It’s a Saturday night in April 1985 and a queue is gathering outside Raffles nightclub in, well pretty much every town and city across this sceptred isle. Feverishly excited boys and girls wait and dream of Malibu and coke, Quatro and ice, whilst expectant beams of pink neon shoot out from beyond the velvet rope and the intimidating bouncers (possibly both called Dave). 

Through the door, past the cloakroom, up the stairs and then it happens - the anthems of Saturday night come together with the vibrant buzz, dry ice and positively sticky underfloor carpet to create the magic of the weekend. This is CLUB CULTURE and the beats are going to hit you!

However, if you were too young to experience this evangelical experience of mid 80s provincial nightclubbing, then you needed a guiding hand to take you onto the metaphorical dancefloor. And in 1985, there was only one team that us teens would trust to keep us moving all night long (as long as it wasn’t too late and didn’t impact on a school night or watching The Tube.)

Step forward, NOW Dance - The 12” Mixes!

Following four genre defining compilation albums, 1985 saw the release of the first ever non-numbered NOW and it shone a disco filtered light across the club anthems of the mid 80s. And importantly, presented them in extended, longer, remixed and - yes - 12” form. 

Pop! Soul! Funk! Disco! Go-Go! Belouis Some! If they were big on the dancefloor, they were here!

The big chart names like Phil Collins, The Power Station and Eurythmics flexed their beats and rhythms alongside era defining club tracks by the like of Loose Ends, The Cool Notes and more. 

Here was a snapshot of a defining moment in club culture - as the UK charts were only months away from the coming of House in the form of Colonel Abrams, Farley Jackmaster Funk, the beat was still going on, but would probably never be the same again.

Join writer, broadcaster and Clangers expert, Tim Worthington as we revisit NOW Dance - The 12” Mixes. Along the way also discover what pop tracks frightened Tim as a child, the connection between Channel 4’s animation Pob and dance culture, which NOW album caused him to spill Dr Pepper all over a brand new sofa and why TV themes of the 80s are more closely linked to this album than you may think!

And also discover why remixer and producer Ben Liebrand will probably not be re-re-returning our big, chunky 80s mobile phone calls.

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