NewsI Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) remixes finally emerge on CD
The big news for pop fans this week is that tucked away on the second disc of Aretha Franklin’s Aretha reissue are official period remixes of her 1986 duet with George Michael – the transatlantic number one I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me).
The single wasn’t issue on CD at all at the time and five versions were spread across various seven-inch and twelve-inch vinyl singles. They were:
- • 7″ Mix (3.52)
- • Instrumental (4.00)
- • Edited Remix (5.29)
- • Percapella (5.14)
- • Extended Remix (7.29)
All of these are featured on the new Aretha two CD set and were created the ‘go to’ remixers of the day, Mr Steve Thompson and Mr Michael Barbiero.
There was actually a two-track promo CD in the US which featured the album version and the ‘Edited Remix’ (longer than the seven-inch, shorter than the Extended Remix). The ‘7″ mix’ has turned up on some compilations, notable the 1987 UK compilation The Hits Album 6. Last year Blank and Jones also dusted down the ‘Extended Remix’ for their so80s 8 compilation, but nevertheless this is the first time they’ve been all brought together and as far as we know the ‘Percapella’ and ‘Instrumental’ are unreleased on CD until now.
Despite the fact that the song appeared on George Michael’s 1998 Ladies and Gentlemen compilation it wasn’t included in the 2011 Faith reissue, something we noted at the time.
As can be seen by the track listing below this new Aretha reissue is packed with remixes from the various singles including Rock A, Jumping Jack Flash and Jimmy Lee.
Aretha deluxe 2CD edition is out now.
Update 18 Dec: The 7″ mix of I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) has been dropped from this CD. It is not clear if that is because it might be the same as the album version.
Aretha 2CD deluxe
Disc: 1
1. Jimmy Lee
2. I Knew You Were Waiting – For Me (Duet with George Michael)
3. Do You Still Remember
4. Jumpin Jack Flash
5. Rock – A
6. An Angel Cries
7. He’ll Come Along
8. If You Need My Love Tonight (Duet with Larry Graham)
9. Look to the Rainbow
10. Rock -A-Lott (single mix)
11. Rock -A-Lott (radio edit)
12. Rock -A-Lott (street mix)
13. Rock -A-Lott (dub)
14. Rock -A-Lott (acapella)
Disc: 2
1. An Angel Cries (7″ Mix)
2. I Knew You Were Waiting – For Me (Instrumental Duet with George Michael)
3. I Knew You Were Waiting – For Me (Edited Remix Duet with George Michael)
4. I Knew You Were Waiting – For Me (Percapella Duet with George Michael)
5. I Knew You Were Waiting – For Me (Extended Remix Duet with George Michael)
6. Jimmy Lee (Extended Version)
7. Jimmy Lee (Dub Version)
8 Jumpin Jack Flash (7″ Mix)
9. Jumpin Jack Flash (Street Mix)
10. Jumpin Jack Flash (Edited Street Mix)
11. Jumpin Jack Flash (Master Dub Mix)
12. Jumpin Jack Flash (Beat Dub Mix)
13. Aretha Megamix ((Who’s Zoomin’ Who? / Another Night / Integrity / Freeway Of Love)
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I´d call this – the Oxymoron Edit/Mix
2. I Knew You Were Waiting – For Me (Instrumental Duet with George Michael)
all i like about aretha is “highway of love’ and “who’s zooming who” but after getting a cheap cd i love it and these mixes are too hard to resist. it is strange that “IKYWWFM” wasn’t on faith deluxe.
Over the past 2 months I’ve heard a version of IKYWWFM on satellite radio that is completely different from the version I’ve always heard (I think @Lennart above commented about it). It has strings throughout it and the background vocals are quite different. After searching and searching, I found it on an Aretha compilation “Jewels in the crown.” It runs about 3:56. I downloaded the song so I don’t have the credits to see if it’s a new mix or something from the past. To be honest, I’ve never been the biggest fan of the song but this version has made me change my mind.
Well, that sucks…..so where can the 7″ mix be found on CD? I don’t think it’s on HITS6, though guess what I am going off to check now….
Maybe there is no difference and that’s why it was left off? The track is on Hits 6 and I always assumed it was the “seven-inch version” but perhaps that is the same as the album version?
That’s what I’m thinking too, Paul. The HITS6 version comes up as 3.58 when ripped into iTunes, but there could be a couple of seconds of silence either end to account for the shorter 7″ timing.
There is not the 7″ Mix version (3:52) on this album! This 7″ Mix is omitted from Disc 2. On Cd1 is Album Version (4:02).
Also, I knew you were waiting (7″ mix) has been omitted from Disc 2 and the disc now starts with An Angel Cries (7″ Mix) – originally the final track from Disc 1. Maybe the 7″ mix of I knew ….. is the album version after all ??
Amazon has mislead you Paul. Track 5 and its remixes is called Rock-A-Lott – the double t is in honour of an Arista executive of the time Ray (?) Lott.
I still wonder if there was any difference between the album and the 7″ version of “I Knew You Were Waiting”? I think no.
BTW: I remember there was a slightly remixed version on a later Aretha compilation with overdubs that reminded me of the “Dirty Dancing” track by Medley/Warnes.
As single disc compilations go, The Hits Album 6 is practically flawless.
https://apopfansdream.wordpress.com/2014/09/02/the-hits-album-6-cbs-wea-bmg-1987/
Yep. I have that on CD.
… that is both “Aretha” & “Through The Storm” Deluxe editions. :)
Got them both & are a real catch with super sound quality of all the tracks. A great buy !!! ;)
Brilliant! About time as well. It’s a shame thatone has to scramble for rare mixes and releases from other artists’ reissues as George is too disinterested (lazy?) to bother with his own!!! Thanks for the heads up, Paul!
listened to a remix of I knew you were waiting for me on youtube yesterday. Artist was someone by the name DJ Jan Project and for some bizarre reason, it was not available today on Youtube or any site on the internet. It’s as though it never existed. The remix was quicker tempo and more of a daft punkish beat, shall we say, than the remixes on the album discussed in this forum. Would appreciate any input on this, but I assume that it has been viewed by few and unknown to many.