Adele - Set Fire To The Rain (Paul Andrews 80s R-N-B Remix) PWL / Princess! mattpopfavourites 2012-06-27 | A PWL-inspired mix that sounds exactly like Say I'm Your Number One by Princess. Is it a mash-up? It's hard to tell! And that's a good thing, in my book. Just like a good gymnast makes the most difficult excercise seem easy. Eventhough I think Adele is a fantastic singer, and probably a fab girl to hang out with, I am not a fan of her music, and I was getting pretty fed up of hearing her singles non-stop on the radio for months on end. But this mix made me love her! Well done, Paul. Here's the guy who made it: www.soundcloud.com/paul-andrews-2 www.paulandrews.org
Dead Or Alive - Brand New Lover (re-edited full frame video) mattpopfavourites 2016-11-06 | Without the spaghetti western vertical stretch of the original, this is the video with a more natural look, but quite heavily cropped to fill the frame. The mix is The Dust Monkey's Love Bubble Club Mix, which I edited down to fit the video.
Yazoo - Dont Go (German TV, HD Quality) mattpopfavourites 2016-07-15 | Including the intro by very annoying and never funny Ilja Richter, this is Yazoo on German music show DISCO in 1982.
Bennys surprise performance of Thank You For The Music, ABBA Museum, 23-04-2016 mattpopfavourites 2016-04-25 | During the Fans and Friends Day at ABBA The Museum, Benny Andersson appeared as a surprise for a short interview on stage and then he played Thank You For The Music, as everyone who attended sang along as one. A magical moment. To see a short clip of the moment he unexpectedly walked in, and the crowd first spot him, go here: youtube.com/watch?v=P-MMNaM-TYY
Benny Andersson surprise appearance at ABBA Museum 23-04-2016 mattpopfavourites 2016-04-25 | During the ABBA Fan Day at ABBA: The Museum in Stockholm, Görel Hanser is being interviewed about her memories of working with ABBA during their entire career when the subject of Benny comes up. She offers to call him right there from the stage and as she establishes contact, he suddenly appears and comes on stage. After a short interview on stage, he sits down at the piano and playes Thank You For The Music as the adoring crowd sing the words. To see that full performance, go here: youtube.com/watch?v=wC0BJwgelj8
Elton John - Im Still Standing (Matt Pop Mix, unofficial) mattpopfavourites 2016-03-23 | Still Standing? Swaying in a hammock between two palmtrees by the sound of it. This my unofficial reggae remix of Elton John's I'm Still Standing. Enjoy :)
Buddy Cole Queer Nation sketch (Gay celebrities, outing) mattpopfavourites 2016-02-12 | From Kids In The Hall, my favourite monologue by the legendary Buddy Cole (Scott Thompson).
Robyn, Body Talk Tour 2010 / 2011 Live @ Stockholm mattpopfavourites 2015-08-16 | Seeing Robyn live is like a series of blows to the heart and kicks in the stomach. While we are waiting for a proper live DVD from the Swedish electropop powerhouse, here is the concert from her 2010/2011 Body Talk Tour, as transmitted on Swedish tv, with remastered sound. Sadly, many great tracks she performed on that tour are not included here, like Time Machine, Love Kills and Call Your Girlfriend. Still: there is plenty here to enjoy.Tracklist:FembotDancing On My OwnMedley: We Dance To The Beat / Don't Fucking Tell Me What To DoThe Girl And The RobotIndestructibleWith Every HeartbeatU Should Know BetterCobrastyleDancehall QueenBe MineHang With MeDancing QueenShow Me Lovehttp://www.robyn.com
Chromeo: Old 45s (alternative Matt Pop video) mattpopfavourites 2015-01-17 | I like Chromeo. Chromeo are a good idea. Chromeo are fun, funky, sexy and smart, they are probably my favourite band of recent years. And this is one of my favourite singles by them. An encouragement not to give up on love and a nostalgic ode to vinyl at the same time, it has a beautifully produced synth-driven backing that is irresistibly seductive. I thought of doing this video when I was recently looking for a certain single and opened my 35 year old singles box. Going through the worn sleeves was like going back in time, to my very first record-buying years. I was surprised at some of the stuff I found in there :) 'Old 45's' appears on the album 'White Women': http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IEOGU4O (I extended the album version slightly to fit my video)
3 supercute stray kittens grooming and falling asleep. mattpopfavourites 2014-06-30 | I filmed these three ridiculously cute stray cats on a pier in Spain, as they groomed eachother and eventually fell asleep in front of my camera. What better song to accompany this scene than ABBA's Tropical Loveland...
