Episode Summary
This week we are talking about something that we've mentioned on this pod a lot. How many times have we talked about a song that we love that wasn't the original, it wasn't on the album, but it was on the cassette or the CD single? Or sometimes it was a music video. Yeah, it was similar, but there were some differences that made it stand out, and most cases made it better. So, for this episode, we're talking about the remix. We're gonna talk about some of our favorites, some we don't like as much, and some that we just completely forgot about.
Transcript
Miguel: This is They Reminisce Over You. I'm Miguel.
Christina: And I'm Christina. We wanted to take a minute to make a small request of all our listeners. If you're listening to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Goodpods or Podchaser, leave us a five star rating. You can also leave a review as well on Apple, Goodpods and Podchaser. Ratings, and reviews will help us with discoverability. And we want to get this out to as many like-minded folks as we can.
Miguel: We wanna get on the first page of these podcast apps.
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Christina: Thank you again for your support. You ready to get into the show?
Miguel: Let's do it.
Christina: Welcome back to They Reminisce Over You. I'm Christina.
Miguel: And I'm Miguel. This week we are talking about something that we've mentioned on this pod a lot. How many times have we talked about a song that we love that wasn't the original, it wasn't on the album, but it was on the cassette or the CD single?
Christina: Or sometimes it was a music video.
Miguel: Yeah, it was similar, but there were some differences that made it stand out, and most cases made it better. So, for this episode, we're talking about the remix. We're gonna talk about some of our favorites, some we don't like as much, and some that we just completely forgot about. So, you ready to just get into it?
Christina: Let's do it.
Miguel: So, regardless of what Sean Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Diddy, Brother Love Combs says, Bad Boy did not invent the remix.
Christina: They did not.
Miguel: I don't care what he named that album, they did not invent the remix.
Christina: Although he did do a lot of remixing.
Miguel: Although he did do a lot of remixing, they did not invent it.
Christina: Yeah.
Miguel: So, what we're gonna talk about in this episode is songs that have a completely different beat than the original. Or they have completely different verses from the original.
Christina: Yes, so this is the criteria for our selections of equals a remix.
Miguel: Yes. So, completely new beat, completely new verses. Or someone added to the song that wasn't on the original. Elements that change the song completely. There are some remixes that are so big that we don't even remember the original versions of the songs. So, that's what we're looking for when we say that we're going to talk about remixes this episode.
Christina: That’s right. I don’t know. I just felt like I needed to punctuate that.
Miguel: All right. So, with that said, we're gonna break it down into a couple categories further from that. We're gonna talk about a couple remix albums. We're gonna talk about R&B songs that got a hip hop remix. We're gonna talk about some hip hop songs that got kind of an R&B remix. We're gonna talk about a couple dance and EDM remixes. I don't have too many of those—
Christina: Me either.
Miguel: Because I really don't get into that, but there are two or three that we can talk about.
Christina: Yes.
Miguel: So, on that note, let's get into the remix album concept. There's a couple of them that I own personally, and I'm sure you had at least one or two of these. Bobby Brown, Dance!…Ya Know It!. Did you have that album or no?
Christina: I can't remember, actually, it's possible, but I know, you know what I had.
Miguel: The Bell Biv Devoe?
Christina: No!
Miguel: Oh, oh, oh, you didn't have that one?
Christina: I didn’t.
Miguel: Wow, that is surprising.
Christina: I was referring to What's the 411?
Miguel: Well, I was going to get to that one.
Christina: Obviously. Obviously.
Miguel: I know you definitely have that one because I've seen it. So, of those first three albums that we talked about, are you at least familiar with the remixes that were on those albums.
Christina: You know what? Let me take a quick look because I think it might be one of those things that I just forgot about.
Miguel: Okay.
Christina: So…I do remember Bobby’s. I don't remember Bell Biv Devoe's, one second.
Miguel: You definitely know that one though.
Christina: I, I don't know, I just, what was it called?
Miguel: It's uh, WBBD-Bootcity!: The Remix Album.
Christina: I don't know, I'm going to have to listen to this. I can't remember, because now that I see the cover, it looks familiar, but I don't really remember.
Miguel: Well, you know "Word to the Mutha" with Bobby Brown on it, right?
Christina: I do. Yes. But you know what? If this was 1991, it's possible that I just, you know, this was my just figuring out stage. Or like, you know, I was like, didn't really have money to be going out and buying stuff. So, it's possible I just didn't know this. I can't really say for sure.
Miguel: Okay. It was in my rotation. I got it from Columbia House for one cent.
Christina: Well, for me, What's the 411? is my first like, memory or reference, if you're talking about remix albums.
Miguel: Okay.
Christina: That I definitely played out.
Miguel: I'm not surprised by that because you still play it.
Christina: I do.
Miguel: Yeah, I like that album too. It's got some of my favorite remixes on it. Some people don't like some of the ones that I like, but I don't care.
Christina: And which one is that?
Miguel: "What's the 411?" That's my favorite one.
Christina: Oh no, I like that one. Yeah, not only is it a remix album, but there's actually a couple new songs that wasn't on the original. I will say, and I know this is contentious…I don't like the "Real Love" remix. I get why it goes hard in the clubs but I love the original version so much that whenever I hear, well I'm acting like I'm still in the clubs, whenever I heard "Real Love" playing in the clubs I'm like, oh it's always this remix. Just play the regular one, the original one.
Miguel: Nah. Once the remix came out, the original was done.
Christina: Not for me. I don't not like it. I just prefer the original one so much more.
Miguel: I get it. I understand.
Christina: But yeah, that's like, if I think remix album, this is the first thing that pops into my head.
Miguel: Okay. There's another pretty big remix album, and I'm surprised it took long for it to come out, because it didn't actually come out until 2003. But, Mariah Carey's remix album.
Christina: Yes.
Miguel: Even though she had the remixes in the late '90s, they didn't put the album out until 2003, which I found strange.
