Should classic songs be remixed?

[Anonymous]

Now and again I like to listen to a bit of Johnny Cash and I bought a copy of the famous two prison concerts on CD.

Because of the sort of music I listen to in general I also became aware of a Johnny Cash remixed album (I've not purchased a copy as yet)

One of the tracks on the album is a remix of Folsom Prison Blues by Pete Rock which isn't bad I don't think but do you think such tracks should be remixed?

A more well known example is Junkie XL's remix of a Little Less Conversation by Elvis (Presley of course)

So the question is, should such tracks be remixed and does it make people seek out the original?

[Anonymous]

I think most kids are stunned to learn their new favourite track actually belongs to their parents / grandparents.
Personally I think it’s sacrilege but if it gets young kids into the old stuff then it’s got to be worth it, just don’t expect me to like it!

[TallTrees]

I thought @Anonymous that mixing had been going on for years. The individual artists albums especially for xmas would have contained many releases that I already had and I would be fed up of it. Not long ago I posted on o2 my distaste of living artists singing with dead artists on new recordings. What is that all about. Chocolate adverts were using dead actors to promote their chocolate even showing them eating it most unacceptable to me and generally demeaning.
Mixing up artists works just a ploy to keep you buying slightly different CDs. I like country can get lots to listen too at reasonable cost. Plenty of people selling their collections that's the way I'm going having been ripped off years ago.
I have a large collection of cassette tapes too and still have a Boom Box 🙃

[Anonymous]

Slightly off topic but hey it's my thread so I can but apparently they are releasing a film with James Dean in it (the actor that's been dead for 55 years) which is a just a tad creepy I think but then again a holograhpic version of Amy Winehouse has been touring.

[TallTrees]

you said it @Anonymous 

Creepy

where are they going to make money ?  

This is not a good road in my view

[Anonymous]

I have to say I agree mostly @TallTrees .. with maybe one exception..
Celine Dion singing All The Way with Frank Sinatra. They used his 1957 track with vocals & added Celine over it.
Which makes it different from ‘mixes’ and far more tasteful in my eyes!

[TallTrees]

Well @Anonymous I don't think it's a good way to go living artists singing with dead artists creepy - as @Anonymous put it.

Mixing tracks with artists dead or alive singing their own songs in time is ok and living artists singing songs from any era is ok to me.

Obviously much is technically feasible and making it more and more weird to encourage people to spend their "hard earned" because they are curious and it is written off as a laugh only encourages the "evil" ones to concoct more weird stuff.

If it becomes "the norm" to see dead actors being used out of time in films or dead people singing out of time with the living it will be a very sad world.
The Victorians loved it "the weird" don't need to elaborate.

[Anonymous]

Generally speaking, I think classic songs should be left alone, but I think this version is actually better than the original. I've seen U2 live, and Bono has an incredible stage presence, but Mary J. Blige is fabulous in this reworking of one of their biggest hits.

Not so much a remix, but just giving it the voice that it truly deserves.

https://youtu.be/ZpDQJnI4OhU

[Anonymous]

The ‘evil’ ones ... that’s a bit harsh @TallTrees

[Cleoriff]

Nothing to do with songs but having watched Tesco resurrect Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca) for their dreadful clubcard advert, rather makes my blood boil!! Awful.