Eurovision 2013 - Belgium: Roberto Bellarosa - Love Kills mattpopfavourites 2013-05-07 | My absolute favourite this year - go Belgium!
Troy Tate - Love Is (Dance Mix, vinyl rip) mattpopfavourites 2012-10-24 | There are a few songs that I have been looking for since the early eighties, not knowing who sang them or what they were called. They were just snippets I recorded off the radio in a panic: "Oh My God, what song is this, who sings this!" Then the horror when the show went to commercials or the next song, and the DJ never mentioned the tune again. This, young people, was before The Internet, hence before Google, before YouTube. It has taken me all this time, and the advance of the personal computer and the World Wide Web to find these tracks. This upload is one of them. Even my first years of Googling bits of the lyrics didn't give me any results. But thankfully, a more recent attempt was more succesfull. I managed to find a great vinyl copy of the 12 inch and that is what you are hearing now. I am just madly in love with this simple, understated, yet devastatingly sad chorus.
Booty Luv - Hes A Winner mattpopfavourites 2012-10-24 | If this track doesn't make you dance, nothing will. Ultra-cool production by Carl Ryden. From their excellent album Boogie 2nite.
Kim Kay - La Dah-li-danse (In Dulci Jubilo cover) mattpopfavourites 2012-10-24 | Cute europop from 2000. I love how this sounds, eventhough the producers didn't quite get all the chord changes of In Dulci Jubilo in. Kim has been in the Belgian press a lot these past few years due to a severe illness that resulted in a morphine addiction - very sad.
Bardo - One Step Further (cd quality) mattpopfavourites 2012-10-24 | One of my favourite Eurovision entries ever, produced by the mighty Andy Hill, the man behind most of Bucks Fizz's biggest hits, who also wrote / produced for Celine Dion, Cliff Richard, Ronan Keating, Diana Ross, Cher, Westlife, Susan Boyle and many others. One Step Further came seventh in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1982.
René & Yvette (Allo Allo) - Je TAime (best quality vinyl rip) mattpopfavourites 2012-07-08 | Some highly amusing silliness from 1986, it's René and Yvette from 'Allo 'Allo doing their version of one of the most parodied songs of all time. I am a great fan of cheesy British humour ('Allo 'Allo, Are You Being Served, Hi-De-Hi, Carry On etc.) and it doesn't come much cheezier than this. I ripped this from my vinyl single and cleaned up the worst ticks, clicks and hum in Cubase to give you this nice, clear version.Full credits at the end of the video.
Keane - On The Road mattpopfavourites 2012-07-02 | The most amazing piece of music I have heard this year. Four minutes of relentless, ferocious, merciless beauty. When I was halfway through listening to this for the first time, I actually felt tears welling up in my eyes. It is so good to be reminded every so often that music can be like this.
Jellybean - Just A Mirage (Album version, High Quality) mattpopfavourites 2012-05-23 | John "Jellybean" Benitez was one of the kings of eighties pop and dance. He kick-started Madonna's career (he produced Holiday and remixed most of her early singles) and became one of the most in-demand remixers of the era. He also scored a string of hits under his own name, using guest vocalists and musicians on his tracks. This one, Just A Mirage, with vocalist Adele Bertei was always one of my favourites. Rather european sounding, almost high-energy (the synth riff during the choruses has a whiff of You Spin Me Round about it, I think) and with a killer hook. Eighties dance at its best.
Newton - Sky High (Radio Edit) mattpopfavourites 2012-05-13 | One of the best singles produced by Mike Stock and Matt Aitken after the glory days of PWL, I think.