Christina: I wonder if it might be, you know how she was saying how basically a lot of her remixes wasn't really sanctioned? ‘Cause she wanted to do more of the hip hop stuff. It seemed like she kind of always had to sneak them in.
Miguel: Yeah, but still, because they were huge, though.
Christina: They were.
Miguel: I'm surprised that, well, I'm not surprised because knowing her relationship with her ex husband.
Christina: Right.
Miguel: But even he would have to see that these songs are hits and why not capitalize on it? Because everybody was doing it at this time, like, let’s put a remix album out.
Christina: ‘Cause when you're a hater, you're a hater, I guess.
Miguel: When you got that hate in your blood it just blinds everything.
Christina: Yeah.
Miguel: One that was technically a mashup and not really a remix album, and I only had this because this is like, in the LimeWire days, so I got it for free. But Jay-Z and Linkin Park.
Christina: Yeah I never got into that.
Miguel: Collision Course.
Christina: I couldn't do it. It's not for me.
Miguel: Yeah, same, but it was just like, you know, music was there and I'm gonna steal it. So, I have it.
Christina: Like, forget getting 10 CDs for one cent, I could get it for free.
Miguel: Yeah, I'm just gonna unplug the phone cord and plug it into my computer and take three hours to download.
Christina: Ten songs.
Miguel: Yeah, fill up my computer with a virus and keep it pushing. Uh, another remix album that I didn't have, but I know of it because I'm a Michael Jackson fan is the Blood on the Dance Floor. And like I said, I'm really not into dance versions of songs, so I know these songs only because they were getting played, but they really did nothing for me.
Christina: Yeah, same. I just, mmm, not into the dance mixes.
Miguel: And the last one that I want to bring up as a remix album is the one that I mentioned earlier, Bad Boy.
Christina: We Invented The Remix.
Miguel: We Invented The Remix, even though they didn't. This album is full of basically all of their remixed hits.
Christina: Well, I guess "we invented the remix" sounds a little more catchy than "we made popular remixes."
Miguel: Yeah. I get what he was doing with it.
Christina: Yes.
Miguel: But I know and he knows that he's a liar.
Christina: I'm sure in his mind he ain't a liar though. He's like, no, I, we, we did invent it.
Miguel: Even though they didn’t. ‘Cause as we move into the R&B songs that have hip hop remixes, some of these that we're going to mention predate Bad Boy as company.
Christina: Yes. Definitely, they do.
Miguel: So, there’s that.
Christina: So, I think this is probably like, popularized around this time because R&B was already sort of moving into that hip hop sound.
Miguel: Yeah, this is post New Jack Swing R&B.
Christina: Yes. So, it made sense that there would be a hip hop remix and one of the most important remixes that we forgot to mention in our Jodeci episode are the Jodeci remixes.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: Which is funny because their style, I guess really it was more of their fashion sense that gave them that hip hop feel, whereas their music, it was R&B/hip hop, but the fact that they were already there and they took it to another level by making these remixes even more hip hop.
Miguel: Yeah.
Christina: Like the "Freek’n You" with Raekwon and Ghostface, like, you got these two "hip hop, hip hop" rappers on there.
Miguel: The "I’m Still Waiting" remix.
Christina: "I’m Still Waiting" Swing Mob mix because in the early '90s everything was for the Jeeps, right?
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: This is for the Jeeps.
Miguel: And, can't forget "Come and Talk to Me."
Christina: Can't forget when Dalvin got to shine with his little rap.
Miguel: Multiple people hit me up asking why we didn't mention the "Come and Talk to Me" remix.
Christina: We just forgot. It's not that we don't love it, we just, there was so many other songs, and we completely forgot about the remixes, but yes, we acknowledge the "Come and Talk to Me" remix.
Miguel: Yeah, it's one of the greatest of all time.
Christina: Yes.
Miguel: Just putting that out there.
Christina: Yes, we recognize that, we know that, we just forgot. I know, I'm like, I can't believe we're actually getting hit up for this.
Miguel: Yeah.
Christina: But at least we know folks is listening though.
Miguel: Yes. People are definitely listening.
Christina: It was long time coming, but we are talking about it now.
Miguel: But I got a couple DMs and two texts about the "Come and Talk to Me" remix.
Christina: I got a tweet.
Miguel: So, people were looking for it.
Christina: Okay, now that we've gotten the Jodeci remixes out of the way, what are some other R&B to hip hop remixes that stood out for you, or that you remember?
Miguel: Well, obviously we can't talk about R&B/hip hop remixes without talking about SWV and Wu-Tang Clan's "Anything."
Christina: Yes, and so much so, that you forget that the original version is slow.
Miguel: I told you that every time I hear the original version, it's like the first time I'm hearing it.
Christina: Yeah, so they didn't just add Wu-Tang Clan, they changed the whole thing up.
Miguel: Yeah, it's a completely different song.
Christina: ‘Cause the original song is almost like an interlude too, because it's really short.
Miguel: Yeah, they just repeat the chorus over and over again.
Christina: I like the original version, but the remix is a classic.
Miguel: Yeah. So, that's one that I really like. Like I said, the Mariah remixes.
Christina: Yes, there's way too many Mariah remixes to…
Miguel: Yeah, so you got "Fantasy," "Always Be My Baby." The one that I forgot about though was her, Joe and Nas, "Thank God I Found You." Completely forgot that song.
Christina: Me too, and that okay, so this one is like, a classic example of catering to two different audiences, because the original one, it's not even, I mean it is R&B but it's very pop.
Miguel: It’s really pop.
Christina: Because it's Mariah and Joe again, but it's also with 98 Degrees.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: And yes, 98 Degrees was a boy band that tried to be a little more soulful.
Miguel: Yep, they were signed to Motown and everything.
Christina: Signed to Motown and, Nick Lachey, I saw in an interview that he said he wanted it to be more soulful than any of these boy bands, but they're still pop.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: So, the original version is very pop. And then you get this version, not only is now Nas on it, but they use the "Make It Last Forever" beat, sound, and then also added those "Make It Last Forever" verses. So, they completely changed it.
