HISTORY MIX VOL. 1

This collection dating from 1985 seems to have fallen through the cracks, perhaps due to the fact that it is not an original album but neither is it a straightforward compilation. In addition, the tracks used in the mix were originally recorded by 10CC, and Hotlegs in addition to Godley and Crème.

At present, the best way to obtain the album is as part of a double CD collection which also includes Godley and Crème's "Bird of prey" album. As this CD contains all the tracks on both versions of the original LP, I shall use it as the basis for this review.

As the title suggests, the principal tracks here are made up of mixes of familiar tracks. Do not therefore be fooled by the 12 and 17 minute running times of two of the tracks, they are most definitely not prog epics!

The opening track, "Wet rubber soup" is based on a selection of well known 10CC songs such as "Rubber Bullets", "Life is a Minestrone", and "I'm not in love". Since the original recordings are used as the basis of the mix, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman receive performing credits alongside Godley and Crème. The main instigator however is JJ Jeczalik of Art of Noise who takes the original sounds and creates something completely new from them. The exercise is similar to that carried out on the music of ELP and Yes for remix albums, but the results here are actually more satisfactory. There are plenty of familiar sounds, such as the chorus of "Life is a minestrone", linked by some more obscure remixes and edits of 10CC music. The blending of the whispered "Big boys don't cry" ("I'm not in love") with "You make me want to cry" ("Cry") is actually quite effective.

The 17 minute "Expanding the business. . ." has an even more diverse range of source tracks, ranging from the pre-10CC "Neanderthal man" (Hotlegs) through 10CC's "One night in Paris" (these two tracks are overlaid on each other rather well) to Godley and Crème's "This sporting life". Although there are plenty of recognisable extracts, as a whole the piece does tend to drag on, failing to retain the listeners attention end to end.

Perhaps the main reason for the existence of this collection though is to facilitate the appearance of an extended version of the wonderful Godley and Crème single "Cry", produced by Trevor Horn. The 6½ minute rendition here captures the full essence of this superb song.

The remaining tracks are more orthodox, including a shorter single mix of "Cry" and its entirely forgettable B-side "Love bombs". Two G&C tracks, "Snack attack" (from "Ismism") and "Golden boy" (a fine isolated single) are given a less radical remix treatment, the latter appearing twice in different forms. Strangely, "Wet rubber soup", the first track on this album, is edited down from its 12 minute running time to 3½ minutes to become a single B side, completely destroying it in the process.

The album bears the notation "Volume 1", but to date this has been the only such venture under the Godley and Crème name. The potential for a second volume is certainly there in terms of material by 10CC and G&C which was not used here, but whether the demand is there is questionable. Perhaps this should remain a largely successful and enjoyable one off exercise.

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