Ten Monumental Tracks You Didn't Know Were Actually Remixes

In the world of dance, when a song comes out, it's almost inevitable it gets remixed at some point down the line. Some of these remixes end up being solid, others horrible, many average and forgotten about. But once every blue moon you get a showstopper: a remix so heroic it steals all the thunder from the original. Even if the first versions were amazing on their own, which in the instances below, they were. But fear not: we're going to shine some much-needed light on the way these classics were originally meant to be heard. Even if you had no idea they existed!

1. Underworld - "Born Slippy"

(1995)

Underworld ".NUXX" remix

You don't have to dig far down the rabbit hole of 90s nostalgia to recall Danny Boyle's classic Trainspotting film, where Underworld's .NUXX remix of "Born Slippy" laid the groundwork for the epic closing scene. The original version of "Born Slippy" differed drastically from this remix, with the main riff, pounding kick drums, and infamous "lager" shout-outs that made the .NUXX version a classic nowhere to be found. "Born Slippy.NUXX" went on to dominate the UK charts, feature on countless compilations, and continues to be a staple for many a DJ today. And the humbler original has never seen the light of day as a release outside the original 12" single, which came out over a year before Trainspotting first hit theatres.

2. Nightcrawlers - "Push the Feeling On"

(1992)

MK's Dub of Doom remix

First conceived as a crawling R&B-influenced track, MK flipped the Nightcrawler's "Push the Feeling On" on its head by creating an uptempo version called the "Dub of Doom" that sampled only a few snippets of vocals from the original. When the 12" single (which included both versions) was released in '92, the whole concept of remixing by borrowing very few elements of the original and otherwise creating an almost entirely different track underneath was unheard of at the time. But that changed once this remix helped push (no pun intended) the Nightcrawlers into the charts on both sides of the pond. MK would ultimately pave the way for other prolific producers such as David Morales, Armand Van Helden, and Masters at Work to flex more creative muscle when it came to remix duty. And many are surprised to hear MK's version wasn't the original!

3. Maurizio: Domina

(1993)

Carl Craig's Mind Mix

You can't get much closer to perfection in the world of techno than Maurizio's "Domina" from 1993. However it's easily confused with Carl Craig's remix. The slow build-and-release of the latter made it perfect for DJ's to start or finish their sets with, which ultimately gave it more airtime. You also had that robotic vocal uttering the track title ad infinitum in the Craig mix, misleading some as it was not used at all in the original. These trivial details aside, should you ever reach for the original over the more popular Craig version, get ready for a hypnotic thirteen-minute voyage that serves as the portal connecting Detroit and Berlin by way of an echo chamber.

4. Everything But the Girl: Missing

(1995)

Todd Terry's Club Mix

The original version of "Missing" by EBTG was a downtempo affair that put more emphasis on its acoustic guitar than the underlying beat. It was not a chart success at first, but they enlisted Todd Terry to pen a dancefloor-friendly version for clubs. The result went far beyond getting DJ support. Terry's interpretation of "Missing" immediately cracked top 40 charts and garnered full daytime radio and MTV rotation thanks to its catchy vocals, entirely retained from the original. While only EBTG's most ardent fans know about the early version of "Missing", Terry's remix helped reinvent their entire sound and secured them with an enduring career in contemporary music.

5. Cajmere: Brighter Days

(1993)

Underground Goodies Remix

Cajmere's "Brighter Days" spawned a number of remixes, the most obvious of which was his "Underground Goodies" mix which is still played at any party worth its salt today. The sprawling ten-minute original, which listening to is like taking a day trip to Chicago from your living room without putting a windbreaker on, was often hidden in the shadow of the remix. It's unfortunate, because we only get to hear the true vocal prowess of Dajae in the original. While the Underground Goodies mix slices bits of her vocals in lockstep with the groove and is a surefire floor-filler, it's like sampling that small piece of bourbon chicken at the mall with a toothpick instead of getting a full meal when it comes to Dajae's epic vocals.

6. Shackleton: Blood On My Hands

(2007)

Ricardo Villalobos' Apocalypse Now Mix

Similar to "Domina", we have the case of a near-perfect track slightly edged by an even closer-to-perfect remix. "Blood On My Hands" by Shackleton is one of dubstep's darkest moments, an unsavory snapshot of societal collapse built on desolate-yet-deadly sub bass. Originally created just for fun, Shackleton found Ricardo Villalobos' nineteen-minute remix so moving and ambitious he released it almost immediately. Built on two-minute segments that build subtly and evolve organically, Villalobos utilized the haunting "When I see the towers fall" catchphrase once per minute to repeatedly snap us listeners back to reality just as we start to get lost in its dense atmospherics. This type of tension is legendary, hence why many feel this remix was one of the superstar DJ's magnum opuses.

7. Rusko-Everyday

(2011)

Netsky Remix

Moving from bleak 9/11 flashbacks to the slightly more uplifting topic of the sun shining, Rusko's "Everyday" was an easy-to-digest track that merged the least annoying parts of trance and dubstep together. While only a minor hit, Netsky dramatically dialed up the energy to 174 bpm on his remix, which commanded immediate attention by many a DJ in the dubstep and drum and bass circuits. The dramatic build-ups and mammoth bassline of Netsky's remix ensured frequent appearances in the Beatport Top 100. But because so few were buying the "Everyday" EP as a package due to the nature of downloading MP3's, the original mix was unfortunately left in the dust as a result.

8. Anything by Armand Van Helden (1990s)

CJ Bolland - "Sugar is Sweeter":

Armand van Helden remix:

Tori Amos - "Professional Widow":

Armand van Helden remix:

Armand Van Helden was an absolute machine at doing remix work in the mid 90s. Similar to MK, he had immediate crossover appeal thanks to his ability to cull songs by mainstream artists and completely re-invent them as dancefloor bombs. In his remixes, Van Helden would coin new basslines, leads and drum breaks from scratch. He borrowed only select fragments of the original vocals just to remind people they're remixes, not new joints. Partygoers were still fooled though; many had no idea his versions of tracks like "Professional Widow" by Tori Amos, "Sugar Daddy" by CJ Bolland, and "Spin Spin Sugar" by the Sneaker Pimps weren't actually original things!

9. Robert Armani - "Circus Bells"

(1993)

Hardfloor remix:

"Circus Bells" by Robert Armani was a classic example of his minimalist ethos: making an entire song with nothing other than a drum machine and a no-frills synth. When it first released on Dance Mania in 1990, techno was still a niche topic outside a few select cities in the U.S. and Europe. However by the time Hardfloor's remix dropped a few years later, it was a global movement. The greater success of Hardfloor's version was really just a matter of timing; especially considering the fact it employed much of the same less-is-more aesthetic the original had. Although the 303's that permeate the back half of the remix didn't hurt, either.

10. Apollo Two: Atlantis (1992)
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LTJ Bukem remix:

"Atlantis" was drum and bass legend LTJ Bukem's third seminal anthem right behind "Logical Progression" and "Demon's Theme". While having been showcased in countless mixes and compilations over the past 20 years, "Atlantis" was surprisingly a remix to a song by Apollo Two that it shared the same 12" single with. The original version was married to a steady 4x4 beat rather than the amen break. Additionally, no obvious connections to Bukem's mix outside the "OK, we're going in" sample can be made until the five minute mark where we hear the legendary "Surkit" riff for the first time. At this point, the song actually starts to wind down. And those "I need you, I want you" vocals from Bukem's version are nowhere to be found!

Nick Minieri is a content baller - @Nickdawg