'High' is a melodic dreamy pop song that was the first single from the 'Wish' album and that is instantly recognizable as The Cure.
It's a good(ish) pop song but I have always felt that the simple version included in 'Wish' does not do it entire justice. As it is on the album, it sounds nice but not much more. However, there are other versions/mixes that give the song a whole new dimension...
The particular mix I'm referring to in this thread is the so-called 'Higher mix' and was included in the 12" single that was issued before 'Wish' came out. Actually this was my first contact with the song and maybe because of this I have always been disappointed with the shorter and simpler album version. The 'Higher Mix' is more dramatic, the instruments come in and get out of the song with greater effect and there's a whole new keyboard motive that gives it even a sort of epic feel.
Here's the You Tube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAnI2WBvLmg
PS: There is also a so-called 'Trip mix' of 'High' but I couldn't find a link to it anywhere on the net. If anyone can find a link to it, please post it here or create another thread, if you prefer.
I've got the Trip Mix; nothing to write home about, really. The Higher Mix is much better. Like you, revolt, I prefer the Higher Mix to the Single and Album Mixes.
Factoid: As might be expected, giving the excellent and rather prominent bass, this is a Simon song. Which just goes to show that Robert isn't the only pop hits maker in the band.
[God, I love Simon.... And for reasons not at all to do with what make the COF Kittens purr.]
Quote from: revolt on July 16, 2008, 13:40:47
There is also a so-called 'Trip mix' of 'High' but I couldn't find a link to it anywhere on the net. If anyone can find a link to it, please post it here or create another thread, if you prefer.
I have it on vinyl. It only appeared once on CD ... on a sampler called "UK Chart Attack". I haven't been able to find anyone who owns it, yet ... I'd love to have a cd sourced version of it.
To my eternal shame, I have it off a bootleg [Razor Rare Remixes: Volume 1], which itself probably wasn't worth the buy. But still, it gave me the Strangelove Mix of Friday I'm In Love and the Trip Mix of High. Those are really the only worthwhile things on it, though.... And the Trip Mix isn't even all that worthwhile! Sort of a shady disc; the version of A Forest is called the "Mark's Hypnotic Remix," but honestly, it sounds the same as the Tree Mix from Mixed Up.
I think the Trip Mix on here is CD-sourced, though. It doesn't sound like vinyl to me; maybe an immaculate transfer?
The Higher mix is really good. Not as good as some of the others there are tho. My top 5 are:
1. Pictures of You (Extended Version) from the Pictures of You 12"
2. Close to Me (Closer Mix) from Mixed Up
3. Friday I'm In Love (Stranglove Mix) from Friday I'm in Love 12"
4. To The Sky (Art of Resurrection Mix) from... uh... wait where the hell DOES this come from?
5. Just Like Heaven (Dizzy Mix) from Join the Dots
For a brief period of time, I was in possession of a really terrible vinyl transfer of the extended Pictures of You. I miss it. Even its awful scratchiness. Okay, well maybe I don't miss that. But the actual mix was great.
The Strangelove Mix of Friday is amazing. I adore it. I have the annoying habit of recreating albums, and whenever I re-arrange Wish, it includes the Strangelove mix instead of the album mix of Friday.
I've always been underwhelmed by the Resurrection mix, though. It's fairly cheap. Just rearranges the verses, if I remember correctly. Something someone did in the early nineties by cutting up tape. A home-made remix.
Another remix I miss, though, is the Fix Mix of Open. I really dug something about it. But I lost it in a computer crash last year and haven't gotten it back yet. Oh well.
My favorite remixes right now:
01) Fascination Street [Extended Mix] *Though I'd love this one a lot more if it was about two minutes shorter.*
02) Friday I'm in Love [Strangelove Mix]
03) Out of this World [Oakenfold Remix]
04) Mint Car [Buskers Mix] *Essentially an acoustic mix. It's great.*
05) Wrong Number [Analogue Exchange Mix] *This one is SO different than the original, I can't help but love its weirdness -- completely different singing style, with female back-up singers and some different lyrics. It's amazing.*
Quote from: Bloodflower on July 16, 2008, 21:07:14
I think the Trip Mix on here is CD-sourced, though. It doesn't sound like vinyl to me; maybe an immaculate transfer?
It's taken from the vinyl. All bootleg versions of the Trip Mix are.
A good vinyl transfer, then.
I think a lot of the Wish-era remixes were among the best they ever did. Sadly that was really the last time they ever made remixes in the traditional since.
Wild Mood Swings had a few, but most were just totally out there. Anyone remember the Gone single? :shock:
After that, aside from Maybe Someday, the band pretty much gave up on remixes. What gives? :?
