Legendary Remixer, Steve Thompson Is Here...

[remicks]

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Thanks for the reply Steve!

It's odd.... but honestly .... I almost asked how does a song wind up being an instrumental such as THE BREAK .... so its great that you answered the way you did . Surely the temptation is always to apply some lyrics .... Yet I can't imagine words even finding room on that already fully loaded number.

So if you please ......could you please share what it was that Cissy Houston was assigned to sing onto this track! If you don't remember the exact lyrics ... at least what were her vocals generally about ??


(do they still exist? )


thanks

remicks


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[needlefingers]

Oh you didn't screw up Steve. I love your version. You remade the song at a time when there weren't that many radical remixes being made. And your work on his vocal added more angst and urgency to the lyrics. I like dark disco. You rock buddy.

The original has the flavor of another KC song, Do You Wanna Go Party. An almost sort of "halting" beat.

So that you and others can compare the two, I am posting a sample of both.

Thanks again. Great mix. And for The Break also.

Welcome to the site.

dont you feel my love original mix.wav - 22.49MB

zSHARE - dont you feel my love remix tk 3.wma

[keefelc]

Originally Posted by remicks

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So if you please ......could you please share what it was that Cissy Houston was assigned to sing onto this track! If you don't remember the exact lyrics ... at least what were her vocals generally about ??


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Thanks for joining us here on the Forum, Steve! I love hearing the stories behind the music, disco that is!

And, like Remicks, I'm most curious what Cissy Houston was to sing on The Break. As much as I love her voice, I just cannot imagine the song with vocals!

[djatya]

Originally Posted by keefelc

Thanks for joining us here on the Forum, Steve! I love hearing the stories behind the music, disco that is!

And, like Remicks, I'm most curious what Cissy Houston was to sing on The Break. As much as I love her voice, I just cannot imagine the song with vocals!

steve here
I remember being in the studio with Cissy and the other singers
We were trying to write lyrics to the song on the spot
After spending at least a couple of hrs nothing really hit us as something being great
So we got them on mic and tried to improvise
So it became a freestyle approach with alot of disco mumbo jumbo!
Thats when i said lets just keep it an instrumental

[markydefad]

Steve,

It's really great that you're answering questions on the forum...you must be a very busy man...I'm impressed that you are taking the time to respond.

I'd like to ask how you made the move from remixing disco/dance music and ended up mixing/producing METAL, of all things!!! It seems a long reach from remixing Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" to doing the same for Guns N' Roses & Korn!!!

Was it just a business decision--this was where the work was or is harder rock your preferred genre?

I now realize I have some of the later stuff you produced, Blues Traveler cd with "Runaround," for instance...I saw the "Steve Thompson" name--but it's a relatively common name and I wasn't sure it was the "disco-remixing" Steve Thompson...the genre seemed very different....why didn't you go the Ultra Nate/Kristine W/Amber dance-mix route??? Or were you fed up with the club music scene???

Very curious to know!!!

[djatya]

I get this question a lot.
Ive always been into all types of music
Its funny, Metallica hired me because they loved the work i did with Madonna.
It was around 1986 . I needed a challenge. Everything i was working on was doing very well. Madonna, Whitney, Aretha, Earth, Wind ,Fire Etc....
I called a friend of mine Tom Zutat a&r for Geffen at the time.I asked him to give me some rock artists to work with
The first 2 were Guns & Roses and Tesla! The rest is history.So being the music industry you are judged by your last project.So all the calls i got was for rock bands.
I was not complaining.
Ive always have been into dance music, but i loved working with musicians Writing , arranging etc...
I always need to be challenged in the studio. I guess thats why im still doing this
I could go on forever but i think this answers your question
By the way Blues Traveler was amazing to work with!!!!
all the best,
steve

[markydefad]

Amazing...Metallica listens to Madonna!!!!

You just never know, do ya???

Did you do your later work here in LA? Or were you remixing on the east coast? Seems like you would have had to be here in LA to work with the bands. Your id says you are in MA now. Do you go into NYC to remix or do you have your own studios at home---in the digital age I guess a lot of this can be done electronically?? Maybe I'm making things up now--I better quit before I expose my lack of knowlege as to how it's done these days!!!

The Geffen Records building in the Eighties- Nineties was on Sunset, one block east from where I worked at first 9229, then next door at 9255 Sunset. Chrysalis Records was in the 9255 building before they went bust. I always hoped to see Debbie Harry in the building, but never did.

I see that you did the "Curse Of Blondie"-- their last reunion cd!!! Liked that one a lot. I'm gonna pull that one out and give it another listen. I do have a domestic release on Sanctuary Records from NYC. I read that Giorgio did a remix of the "Good Boys" track--did you work with Mr. Moroder? That would be a dream match, IMHO.

[markydefad]

from the AMG review of "The Curse Of Blondie":

All 14 songs are dressed up in Steve Thompson's chic, modern production — while the album sounds contemporary, it also sounds like classic Blondie. Perhaps this had something to do with the cultural shift that took place between this and the last album — in 1998/1999, rap-metal, trance, and bubblegum pop ruled the charts and all three clumsily found their way onto No Exit. But by 2003, bands like the Sounds and the Rapture were getting big doing virtually the exact same thing that Blondie had done 25 years earlier, and that set the stage for them to release this, their best album in well over 20 years. That doesn't mean The Curse of Blondie is great — after all, both No Exit and The Hunter were awful — and without a widespread release even fewer are likely to hear this. But those who do will probably be pleased to find that Blondie still have some life left.

[markydefad]

OK, back to the disco...

Where did you DJ in New York?

Who were your DJ mentors?

What was your first disco remix? How did you get that job?

Who was Michael Arato, who gets credit with you on the early remixes?

Which remixes from other DJs inspired you?

Which record(s) do you wish you could have remixed?

Looking at your credits, it appears you had some affiliation with TK for the early remixes. How did that come about?

How did this page get so wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidescre en??? It didn't look like this on my computer at home!!!!
Are other people seeing this? Or is it just me???

[djatya]

WOW alot of questions!!
I will be doing an interview for Disco Music very soon
It should answer most of your questions
thank you for your interest in my work
Im very flattered
regards,
steve

[markydefad]

Inquiring minds need to know!!!

Good news--an interview...that should answer it all!!!

[Dayna]

Welcome Steve,
I'm a fan of your work..
Great to have you here.........
Dayna

[remicks]

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Looking forward to that interview !

Maybe in it you can elaborate about this one mentioned on your list Steve:

Donna Summer : 1978 DANCE COMPILATION RECORD

(For starters ....what is it? )


Here are some other Steve Thompson works that impress me :

Aretha Franklin --- WHO'S ZOOMIN' WHO
Simple Minds --- PROMISED YOU A MIRACLE
India --- STAY WITH ME
Madonna--- INTO THE GROOVE

AND



Nightlife Unlimited EP



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[anorak]

I first came across that amazing mix of 'Its my Life' when i bought the brazilian 7" pressing, where it appeared as B side to the regular 7" mix.

Is it me or do I have a (UK pressing) Steve Thompson remix of Modern Talking 'Your'e My Heart Youre' My Soul' upstairs in the loft ?

[djatya]

Hi All,
The record was called Disco Hustle around 1976
It was a double lp that had all the disco favorites at the time
not just Donna Summer
the lp was on adam 8 roulette records
we also did a tv spot where we were all dancing > It was one of the 1st infomercials of the time
one correction i did the Madonna "Open your Heart" mix not Into the groove
regards,
steve

Nightlife Unlimited EP



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