NOW Music presents the next instalment in our ongoing series of 12” 80s releases: NOW 12” 80s: 1987 – Part One. Across 4 CDs, discover 46 extended, remixed and full-length 12” versions from one of the decade’s most memorable years. Featuring chart-topping duets, dancefloor anthems, sophisticated pop, cutting-edge club classics and enduring genre-defying favourites, this collection captures the sound of 1987 in all its diversity.

CD1 opens with a huge international chart-topper: George Michael and Aretha Franklin’s #1 smash ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)’ featured here in its ‘Extended Remix’, before another worldwide favourite, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes’ ‘(I've Had) The Time Of My Life (12" Version)’, the unforgettable hit from ‘Dirty Dancing’. Stylish pop follows from ABC’s ‘When Smokey Sings (The Miami Mix)’ and Duran Duran’s ‘Skin Trade (Stretch Mix)’. Eurythmics bring the dazzling ‘Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)’ in its ‘Dance Mix’, before a-ha’s stunning ‘Manhattan Skyline (Extended Remix)’. Curiosity Killed The Cat enjoyed their Top 10 breakthrough with ‘Down To Earth (Extended Version)’, while Swing Out Sister feature with ‘Surrender (Stuff Gun Mix)’, another of the year’s defining pop hits. Bryan Ferry and Alison Moyet continue the run of elegant pop, with ‘Is This Love?’ reaching the UK Top 3, the ‘L.A. Mix’ of which is featured here. Sting’s ‘We’ll Be Together (Extended Mix)’ leads into the disc-closing ‘Once Upon A Long Ago (Extended Version)’, the original mix of which gave Paul McCartney another Top 10 success.

CD2 kicks off with one of 1987’s biggest singles: Pet Shop Boys’ landmark #1 ‘It’s A Sin’, presented here in its epic ‘Disco Mix’. Dead Or Alive follow with the effects-laden drama of ‘Something In My House (Mortevicar Mix)’, before hi-nrg floor-filler ‘Male Stripper (12 Inch Version)’ from Man 2 Man. The Extended Mix of ‘Respectable’ from Mel & Kim leads a stellar run of Stock, Aitken & Waterman productions featuring Sinitta’s Top 5 smash ‘Toy Boy (The Extended Bicep Mix)’, and the debut hit and 1987’s biggest seller from Rick Astley with ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, presented here in its 'Cake Mix' – ahead of Bananarama with the ‘Miami Remix’ of their trans-Atlantic hit ‘I Heard A Rumour’, plus the 12” Vocal Mix of Laura Branigan’s superb ‘Shattered Glass’. The Communards feature with the uplifting 1987 12” Version of ‘You Are My World’, while New Order’s enduring classic ‘True Faith (Remix)’, a UK Top 5 hit and one of the era’s most celebrated releases follows. Yello’s atmospheric ‘The Rhythm Divine’ rounds off the second disc in its full-length version.

CD3 showcases the club sounds that dominated dancefloors during 1987, opening with M/A/R/R/S and their #1 ‘Pump Up The Volume (UK 12" Remix)’. Alexander O’Neal follows with the defining remix of ‘Criticize before dance-floor classics from Jody Watley with ‘Looking For A New Love (Extended Club Mix)’ and Whitney Houston’s ‘So Emotional (Extended Remix)’, taken from her blockbuster album ‘Whitney’. Jellybean and Elisa Fiorillo keep the energy high with ‘Who Found Who (Club Mix)’, ahead of freestyle favourites Company B and Exposé. Pepsi & Shirlie’s debut smash ‘Heartache’ reached #2 in the UK and is featured in its ‘Dot & Daisy Club Remix’, while Five Star feature with ‘Stay Out Of My Life (12" Version)’. Level 42 had a huge year in 1987: ‘Running In The Family’ was a big hit and the title track from their multi-platinum album – appearing here in its ‘Extended Version’ leads into the disc’s closer: the ‘Long Version’ of The Blow Monkeys’ ‘It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way’.

CD4 opens with The Cure’s ‘Why Can’t I Be You? (Extended Mix 1987)’ before rock icon Iggy Pop features with ‘Real Wild Child (Wild One) (Extended Version)’. Billy Idol and Tina Turner are up next with extended dancefloor reworks of two of their biggest 1987 releases, before the ‘Extended’ 12” version of Chris Rea’s ‘Let’s Dance’ and Wax’s undeniable earworm ‘Bridge To Your Heart (The Unabridged Version)’. The ‘Extended Remix’ of Karel Fialka’s cult hit ‘Hey Matthew’ comes before a run of some of the year’s biggest debut singles: Johnny Hates Jazz’s Top 5 smash ‘Shattered Dreams (12" Extended Mix)’, Wet Wet Wet’s ‘Wishing I Was Lucky (12" Version)’ Sananda Maitreya making his breakthrough with the Top 10 ‘If You Let Me Stay (Extended Version)’, and Living In A Box with the ‘Dance Mix’ of their eponymous smash ‘Living In A Box’. It’s left to Was (Not Was) to close the collection with the infectious ‘Walk The Dinosaur (The New York Dangerous Mix)’, one of the era’s most distinctive crossover dance-pop hits.

NOW 12” 80s: 1987 – Part One celebrates a remarkable year for pop, dance and club culture, bringing together some of the years’ most memorable extended cuts, remixes and 12” versions … with an equally impressive ‘Part Two’ to follow soon…