(sorry, I can't really count the crappy "13mix" stuff)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_(The_Cure_song)
Trip mix of High was on the 12" clear vinyl release with the excellent "Fix Mix" of Open. from memory when you have the record in the sleeve you can line up the image on the label and the sleeve.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/The-Cure-High-trip-mix-12-single-on-clear-vinyl_W0QQitemZ300250148268QQihZ020QQcategoryZ306QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em122
Higher mix is also on the CD single of High. at least it was on the Aussie version. shouldn't be too hard to find on ebay i reckon...
Quote from: nausearockpig on August 16, 2008, 08:44:12Higher mix is also on the CD single of High. at least it was on the Aussie version. shouldn't be too hard to find on ebay i reckon...
Yes, very easy to find. The CD single was the same in all parts of the world.
Managed to get a copy off ebay a few months back. I love this mix :smth023
Quote from: Bloodflower on July 16, 2008, 20:58:52
I've got the Trip Mix; nothing to write home about, really. The Higher Mix is much better. Like you, revolt, I prefer the Higher Mix to the Single and Album Mixes.
Factoid: As might be expected, giving the excellent and rather prominent bass, this is a Simon song. Which just goes to show that Robert isn't the only pop hits maker in the band.
[God, I love Simon.... And for reasons not at all to do with what make the COF Kittens purr.]
I love this mix, and it really does bring a smile to my face knowing this is a Simon song, but I've always been confused about the basses in this song. Simon is playing his bass of course, but in a much more subtle way and it's in fact Perry playing the six-string bass? That's always been the essence of this song for me along with the dreamy guitar throughout. I hope I'm making sense. :?
Yes, High does have that dreamy guitar sound. I think all the songs on the High CD single (This Twilight Garden & Play) have that sound.
High is the song that I grew most obsessed with by The Cure and remains to be my favorite, though End is coming close. I always wanted to hear the Higher Mix, and I finally did while browsing Youtube. It's very good, giving you a taste of many of their instruments. I love it.
Quote from: lordsquidy13 on August 30, 2008, 03:18:52
High is the song that I grew most obsessed with by The Cure and remains to be my favorite, though End is coming close. I always wanted to hear the Higher Mix, and I finally did while browsing Youtube. It's very good, giving you a taste of many of their instruments. I love it.
The Higher Mix is cool but I think the original version is the best. I love the artwork on the CD single of High. Nice colors Porl!
Quote from: Bloodflower on July 17, 2008, 03:30:31
The Strangelove Mix of Friday is amazing. I adore it. I have the annoying habit of recreating albums, and whenever I re-arrange Wish, it includes the Strangelove mix instead of the album mix of Friday.
thank god im not alone, i do the same thing, and wish really is the best album to do this with; it has 5 great remixes, open fix , higher , friday im in strangelove, unstuck from dots, and the US blue mix of letter to elise, plus imo the best grouping of good b-sides since japanese whispers, incl big hand play halo, twilight, scared
Quote from: lostflower4 on July 17, 2008, 08:44:49
I think a lot of the Wish-era remixes were among the best they ever did. Sadly that was really the last time they ever made remixes in the traditional since.
Wild Mood Swings had a few, but most were just totally out there. Anyone remember the Gone single? :shock:
After that, aside from Maybe Someday, the band pretty much gave up on remixes. What gives? :?
(sorry, I can't really count the crappy "13mix" stuff)
Wish was the beginning of the end, they dropped a lot afterwards, and lost my interest a long the way. The remixes for the Wish tunes always have this bright air of genius around them, look at Show for the live sound, and compare it to what they sound like during Festival 05. It's just a shame that everything seems to have faltered after wish, which I still regard as the high point of their career.
And let's not forget the very beautiful Extended 12" Remix of Letter To Elise. Talk about dream-like!
Quote from: mambojoe on March 01, 2011, 10:44:17
And let's not forget the very beautiful Extended 12" Remix of Letter To Elise. Talk about dream-like!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but is this the uh "Blue Mix" you're talking about? If so I love how it was done.
No, no. I'm actually not a big fan of the Blue Mix. I found the sample used for the rhythm a little irritating. I believe it was sampled from a P.I.L. song titled "Round." The Extended 12" Mix is on a promo disc that was not released commercially. It extends the instrumental parts of the song, and uses a phaser to beautiful effect on Robert's voice right at the "...and I let the dream go..." part.
http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=76678
I like this mix so much that I thought it would be a good idea to bring up again this thread, in case anyone missed it before.
I am not sure if the youtube link posted here at the beginning of the thread is working anymore, in case it doesn't this one probably does (although I can't be positively sure either - can't access youtube anymore :smth011):
High (Higher Mix):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBkY0xCLa0Q (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBkY0xCLa0Q#ws)
By the way, this 'High' 12" single is together with the 'Lovesong' 12" single my very favourite Cure single to appear in that extended format.