- "Apparently it's Simple Minds... Allegedly
mixed by Malcolm Duffy - top mix!" (Pete Tong, "Essential Selection", Radio One, September 2001)
- After Neon Lights was released, rumours circulated of a
limited edition with a remixed version of
Homosapien. Whilst this turned out to be a
rumour spun by amazon.de, it turned out that
Vince Clarke had remixed the track in question,
and Eagle had distributed copies around the clubs. However,
Eagle had no plans to release a second Neon Lights single,
and were now firmly focused on the forthcoming
Cry album.
- In a surprising turn, a second single was announced, but it wasn’t being
released through Eagle.
- Obviously mindful of the criticisms levelled against the
Neapolis singles (all hard-core remixes and no real bonus material),
Simple Minds had not signed an exclusive deal with
Eagle; whilst mainstream material would be released through their main record
label, remixes and reworkings could be issued through specialist dance labels. This would gain
extra kudos with the hip dance crowd, whilst keeping their existing fans happy with traditional
B-sides on their more visible releases.
- Hence Malcolm Duffy’s hard club reworkings of
Homosapien appeared through Remote Recordings.
- "From a band that needs no introduction comes this awesome track with mixes
from a man many regard as one of the Lords of the Underground."
- And it worked in a limited fashion. Remote distributed a number of 12" acetates
which were then picked up by various DJs, and even had
Pete Tong giving it Radio One play. Everyone thought it was a bootleg,
which gave it extra mystery, unaware that it was all commissioned by
Simple Minds’ management.
- The commercial release was a white-label DJ-friendly 12” and a more fan-friendly CD.
- "Malcolm Duffy turns in what is most probably his
finest production to date, which is set to devastate club dance floors across
the land and beyond."
- The single was available through dance stockists, on-line DJ companies and directly via mail
order from Remote Recordings. If you ordered through Remote, you
got the single a week before its official release.
- Like Dancing Barefoot EP, it wasn’t expected to set the charts on fire.
But it got Simple Minds back into the clubs, back into DJ
set-lists and back on Radio One. The formula was set to be repeated with
Cry and its attendant remix singles – which would be issued
through Absolutely Records.
- Vince Clarke's remix, which started all the rumours
in the first place, finally turned up as a B-side on the
Cry single.
- Several years later, an Eagle CDR surfaced which featured slightly
extended versions of Malcolm Duffy's remixes coupled with two remixes by
Vince Clarke. It isn't known if this was the copy
Eagle had sent to the clubs or an in-house listening copy.
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