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Steve Winwood - Higher Love

Printed From: Top 40 Music on CD
Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
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URL: https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10343
Printed Date: 18 March 2026 at 6:01am
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Topic: Steve Winwood - Higher Love

Posted By: aaronk
Subject: Steve Winwood - Higher Love
Date Posted: 27 February 2026 at 11:18pm

I'm surprised "Higher Love" has never had a thread posted on the forum in the last 20 years. When emailing with elcoleccionista about the 12" mix, I discovered something worth noting here for all to read.

The "Remix" running 7:45 was not issued on a "Higher Love" 12" single in the US in 1986. Instead, it was placed on the B-side of Steve Winwood's follow up single "Freedom Overspill." A "Higher Love" 12" was, however, issued in several other countries around the globe, including the UK. In 1988, the "Remix" made its first CD appearance on a Japan 3" CD.

Fast forward to 2006, Hip-O released a 2-CD set of 12" mixes called '80s Dance Gold, where "Higher Love" is labeled UK Extended Mix. Until now, I didn't realize that this is not actually the 7:45 "Remix" that appears on the 12" singles. It's close, but it differs in two places. From 3:15 to 3:34, the UK Extended Mix has full instrumentation, whereas it's just percussion and vocals on the Remix. The endings between the two versions also differ.

As far as I can tell, the so-called UK Extended Mix was never issued on any 12" singles, at least not any from 1986. Quite possibly, it's a case where a wrong tape was pulled and included on the Hip-O CD, which was then also used on the Netherlands V/A compilation Dance Classics Pop Vol. 2 in 2010 and possibly other European V/A CDs with 12" mixes.

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Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop

Replies:

Posted By: mjb50
Date Posted: 02 March 2026 at 8:02pm

I had noticed this a few years ago but never got around to researching whether it was truly unreleased. Thanks for that.

By the way there's also the Instrumental, which on Japanese releases is missing the ping-pong delay reverb on the drum intro.

Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 02 March 2026 at 10:40pm

Actually, it's not technically "missing." My UK 12" does not have the ping-pong echo/reverb on the instrumental. It is on the vocal remix intro, though. DJ Paul T's restoration of the instrumental does have the echo, but I'm wondering if he borrowed the opening percussion from the vocal version. Perhaps the instrumental side of his copy had crackle that he couldn't remove?

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Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop

Posted By: edogak2000
Date Posted: 04 March 2026 at 6:05am

Hi,

the "Remix" is on this CD too:

https://www.discogs.com/de/release/2404008-Various-Movie-Klub80-Episode-4" rel="nofollow - https://www.discogs.com/de/release/2404008-Various-Movie-Klub80-Episode-4

From 3:15 to 3:34 there are just percussion and vocals, not full instrumantion.

Adris

Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 04 March 2026 at 10:09am

Thanks, Adris! I'm glad to know there are other CD sources with the correct 12" version.

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Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop

Posted By: mjb50
Date Posted: 05 March 2026 at 12:49pm

Ah, thanks Aaron. DjPaulT does do some cut-n-paste surgery to cover up noise sometimes. I wish he were more forthcoming about it.

I'll ask him but he usually doesn't respond to those kinds of questions.