Miguel: Yeah, I completely forgot about that one until I was listening to the playlist earlier today. Something else I found funny with Mariah is on "Honey." So, you have the album version.
Christina: Yes.
Miguel: And then there's a Bad Boy remix, and then there's a So So Def remix as well. And the irony about the So So Def remix is it uses the Jackson 5 sample from the "All About the Benjamins" remix when Biggie's verse comes in. So, there's a whole lot of "Honey" inception going on with these remixes.
Christina: Right.
Miguel: And I just thought that was funny when I was listening to them a couple days ago.
Christina: Yeah. I think Mariah Carey is the queen of R&B/hip hop remixes.
Miguel: Yeah, hands down. Like, she's got that title.
Christina: Like, we've talked about maybe a 10th of them.
Miguel: There's so many. So many of them.
Christina: Yeah. Definitely. We mentioned some in the last episode when we were talking about Trackmasters.
Miguel: Yeah, we did.
Christina: Where she did, um, what was it? The drifting, what's it called?
Miguel: "Underneath the Stars."
Christina: "Underneath The Stars" Drifting Remix with the Smif-N-Wesson.
Miguel: Right. The "Soundbwoy Bureill."
Christina: Yeah. So, we'll just put Mariah Carey.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: What did you think of D'Angelo's "Lady" remix?
Miguel: That's one where I like the original better.
Christina: Same here, I love, "Lady," the original "Lady" is probably my favorite D'Angelo song. If not, it's top three. The remix is cool, but, you know, it gives it a little different vibe. You got AZ on there and they put a little bass line on it, but…
Miguel: For me, the thing about the remix that made me like it is, you know we can't understand anything that he's singing? I actually could hear what he's saying in the chorus now, and I couldn't hear it in the original. "I can tell they're looking at us." Like, oh, that's what he's saying.
Christina: No, I caught it in the original.
Miguel: I didn’t.
Christina: I speak D'Angelo.
Miguel: I don't. I'm not fluent in D'Angelo at all.
Christina: I'm pretty fluent. I’m not gonna say a hundred percent, but I'm pretty fluent in D'Angelo.
Miguel: He loses me all the time. And that was one of them. And then when this came out, I was like, oh, that's what this nigga said. Okay. "I can tell they’re looking at us." Oh.
Christina: That’s what he said. Another one that I still put this in the R&B to hip hop remix, even though the original one had Jadakiss, "Best of Me," Mya. Though there was a rapper on the original version, it definitely had a more of R&B sound, whereas the remix with Jay Z sounded, more hip hop. Although, I like both equally.
Miguel: I like this one better.
Christina: The remix with Jay Z?
Miguel: Yes. And I will tell you why.
Christina: Tell me why.
Miguel: It's because of the powder blue North Carolina jersey dress that she was wearing in the video.
Christina: So the dress that was…has now become an iconic piece of fashion is what made you like the song better?
Miguel: Yes. Yes, it is.
Christina: Okay. You know, I never got one. I wanted one so bad. But you know, all them styles is coming back.
Miguel: You could.
Christina: I could wear it now.
Miguel: You could, so watch out for Christmas. You might get a jersey dress.
Christina: Another one that I want to point out. Is the um, Destiny's Child, "No, No, No," because the remix with Wyclef is again that criteria where it's completely different. The original "No, No, No" is slow and they made videos for both of the songs.
Miguel: Well, as someone who didn’t listen to Destiny's Child, I only knew that version.
Christina: The Wyclef version?
Miguel: Yeah. So, I didn't know that—
Christina: There was a video[1] for the slow version I actually prefer the slow version.
Miguel: I never saw it.
Christina: It's like kind of um, it's more sultry.
Miguel: I have never heard it.
Christina: And, I remember that Immature has a cameo, 'cause it's, like, supposed to be in a lounge, and then they call them up to the stage to perform, and then they're just showing people in the club, and, yeah, there's an Immature cameo. And I'm sure there are other people there too.
Miguel: All right then.
Christina: But I actually prefer the original. I like the slow version.
Miguel: Now was it Immature when the Asian kid was with them? Or was it—
Christina: No no, this is later on.
Miguel: Okay.
Christina: So, yeah, because, you know, the Asian kid only lasted…when they were like eight, when they were really small.
Miguel: I only know him from House Party 3.
Christina: Yeah, he didn't stick around for too long.
Miguel: Or is it House Party 4?
Christina: BY the time they became like, teenagers, he was long gone.
Miguel: Yeah, it was one of the House Party movies. And I saw, this is off topic, but somebody put together a, like, a 15 minute documentary[2] trying to find him. It was like, what happened to the Asian kid in Immature?
Christina: Yeah.
Miguel: And essentially, after the House Party[3] movie, his parents were like we don't want you doing none of this shit. Because I don't know if you've seen the House Party movie that they're in but—
Christina: You’ve told me about it but I haven’t seen it.
Miguel: Children should not have been anywhere near that set. And his parents were like, no. But I watched the documentary. They didn't actually find him to talk to him, they tracked down some videos that had been posted to Twitter, I believe. Either Twitter or Facebook, where he was getting married, and the members of Immature, like Marques Houston and the other guys, were at his wedding. So, even as adults, they were still hanging out with him. And he had them as part of his wedding.
Christina: Okay. So, they're cool. He just—
Miguel: His parents were like, nah.
Christina: We don't want you doing this anymore.
Miguel: This show business shit ain't for you.
Christina: Back to the topic.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: There's one more I would like to mention, the "Hot Like Fire" Aaliyah remix with Timbaland. Well, I'm sure he did both versions, ‘cause weren't they all, working on the album?
Miguel: Yeah, I don't know if he did the album version, ‘cause there were a couple songs on the albums that him and Missy didn't do.
Christina: Okay. But the, the remix with him is pretty good too. I think I prefer that version.
Miguel: Uh…yeah. Yeah, I agree. I had to think about it for a second. Yes.
