Causing a Commotion

by

Madonna

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In 1987 Shep Pettibone was THE remixer to have on your tracks. His remixes for New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" and Pet Shop Boys' "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" are good examples, although there are many more. His work with Madonna is equally good: his mixes on "You Can Dance" are brilliant to say the least, his general overall production on "Vogue" and remix work on "Express Yourself" are legendary. Although not everyone is aware of this, Shep's mixes of "Causing a Commotion" also fall into this classic category.

The "Silver Screen Mix" is a nice extended and remixed version of the soundtrack album cut. However, it is not just an extended version of the "Silver Screen Single Mix," so it is important to get both long and short mixes (the short edit is available on "The Holiday Collection"- and nowhere else, I think). The dub version is, well, a dub version of the "Silver Screen Mix." Very enjoyable, even as dub versions go.

The true gem of this single is Shep's "Movie House Mix." I thought "Movie House" was just a general theater name for the mix, a la "Silver Screen Mix." It wasn't until I heard the track that I realized it's a movie HOUSE mix- one of the first house mixes of its kind. This mix does not feel like the nine-minute-plus mix that it is, it never gets boring or repetitive, unlike the current remixes out there (like anyone wants a fifteen minute trance mix of "I'm So Stupid" for example). This mix alone is worth the price of admission.

The last track is the LP version of "Jimmy Jimmy." This is identical to the version on "True Blue," but it's nice to also have it here.

Overall, this is not a cheesy 80's mix, but a harbinger of the great things to come for Madonna's music, and the world of dance music in general.