Tommie Sunshine is one of those artists that fit into a multitude of categories; producer, DJ, remixer, songwriter. Yet despite his long list of talents he is best known for and most talented at creating dance remixes of popular songs. The amount of remixes he has done flows onto pages and pages, so here is but a sliver of his work. I certainly suggest listening to as many as you can.
Fall Out Boy – Dance Dance
So I’ll admit that Fall Out Boy isn’t really my kind of listen. I’ve personally found their style of rock generic and uninspiring, yet even I can’t deny that their blend of pop and punk on Dance Dance is pretty catchy. It’s got a lively drum line, fuzzy, yet typical guitar riffs and far searching vocals, that all miraculously come together to form a listenable melody.
Fall Out Boy – “Dance Dance”
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Though the original could be forgotten easily, Tommie Sunshine ensures you take his remix seriously. The vocals are made clearer, stronger and more adult like, if you will. The rest of the song is thrown to the dogs and replaced with a lot that is better. Tommie Sunshine starts off by slapping on an electronic buzz and dub into the song, which continues throughout. Synths and syncopated beats are added, as are break beats, which are fleshed out in the verses. The highlight comes at the chorus though. Where the lyrics/vocals of the original are already catchy, strapping on four to the floor house beats does wonders. In Tommie Sunshine’s hands this song transforms from an emo-esque high school whine to a gloomy, and moody love lost plea.
Fall Out Boy – “Dance Dance” (Tommie Sunshine Remix)
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Hellogoodbye – “Here (In Your Arms)”
So can this song be classified as cheesy pop? It makes me laugh to think so. But it’s so good, so catchy, so fun, and has so much more than cheesy pop numbers do. Well, either way, there was a point in late 2006/early 2007 where you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing this song or even worse, having it stuck in your head. It’s a simple song really; slow at parts, then picking up pace with a fast dance beat, auto-tune on danceable vocals, and the lyrics are just really sweet. It’s a summery, euro-pop special.
Hellogoodbye – “Here (In Your Arms)
Tommie Sunshine keeps the main melody intact for this one, which makes sense, since it’s already danceable, but he transforms it slightly by using distorted synthesizers, which throws in much needed grit to the song. That is really the highlight of the remix, it’s simple, yet it changes it so much. The chorus adds a pulse effect coming from a synthesizer. There are no down tempo parts to this mix like the original, so the song keeps on going with the electronic/house flair that it has.
Hellogoodbye – “Here (In Your Arms)” (Tommie Sunshine Remix)
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Blondie – “Heart of Glass”
Heart of Glass is of course one of the most famous songs of all time. Rolling Stone ranked it as #255 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. Though Blondie was a forefront band in the New Wave music scene, this is a pure Disco track, which caused much stir when it was released, as the band was accused of selling out to the popular Disco genre at the time. Either way, it’s a great song, with Debbie Harry’s vocal coos and sexy sighs. The pop/click/staccato intro is sublime and only bettered with the jump in of the dream pop guitars and synths.
Blondie – “Heart of Glass”
If you’re going to take on one of the greatest songs of all time, you better do it right, and with no surprise, Mr. Sunshine does just that. This remix is incredible. It totally transforms the song, melding the disco aspect of the original with the house music of today. It starts with a funky, bassy, riff, soon met with a hard-hitting floor beat and then a really, really cool, lush, opulent and laser-like/dreamy disco/electro beat. The song is sped up overall and just stirs you out of your seat. It’s impossible to sit still while listening to this. This mix bubbles and moves and Debbie Harry’s sighs are prominently focused on.
Blondie – “Heart of Glass” (Tommie Sunshine Remix)
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The Killers – “Somebody Told Me”
Not much needs to be said about this band or this song. This is their upbringing, their Vegas influenced track of Sin City and the The Strip. It is gritty and fueled with sexual energy. The track is stamped with The Killer’s early signature of crashing guitars and fly by synths. The song, at the same time, manages to be fun, edgy and mysterious.
The Killers – “Somebody Told Me”
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When a song is this good, there isn’t really much you can do with it. I’ve heard plenty of remixes of Somebody Told Me and none compare to the original, and so is the case with Mr. Sunshine over here, though it’s still a good listen. He extends the song, adds in electronic handclaps to a story like intro he creates. The track is slowed down, but the fast pace of the original is what makes it a powerhouse in any case. Fuzzy and distorted synths and guitars are layered on and the final product is complete.
The Killers – “Somebody Told Me” (Tommie Sunshine Remix)
Photo: Krijn van Noordwijk
