record is my Canadian 12″ pressing on Capitol Records (V 75076). In addition to the Extended and Dub versions of “Shangri-La,” the record includes the original album version of “Abracadabra,” making this an especially nice pairing of Miller’s early-eighties dance-oriented material.

It’s also a reminder of an era when record companies weren’t afraid to hand a rock recording to a club remixer and see what happened. Sometimes those unlikely combinations produced some of the most interesting 12″ singles of the decade.

Enjoy!

SIDE A:
Shangri-La (Extended Club Mix) 7:32
Co-producer – Kenny Lee Lewis
Producer – Steve Miller
Recorded By – David Cole (4)
Remix – François Kevorkian, Jay Mark
Written-By – Kenny Lee Lewis, Steve Miller

SIDE B:
Shangri-La (Dub Version) 5:32
Co-producer – Kenny Lee Lewis
Producer – Steve Miller
Recorded By – David Cole (4)
Remix – François Kevorkian, Jay Mark
Written-By – Kenny Lee Lewis, Steve Miller

Abracadabra 5:10
Co-producer – Gary Mallaber
Producer – Steve Miller
Written-By – Steve Miller

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart (1984)	Peak Position
US Billboard Hot 100	57
Canada RPM Top Singles	84

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Capitol Records – V 75076
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: Canada
Released: 1984
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Pop Rock

CREDITS:

Bass, Guitar, Co-producer – Kenny Lee Lewis
Drums, Percussion – Gary Mallaber
Keyboards – Byron Allred
Producer, Vocals – Steve Miller

NOTES:
Track A: “(Album Version available on forthcoming LP “ITALIAN X RAYS” SJ-12339)”
Track B1: “(Album Version available on forthcoming LP “ITALIAN X RAYS” SJ-12339)”
Track B2: “(from the LP “ABRACADABRA” ST-12216)”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
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for BURNING THE GROUND

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 25 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
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September 26, 2026

Naked Eyes – Always Something There To Remind Me (US 12″ Promo) (1982)

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Yesterday I posted the UK 12″ of “Always Something There To Remind Me,” featuring the 5:43 “American Remix” by John “Jellybean” Benitez. Today we’re staying with Naked Eyes for a companion release that helps complete the story of this classic single and its sometimes confusing assortment of mixes.

Today’s record is the U.S. promotional 12″ issued by EMI America, catalog numbers SPRO-9891 and SPRO-9892.

Unlike yesterday’s Jellybean remix, this promo contains the earlier extended version produced and mixed by Tony Mansfield.

The A-side is simply titled “Long Version” and runs 6:13.

This is the Tony Mansfield extended mix of “Always Something There To Remind Me,” the version that has sometimes been referred to over the years as the original UK 12″ mix. It predates Jellybean’s later remix and takes a different approach to extending the song.

Rather than radically rebuilding the track, Mansfield expands his original production and gives the arrangement more room to breathe. The familiar electronic textures, percussion, keyboards, and those unmistakable chimes are all given additional space without losing the character of the original recording.

For me, that is part of what makes this version so appealing. It sounds like an extended version from the era when a 12″ mix did not necessarily have to completely reinvent a song. Sometimes you simply wanted more of the record you already loved.

And at 6:13, that is exactly what you get.

The flip side contains the appropriately titled “Short Version,” running 3:40. With both versions on the same promotional disc, American radio programmers and DJs could choose between the longer mix and the more compact version depending on what they needed.

This promo also clears up another part of the mix confusion discussed in yesterday’s post.

SPRO-9891 contains the 6:13 “Long Version,” which is the Tony Mansfield mix.

A later U.S. promotional 12″, SPRO-9924, contains the approximately 5:41 “Remixed Version” by John “Jellybean” Benitez. That Jellybean remix was later issued in the UK as the “American Remix,” which is the 5:43 version I posted yesterday.

So if you’re trying to keep all of this straight, the easiest way is by running time:

The 6:13 “Long Version” is the Tony Mansfield mix.

The approximately 5:41 to 5:43 “Remixed Version” or “American Remix” is the John “Jellybean” Benitez mix.

Simple enough once you know what you’re looking for. Getting there is another story.

The confusion has not been helped by various compilations and reissues over the years assigning the wrong mix names or credits. That is one reason I wanted to post these two records together. Hearing them directly from the original vinyl makes the differences much easier to identify.

It also gives us another opportunity to celebrate the work of producer Tony Mansfield.

Mansfield was an important part of the early Naked Eyes sound. His production helped give “Always Something There To Remind Me” that combination of polished pop, electronics, and drama that still jumps out of the speakers more than forty years later.

Of course, at the center of it all is Pete Byrne’s vocal.

Following the sad news of Byrne’s passing on September 14, listening to these records has taken on added meaning. Yesterday’s post was dedicated to his memory, and I wanted to continue that tribute today with another important piece of the Naked Eyes catalog.

