It’s a toss-up whether a remix or an original song will be seen as better. But sometimes a modern version or a mash-up of genres takes the first track to another level. A new list claimed a remix was better than Elvis Presley’s original, and the charts agreed.
Junkie XL Remix of ‘A Little Less Conversation’ Reached No. 1
The King of Rock and Roll begs for less conversation from his lover and more action in the 1968 song. It was used in a party scene for the movie, Live a Little, Love a Little, starring the singer as photographer Greg Nolan. He falls for a woman who goes by different names played by Michele Carey.
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“A Little Less Conversation” got a new life with Dutch musician Junkie XL’s 2001 remix. His real name is Tom Holkenborg. The fresh take added an electronic sound fitting for the time and Europe. It was the first time an artists got approval from Presley’s estate to remix his song.
MsMojo released a top 10 video of remixes that are better than the original. Junkie XL’s take placed seventh above Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” and below Mike Posner’s “I Took A Pill in Ibiza.”
It didn’t hurt that the remix was used in Nike’s advertisements and Ocean’s Eleven. Holkenborg said there was a lot of pressure after the estate gave him and Nike the green light.
“The people from the ad agency came in at 4 p.m. and said: ‘We need something by tonight’,” the artist said, according to Music Radar. “So I said, ‘OK’, and went and did it in three and a half hours! After they approved the demo I went through a nightmare of getting it to sound really good.”
The fast work paid off. The original song peaked at 69 on the US charts, while the remix reached number one in multiple countries, according to Tommy Edison.
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