(O.T.) Alphaville - Forever Young

I have a CD single from 1988 (Atlantic / PR 2465-2) which
was released in conjunction with "Alphaville: The Singles
Collection."

Its track listing includes:

1) LP version - 3:45
2) New single mix - 3:45
3) Special extended mix - 6:12

(all times listed)

I understand the "...singles..." album was supposed to be
remixes of a number of their releases, and certainly the
Special extended mix would be the one found on the album.
The LP version would be found on the original 1984 LP.

It's that middle track that's throwing me, and neither
Atlantic nor Wikipedia are helping me much.

Atlantic doesn't list a copyright date on this CD single,
instead opting to label it as (P) 1984. ...Were the
single mix and extended mix published in 1984, too, or
new for '88?

Wikipedia says the album is a compilation of mixes
"previously published, although for some this was the
first time on CD."

On the page for the single, it says "Originally released
by Alphaville as a single in 1984, 'Forever Young' was
available in both its original mix and also in a dance
version titled the 'Special Dance Mix.' Over the years
the band has released several remixes and demo versions
of the song."

...OK, that's clear as mud. (This is what I get for
using Wikipedia, I suppose.)

Was the 1984 radio promo the LP version, or the "New
Single Mix?" Or was one on one side and one on the
other... or was the new single mix truly a new mix for
'88?

FYI, "Forever Young's" best performance in the U.S. was
1984, when it made it to #65 on the pop charts and
apparently broke the top 40 on the dance charts (although
I wasn't able to track down a peak position).

I have both stock singles, and they both have the original mix (not the dance mix). I didn't time them--only played to verify which mix--but the stated times are 3:45 and 3:43 for the '85 and '88 singles, respectively.

I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for, but I think it's safe to say that the "hit" version is the original LP version.

Edited by aaronk

Gene, my promo 45 for the initial release, confirmed as Atlantic 89578,
features a non-described version on both sides, but is, in fact, the LP
version. It has a listed time of (3:45) and an actual time of (3:43), with
deadwax info of "ST A-47139-1". I do happen to show different chart info
than you do above. My RR book has this 45 release peaking at #93 in
3/85, during a 4-week run on the Hot 100. We also got in a promo 12"
single for this initial release, as "DMD 814". One side features the same,
listed (3:45) version as my promo 45 does, but is noted here as "Vocal/LP
Version" on one side, while containing a listed (6:12), "Vocal/Extended
Version" on the other side.

My promo 45 for the 1988 release, confirmed as Atlantic 89013, features
a non-described version on one side, with both a listed & actual time of
(3:43). (Deadwax is "S TA -56098-1", followed by a crossed-out "ST-A-
56021-1"). This side features the same "LP Version" as both sides of the
earlier promo 45 did. The other side features the "New Single Mix", with
both a listed & actual time of (3:48). For this side, the deadwax info of
"ST-A-56021-1" was not crossed out, so the info was obviously meant to
appear on this side of the single. There was also a promo 12" single sent
to us for this release (PR 2464). Again, it has the listed (3:45) LP version
and a listed (6:12) version on it, but this time the latter version is called
the "Special Extended Mix". To my ears, both (6:12) promo 12" versions
sound identical, whether it's titled the "Vocal/Extended Version" or the
"Special Extended Mix", and that the "New Single Mix" is simply a first-
time-released, 1988 edit of the (6:12) 12" version. My RR book says that
the 1988 Hot 100 appearance of "Forever Young" peaked at #65 in
December, during a 14-week chart run.

This song got lots of airplay on MTV during its initial release. The debut
LP sold fairly well. It also got surprisingly solid recurrent/oldie airplay in
several formats, in subsequent years. I remember that some folks, both in
radio and at the record labels, felt back then that someone had surely
dropped the ball in regard to "Forever Young", and that it should've
initially been a big Top 40 hit. So my best guess is that when Atlantic
decided to release two different mixes for each of their four singles, some
new and some old, and title it "The Singles Collection" LP, Atlantic chose
to create/release the "New Single Mix", team it up with the original LP
version of "Forever Young" on a promo 45/CD single, and see if the song
would happen at Top 40 radio this time. It didn't, but it did do a bit
better, at least chart-wise, this time around.

Gene, I personally don't ever remember hearing the "New Single Mix" on
CHR radio in 1988, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did get some sporadic
airplay, especially since it was also included on the promo CD single you
have. I can only hope I've now made things less "muddy" for you.     :)

(PS-researching all this took me a while. In the interim, I now see that you
and Aaron had exchanged some posts, so please forgive any redundant
info on my part.)

Edited by jimct

Here's some additional chart info on "Forever Young":

Peaked at #32 on the BB Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1985.

On the Cash Box Top 100, it peaked at #81 in 1988 and didn't chart at all in 1985.

Also, we played it quite a bit on my college radio station in 1985.

I agree that "Forever Young" should have been a bigger hit. There are some songs which are well-liked and well-known but for some reason never did well on the charts. Modern English's "I Melt With You" is another such example. It had a similar history of being re-released, but the band re-recorded it for the re-issue and it wasn't as a good as the original.