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Demon Music Group scored a real coup in 2021 with the release of Dance Masters: Shep Pettibone (The Classic Master Mixes), a box set devoted to the stellar late ’80s and early ’90s remixer. The branding on the set indicated that Dance Masters was to be a series, presented by another remixing great: American DJ/producer Arthur Baker. Now, two years later, another Dance Masters set is forthcoming, focused on the work of Baker himself.

Dance Masters: Arthur Baker (The Classic Dance Remixes), due July 7, will bring Baker’s work behind the mixing boards to life with a 43-track offering of classic 12″ mixes. From club hits like Afrika Bambaataa and The SoulSonic Force’s “Planet Rock” to mixes of pop classics by Daryl Hall & John Oates, Cyndi Lauper, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Fleetwood Mac and more, this latest Dance Masters offering will more than live up to its name. It’ll be available on four CDs or eight LPs.  Produced, compiled, and sequenced by Wayne A. Dickson, it’s been newly remastered by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering and featuring in-depth liner notes by Bill Coleman plus track-by-track commentary by Baker himself (along with rare photos from his archives). A 2LP highlights package will also be available.

Of particular worth to collectors is a promotional mix of Pet Shop Boys’ “Suburbia” making its CD debut, plus rare-to-CD mixes of songs by Al Jarreau, Robbie Nevil, Neneh Cherry, Carly Simon and Atlantic Starr. Even a mix of Artists United Against Apartheid’s charity single “Sun City” and a track from Baker’s collaboration with Bob Dylan (1985’s Empire Burlesque) are included here.

Born in Boston, Baker became a fixture of the New York club scene not long after working nearly uncredited assembling an album of original material for Tom Moulton. He first gained exposure as the producer of Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock,” a killer mash of hip-hop and European electronic music (specifically the beat to Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express”). That knack for groove and synthesized sound paid dividends over the years: in addition to serving as remixer to plenty of top-notch acts, he was tapped as a producer for Daryl Hall & John Oates’ Big Bam Boom (1984) and co-produced Candy Girl, the 1983 debut by New Edition (issued on his own Streetwise label). He also cut music under his own name, credited to Arthur Baker & The Disciples of Love – several tracks of which are featured on this box.

Add Dance Masters: Arthur Baker to your collection this summer via the links below.

Dance Masters: Arthur Baker (The Classic Dance Remixes) (Demon (U.K.), 2023)

4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
4CD with signed print: Amazon U.K.

CD 1

1. Big Love (Extended Mix) – Fleetwood Mac
2. Confusion (12″ Version) – New Order
3. Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Extended Version) – Cyndi Lauper
4. Dreamtime (Extended Remix Version) – Daryl Hall
5. Suburbia (Club Vocal Mix) – Pet Shop Boys
6. Ever Fallen in Love? (Club Senseless) – Fine Young Cannibals
7. Never You Done That (Special Dance Mix) – General Public
8. Running Away (Long Version) – The Colourfield
9. Hello Again (Remix) – The Cars
10. My New Boyfriend (Remix) – Carly Simon
11. When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky (Full-Length Version) – Bob Dylan

CD 2

1. Out of Touch (Club Version) – Daryl Hall & John Oates
2. No Frills Love (Extended Dance Remix) – Jennifer Holliday
3. C’est La Vie (Extended Version) – Robbie Nevil
4. Living in a Box (Dance Mix) – Living in a Box
5. Buffalo Stance (1/2 Way 2 House Mix) – Neneh Cherry
6. A Love Supreme (Jazz in the House Mix) – Will Downing
7. Soweto (Remixed Version) – Jeffrey Osborne
8. Jody (Dance Version) – Jermaine Stewart
9. Uh-Uh Ooh Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes) (Arthur Baker’s Dance Mix) – Roberta Flack
10. I Must Have Been a Fool (Remix) – Al Jarreau
11. The Message is Love (Cupid Mix) – Arthur Baker & The Backbeat Disciples feat. Al Green

CD 3

1. Sun City (Last Remix) – Artists United Against Apartheid
2. I.O.U. (Mega-Mix) – Freeez
3. Blind (Extended Mix) – Talking Heads
4. Turn Me Loose (12″ Version) Wally Jump Jr. & The Criminal Element
5. Honey to a Bee (Vocal/Extended Version) – Tina B.
6. Breaker’s Revenge (Extended Vocal Version) – Arthur Baker
7. This Could Be the Night (Vocal/Extended Version) – Cindy Mizelle
8. One Lover At a Time (Extended Version) – Atlantic Starr
9. Freemason (You Broke the Promise) (Shakedown Mix) – Boxcar
10. Bamboleo Latin (Extended Version) – Gypsy Kings