It is remarkable how a recording can instantly transport you back to a certain time. For many of us, “Always Something There To Remind Me” is permanently tied to 1983, MTV, radio, and that wave of British synth-pop that seemed to arrive almost overnight.

And with both the Tony Mansfield and Jellybean mixes now represented here on Burning The Ground, we can finally hear two very different extended interpretations of the record from the original vinyl.

Which one do you prefer?

The Tony Mansfield 6:13 “Long Version,” or Jellybean’s punchier 5:43 “American Remix”?

For me, there is room for both.

Rest in peace, Pete Byrne.

SIDE A:
Always Something There To Remind Me (Long Version) 6:16

SIDE B:
Always Something There To Remind Me (Short Version) 3:41

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI America – SPRO-9891, EMI America – SPRO-9892
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Mixed By – Tony Mansfield
Producer – Tony Mansfield
Written-By – B. Bacharach-H. David*

NOTES:
Recorded in England.

Promo
Not For Sale

(from the LP “Naked Eyes” ST-17089)

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
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Artwork scanned at 600dpi

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September 25, 2026

Naked Eyes – Always Something There To Remind Me (American Remix) (UK 12″) (1982)

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Today’s post is dedicated to the memory of Pete Byrne, lead vocalist and co-founder of Naked Eyes, who passed away peacefully in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026, after a brief illness. He was 74. News of his passing was announced this week.

For anyone who came of age during the early days of MTV, Byrne’s voice is instantly recognizable. Along with keyboardist Rob Fisher, he created some of the most memorable British synth-pop to cross the Atlantic during the early ’80s.

Naked Eyes formed in Bath, England, with Byrne and Fisher emerging from the earlier band Neon. As Naked Eyes, the pair signed with EMI and began working with producer Tony Mansfield. Their debut album, Burning Bridges, arrived in the UK in 1983 and was released in a slightly altered form in the United States simply as Naked Eyes.

Their breakthrough was a dramatic electronic remake of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David composition “Always Something There To Remind Me.”

The song already had a long history by the time Naked Eyes recorded it. Lou Johnson first released it in 1964, while Sandie Shaw took her version all the way to No. 1 in the UK later that year. Naked Eyes took the familiar song and rebuilt it for the synthesizer generation, surrounding Byrne’s vocal with programmed rhythms, keyboards, and Tony Mansfield’s polished production.

While Naked Eyes never became a major chart act in their native country, America was another story. “Always Something There To Remind Me” climbed to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983, followed by another major U.S. hit, “Promises, Promises,” which reached No. 11.

Ironically, the record that helped define the early-’80s British synth-pop sound was much less successful in Britain. After being re-promoted following its American success, “Always Something There To Remind Me” entered the UK Singles Chart in July 1983 and peaked at No. 59.

Today’s record is the UK 12″ on EMI, catalog number 12EMI 5334, backed with the non-LP track “Pit Stop.”

And this is where things get interesting.

The A-side is the “American Remix,” and my copy runs exactly 5:43. This is the John “Jellybean” Benitez remix, though the history of the various mixes has become surprisingly muddled over the years.

The original extended version of “Always Something There To Remind Me,” mixed as part of Tony Mansfield’s original production, runs approximately 6:13. It was issued in the United States on the promotional 12″ SPRO-9891 as the “Long Version.”

A second U.S. promotional 12″, SPRO-9924, contained a newer “Remixed Version” by John “Jellybean” Benitez. That version runs approximately 5:41 and, unlike the earlier mix, begins with drums. The Jellybean mix was subsequently issued in the UK as the “American Remix.” My UK pressing runs 5:43, putting it squarely in this Jellybean remix family.

If that sounds confusing, it gets worse.

Over the years, reissues and compilations have sometimes mixed up the credits. The One Way/EMI collection Everything And More reportedly included the Jellybean mix while identifying it as the Tony Mansfield 12″ mix. Other discographies have also attributed the UK “American Remix” to Mansfield. The more recent Chrysalis edition of the debut album identifies the approximately 5:40 version as the “Jellybean Extended Remix.”

So, for collectors keeping score:

The approximately 6:13 version is the earlier Tony Mansfield long version.

The approximately 5:41 to 5:43 version beginning with drums is the John “Jellybean” Benitez remix.

Sometimes the grooves tell the story better than the liner notes.

The B-side, “Pit Stop,” was written by Pete Byrne and Rob Fisher and produced by Tony Mansfield. It was not included on the original UK Burning Bridges LP, making it another reason this 12″ is worth having.

Sadly, both halves of the original Naked Eyes partnership are now gone. Rob Fisher died in 1999. Pete Byrne continued making music and eventually revived Naked Eyes, performing the songs for audiences who had never forgotten them.

There is something especially poignant about listening to “Always Something There To Remind Me” following Pete Byrne’s passing. A song written decades before Naked Eyes recorded it became forever linked to his voice, and its words about memory and the things we can never quite leave behind seem particularly appropriate today.

Pete Byrne helped give the early ’80s a distinctive voice. Thankfully, the records remain.

Rest in peace, Pete Byrne.