Baccara - La Bamba mattpopfavourites 2012-05-13 | Such an infectuous, fun version of the song. It sounds as if Mayte and María broke into the studio, found this backing track and just started adlibbing over it for a laugh. They actually say to eachother during the intro "they have left us by ourselves, enjoy it!". Wonderful.
Patricia Paay - Solitaire mattpopfavourites 2012-05-12 | I love this hit from 1983. No layered harmonies like in the classic Carpenters version, just one voice (it's Solitaire after all!) and a beautiful arrangement. Made with the Dutch hit team of Jaap Eggermont and Hans Hollestelle (also the men behind the Stars On 45 project). Lately, she has been in the Dutch media mostly for being in the jury of Holland's Got Talent, a very public divorce, her wayward daughter Christina Curry and for appearing as a pin-up in the Dutch edition of Playboy magazine at the age of 60.
Touch Of Joy - Fox On The Run mattpopfavourites 2012-05-12 | A house cover of the Sweet classic. I always loved this version - good tacky fun.
ELO - Julie Dont Live Here mattpopfavourites 2012-05-12 | Another corker from Jeff Lynne. It 's ELO at its most accessible, perfect sing-along doo-wob pop.
Richard Durand - Always The Sun (Fall Down Mix) mattpopfavourites 2012-05-12 | More commercial trance. Not earth-shatteringly original but very beautifully done.
Michael Penn - No Myth mattpopfavourites 2012-05-12 | I loved Michael's album March. Proper songs, nice voice, good production.
Dario G - Dream To Me mattpopfavourites 2012-05-12 | A cover of the Cranberries song. Beautifully produced melodic radio-friendly trance. Lovely.
Eric Saade - Me And My Radio (Album version HQ) mattpopfavourites 2011-11-18 | Eric's Eurovision smash Popular raised the bar high, and luckily, his album Saade Vol.1 doesn't disappoint. A perfect pop album, just bursting with radio-ready hit songs. I love Me And My Radio, Echo and Timeless especially. Can't wait for Saade Vol. 2 now!
Hubert Kah - Drowning (album version high quality) mattpopfavourites 2011-09-28 | Hubert Kah released a great collection of mixes from their heyday recently and I decided to dig up their hit album Tensongs. "Drowning" was always a favourite of mine. A very experimental, ominous sound, courtesy of producer Michael Cretu, the man behind the biggest sucesses of Sandra and the Enigma project. You actually hear Hubert Kah's singer, Hubert Kemmler, on many of Sandra's biggest hits (in Maria Magdalena : "You're a creature of the night"). I especially love the first minutes of the track. In the second half, it all seems to fall apart and dissolve into a mush. Quite fitting for a song named Drowning, ofcourse :)
NSync - Tell Me, Tell Me...Baby mattpopfavourites 2011-09-06 | When superstar writer-producers Max Martin and Rami get together, you will at least get a great pop song. Occasionally, you will get a bit of a masterpiece, and for me this is one of them. Some amazing vocal work from the boys, polished to perfection by Rami at Maratone Studios in Sweden.
Same Difference - Souled Out mattpopfavourites 2011-07-16 | This blew me away on first listen. Sheer pop heaven. Taken from the excellent album The Rest Is History, an exceptionally solid, well produced pop record. I was very fortunate to be asked to remix their single Shine On Forever (Photoframe) last year, but that hasn't influenced my opinion of this album whatsoever. I love it as a fan.
Den Harrow - Dont Break My Heart (Original single mix) mattpopfavourites 2011-05-08 | Classic Italo. For almost two minutes it is a ballad, and then the Linn drum kicks in and some of the most beautiful synth programming - I love this production. The vocal is by Tom Hooker, but the face of the Den Harrow project was Stefano Zandri, posing for pictures and lip-syncing to the pre-recorded vocals. Poor, deluded Stefano has recently started a public smear campaign against Tom Hooker, claiming it really was Zandri singing live all those years - oh dear... You may as well ignore the "buy on i-Tunes" button that YouTube adds automatically, because sadly, all you'll find there are horrible remixes and re-recordings - another classic that fell victim to conflicting contracts and copyright issues. So if you want to get this version, look for a good Best Of - compilation with the original mixes.