CD 4

1. Planet Rock (12″ Vocal Version) – Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force
2. Walking on Sunshine (12″ Version) – Rockers Revenge feat. Donnie Calvin
3. Ease Your Mind (U.S. Remix) – Touchdown
4. Star (U.S. Remix) – Second Image
5. Tease Me (Long Version) – Junie Morrison
6. Surprise, Surprise (12″ Version) – Central Line
7. Can You Guess What Groove This Is (Short Version) – Glory
8. Jazzy Sensation (12″ Bronx Version) – Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5 with The Kryptic Krew
9. I Wanna Get With You (12″ Version) – Ritz
10. No More Games (Short Version) – Larry Wedgeworth and Clique
11. Can’t Put No Price on Love (Long Version) – NorthEnd

6 LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. (includes signed print) / Amazon Canada

LP 1

1. Out of Touch (Club Version) – Daryl Hall & John Oates
2. C’est La Vie (Extended Version) – Robbie Nevil
3. Living in a Box (Dance Mix) – Living in a Box
4. Big Love (Extended Mix) – Fleetwood Mac
5. Sun City (Last Remix) – Artists United Against Apartheid
6. Hello Again (Remix) – The Cars

LP 2

1. Ever Fallen in Love? (Club Senseless) – Fine Young Cannibals
2. Running Away (Long Version) – The Colourfield
3. Sweet and Low (Swing Low Mix) – Deborah Harry
4. Dreamtime (Extended Remix Version) – Daryl Hall
5. My New Boyfriend (Remix) – Carly Simon
6. When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky (Full-Length Version) – Bob Dylan

LP 3

1. Buffalo Stance (1/2 Way 2 House Mix) – Neneh Cherry
2. Turn Me Loose (12″ Version) Wally Jump Jr. & The Criminal Element
3. The Message is Love (Cupid Mix) – Arthur Baker & The Backbeat Disciples feat. Al Green
4. Uh-Uh Ooh Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes) (Arthur Baker’s Dance Mix) – Roberta Flack
5. A Love Supreme (Jazz in the House Mix) – Will Downing
6. I Must Have Been a Fool (Remix) – Al Jarreau

LP 4

1. Soweto (Remixed Version) – Jeffrey Osborne
2. Jody (Dance Version) – Jermaine Stewart
3. One Lover At a Time (Extended Version) – Atlantic Starr
4. Tease Me (Long Version) – Junie Morrison
5. No Frills Love (Extended Dance Remix) – Jennifer Holliday
6. This Could Be the Night (Vocal/Extended Version) – Cindy Mizelle

LP 5

1. Ease Your Mind (U.S. Remix) – Touchdown
2. Star (U.S. Remix) – Second Image
3. Surprise, Surprise (12″ Version) – Central Line
4. Jazzy Sensation (12″ Bronx Version) – Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5 with The Kryptic Krew
5. Can You Guess What Groove This Is (Short Version) – Glory
6. I Wanna Get With You (12″ Version) – Ritz

LP 6

1. Planet Rock (12″ Vocal Version) – Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force
2. Honey to a Bee (Vocal/Extended Version) – Tina B.
3. Breaker’s Revenge (Extended Vocal Version) – Arthur Baker
4. Walking on Sunshine (12″ Version) – Rockers Revenge feat. Donnie Calvin
5. I.O.U. (Mega-Mix) – Freeez

2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

LP 1

1. Out of Touch (Club Version) – Daryl Hall & John Oates
2. C’est La Vie (Extended Version) – Robbie Nevil
3. Living in a Box (Dance Mix) – Living in a Box
4. Running Away (Long Version) – The Colourfield
5. Big Love (Extended Mix) – Fleetwood Mac
6. Sun City (Last Remix) – Artists United Against Apartheid
7. Ever Fallen in Love? (Club Senseless) – Fine Young Cannibals

LP 2

1. Buffalo Stance (1/2 Way 2 House Mix) – Neneh Cherry
2. The Message is Love (Cupid Mix) – Arthur Baker & The Backbeat Disciples feat. Al Green
3. A Love Supreme (Jazz in the House Mix) – Will Downing
4. Soweto (Remixed Version) – Jeffrey Osborne
5. Planet Rock (12″ Vocal Version) – Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force
6. Walking on Sunshine (12″ Version) – Rockers Revenge feat. Donnie Calvin
7. I.O.U. (Mega-Mix) – Freeez