Christina: Because I think his version is also the one that’s in the video too, if I'm not mistaken.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: Yeah.
Miguel: Yeah it is. So, there's a couple more that I'm gonna mention.
Christina: Okay.
Miguel: And the playlist for this episode is gonna be like seven hours long.
Christina: Oh yeah.
Miguel: Maybe eight because the Trackmasters one was six hours.
Christina: Oh Lord.
Miguel: So, this one is gonna to be much longer than that. So, there's a couple more that I want to mention that I like going from the R&B to the hip hop remix. Joe and Mystikal, "Stutter."
Christina: Eh, that one didn’t work for me.
Miguel: I like that one better.
Christina: I don't like either version, really.
Miguel: I’m not a big Dru Hill fan but, "Sleeping In My Bed" remix with Da Brat. I like that one.
Christina: Because this is what, classic Miguel in the club?
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: That’s why you like it.
Miguel: These, these are all club records.
Christina: ‘Cause I'm like, that's the only time that song sounds good is if you’re in the club.
Miguel: Yeah, not gonna sit here and listen to it in my headphones. It has to be the perfect environment for it.
Christina: Yeah.
Miguel: And continuing on with Jermaine Dupri, the Jagged Edge and Run, "Let's Get Married." Total, Foxy Brown, Lil Kim, Da Brat, "No One Else."
Christina: Oh, yes, yes.
Miguel: So, that's another one. J. Lo when she was going through her Black phase. And she was rolling with Murder, Inc. I mentioned this to you earlier but I didn't say who it was. The original version of "Ain't It Funny" and the remix version of "Ain't It Funny" are two completely different women.
Christina: I don't even remember the original version.
Miguel: I didn't either. I completely forgot about it until I watched a video as I was setting up to record. And it's not even the same woman. At all.
Christina: I don't even remember there being an original version.
Miguel: Talk about catering to two completely different audiences. These audiences aren't even on the same planet. They're not on the same planet. In the remix, she dropped the N word twice. But on the original version, it sounds like a Luis Miguel, Ricky Martin type, Enrique Iglesias type song.
Christina: Okay.
Miguel: And then you come with Ja Rule, "it must be the ass!" Two completely different worlds. So, that one I found funny as well. So yeah, there will be more. I don't want to go through my entire list, but check out the playlists. All these songs will be on there.
That’s a good place for us to take a break, so we’ll be back really quickly.
Miguel: Hi kids. Do you like fun?
Christina: Yeah.
Miguel: And bookmarking a bunch of articles you’ll probably never read? We’re starting a monthly newsletter called Liner Notes. We’ll be sharing what we’re watching, what we’re listening to, throwback YouTube videos, updates on our upcoming projects, random shit you may have missed on the internets, you know, stuff like that. The link is in the show notes or you can go to troypodcast.com/newsletter. Do it.
Christina: Now.
Miguel: It’s good for you.
Christina: It’ll make your teeth whiter.
Miguel: [Laughs] And back to the show.
Miguel: So, let's talk about rap songs that ended up getting an R&B remix.
Christina: So, I think I just got so caught up, getting all my other lists together. I have one for this section and it just got to the point where I'm just like, I'm just gonna stick with my one and let you fill in the rest. ‘Cause I know there's more.
Miguel: There's a few. I only have five myself because it was the same thing. It's a lot harder to find a rap song that was smoothed out so to speak.
Christina: Right. So I'm sure you have this one, of course. The "One More Chance/Stay With Me" Remix.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: And this one is funny to me because that Complex article that I was talking about from the last episode with the, the Trackmasters. They were saying that Diddy was like, I want you to make a sexy song for him. And then I believe it was actually Diddy's idea to use that "Stay With Me" sample. ‘Cause he was saying like, how am I going to make this? Let's see how I can make this work. And obviously it worked. ‘Cause that's one of my favorite songs.
Miguel: What's funny is the original version that's on the album is the second version of the song.
Christina: Oh?
Miguel: The original[4] also had a DeBarge sample, but they couldn't get it cleared.
Christina: Okay.
Miguel: So, I don't know how they got this one cleared, but it was, um, [quietly singing] I’m singing the song in my head.
Christina: You're not singing in your head ‘cause I can hear you. Okay, now you're singing in your head because I can't hear you anymore.
Miguel: "All This Love." I had to sing all the way through It. it actually sampled "All This Love," but for whatever reason, it didn't get cleared, and so they went with the album version and then did the other DeBarge sample on the, the remix.
Christina: This was another one of those songs where, you know, I saw the video and then I got the CD and was like, what is this? [singing] "Oh, Biggie, give me one more chance." It's completely, completely, different.
Miguel: Got tricked again?
Christina: Mm-hmm. I mean, it's not a bad song, but like, it's, It doesn’t—
Miguel: It isn’t, but when you hear this one—
Christina: It doesn’t hold a candle to the remix.
Miguel: Yeah, you hear this one, it's like, what's this other one?
Christina: Exactly. What other ones do you have?
Miguel: Um, Method Man and Mary.
Christina: Yes, yes.
Miguel: Specifically the quote unquote Bad Boy remix. That one is more R&B than the RZA remix, which is in the video.
Christina: Yes, you know what? That's probably why I didn't think of that one, because I prefer the RZA version.
Miguel: Yeah me too.
Christina: So, I don't listen to Diddy one very often.
Miguel: One more that I thought of. Method Man and Redman, "How High Part II" Which is actually "How High Part 3", and not Part 2, but that one has, the Toni Braxton mix in it.
Christina: Yes. You know what? I was listening to that, and I was like, what is this a remix of?
Miguel: Yeah, it's the movie soundtrack version of "How High."
Christina: All right.
Miguel: "How High Part II," Part 2, but like I said, it's actually Part 3.
Christina: I was listening to a Tidal playlist of remixes, and they just called it "Part II."
Miguel: Yeah.
Christina: So, that's why I was like, part 2 of what? So, what is this a remix of? So, I didn't know it was the remix of "How High."
