Paul Hardcastle: 19: The 30th Anniversary Collection

Hi Paul… wow what a great dialogue. I had no idea there were 3 CDs worth of this single! Great info. Just so everyone knows it is available on US iTunes now. I have purchased it and am listening to it now. Pretty good, although I would’ve truly dug that 3 CD set or even Michael’s version is outstanding. Thanks again for this awesome website!

Very interesting. Thanks for response Paul.

Hi Paul. I wonder when you were working on this CD with Paul? Sounded amazing what a shame masters lost (again) and cancellation. I spoke to Paul about a couple of years ago and suggested a 19 CD project which he replied positively. I was expecting this release a few months and was terribly disappointed at the mixlist. Thought it was as many 1984 (Demo?) / 1985 versions that would fit onto one CD. I expressed my disappointment with him but i also went on to inform him that i would purchase. It’s about £13 delivered and signed, BTW

I want to buy the version that “Michael” created above on 16 April. That is much more interesting to me.

Yes the art needs a rethink and the edited Final Story mix is disappointing however I’ll definitely be buying this :)

I agree that the cover is completely inappropriate for this release. This makes it look like I should expect remixes of Toni Basil’s ‘Mickey’ on it.

Paul (Sinclair), Did Paul (Hardcastle) have any input on the mixes or is this purely another example of a record label urinating all over its catalog again?

@Alex

Thanks for mentioning the German CD. I didn’t know about that. I can’t find one though, so it’s one for the increasing “Wants list”.

The ones you asked about:
Japanese 12″ version on a Japanese CD called “Dancing 80’s”
French 12″ version on a French 5-CD set called “100 Tubes 80 Introuvables”

Also just found the 2010 remixes another 6 mixes there, what about including the b-side dolores, ive been after this for years?, not new remixes.

Looking through my collection, we have had welcome to hell remixes, 25th Anniversary mixes part 1 – 2 , the 2012 remixes, 27 mixes in the last 2-3 years, now more mixes, it would have been nice just to have seen the original versions along with the B-Sides,i will be giving this one a miss as well.

this release in an ideal world would look like this for me:

english 7″ single (3:39)
english 12″ extended (5:13)
english the final story (8:30)
english destruction mix (7:07)
english lp/new-version (6:19)
german 7″ version (4:07)
german 12″ version (6:00)
french 7″ version (3:36)
french 12″ version (5:11)
spanish 7″ version (3:47)
spanish 12″ version (5:07)
japanese 7″ version (3:42)
japanese 12″ extended japanese mix (5:11)
instrumental long (4:33)
instrumental short (3:33)
bonus beats (3:12)
vox & fx sounds (3:42)

all these original period mixes would fit nicely onto one CD as the total running time would be around 77 minutes

@Paul S., the 3 CD set is not coming? Too bad! That one I definitely will buy. How about a 2 CD set? This one I’ll pass!

And it’s indeed ashame how record companies could lose their valuable treasures (at least for the fans who are willing to pay for)! That’s why they always keep coming with the compilations with the same tracks/mixing because everything else were lost :D

… and the use of the “game over” logo is just crass and offensive on the cover of this particular record. Paul Hardcastle should have a serious rethink. It will be shameful if this is released with those images representing it.

That cover is someone’s idea of a joke, surely? A Rubik’s cube? A GameBoy? An ice lolly? This song is about the Vietnam war, for God’s sake!

As usual, like a lot of compilations or deluxe editions, some versions of the track have not been included! So, not a great collection of this hit song to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Oh dear, the 12inch extended 8.30 version of the ‘The Final Story’ mix has not been included but instead it is just the standard version of only 3.04! I will not be buying this compilation because I would have loved to have updated the 12inch vinyl for the CD quality but it is been missed off.

That hideous sleeve is a complete n-n-n-n-n-no n-n-n-n-n-no.

I actually quite like the 2010 versions of 19… same goes for the 1995 Mixes, which should/could have been included… – Well, I like the song, so just pre-ordered it via Amazon!

I have to agree with the comments above. The (retro) completist in me wants all of the period remixes, even if a couple of (well-sourced & cleaned up) vinyl rips were required. And the cover is plain tacky: clichéd 80’s nostalgia in dayglo colours – and all completely at odds with the tone & theme of the music it contains.

This is exactly the sort of thing I would normally buy, but only if it was done right. I was actually speaking to someone recently and said they should release a “19 mixes of 19” CD to include all the foreign mixes as well as the UK ones.

I have tracked down the French and Japanese mixes on official EMI CDs from France and Japan. I would have bought this if it included the German and Spanish versions. But it doesn’t and I’m not remotely interested in modern updates, so this is another lost sale from someone who should be the target market.

I’m personally not a huge fan of the original song, but I do have great admiration for Paul Hardcastle for arranging for the proceeds from the PTSD remix to go to a PTSD charity. I can’t imagine many recording artists would do that with their biggest hit.

Awful cover. It’s like Eighties clipart lazily chucked together.

Not many period remixes, no purchase for me

The Frensh and Japanese 12 inch versions of 19 are official released on CD.
Also the German version, but that is a vinyl rip off.

I agree with Michael, that sleeve needs to change. The modern remixes mean it’s less of an 80s piece. The cover should have reflected the subject matter as the original vinyl sleeves did.

Shouldn’t there be erm… ’19’ different mixes? :)

The 1980’s remixes of course are classics, so i have all of them. Paul should consider having all his 80s albums remastered (Rainforest,Paul Hardcastle,No Winners,Sound Syndicate) with bonus material.

What a great chance to celebrate a great 80’s classic,
that moves me again and again I ever heard it.
But…without the original different language versions
( especially the instrumental version from the US promo 12”
+ vox + FX sounds + beats from a white label UK 12” )
this release is not interesting for me.
Shame on EMI and Paul Hardcastle that he doesn’t saved no copies
in his own studio at that time.
Meanwhile: the 2010 remixes of “19” are horrible.

nice idea, has been floating around the internet a few years now. personally, i would have wished for a more purist selection, combining all the original mixes from the 1980s. but sadly, all those german, french and japanese mixes were ignored in favour of new versions… nevertheless, a really nice release (apart from the cover which is really a bit too much nostalgia for me)

19 is a breaker’s classic – I only ever played the instrumental. The song voice overs and and all the Vietnam war samples make the tune so damn depressing, it cleared many a dance floor back in the day. Social commentary be damned, I’d rather have some remixes of “Rain Forest” myself.