Pointer Sisters - Jump (For My Love)

To my ears, the mid-'80s Pointer Sisters hits have aged far better than they should have. At the time, the trendy synth production covered up how strong these songs really were. "Jump", in particular, is more rewarding than most of the other synth-pop from 1984.

Plus, it has an interesting history.

Non-hit original mix on first pressings of LP (4:22), a.k.a. "original LP version"

The Break Out album came out in November 1983. The first two singles from the album were "I Need You" (released October 1983) and "Automatic" (released January 1984). "Jump" (as it was originally titled) was just an album track for many months while the first two singles ran their course.

The version on the original pressings of Break Out runs about 4:22, and is readily available on CD. I have it on RCA's Fire The Very Best Of (1996) and Madacy's Rock On 1984 Vol. 2 (2005), both of which sound just fine. It runs at 134.4 BPM throughout on both. It's also on RCA's Pointer Sisters collections Hits and Best Of, which I don't have, plus a few soundtracks.

In December 1983, Van Halen released their own "Jump". This probably wouldn't have been a big deal, except that it was the #1 song in the country in February and March 1984, right around the time that Planet Records was prepping the Pointer Sisters' "Jump" for single release. So Planet retitled the Pointer Sisters song to "Jump (For My Love)" for subsequent releases.

Hit mix from which the 45 is edited, on later pressings of LP (4:26), a.k.a. "remixed LP version"

Planet Records also remixed the song when they released it as a single. The remix is subtle; you probably wouldn't notice unless you listened to the two different mixes side-by-side. For this new mix, they scaled back the snare drum and some of the keyboards, brought the lead vocals farther in front, and added some very minor flourishes to the drum tracks.

I have the remixed LP version on my Japan-for-US pressing of the Break Out CD, where it runs 4:26 and 134.5 BPM throughout. It's also available on a handful of oddball compilations - not the usual Time-Life or Rhino discs.

When "I'm So Excited" became a hit in 1984, Planet rereleased the LP to include the song. I'm pretty sure the retitled and remixed "Jump (For My Love)" appeared on the LP versions that include "I'm So Excited". I don't know if there was an intermediate version of the LP that has the remixed "Jump" but doesn't have "I'm So Excited".

45 version (3:58)

The 45 is edited from the remixed LP version. This is the hit version, which turns up everywhere on compilations.

The oldest CD I have the 45 version on is Heartland/Warner Special Products' 2-CD Feel Good Rock (1989), where it runs 3:57 and 135.0 BPM throughout. It sounds OK here - maybe not the lowest-generation source tapes, but a reasonable EQ, nice dynamic range, and no hint of noise reduction. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Mystic Music/Warner Special Products' 2-CD Good Times (1991; absolute polarity inverted, which is no big deal)
• Sessions/Warner Special Products' 2-CD Ultimate Party Album (1992; differently-EQ'd digital clone of Good Times)
• Razor & Tie's 2-CD Totally '80s (1993)
• JCI's Only Rock 'N Roll 1980-1984 (1994)
• K-Tel's 2-CD Party Of The Millennium (1998; about 6 dB louder and additional compression added to JCI disc - avoid)

Bill Inglot did a new analog transfer for Rhino's Billboard Top Hits 1984 (1992), where it runs 3:58 and 134.5 BPM throughout. It sounds better here than on the batch listed above. The same analog transfer is used on:

• swaitek's promo-for-radio 50-CD set The A List Disc 24 (1994; absolute polarity inverted, which is no big deal)
• Time-Life's Sounds Of The Eighties Vol. 6 1984 (1994; differently-EQ'd digital clone)
• Rhino's Video Soul Disc 2 (1995)
• MCA's 3-CD Soul Train 25th Anniversary Hall Of Fame (1995; a little loud and clips a bit)
• Madacy's Rock On 1984 Sunglasses At Night (1998; differently-EQ'd digital clone)
• Time-Life's Solid Gold Soul Vol. 26 Mid-'80s (2000; differently-EQ'd digital clone)

I recommend Rhino's Billboard Top Hits 1984 (1992) for the 45 version.

12 inch single version (6:24)

I think the 12 inch single uses the same mix as the 45 and remixed LP version. It turns up on RCA's Greatest Hits (1989), where it runs 6:24 and 134.1 BPM throughout. It sounds just fine here.