Miguel: Yeah, ‘cause the original version is on The Show soundtrack, and then the remix is the video version, and then this one was on the How High soundtrack.
Christina: Okay.
Miguel: So yeah, those are the only ones I could think of that went from rap to R&B-ish. I'm sure there's more, but I couldn't think of any.
Christina: I think the majority was R&B to rap, or even pop.
Miguel: Yeah.
Christina: Well, pop never really became hip hop, it just became pop with a rapper on it.
Miguel: Exactly.
Christina: All right, how about the next topic we talk about are the ones that just have an additional guest or just a completely different version, not necessarily a genre change, but just different.
Miguel: Well, first of all, we've already mentioned it. "One More Chance." That's one that's completely different.
Christina: Completely different. Oh, so the one I was talking about when you asked me if there was a song where, you're not even sure if this is supposed to be a remix of that song or whatever.
Miguel: Yeah.
Christina: So, you know the "Not Tonight" with Lil Kim and everybody, right? With Angie Martinez, and, and Left Eye, and all those. I'm like, how is this a remix of the "Not Tonight" on the album? Like, aside from the song title, like—
Miguel: There's nothing in common. At all.
Christina: Yeah! Like it's there's no common chorus, no common verses, and the song is just basically her by herself, and the song is very, um... it's a little vulgar.
Miguel: A little? No, It's a lot vulgar.
Christina: It's a lot vulgar. And then—
Miguel: It’s Lil KIm.
Christina: Yes, it's like, peak Lil Kim, I guess. Like, yeah. But then the "Not Tonight" alleged remix, and not a completely different song, it's like a party jam with your girls. So, like, it's, had to actually look it up, I'm like, is this considered a remix? Because aside from the song title, these are two completely different songs.
Miguel: Yeah. There's nothing in common at all.
Christina: Not at all. Like you would not listen to one song and listen to the second song and be like, oh these two are connected somehow.
Miguel: Hey, it's the same with that J Lo. "Ain't It Funny."
Christina: Yeah. So, that was the one I was thinking of.
Miguel: Yeah, those songs have nothing in common other than Lil Kim being on both of them.
Christina: Yeah. Another one that I always laugh about with you and I can't remember if I may have mentioned it before on the pod, but the "Bring It All to Me," Blaque remix with ol’ JC from *NSYNC.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: So, the original lyrics is one of the girls singing, "I’m feeling your Timbs, your jeans, and your thug appeal."
Miguel: Right.
Christina: Which, you know, you hear it and you're like, whatever. But when you hear JC sing, "You're feeling my Timbs, my jeans, and my thug appeal," It makes me chuckle every time. He has a nice voice, but I just can't. I just can't with that.
Miguel: Just the—
Christina: People love it though, and I'm not saying I don't like it, it just, it makes me laugh.
Miguel: The line itself is just funny to me. Because who would say that?
Christina: [sings] "Are you feeling my Timbs, my jeans, my thug appeal?"
Miguel: Who has ever said that? Nobody.
Christina: So, think it makes it less funny knowing that he just switched up the original lyrics to say my instead of just coming out the gate like this is what I'm bringing to the table. But it still, it still makes me laugh. I never listened to *NSYNC much, but just hearing that, I was like, you know what? JC should have had a better solo career, I think, ‘cause he has a good voice.
Miguel: You can start that, that petition. Get JC—
Christina: Justice for JC.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: Because I was like, okay, okay, this is better than that "Bye, Bye, Bye" shit. I can get with this, maybe not these exact lyrics, but I like what I'm hearing here.
Miguel: So, another one that's completely different than the original, and I like better than the original, is 50 Cent's "Outta Control" with Mobb Deep.
Christina: Yes.
Miguel: Much better record when you add Dre and Mobb Deep to the mix.
Christina: Okay, I only know that version. And I meant to go and listen to the original version, and I just forgot. So, I have no idea what the original version sounds like.
Miguel: Well, since I have Tidal open, let's go ahead and listen to the original version of 50 Cent’s "Outta Control."
Christina: And this is one of the rare times where you say, I like Mobb Deep.
Miguel: Yeah, it's true.
Christina: Me, on the other hand, I always like Mobb Deep.
Miguel: There are a few Mobb Deep songs that I like.
Christina: And this technically, this is a 50 Cent song. It just has Mobb Deep on it. So, this don't count as a Mobb Deep song.
Miguel: Like I said, there are like five songs with Mobb Deep on it where I'm like, you know what? That shit's banging.
Christina: Ooooh, you know what? I'm lying. I do know this song, but I have erased it from my memory.
Miguel: And the thing is Dre did this one too, but I'm just like, uggh.
Christina: I mean, I don't mind it, but it's nothing like the remix. The remix is so much better. Um, uh, we've been talking about a lot of old songs. I got a new one.
Miguel: Oh okay.
Christina: Or one new one, and this actually came from, some DJ doing a mashup and posting it on, I think Twitter first, or whatever, one of these social medias. And it's the, Beyoncé's "Cuff It" Wetter remix.
Miguel: Oh, yeah, you sent that to me a while back.
Christina: I really like it, I love the original "Cuff It," but this is like, this sexy, slow, smooth remix. She did, kind of, mash it into, I can't remember if she did it actually with "Cuff It" at the concert, but it was mixed in at the, uh, concert.
Miguel: I wouldn't have even noticed.
Christina: Yeah it—
Miguel: I just heard the original version.
Christina: Now I can't even remember, but it was definitely part of the, the Renaissance…
Miguel: Yeah, I wouldn't have picked it out.
Christina: Concert…lineup.
Miguel: I would not have picked it out.
Christina: Yeah, so that's the one new song I have on all of my lists.
Miguel: Okay, I have no new ones on there. I kept it to ’94 to 2009.
Christina: Right.
Miguel: What other ones do you have that are better than the original?
Christina: Well, this one was just additional guests.
Miguel: Oh yes.
