2 out of 5

Label: Sire / Reprise

Produced by: Roddy Frame

Hey – I heard you like that Good Morning Britain song… but how much do you really like it?

This is too much of a good thing. GMB is an awesome song, and I won’t lie that I end up singing along to the chorus of this, even when it plays seven times in a row in various mixes. However, let’s evaluate this single outside of that absurdity, and more in terms of how “valuable” it is to own all of these different takes of one song.

The first half of this maxi-single is pretty good; it’s notable that other versions of this single are pretty much just that first half – that’s indicative of some bloat on this version already. The other indication? All of the additional mixes are… cuts of the same mix. It also happens to be the most generic of the mixes: adding a techno beat, starting off with some unrelated (?) samples, and then looping the chorus; when you make fun of remixes, this is what you’re imagining. Now do two more alternate cuts of that.

Otherwise, the other two remixes aren’t bad – adding like a string / synth line (the Mendelsohn mix) and one that does add a beat as well – the Morning Acid mix – but it’s a very amusingly funky one, plus a kind of counteracting gentle keyboard, and it’s shorter than the original track. I’ll allow it.

Besides this you get a live cut with Mick Jones in tow – nothing special, but a good recording – and Edwyn Collins joins Roddy to do a cover of an Orange Juice track, Consolation Prize. Due to the way its played, heavily winking at the audience, the cover qualifies more as an “if you know you know” track, which Aztec Camera fans probably will; on its own terms… it’s kinda weak.