1985 remix album by Billy Idol
Vital Idol is a remix album by English rock singer Billy Idol , released on 31 May 1985 by Chrysalis Records .[ 3] It contains remixed songs from his first two albums and the Don't Stop EP. The album was reissued in the United States with one extra track in September 1987, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard 200 .[ 4] The US release was supported by a non-album live single version of "Mony Mony ".
The original release, sporting a photo from the "Dancing with Myself " video, was first issued in Europe in 1985. It peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart ,[ 5] outperforming Idol's previous studio albums.[ 2] The US release was expanded to feature the "Mother of Mercy Mix" of "To Be a Lover " and reissued in 1987 with different cover art, featuring a photo still from the live video for "Mony Mony" on CD. The 1987 issue was 24-bit digitally remastered and released globally in 2002.
The album has been certified platinum by both the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Most of the tracks are the original 12″ extended versions,[ 2] except "Catch My Fall ", which features a new remix with some re-recorded instruments.[ 6] "What we would always do is we knew we had certain songs where we wanted to have some space to do remixes," guitarist Steve Stevens said in 2014. "So we'd leave 16 bars or 32 bars in the middle of the song no matter what the song was and then do an edit on it later and that left us room to experiment for a dance remix."[ 2]
The album's title was inspired by a 1974 single by reggae artist Horace Andy titled "Ital Vital".[ 6] [ 7]
In his review for AllMusic , Steve Huey wrote: "It doesn't really work as a hits collection, since it's missing key songs like 'Rebel Yell ' and 'Eyes Without a Face ,' and most of the dance remixes are repetitious and uninteresting compared to the originals."[ 3] In The Rolling Stone Album Guide , Mark Coleman called the album "both a cynical recycling ploy and the essential Billy Idol album".[ 11]
Vital Idol – US version (1987) Title Writer(s) Origin 1. "White Wedding (Parts I & II)" (Shotgun Mix) Idol Billy Idol 8:20 2. "Mony Mony" (Downtown Mix) James, Gentry, Cordell, Bloom Don't Stop 5:01 3. "Hot in the City" (Exterminator Mix) Idol Billy Idol 5:09 4. "Dancing with Myself" (Uptown Mix) Idol, James Don't Stop 5:57 5. "Flesh for Fantasy" (Below the Belt Mix) Idol, Stevens Rebel Yell 7:04 6. "To Be a Lover " (Mother of Mercy Mix) William Bell , Booker T. Jones Whiplash Smile , 19866:49 7. "Love Calling" (Rub a Dub Dub Mix) Idol, Forsey Billy Idol 5:33 8. "Catch My Fall" (Remix Fix) Idol Rebel Yell 4:56 Total length: 49:45
Vital Idol – Japan reissue (1987) Title Writer(s) Origin 1. "White Wedding (Parts I & II)" (Shotgun Mix) Idol Billy Idol 8:20 2. "Mony Mony" (Hung Like a Pony Mix) James, Gentry, Cordell, Bloom Don't Stop 7:00 3. "Hot in the City" (Exterminator Mix) Idol Billy Idol 5:10 4. "Dancing with Myself" (Uptown Mix) Idol, James Don't Stop 5:59 5. "Flesh for Fantasy" (Below the Belt Mix) Idol, Stevens Rebel Yell 7:04 6. "To Be a Lover" (Mother of Mercy Mix) Bell, Jones Whiplash Smile 6:48 7. "Love Calling" (Rub a Dub Dub Mix) Idol, Forsey Billy Idol 5:33 8. "Catch My Fall" (Remix Fix) Idol Rebel Yell 4:56 9. "Shakin' All Over " (Live) Johnny Kidd "Mony Mony" (Live) single, 1987 4:39 10. "Mony Mony" (Live) James, Gentry, Cordell, Bloom "Mony Mony" (Live) single 4:06 Total length: 58:30
Adapted from the album liner notes.[ 12]
Vital Idol: Revitalized [ edit ]
Vital Idol: Revitalized is a remix album by English rock singer Billy Idol , released on 28 September 2018. The album has been described as a "modern-day upgrade" of Vital Idol . The digital version features four additional remixes, including a new Billy Idol and Steve Stevens remix of "Mony Mony" and "Save Me Now" (Lost Dog Remix), reworked by Idol's son, Willem Wolfe with Brandon Rauch and Ed Bedrosian.[ 38]
Vital Idol: Revitalized track listingTitle Writer(s) Origin 1. "White Wedding" (CRAY Remix) Idol Billy Idol 3:28 2. "Dancing with Myself" (RAC Remix) Idol, James Don't Stop 3:33 3. "Eyes Without a Face " (Tropkillaz Remix) Idol, Stevens Rebel Yell 3:50 4. "Rebel Yell " (The Crystal Method Remix) Idol, Stevens Rebel Yell 5:23 5. "(Do Not) Stand in the Shadows" (Moby Remix) Idol, Stevens Rebel Yell 4:21 6. "Flesh for Fantasy" (St Francis Hotel Remix) Idol, Stevens Rebel Yell 3:37 7. "Catch My Fall" (Juan Maclean Remix) Idol Rebel Yell 5:31 8. "One Breath Away" (Paul Oakenfold Remix) Idol, Stevens, Billy Morrison Kings & Queens of the Underground , 20143:21 9. "To Be a Lover" (DJDS Remix) Bell, Jones Whiplash Smile 3:04 10. "Don't Need a Gun " (Shiba San Remix) Idol Whiplash Smile 3:26 11. "Hot in the City" (Shotgun Mike Remix) Idol Billy Idol 3:09 Total length: 42:43
Digital version (bonus tracks)[ 39] Title Writer(s) Origin 12. "Mony Mony" (Idol/Stevens Remix) James, Gentry, Cordell, Bloom Don't Stop 5:41 13. "One Breath Away" (Paul Oakenfold Remix – Extended Version) Idol, Stevens, Morrison Kings & Queens of the Underground 4:58 14. "(Do Not) Stand in the Shadows" (Moby Remix – Half Speed Version) Idol, Stevens Rebel Yell 4:30 15. "Save Me Now" (Lost Dog Remix) Idol, George William Lewis, Greg Kurstin Kings & Queens of the Underground 4:42
^ "BPI" .
