Six Retro Releases to catch this month

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This has been a great month (March 2021) to discover old songs being released in new forms, including electronic versions. Here's what turned up in my Spotify Release Radar, and the corresponding originals.

  1. Heinz Baked Beans (Take 1 & 3) 2018 mix - The Who (re-issue)
  2. Because the Night - The Midnight featuring Nikki Flores (cover of Patti Smith)
  3. Englishman / African In New York - Sting, Shirazee (duet)
  4. South Side - The Knocks and Foster The People
  5. Used To Be (feat. Wiz Khalifa) - Steve Aoki & Kiiara (remake of Matchbox Twenty)
  6. EBX8 - Erasure (compilation)

Heinz Baked Beans (Take 1 & 3) 2018 mix - The Who

This release is not electronic but this song is crying out to be sampled. Add a breakbeat and some relevant sounds and it must go viral.

Heinz Baked Beans is a song from The Who Sell Out, third studio album the Who, originally released on 15 December 1967. This was a concept album, structured as a collection of unrelated songs interspersed with fake commercials and public service announcements.

Quoted in a Rolling Stone article from 1967, “There’s another sweet little song about baked beans,” said Stamp. “Heinz didn’t mind a bit. When we told them that the album sleeve showed Roger Daltrey sitting in a hip-bath full of their product, they sent us another crate for free.”

This version comes from The Sell Out Jingles digital EP which contains three rare “jingles” — the tongue-in-cheek ads the band placed between album tracks — from their massive The Who Sell Out reissue, out April 23rd (Rolling Stone). The Super Deluxe Edition of The Who Sell Out will have 112 tracks, 46 of which are unreleased, an 80-page, hard-back, full-color book, including rare period photos, memorabilia, track-by-track annotation and new sleeve notes by Pete Townshend with comments from the likes of Pete Drummond (Radio London DJ), Richard Evans (designer) & Roy Flynn (the Speakeasy Club manager). (PR Newswire)


Because the Night - The Midnight featuring Nikki Flores

The Midnight released their ‘Horror Show’ EP on all platforms this month, featuring their synthwave cover of Patti Smith’s ‘Because The Night’. (Plug: If you like synthwave and The Midnight, check out Falling Island's remixes of The Midnight at his YouTube Channel)

The original from Patti Smith


Englishman / African In New York - Sting, Shirazee 

This comes from Sting's latest album ‘Duets’ is out now. Sting has compiled some of his most beloved duets for this special collection, including collaborations with Mary J. Blige, Herbie Hancock, Eric Clapton, Annie Lennox, Charles Aznavour, Shaggy, Gashi and more. Order on CD and vinyl here: https://sting.lnk.to/Duets​

The original Sting version from 1987


South Side - The Knocks and Foster The People

The Knocks and Foster The People have shared a new covers EP of huge ’90s hits including The Verve‘s ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’, and Gwen Stefani and Moby’s duet on ‘South Side’ from 1999 (Source: NME)


The original by Moby and Gwen Stefani from 1999



Used To Be (feat. Wiz Khalifa) - Steve Aoki & Kiiara 

Steve Aoki + singer Kiiara + Wiz Khalifa have remade Matchbox Twenty's hit single "Unwell" in a totally different style. The video is animation by Dreambear and directed by Noah Sterling (Doja Cat, The White Stripes)

The original (2003) song 'Unwell' from Matchbox Twenty

Erasure - Singles: EBX8

These few weeks I've been hearing tracks from Erasure's brand new digital boxset, ‘EBX8’, a collection of B-sides and remixes from 2003 to 2005. They released it Friday, March 12, containing a total of 32 tracks issued to promote the singles from the group’s ‘Other People’s Songs’ and ‘Nightbird’ albums. Favourite songs
  • Ave Maria
  • Video Killed The Radio Star (Buggles cover)
  • Don't Say You Love Me


Over all, a great month for retro releases!

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