Billy Idol’s ‘Vital Idol’ Prepares To Be ‘Revitalized’

‘Vital Idol’, initially released in Britain in 1985 and in the United States in 1987, was the first remix record released by a rock superstar.

Published on

September 7, 2018

Tim Peacock

Billy Idol’s pioneering 1980s remix collection Vital Idol is getting a modern-day upgrade with Vital Idol: Revitalized, which is set for release on CD and Digital by Capitol/UMe on 28 September. A 2LP 180-g black vinyl in addition to a limited-edition, color variant will follow on November 16.

More than 30 years after his groundbreaking Vital Idol compilation cemented the vibrancy of the dance-rock remix genre in the second half of the 1980s, Billy Idol’s Revitalized collection features 11 brand-new remixes of Idol’s most enduring hits. Lending their hands to the Revitalized proceedings are electronic dance luminaries Moby, The Crystal Method and Paul Oakenfold as well as current innovators including RAC, Tropkillaz, Shiba San, Juan Maclean and CRAY.

Vital Idol, initially released in Britain in 1985 and subsequently issued in the United States in 1987, was the first remix record released by a rock superstar. Besides being certified platinum, Vital Idol was accompanied by a version of ‘Mony Mony’ that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart, as well as hitting the Top 10 on the UK Singles chart.

Highlights found within the grooves of Revitalized include The Crystal Method’s percussive, explosive stab at ‘Rebel Yell,’ CRAY’s bass-and-keyboard-blessed ‘White Wedding,’ Tropkillaz’s trop-house framing of ‘Eyes Without A Face,’ St. Francis Hotel’s shimmering stop/start reshaping of ‘Flesh For Fantasy,’ and RAC’s retro-harmonic, fist-pumping ‘Dancing With Myself.’

Meanwhile, the digital version of Revitalized features four additional exclusive remixes, namely the brand new Billy Idol/Steve Stevens Remix of ‘Mony Mony,’ Paul Oakenfold’s Extended Remix of ‘One Breath Away,’ Moby’s “Half Time Version” of his take on ‘(Do Not) Stand In The Shadows’ and ‘Save Me Now’ (Lost Dog Remix), reworked by Billy Idol’s son, Willem Wolfe Broad and Eddie B.

Vital Idol: Revitalized is out on 28 September. Scroll down to read the full tracklist and buy it here.

Billy Idol:Vital Idol: Revitalized:
‘White Wedding’ (CRAY Remix)
‘Dancing With Myself’ (RAC Remix)
‘Eyes Without A Face’ (Tropkillaz Remix)
‘Rebel Yell’ (The Crystal Method Remix)
‘(Do Not) Stand In The Shadows’ (Moby Remix)
‘Flesh For Fantasy’ (St. Francis Hotel Remix)
‘Catch My Fall’ (Juan Maclean Remix)
‘One Breath Away’ (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
‘To Be A Lover’ (DJDS Remix)
‘Don’t Need A Gun’ (Shiba San Remix)
‘Hot In The City’ (Shotgun Mike Remix)
Bonus Tracks (Digital Only)
‘Mony Mony’ (Idol/Stevens Remix)
‘One Breath Away’ (Paul Oakenfold Extended Remix)
‘(Do Not) Stand In The Shadows’ (Moby Remix) (Half Time Version)
‘Save Me Now’ (Lost Dog Remix)