Today, I am pausing the Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition series to pay tribute to British producer, remixer, and musician William Orbit, whose passing was announced today. The series will resume with the next post.
William Orbit died at his home on July 23, 2026, at the age of 69.
For many people, Orbit’s name will forever be connected to Madonna and her landmark 1998 album Ray Of Light. His production helped give that album its distinctive electronic sound and introduced his work to a much larger audience.
But those of us who spent our time digging through racks of 12″ singles knew the name William Orbit long before Ray Of Light.
Orbit began making music in the early 1980s as a member of the electronic group Torch Song. He later formed Bass-O-Matic, whose 1990 single “Fascinating Rhythm” became a club hit, while also building a reputation as a producer and remixer.
And what a remixer he was.
His early remix work included artists such as Prince, Peter Gabriel, Kraftwerk, and Madonna. In 1990, he provided remix and additional production for Madonna’s “Justify My Love,” including the fantastic Orbit 12″ Mix. Two years later, he returned for “Erotica,” once again taking Madonna’s music into a very different electronic space.
Those records make the eventual pairing of Madonna and William Orbit on Ray Of Light seem almost inevitable.
There was something unmistakable about an Orbit production. He could strip a track down, surround it with electronics, add unusual textures, and suddenly make a song feel as though it existed in a completely different place. His mixes could be atmospheric, hypnotic, beautiful, and occasionally downright strange.
That was part of the fun.
He wasn’t simply extending a record for the dance floor. He was rebuilding it.
Orbit eventually became one of the most sought-after producers in pop music, working with artists including Blur, U2, Pink, Beth Orton, Britney Spears, and Robbie Williams. He also produced All Saints’ brilliant “Pure Shores” and “Black Coffee,” two records that still sound remarkably fresh more than twenty-five years later.
Then, of course, there was his own music. The Strange Cargo series allowed Orbit to explore electronic music without the restrictions of a pop single, while his Pieces In A Modern Style project brought classical compositions into his electronic world. His version of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio For Strings” became one of his best-known recordings.
Still, when I think of William Orbit, I keep coming back to the 12″ single.
There was a time when seeing the words “Remix and Additional Production by William Orbit” printed on the back of a sleeve was enough to make you want to hear what was inside.
What had he done to the song?
Where had he taken it?
That anticipation was one of the great pleasures of collecting 12″ singles. The best remixers didn’t just give us a longer version of something we already knew. They gave us another way to hear it.
William Orbit was one of those remixers.
His career eventually took him far beyond the 12″ format, and Ray Of Light secured his place in pop music history. But his earlier work remains just as important. Those mixes, productions, strange sounds, and unexpected musical turns helped shape the electronic and dance music landscape of the late ’80s and ’90s.
Thankfully, we still have all of those records.
And I suspect quite a few of us will be pulling some of them from the shelves today.
After beginning week four with the Pointer Sisters and Beverly Hills Cop, Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition continues with another movie song that became inseparable from its film.
Today’s selection is Cyndi Lauper’s “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough” from the 1985 adventure classic The Goonies.
This is also a completely new 2026 meticulous audio transfer and restoration.
I previously posted this record in 2020. For this edition, I returned to the vinyl and recorded it again from the beginning using my current equipment and restoration process.
This is not a remaster of the files shared in 2020.
It is a new transfer from the Japanese 12-inch pressing.
The Goonies was directed by Richard Donner from a story by Steven Spielberg. The film follows a group of children who discover an old treasure map and set out to find the lost fortune of the pirate One-Eyed Willie. Along the way, they encounter underground tunnels, elaborate traps, a pirate ship, and the criminal Fratelli family.
It is one of those movies that could only have come from the 1980s.
The children are allowed to disappear for hours without mobile phones, tracking devices, or adults hovering over them.
They simply find a treasure map and go looking for a pirate ship.
Cyndi Lauper was asked by Steven Spielberg to serve as musical director for the soundtrack. She helped assemble a varied collection that included the Bangles, REO Speedwagon, Philip Bailey, Teena Marie, Luther Vandross, and the Goon Squad. The Bangles were still early in their career when Cyndi brought them into the project.
“The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough” was written by Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Broughton Lunt, and Arthur Stead. It was produced by Cyndi and Lennie Petze. The song was reportedly written under the simpler title “Good Enough” before the movie’s name was added for promotional purposes.
The finished record sounds unmistakably like Cyndi at the height of her early success.
The synthesizers are bright, the drums are enormous, and the melody rises with the same colorful energy that made She’s So Unusual such a sensation. Cyndi’s voice moves from playful and vulnerable to powerful and determined, often within the same line.
