Verve Remixed [Galaxy 2 LP]

by Verve Remixed / Various

Overview

More than ten years on from the first whisperings of a dance revolution, there are scores of solid producers in the scene, figures with all the talent, historical knowledge, and judgment necessary to rework most any tracks from the Verve archive. Surprisingly, Verve Remixed strays from the label's crossover-heavy '60s and '70s material (the records usually name-checked by dance producers), preferring instead to tackle serious classics from the canon of vocal jazz, focusing especially on female vocalists: Billie Holiday (two songs), Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, Carmen McRae, and Shirley Horn. As is nearly always the case with tributes or remix albums, the results are mixed; several productions triumph in either equalling or enhancing the intent of the original, but too often a complex arrangement of a pop standard is trampled by insistence on a constant groove, whether it's of downtempo or more clubby house origin. British garage producer MJ Cole provides a few good vibes underneath Carmen McRae's "How Long Has This Been Going On?," but, in so doing, utterly destroys the pace and rhythm of the original. dZihan & Kamien are given the unenviable task of redoing Billie Holiday's "Don't Explain," and seem utterly unable to find a middle ground between all or nothing (of course, there isn't much of a middle ground on most dancefloors). The most intriguing collaboration on paper, a take on Holiday's classic "Strange Fruit" by nightmarish trip-hop star Tricky, suffers from the same strange quality: it's a great production, but shows little understanding of the arranging skills necessary to frame a great singer. The best track here, Richard Dorfmeister's grooving house take on Willie Bobo's "Spanish Grease," proves the point perfectly; the original was a laid-back jam (not a standard), and the remix coaxes a superb house production out of it. Too many other contributions here are unable or unwilling to spend the hours necessary to craft traditional pop. ~ John Bush

Product Details

Release Date:	08/08/2025
Label:	Verve
UPC:	0602478366406

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Spanish Grease
2. How Long Has This Been Going On
3. Who Needs Forever
4. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?
5. Feeling Good
6. Return to Paradise

Disc 2

7. See-Line Woman
8. Don't Explain
9. Wait Till You See Him
10. Summertime
11. Strange Fruit
12. Hare Krishna - Hail Krishna

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sarah Vaughan   Primary Artist
Dinah Washington   Primary Artist
Nina Simone   Primary Artist
Billie Holiday   Primary Artist
Astrud Gilberto   Primary Artist
Shirley Horn   Primary Artist
Tony Scott   Primary Artist
Carmen McRae   Primary Artist
Ella Fitzgerald   Primary Artist
Willie Bobo   Primary Artist
Larry Gold   Cello
Adam Jones   Guitar
Cameron Undy   Bass
Perry Melius   Drums
MJ Cole   Keyboards
Desmond Williams   Bass
Justin Chancellor   Guitar (Bass)
Kaidi Tatham   Keyboards
Yossi Fine   Bass
Marc Cary   Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes
Mark de Clive-Lowe   Keyboards
Otto Engelhard   Trombone

Technical Credits

King Britt   Mixing,Remixing
Arthur Herzog, Jr.   Composer
dZihan & Kamien   Producer,Remixing
Tony Scott   Composer,Performer
Mark de Clive-Lowe   Programming,Producer,Remixing
Rick Essig   Mastering
Astrud Gilberto   Performer
UFO!   Remixing
Perry Melius   Drum Programming
Tricky   Producer,Remixing,Drum Programming
Shirley Horn   Performer
Steve Christian   Mixing,Engineer
Steven Barkan   Engineer
Billie Holiday   Composer,Performer
Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez   Producer
Bill Austin   Composer
Galt MacDermot   Composer
Ella Fitzgerald   Performer
George Gershwin   Composer
Ira Gershwin   Composer
Sarah Vaughan   Performer
DuBose Heyward   Composer
Lorenz Hart   Composer
MJ Cole   Remixing
Jeff Chestek   Mixing,Engineer
De-Phazz   Remixing
Leslie Bricusse   Composer
Little Louie Vega   Producer
Lewis Allan   Composer
Dinah Washington   Performer
Louis Jordan   Composer
Ned Washington   Composer
Rae & Christian   Producer,Remixing
Richard Dorfmeister   Producer,Remixing
Pit Baumgartner   Remixing
Quincy Jones   Composer
Masters at Work   Remixing
Nina Simone   Composer,Performer
Thievery Corporation   Remixing
Alex Attias   Mixing
Melvin Lastie   Composer
William Correa   Composer
Willie Bobo   Composer,Performer
Anthony Newley   Composer
George Bass   Composer
United Future Organization   Remixing
Jason Olaine   Producer,Liner Notes
Richard Rodgers   Composer
Dimitri Tiomkin   Composer
Hollis King   Art Direction
Horst Schnebel   Remastering
Mo Daoud   Photography
Michael Kreiner   Producer,Remixing
Dorothy Heyward   Composer
Georg Tomandl   Mixing
Billy Austin   Composer
Joaquin "Joe" Claussell   Remixing
Pentagon   Mixing,Programming
George H. Bass   Composer