Christina: We haven't got to better than the original. We've mentioned stuff that we liked, but not officially. Additional guests, the "Touch It" remix, cause we got a—
Miguel: Brooke Lynn.
Christina: Cameo from Brooke Lynn. a. k. a. Mary J. Blige.
Miguel: Brooke Lynn. Yeah, any remix that has Andre 3000 on it is the best remix with someone added to it.
Christina: Hmm.
Miguel: In my opinion.
Christina: Okay.
Miguel: ‘Cause he just makes any song better. Like, "Walk It Out" is wack, but you throw Andre on it and it's like, you know what?
Christina: It doesn’t sound so bad.
Miguel: This ain't that bad.
Christina: Yep. Actually, I just listened to that earlier today, too. Well, now that you bring up Andre 3000, and I just mentioned Beyoncé, there's "Party," where the original was with, J. Cole, which is fine, but the Andre 3000 one is better.
Miguel: Yeah, like I said, you throw Andre on a remix, it's just gonna make it better.
Christina: Yeah.
Miguel: ‘Cause another one is, I already love... "Throw Some D’s" by Rich Boy, and then you add Andre on it, it's like, come on, this is what I'm here for.
Christina: Uh, I can't think of that one off the top of my head. I can't think of the different versions.
Miguel: Uh, the song sounds exactly the same, it's just got Andre 3000 and dusty braids, Jim Jones on it.
Christina: Okay. What about, "I Need a Girl?" Part 1 or Part 2?
Miguel: Um…
Christina: Part 1 has Usher.
Miguel: Uh, part 1. I like Part 1 better.
Christina: Me too. And then Part 2 has, Loon…
Miguel: And uh, Mario Winans.
Christina: Yes. I like Usher better.
Miguel: Yeah, I’m with you on that. Part 1 is definitely better.
Christina: Um…do you want to move on to the next category, which will be very short, the EDM dance mixes?
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: I have one. "Be Your Girl," Kaytranada, and Teedra, which, as you know how I feel about Teedra, I definitely prefer the original.
Miguel: I know, I'm aware.
Christina: But it did give her sort of like, a resurgence or like, a new subset of fans.
Miguel: Yeah, it expanded her audience a little bit.
Christina: Yeah, so, good for her.
Miguel: Yeah.
Christina: I will always listen to the original version.
Miguel: Uh, there's a couple, like I mentioned earlier, there's some Madonna ones, Janet Jackson had some…
Christina: Yeah, I remember Deborah Cox had a bunch too.
Miguel: Deborah Cox had some, so there's a lot of them out there, but like I said, it's just not my lane, so I am not the best person to be judging dance remixes. There's one that has always irritated the shit out of me. It's the remix to Run DMC's "It's Like That," and I cannot stand that. And the fact that there's so many people's first introduction to run DMC is that, and that bothers me. I don't like it at all. "I don't like that shit." At all.
Christina: Are you eating a banana?
Miguel: I'm not eating a banana right now, but I still "don't like that shit."
Christina: Somebody got that reference.
Miguel: Yeah, and if one person got it, that's all I'm here for.
Christina: Other than me.
Miguel: Yeah, if one person got it, it's worth it.
Christina: All right, so let's just move on to the last category then, now that we've got our two, three out of the way. All right, final category, remixes that are better than the original, even though we sort of sprinkled that throughout already. But officially, we're at this category.
Miguel: So, I've already said 50 and Mobb Deep. That's one.
Christina: "Anything" with Wu-Tang, SWV and Wu-Tang. "One More Chance/Stay With Me." Okay, "Fantasy" with Old Dirty Bastard.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: Because just adding him just, it was special. That chaotic energy with like, this perfect Mariah Carey, sort of, pop princess. Yeah, it just worked, though. Like, I don't even listen to the non ODB version. What? Why?
Miguel: Why would you?
Christina: Yeah, like, it doesn't exist. Because it doesn't sound that much different. You just added ODB and the bass line is stronger. Like, there are smaller changes. It's kind of like how we talk about how Trackmasters will change the tone of the song.
Miguel: And that's basically what it is.
Christina: But Trackmasters didn't do this one, but it's the same idea. That version is just way better. Although, of course, you know, you always have to have the radio version where they take the rap out.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: So, yeah, they have, like, the original "Fantasy," the "Fantasy" with ODB, and then this version but without ODB.
Miguel: Yeah. And I forgot to mention this at the very beginning when we were talking about, like, early remixes, pre-Diddy. You always had a song with a rapper on it, like, there's some Jody Watley songs.
Christina: Right.
Miguel: That had, well, one of them had Rakim and one had, I think, Big Daddy Kane, but then you listen to it on a certain radio station and they're not on it things like that would irk me, but it is what it is.
Christina: Yeah, you always gotta have the, the radio version, aka none of that rap stuff.
Miguel: Yes. "Listen to that on your own time." Like, what's her name said Jasmine Guy? "Listen to that on your own time."
Christina: Throwback to our last episode with where we talked about Giancarlo and—
Miguel: School Daze.
Christina: Esposito in School Daze. Um, yeah, "listen to that on your own time." Okay, another one where the remix is better than the original and I'll tell you why is the "Special Delivery." And not just because you got Ghostface and Keith Murray and Craig Mack, but because Diddy is not yelling as much.
Miguel: Oh no, he is yelling though.
Christina: No, but not as much! No, no, no, no. Put on the original version.
Miguel: Like, there's times when he's literally SCREAMING on it.
Christina: The original is way worse!
Miguel: All right, let me pull that up.
Christina: ‘Cause the features are great. But him yelling less is probably the best part. And I know he does it all the time, but he was egregious on the original version.
Miguel: Yeah, my favorite part of the remix is Craig Mack. "You must wanna be in the Guinness Book of World Records as the dumbest motherfucker alive."
Christina: I like Ghostface’s part. Well, I like all of it, but I like his part. Here it comes.
Miguel: He’s doing this on the remix too, though.
Christina: Maybe because they have to split up the time between all the different features, there's less of it. We haven't heard G-Dep yet. How many seconds in are we?