The lyrics are not really about pirates, treasure maps, or underground caves. Instead, the song deals with expectations, self-doubt, and the feeling that something must be real before it can be good enough.
That gives it a life outside the film.
At the same time, the chorus fits the Goonies perfectly. These are young outsiders constantly being underestimated, yet they refuse to give up on one another.
Goonies are good enough.
The single became another major hit for Cyndi, reaching number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. It was her fifth solo Top 10 single in the United States and also reached the Top 10 in Australia and Canada. Surprisingly, it did not enter the UK Singles Chart.
The music video may be even more excessive than the movie.
Directed by Richard Donner, it was presented as a two-part mini-adventure lasting roughly thirteen minutes. Cyndi attempts to save her family’s business while crossing paths with pirates, professional wrestlers, and members of the Goonies cast.
The wrestling lineup includes Captain Lou Albano, Roddy Piper, Wendi Richter, the Fabulous Moolah, the Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, Freddie Blassie, and André the Giant. Steven Spielberg appears, while the Bangles turn up as a group of female pirates.
Cyndi’s mother even joins the adventure.
It is part music video, part wrestling event, part movie trailer, and completely over the top.
In other words, it is perfect.
Cyndi’s relationship with the song was complicated. She kept it out of her concerts and off her major compilations for many years. Fan demand eventually persuaded her to bring it back, and it finally appeared on The Essential Cyndi Lauper in 2003.
Sometimes an artist’s audience hears something in a song that the artist cannot immediately hear.
For many fans, “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough” was never simply a soundtrack assignment. It became tied to childhood, friendship, adventure, and the belief that being different could be a strength.
For this post, I am featuring the Japanese 12-inch pressing, complete with its colorful cover artwork and obi.
Side one contains the “Dance Re-Mix,” running approximately 5:26.
Side two contains the “Dub Version,” running approximately 5:36.
Both versions were remixed by Arthur Baker, one of the most important producers and remixers of the decade.
The Dance Re-Mix expands the rhythm while keeping the song’s pop structure intact. The percussion hits harder, the instrumental passages are extended, and Cyndi’s vocal is given more space to build toward the chorus.
Arthur Baker does not remove the song’s personality.
He makes everything larger.
The Dub Version travels further into the production. Vocals appear in fragments while the synthesizers, drums, effects, and backing voices take control. Without the full lead vocal guiding the arrangement, it becomes easier to hear how much detail is packed beneath the surface.
The two mixes make a perfect pair.
The Dance Re-Mix gives us the adventure.
The Dub Version lets us explore the hidden tunnels underneath it.
For this new 2026 transfer, I wanted to preserve the excitement of the Japanese vinyl while bringing out the weight of the drums, the layers of synthesizers, and the full character of Cyndi’s vocal.
This record is loud, colorful, slightly strange, and overflowing with personality.
Just like Cyndi.
Just like The Goonies.
I may have first posted it in 2020, but some treasures are worth digging up again.
After all, Goonies never say die.
SIDE A: The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough (Dance Re-Mix) 5:26
Edited By –The Latin Rascals
SIDE B: The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough (Dub Version) 5:36
Edited By –The Latin Rascals
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
OBI: Near Mint
Chart (1985)
Peak Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)
8
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
9
West Germany (Media Control)
49
New Zealand Singles Chart
22
US Billboard Hot 100
10
US Cash Box Top 100
14
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Portrait – 12·3P-647
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Japan
Released: Aug 1, 1985
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop
Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition is officially returning for a fourth week!
To begin, we have the Pointer Sisters, one of the most successful and versatile female groups of the 1980s, with “Neutron Dance” from the blockbuster soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop.
And because one Pointer Sisters classic is never enough, the flip side contains “I’m So Excited.”
Today’s record is a rare Japanese promotional 12-inch that pairs special extended versions of both hits. It is an unusual coupling that appears to have been created exclusively for the Japanese market.
What a way to begin week four.
“Neutron Dance” first appeared on the Pointer Sisters’ 1983 album Break Out. The album became the biggest commercial success of their career and produced an incredible run of singles, including “Automatic,” “Jump (For My Love),” “I’m So Excited,” and “Neutron Dance.”
Written by Allee Willis and Danny Sembello and produced by Richard Perry, “Neutron Dance” featured Ruth Pointer on lead vocals, with Anita and June supporting her.
Ruth was not immediately convinced by the song.
