Thompson Twins Wish You Were Here (Breakz Remix)

I love the Thompson Twins. From perfect pop tunes like If You Were Here and Hold Me Now to guilty pleasures like Doctor! Doctor! and Lies. You may think they play like caricatures, but it’s only because they hit the mark so well- cerebral, if you will.

I’ve been listening to them a bunch lately—as they’re the cornerstone of an upcoming mix I’m making—so I was more than tickled to find the remix featured above, cooincidentally sharing a title with the Lia Ices track I mentioned here two weeks ago.

In the longstanding tradition of English power pop bands with a white guy front man and the requisite black dreaded counterpart (see Haircut 100, Culture Club) Thompson Twins took diversity to the next level by also featuring a lady (Alannah Currie), who was a twisted two steps away from Grace Jones in her bizarre presentation. As someone quite familiar with tokenizing, perhaps their inclusive approach is why I love them so much? All kidding aside, Joe Leeway is far from a quota-filler. Roadie-cum-stylist, then full-fledged member of the band, he’s actually the secret weapon that secures the Thompson Twins as more than just a nostalgic notch in musical history—for proof, check out the stellar Judy Do.