Miguel: One minute.
Christina: One minute, and it's just been Diddy yelling.
Miguel: All right, you win.
Christina: Yeah, this is egregious even for Diddy.
Miguel: It took a minute and 17 seconds to hear G-Dep.
Christina: And oh, he's not gonna stop.
Miguel: I know.
Christina: He’s gonna continue throughout the song.
Miguel: I am aware.
Christina: So yeah, it was a struggle to get through this version because I just wanted to hear it just to compare. And I was like, oh my god, stop, because he does it a lot in the remix.
Miguel: Now I just want to hear Craig Mack again.
Christina: Do it on your own time.
Miguel: That's great.
Christina: Yeah, so Diddy, man. All up in the video, all up in the studio.
Miguel: And this was after Suge said that too.
Christina: Yep.
Miguel: Well, since we're talking about Crag Mack and Diddy, the "Flava in Your Ear" remix is better than the original. That's another one.
Christina: And we've mentioned this before, the "Loungin’" remix with LL and Total.
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: Or remix slash music video version, because I was mad when I heard—and again, it's not like the original wasn't bad. It used the "Nite and Day" sample, so it was catchy, but that was not what I was expecting, at all. Like, you guys have to label these things.
Miguel: Yeah, see, I was prepared because I had the album before the single version came out. So, it was a bonus for me.
Christina: Well, this other one, I have a feeling you won't agree with me.
Miguel: Okay.
Christina: But the Mariah Carey's "Heartbreaker" remix. Because you can enjoy the beat without the misogyny. Because as much as I do like "Ain't No Fun," that song is a hard listen when you're a woman.
Miguel: It is.
Christina: It won't keep me from singing along and dancing to it. But it is…a lot.
Miguel: It is.
Christina: So, if you listen to the "Heartbreaker" remix, you know, you get the same feel. But without the misogyny. Plus, that remix also led to an amazing live performance on Oprah.
Miguel: Right. With her and Missy.
Christina: With Missy and Da Brat scaring the old white ladies.
Miguel: Although there was one in the front row that was all in.
Christina: Oh, there, there, were some who were jamming, but there were some who were like, no, I did not sign up for this.
Miguel: Oh man.
Christina: Scaring the hoes!
Miguel: Yes, scaring the old hoes.
Uh, so there's another one that I've been running around just quoting for the past couple days and you're like, what are you talking about? And it's the "Get Low" remix with Elephant Man and Busta Rhymes on it.
Christina: Oh, yes.
Miguel: "Make monkey face!" I love that. Yeah, that's another one that's better than the original.
Christina: That was a good remix because that was also, like, peak Elephant Man too.
Miguel: Yeah.
Christina: And so you had that energy as like the popularity of Dancehall at that time. I mean, it's still popular, obviously, but I mean, like, it was, like, pretty peak at that time with the popularity of all the Lil Jon stuff. And then now you have it together.
Miguel: "Make monkey face!"
Christina: But that was also around the time when I was in the clubs and also at the point where I was like, okay, you know what? There's too many dances to keep up with. You want me to pon di river and, signal the plane? And it was a lot.
Miguel: There's like four or five of them in this song that he listed.
Christina: Yes. And at that point I was like, all right, I, this is a lot. Just go back to the two step and the wop.
Miguel: Oh man. So, you got any more that are better than the original?
Christina: Um…that's all I have on this list. There's one more, but I'm gonna save it for our final topic, which is your top five.
Miguel: Okay.
Christina: I said your top five, so you list yours first.
Miguel: Oh, so you want me to get mine first. All right, and this is no particular order, but this is my top five remixes of all time.
Christina: Okay.
Miguel: Method Man and Mary J. Blige, "All I Need," but the RZA version.
Christina: Mm hmm.
Miguel: "California Love," 2pac and Dr. Dre. The original isn't even on the album, it's only on the single. And it's usually the other way around, where the remix is on the single.
Christina: See, I didn't even know that was a remix, ‘cause that's like the only version I know, I think.
Miguel: No, there's definitely the two versions that came out at the same time, because in the video, is when Tupac is having a dream about like, the Mad Max video, and then he wakes up, and then throws a house party.
Christina: Oh wait, wait, wait. And isn't the remix the, the end is longer?
Miguel: Yes.
Christina: Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm lying. I do remember two versions now. Okay, never mind.
Miguel: And the next one is "One More Chance." Uh, "I Shot Ya" with LL, and that could have gone in the other category when you added people to because the original is just him and Keith Murray. But the remix is him, Prodigy, Keith Murray, Fat Joe and Foxy Brown. And the last one is the "Deep Cover" remix, "187."[5] That is probably my favorite remix of all time.
Christina: Um, all right.
Miguel: It's, it's little known, but—
Christina: I'm gonna have to listen to cause I can't think of it.
Miguel: Originally, it was supposed to be "Deep Cover," but it was a little too hard for the streets. And, the folks at Interscope was like, y'all need to dial this back a little bit. So, what we know now as "Deep Cover" is the second version.
Christina: Mm, okay.
Miguel: Kind of like "All About the Benjamins" is actually a remix. Not the original song, but most people forget the original one.
Christina: I cannot say, because I can't think of it right now.
Miguel: Yeah, it doesn't have Biggie and Lil Kim on it.[6] It's just—
Christina: All right.
Miguel: Diddy and the Lox.
Christina: Okay. Coo coo. Another one just popped into my head as you were talking. ‘Cause we had just talked about this. LL Cool J's "Jingling (Baby)." ‘Cause I was saying I like that version way better.
Miguel: Yeah. I like the album version better. Well, the first album.
Christina: The first album. And I like the second album version better. I didn't even know it was a second version. I thought that that was it.
Miguel: Nope, that was the remix.
Christina: Yeah. So, my five, and as I always say, it's just my five for now, cause it's just too hard for me to say all time faves. But anyways, "Anything," SWV and Wu-Tang.
Miguel: Not a surprise.