^ a b c d "30 Years Ago: Remixes Prove 'Vital' for Billy Idol" . Diffuser.fm . 9 September 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2021 .
^ a b c d Steve Huey. "Vital Idol - Billy Idol | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards" . AllMusic. Retrieved 9 April 2014 .
^ Greg Prato. "Billy Idol | Awards" . AllMusic. Retrieved 9 April 2014 .
^ a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved 1 August 2021.
^ a b Rachel Brodsky (11 October 2018). "Billy Idol On Remixing Vital Idol, Finding New Life In Old Songs, And Listening To Post Malone" . Stereogum . Retrieved 15 July 2021 .
^ "Ital Vital" . Discogs . Retrieved 15 July 2021 .
^ Strike, Andy (8 June 1985). "Albums". Record Mirror . p. 19.
^ "CG: Billy Idol" . Robert Christgau. 10 August 1993. Retrieved 9 April 2014 .
^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Billy Idol". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster . p. 402 . ISBN 0-7432-0169-8 .
^ Coleman, Mark (1992). DeCurtis, Anthony ; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House . p. 341. ISBN 0679737294 .
^ "Vital Idol (Europe, 2002)" . Discogs. Retrieved 15 July 2021 .
^ "Vital Idol (Japan, 1988)" . Discogs. Retrieved 15 July 2021 .
^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 147. ISBN 0-646-11917-6 .
^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF) . Eurotipsheet . Vol. 2, no. 37. 16 September 1985. p. 18. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava . ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5 .
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Billy Idol – Vital Idol" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved 1 August 2021.
^ a b "Charts.nz – Billy Idol – Vital Idol" . Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Billy Idol – Vital Idol" . Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Billy Idol – Vital Idol" . Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0901" . RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 1 August 2021.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved 1 August 2021.
^ "Billy Idol Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Retrieved 1 August 2021.
^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1985" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 1 August 2021 .
^ "Top Selling Albums of 1985" . Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 3 February 2022 .
^ "Top 100 Albums (January 5–December 28, 1985)" (PDF) . Music Week . 18 January 1986. p. 11. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
^ "Top 100 Albums of '87" . RPM . Vol. 47, no. 12. 26 December 1987. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums for 1988" . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 4 August 2021 .
^ "Top 100 Albums of '88" (PDF) . RPM . Vol. 49, no. 10. 24 December 1988. p. 13. ISSN 0033-7064 – via World Radio History.
^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1988" . Billboard . Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2021 .
^ "Canadian album certifications – Billy Idol – Vital Idol" . Music Canada . Retrieved 22 August 2022 .
^ "French album certifications – Billy Idol – Vital Idol" (in French). InfoDisc. Select BILLY IDOL and click OK.
^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Billy Idol; ' Vital Idol' )" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 16 December 2019 .
^ "New Zealand album certifications – Billy Idol – Vital Idol" . Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 16 December 2019 .
^ "British album certifications – Billy Idol – Vital Idol" . British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 1 August 2021 .
^ "American album certifications – Billy Idol – Vital Idol" . Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 16 December 2019 .
^ "Billy Idol - "Vital Idol: Revitalized": Album Review" . Beatselector Magazine. Retrieved 15 July 2021 .
^ "Billy Idol's 'Vital Idol' Is 'Revitalized' " (Press release). Los Angeles: Capitol Records /UMe . PR Newswire . 7 September 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2021 – via Business Insider .
^ "iTunes - Music - Vital Idol: Revitalized by Billy Idol" . iTunes Store .
Studio albums EPs Live albums Compilations Video albums Singles Related articles