The word “neutron” made her think about bombs, violence, and the threat of nuclear war. Allee Willis encouraged her to stop worrying about the title and sing it with the same gospel spirit Ruth had developed in church.
That advice changed everything.
Ruth’s performance gives the track its soul. She does not simply sing over the electronic production. She attacks it with the force of a gospel performance, turning a strange title into a celebration of survival, determination, and joy.
The verses describe frustration and hardship, but the chorus refuses to surrender. Ruth sounds as though she is determined to keep moving no matter what happens around her.
Sometimes the best answer to trouble is to dance through it.
The song’s path to Beverly Hills Cop also involved a strange twist.
“Neutron Dance” had already appeared on Break Out when Allee Willis received a package from the movie’s producers. Inside was a copy of her own song, along with a request for new music that sounded like it.
Willis and Danny Sembello wrote Patti LaBelle’s “Stir It Up” for the film, but the producers also decided to use “Neutron Dance” itself.
Apparently, no one could write a better “Neutron Dance” than the original writers.
The song plays during the wild opening chase in Beverly Hills Cop. Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley is caught in the back of a speeding truck as it smashes through traffic and leaves destruction across Detroit.
The scene moves fast.
The song moves faster.
Released in December 1984, Beverly Hills Cop became one of the defining comedies of the decade. Its soundtrack was equally successful, featuring Glenn Frey’s “The Heat Is On,” Patti LaBelle’s “New Attitude” and “Stir It Up,” Harold Faltermeyer’s “Axel F,” and the Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance.” The album later won the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.
The movie gave “Neutron Dance” the push it needed to become a major single.
It reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1985, becoming the fourth Top 10 hit released from Break Out and the final Top 10 pop hit of the Pointer Sisters’ career.
The music video continued the Beverly Hills Cop connection. Ruth, Anita, and June appear as unhappy movie-theater employees while scenes from the film play around them. Bronson Pinchot, who appeared in the movie as Serge, also joined the fun.
The record captures the Pointer Sisters at their commercial peak.
Ruth’s gospel-powered lead vocal is surrounded by synthesizers, electronic drums, handclaps, and a rhythm that never stops pushing forward. It sounds mechanical and human at the same time.
Then we turn the record over.
“I’m So Excited” had already lived more than one life before appearing on this Japanese promo.
Written by Anita, June, and Ruth Pointer with Trevor Lawrence, the song was originally released in 1982. That first release reached number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.
A remixed version returned in 1984, was added to later pressings of Break Out, and climbed to number nine. It became one of the group’s signature recordings and remains nearly impossible to hear without singing along.
While “Neutron Dance” features Ruth out front, “I’m So Excited” belongs to Anita.
She begins with a controlled sense of anticipation, but that control does not last long. By the chorus, the sisters are practically exploding out of the speakers.
The Japanese promotional 12-inch gives both songs extra room.
“Neutron Dance” was mixed by Bill Schnee and edited by Michael Brooks. The extended arrangement stretches the introduction, emphasizes the electronic rhythm, and allows Ruth’s vocal ad-libs to build toward the chorus.
“I’m So Excited” was remixed by Gabe Veltri and Jim Tract, with Trevor Lawrence credited as associate producer. Their version expands the percussion, vocals, and instrumental passages without weakening the song’s immediate pop appeal.
This is not simply a soundtrack single with an unrelated B-side.
It is a snapshot of the Pointer Sisters at the height of their powers.
One side gives us the gospel-charged electronic rush of “Neutron Dance.”
The other gives us the unstoppable celebration of “I’m So Excited.”
The Pointer Sisters had already traveled through gospel, jazz, country, funk, soul, rock, and disco before conquering 1980s pop. Few groups could move between so many styles while keeping their identity intact.
That range makes them perfect for Ladies Of The 80s.
Week four is here.
The readers are excited.
The Pointer Sisters are excited.
And somewhere in Detroit, Axel Foley is hanging from the back of a runaway truck.
When I started Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition, I planned to make it a single-themed week.
Then one week became two.
Two became three.
And somehow, there are still plenty of soundtrack singles waiting in the wings.
Over the past three weeks, we have revisited familiar favorites, uncovered forgotten gems, explored rare 12-inch mixes, and returned to a few movies whose soundtracks were far more memorable than the films themselves.
The response has been wonderful, and I have enjoyed reading your memories, stories, and personal connections to these records.
So, I have one question.
Are you ready for a fourth week of Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition?
There are still more ladies, more movies, more remixes, and more vinyl waiting to be heard.
Wednesday will be an off day because I have a few doctor appointments, but the series will return on Thursday.