Christina: And that one I prefer over the original. The "Come and Talk to Me" remix, I don't prefer it over the original, but I love it as much as the original.
Miguel: No a surprise with that one either.
Christina: And then, uh, "You're All I Need to Get By," Mary and Method Man, ‘cause, I mean…
Miguel: Again, not a surprise.
Christina: And then, the, Mariah Carey's "My All" remix, "My All/Stay Awhile" remix.
Miguel: Hmm, that one came out of left field, I didn't that coming.
Christina: Mhmm. it just kind of slid in at the end because I was just on YouTube and it was one of the suggested videos. I was like, oh yeah, I love this song and I decided to choose it because I like it so much better than the original.
Miguel: All right.
Christina: Even though, for me, Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz didn't really add anything to it. They were just, they're there. But, I just like the addition of the stay a while portion of the remix. And then, just to, make it a little different, I added the "Cuff It" Wetter remix, just for something new.
Miguel: Okay.
Christina: And then my honorable mention is the entire What's the 411? album.
Miguel: I'll allow it.
Christina: Because, like, just as much as I liked the original What's the 411?, like, it's a no skip for me. It's a no skip for me with the remix album, so it's almost like I got extra Mary J. Blige.
Miguel: Free football!
Christina: Yes.
Miguel: Oh man. Okay, that's a solid list. I did not see the Mariah Carey one coming though.
Christina: Yeah, that one was like, uh, I don't know what to call it. I saw it and I was like, I'm putting it on the list.
Miguel: Oh man. So, before we wrap this all up, is there anything else that you would like to mention in terms of remixes that we didn't get to?
Christina: There's so many. And while I was looking stuff up, I was like, see, this is why I don't really listen to that much new music, because there's so much old music that like I forget about.
Miguel: Right.
Christina: So, why force myself to try to find something new?
Miguel: Well, there was one that I stumbled across and I don't even remember this song existing in either form, remix or original. But it's Jessica Simpson, "Irresistible" with Jermaine Dupri and Bow Wow on the remix.
Christina: What? I don't know this.
Miguel: I had no idea either, but I watched the video and…well, I watched the remix first and they couldn't even be bothered to have Jermaine and Bow Wow be in the video with Jessica Simpson.
Christina: Oh man.
Miguel: They like in two completely different places. And then I watched the original and it's literally the same video. They just added Bow Wow and JD to it.
Christina: Okay.
Miguel: So, they didn’t even reshoot the video.
Christina: Wow.
Miguel: They just cut them in, in different spots.
Christina: All right.
Miguel: But yeah, I thought that was hilarious.
Christina: Yeah, I think I ignored a lot of the pop/hip hop remixes because I was just like, ugh, I don’t like this attempt at a crossover. Now that y'all deem hip hop cool, let's all throw a rapper on it.
Miguel: Yeah, it was a blatant crossover grab.
Christina: I think where I really tapped out was, um, I forgot her name, but, the "I Wanna Be Bad" with Royce da 5’9".
Miguel: Oh, Willa Ford.
Christina: Willa Ford. I was like, no, I don't like this trend.
Miguel: Oh, man.
Christina: Nope, not doing it.
Miguel: Yeah, I meant to see if Mandy Moore had any hip hop remixes, but I completely forgot until right now. So, I'm gonna have to dig into it, because if Jessica Simpson got a record with Bow Wow and JD, Mandy Moore's gotta have a hip hop remix with Skee-lo or something. And I'm gonna find it.
Christina: I can't do it. Yeah, it just, it just felt too forced.
Miguel: Because it was.
Christina: That, that trend, yeah. ‘Cause as much as like Mariah Carey for example did, you know, she did pop-ish stuff. It, that's Mariah though.
Miguel: And everybody was trying to get what Mariah was doing.
Christina: Yeah, and it's just like, nah, this ain't working.
Miguel: Like, if JD could do it for Mariah, he could do it for Jessica Simpson. I'm sure the check was nice.
Christina: Yeah, but, as a listener, I don't have to listen to it if I don't want to. And I didn't.
Miguel: Exactly.
Christina: All right, on that note, we have many more remixes that we think you should listen to so be sure...
Miguel: Yes, and they will be all on the playlist.
Christina: To check out the playlist. All right.
Miguel: All right, so thank you again for listening to They Reminisce Over You. We try to do this every two weeks. Make sure you come back in a couple weeks to see what we got coming up next. I don't remember what's on the calendar, but it's going to be something good, I promise you.
Make sure to go to troypodcast.com to check out the playlist that we mentioned and some of our previous playlists as well. It's a lot of goodies on there, a lot of old songs you haven't heard in a while.
On social media, you can follow us everywhere, @troypodcast, on X slash Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, all that good stuff. Threads, Spill, we're on all the things. Except Blue Sky, nobody wants to give us an invite, but…
Christina: I don't even know what that is. I think you've mentioned it before. Whatever.
Miguel: We’re not on there yet. Also, we have a monthly newsletter, so check that out as well. It comes out, once a month. It's free. It's called Liner Notes, you can sign up at troypodcast.com/newsletter.
Christina: ‘Cause sometimes it's nice to just read something.
Miguel: Yeah, I always sprinkle in some fun stuff in there for you, it's not too serious, so go ahead and do it. Get on that. You can buy some merch at our store, teethang.com, Nuthin' But a Tee Thang. T-shirts, hats, accessories, all that good stuff. Buy your mama a hoodie, Christmas is coming up, so get her something nice. That's at teethang.com. T E E T H A N G dot com.
Christina: And if you forget the links to all of these things, you could just go to the main website, troypodcast.com.
Miguel: Go to the website. You can check the show notes. It's all in there.
Christina: Yes, transcripts, show notes, links to all the things we just talked about.
Miguel: Yep. I've got nothing else to add. I'm getting hungry.
Christina: I'm ready to eat!
Miguel: So, I'm signing off now and we'll be talking to you again in two weeks.
Christina: Byeeeeee.
Miguel: Byeeeeee.