Eric Saade - Popular (Eurovision 2011 for Sweden) mattpopfavourites 2011-05-03 | This song has restored my faith in the Eurovision Songcontest, especially after last year's dull-as-dishwater winner Lena, with that drab song, the name of which luckily escapes me now. So, once again, it's Sweden to the rescue! This musical equivalent of a ten-ton truck racing towards you was written by the very talented Fredrik Kempe, the same man who wrote the magnificent song Hero, the 2008 winner of the Eurovision Songcontest, performed by Charlotte Perelli. Cheeckily imitating the drums from Rasputin by Boney M, this is a no-holds-barred stormer, that hopefully will be blasting out through radios all over Europe very soon. Go Sweden! ( Sorry, my fellow Dutchmen, but our entry 3J's, although not bad, is pretty bland compared to this).
Robyn Hang With Me version 2 mattpopfavourites 2011-05-02 | Robyn can make you dance and cry at the same time and I love her for it. She also has her tough side (check out her excellent collaboration with Snoop Dogg, called "U Should Know Better") but I prefer it when she is the painfully honest and intimate electro-princess, like on this wonderful track from the album Body Talk Pt. 2 I was immediately hooked on the synth programming and the very sparse, economical sound, and as soon as she starts singing, everything falls into place. Just as much praise should go to her musical partner on this track, Klas Åhlund, who also wrote it. Since English is not their native language (Robyn is Swedish) the lyrics sometimes contain phrases or expressions that are just off centre, strangely dosed, or however you want to put it. I frowned when I first heard her sing "if you do me right, I'm gonna do right by you". Still, it adds to her exotic charm.
Tinchy Stryder ft. Melanie Fiona - Let It Rain (7th Heaven Club Mix) mattpopfavourites 2011-04-23 | Yes! Yes! Yes! That's what I thought when I heard this mix for the first time. And I am still excited about it now - sheer and utter bliss.
Depeche Mode - Photographic (Rex The Dog Faithful Mix) mattpopfavourites 2011-03-01 | Speak & Spell is one of my favourite albums, Depeche Mode are one of my favourite bands, Vince Clarke is one of my heroes and Rex The Dog is one of my favourite remixers. So my expectations for this were high. Luckily, Rex didn't let me down :) Both this mix and the Rex The Dog Dubb are quite delicious. Definitely retro-sounding, with most of the original song intact, but tighter and more danceable. Job well done!
Paris Hilton - Nothing In This World (Dave Audé Vocal Club Mix) mattpopfavourites 2011-03-01 | Everyone has an opinion about her - I do, too - but this was simply a perfect pop song. This Dave Audé remix is flawless, as ever. Bloody love it!
Jennifer Rush - Ring Of Ice (with overdubs by Matt Pop) mattpopfavourites 2011-03-01 | I added some synth chords during the choruses, because I have always felt the track needed them there, like they had been accidentally erased from the original track. I wouldn't actually call it a remix, because my modification is quite small. That's why I am uploading it here, instead of on my official Youtube Matt Pop Remix channel www.youtube.com/mattpopofficial
Björn Again - Concrete And Clay mattpopfavourites 2011-02-28 | Taken from the wonderful cover album Flashback!, this is a cover of the song Concrete And Clay, originally a hit for UK band Unit 4+2 in 1965. Flashback! is a wonderfully produced, fun cover album that features not a single ABBA song. Surprising for a band that made its name imitating ABBA (brilliantly, I might add).
Moby - Disco Lies (Spencer & Hill Remix) mattpopfavourites 2011-02-28 | A furious techno remix - an impressive and exciting production.
Petr Muk - Oh LAmour (Erasure cover) mattpopfavourites 2011-02-28 | A gorgeous cover of the Erasure classic by Czech singer Peter Muk. He released an e.p.of Erasure covers in 2004. He died, under undisclosed circumstances, in his home in Prague in May 2010. He was 45 years old.