SIDE A:
Always Something There To Remind Me (American Remix) 5:43
Remix – John “Jellybean” Benitez
Written-By – Bacharach & David*

SIDE B:
Pit Stop 3:30
Written-By – Byrne, Fisher

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart (1983)	Peak Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	7
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	9
New Zealand (RIANZ)	2
UK Singles (Official Charts)	59
US Billboard Hot 100	8
US Billboard Adult Contemporary	31
US Billboard Dance/Disco	37
US Cash Box Top 100	7

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI – 12EMI 5334
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Producer – Tony Mansfield

NOTES:
Taken from the LP and Cassette “Burning Bridges”

Manufactured in the UK by EMI Records Limited.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

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September 24, 2026

Depeche Mode – Everything Counts (In Larger Amounts) (UK 12″) (1983)

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Released in the UK on July 11, 1983, “Everything Counts” marked an important turning point for Depeche Mode. The single introduced a tougher, more experimental sound that would play a major role in the band’s evolution throughout the rest of the decade.

Written by Martin Gore, “Everything Counts” was the first single taken from the band’s third studio album, Construction Time Again. The album would also mark the first time Alan Wilder appeared as a full member on a Depeche Mode studio LP.

By this point the group had begun moving away from the cleaner synth-pop sound of their first two albums. Sampling became an important part of the recording process, with metallic noises, unusual percussion, and sounds gathered from everyday objects finding their way into the music.

“Everything Counts” was one of the first major examples of that new direction.

The lyrics were changing as well.

Instead of focusing on relationships, Martin Gore turned his attention toward greed, competition, and corporate culture. The song’s image of “grabbing hands” became one of the most recognizable lyrics in the Depeche Mode catalog.

The darker subject matter is paired with one of the band’s catchiest early melodies. Dave Gahan handles the verses while Martin Gore takes a more prominent role during the chorus. Add the distinctive melodic hook and all of those strange metallic sounds, and you have a record that sounded quite different from most of the synth-pop appearing on the charts in 1983.

And “Everything Counts” did very well on those charts.

In the UK, the single entered the Official Singles Chart at No. 41 and steadily climbed during the following weeks. It eventually reached No. 6 and spent eleven weeks on the chart, including three weeks inside the Top 10.

The record also found success across Europe and beyond. “Everything Counts” reached No. 8 in Switzerland, No. 15 in Ireland, No. 18 in Sweden, No. 23 in West Germany, and No. 27 in New Zealand. It also reached No. 20 in South Africa.

The original single did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, where Depeche Mode were still some distance away from becoming a major mainstream act. However, the record made an impression in American clubs, reaching No. 17 on Billboard’s dance chart.

For the UK 12-inch, Mute Records gave the extended version the wonderfully appropriate title “Everything Counts (In Larger Amounts).”

And larger amounts are exactly what you get.

Running more than seven minutes, the 12-inch version gives the percussion, samples, synthesizer lines, and instrumental sections much more room. Rather than simply extending the beginning and ending, “In Larger Amounts” pulls apart elements of the original recording and lets you hear just how much was going on underneath that instantly recognizable melody.

It is exactly the kind of extended mix that made the 12-inch format so interesting during the 1980s.

The B-side, “Work Hard (East End Remix),” is equally interesting. Written by Martin Gore and Alan Wilder, “Work Hard” was a non-album track recorded during the same period and fits perfectly with the mechanical sound Depeche Mode were exploring.

The extended East End Remix stretches the track to more than six minutes and makes an already unusual B-side even stranger.

“Everything Counts” became one of the defining singles from Depeche Mode’s early years. More importantly, it offered a glimpse of where the band was headed. The bright synthesizers were still there, but now they were surrounded by sampled machinery, harder rhythms, darker lyrics, and a growing willingness to experiment.

The transformation from the band that recorded “Just Can’t Get Enough” only two years earlier was well underway.

For me, the UK 12-inch is the version to hear. “In Larger Amounts” gives all of those rhythms, samples, and production details the space they deserve.

After all, when it comes to a great 12-inch…

Everything counts in large amounts.

SIDE A:
Everything Counts (In Larger Amounts) 7:21
Written-By – M.L.Gore*

SIDE B:
Work Hard (East End Remix) 7:00
Written-By – A. Wilder, M.L.Gore

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

1983 CHART PERFORMANCE
Chart	Peak Position
UK Singles Chart	#6
Switzerland	#8
Ireland	#15
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#17
Sweden	#18
South Africa	#20
West Germany	#23
Italy	#24
Austria	#26
New Zealand	#27
Netherlands	#50

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Mute – 12 BONG 3
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Stereo, Beige Labels With Grey Print, Not “MVS” Pressing
Country: UK
Released: Jul 11, 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Engineer [Tonmeister] – Gareth Jones
Producer [Produced By] – Daniel Miller, Depeche Mode

NOTES:
Recorded at the Garden Studio, London.

“Everything Counts” mixed in Hansa Mischraum, Berlin.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

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