Paul Harris - Find Yourself A friend (Seamus Haji Big Love Remix mattpopfavourites 2011-02-28 | Another delicious Seamus Haji remix - ooh, the groove of that bass synth...
The Ritchie Family - American Generation 97 mattpopfavourites 2011-02-28 | A tacky, straightforward remix that is sooo 90's but I do love it. And just look at those outrage sleeve pictures! Love 'em :)
Data - Hooked Up mattpopfavourites 2011-02-28 | Great electronic pop/dance track by one of my favourite acts from the eighties. Data were Georg Kajanus - the musical genius behind the band Sailor - and singer Frankie Boulter, with additional help from Henry Marsh, Phil Boulter and Simon Boswell. They recorded three albums and they featured some stunning material, in my view. "Hooked Up" is one of the more straightforward dance tracks, they did some pretty experimental stuff as well. Georg Kajanus is a very friendly and talented man, make sure to check out his web site www.kajanus.com.
Apoptygma Berzerk - Until The End Of The World (edit) mattpopfavourites 2010-10-21 | Somewhere between top 40 trance and industrial techno with a killer chorus. I took the liberty of re-editing the long album version to get straight to the good bits. The Ferry Corsten remix of their track Kathy's Song is also well worth checking out.
Ali Dee + the Deekompressors - Go Speed Racer Go mattpopfavourites 2010-09-13 | A fittingly exciting theme song for a stunning film. To me, the movie Speed Racer is an underrated masterpiece; a killer cast, breath-taking animation, incredible art direction, and some of the most amazing colour-combinations you'll ever see. You can print every frame of this movie and hang it on your wall. I hope the slideshow / video reflects this.
Lili & Sussie - Candy Love (High Quality Audio) mattpopfavourites 2010-09-13 | Gorgeous, hypnotizing song - a bit of a classic for me. Sweden does it again! At the end: a recent picture of the ladies (Susie has now dropped the extra S from her name, by the way).
Rumba Tres - Rumbamania (full 12 minute version!) mattpopfavourites 2010-09-13 | Take a deep breath because this goes on for 12 delicious, sun-filled minutes :) An edited version of this was a hit in many countries, incuding The Netherlands, in 1988. I had this on cassette for years and recently bought the album again on i-Tunes. Sadly, you don't get writer / producer credits on i-Tunes and I couldn't find any such information on Discogs either. The original cd album is now very rare and sells for 40 euros and upwards. ***added October 2014*** I finally found a copy at a decent price. So here are those credits, finally:RUMBAMANIA:caballo blanco '42no sé, no sé '13perdido amor '39la fiesta '11tengo lo que quiero '41mujer '17los palitos '37no sé, no sé '40quiero ser feliz '29la fiesta '11nicolasa '27a que no, a que no '06el tiburon '34maria luisa '14la fiesta '11señora '34la pulguita '40soledad mia '17larga espera '23besame '18amor de medianoche '18la fiesta '11acuerdate que te quiero '20caballo blanco '55caballo viejo '40bamboleo 1'35Produced by Frank Andrada and Antenna, ParisRecorded at Antenna, Paris and BarcelonaMixed at Bullet Sound Studios, Holland and Antenna, ParisMixed by Grimaldi / Reza / Andrada in FranceMixed by Andrada in HollandRumba Trés are José Sardana, Pedro Capdevila, Juan Capdevila(C) Red Bullet / CNR
Lio - Amoureux Solitaires (HQ audio) mattpopfavourites 2010-09-11 | One of the first singles I ever bought and I still love it to this day.
Masque - Save The Last Dance For Me mattpopfavourites 2010-08-12 | This version was performed by an act called Masque. I am very grateful to the person who told me this as it took me many years to find out!
Robyn - Dancing On My Own (Buzz Junkies Club Mix) mattpopfavourites 2010-08-04 | Another killer from Swedish electro princess Robyn, Kylie's bad sister. I love the original album version, and this is my favourite remix. Sorry Rex - still luv ya.
