Those who know me well will confirm that I have always adored Dannii Minogue. In the interests of full disclosure, I bought Neon Nights when it first came out in 2003 and the Deluxe Edition four years later. These 20th Anniversary editions feature new artwork and liner notes, bonus tracks, new and unreleased remixes and include a CD/DVD edition, picture disc, digital version, cassette, a limited edition (and sensibly priced) seven-disc box set and related merchandise. All of this is essentially Christmas for Minogue fans Worldwide, and I write as someone who may already have pre-ordered a copy of this album. Or several.
But let’s get down to the facts. Neon Nights was Dannii’s fourth album. It reached #8 in the UK charts and contained four top ten singles: ‘Who Do You Love Now?’ (#3), ‘Put The Needle On It’ (#7), ‘I Begin To Wonder’’ (#2) and ‘Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling’ (#5). Neon Nights was a career defining album for Dannii and remains an inspired fusion of pop and club culture that moves with ease from the radio to the dancefloor.
Opening track ‘Put The Needle On It’ is tremendous: a cool dance track with a strong hook line layered over a pulsating, insistent beat. Dannii’s playful, sensual vocals are perfection (no pun intended!) and the introduction of the robotic ‘speak and spell’ voice towards the close of the song is a touch of genius. Fabulous.
‘Who Do You Love Now’, a collaboration with Dutch duo Riva, is no less thrilling. At the suggestion of Pete Tong, Dannii provided vocals on a reworking of Riva’s club hit ‘Stringer’. The result was a razor-sharp pop song infused with the dance energy of Ibiza which became a worldwide hit.
The funky ‘Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling’ wears its love of feel-good seventies disco on its sleeve, whilst ‘I Begin To Wonder’ takes a hypnotic Moroder-esque rhythm and runs with it to fashion a superb electronic dance pop track that has become one of Dannii’s signature songs. These singles also benefitted from two hugely popular mashups (with Madonna’s ‘Into The Groove’ and Dead or Alive’s ‘You Spin Me Round’ respectively) and both mixes are included on these 20th anniversary editions.
There are so many delights to explore in the land of Neon Nights that it’s possible to just go where your preferences lead you. For me, from the original album, it’s ‘Hey (So What)’ the upbeat ‘For The Record’, ‘On The Loop’ (featuring an inventive production by Neimo) and the knowing innuendo of ‘Vibe On’. But that’s before we even get to contemporary bonus tracks such as ‘Goodbye Song’ (a co-write between the fabulous Ian Masterson and the multi-talented Terry Ronald), tracks from the 2007 Deluxe edition or Unleashed that have been brought into the fold, the videos, or the wealth of new and archive remixes across multiple formats.
With Dannii releasing a new single ‘We Could Be The One’ earlier this month and bringing long-overdue LGBTQIA+ representation – not to mention an array of sensational, show-stopping looks – to national television as presenter of the dating show ‘I Kissed A Boy’, this is a great time to be a lover of all things Minogue. There are numerous anniversary editions of albums being produced these days but very few that display the thoroughness, care, and fan-pleasing attention to detail that these twentieth anniversary editions of Neon Nights do. For those experiencing the neon nightlife for the first time, the CD/DVD edition is a recommended starting point, but for her many fans this eagerly anticipated ‘Danniiversary’ release of Neon Nights offers so much more.
- Reviewed by David Waterfield
- Neon Nights is released through London Records on 16th June 2023 (available here).
- Official Website
Track List (CD/DVD Edition)
Disc One – CD:
1. Put The Needle On It
2. Creep
3. Begin To Spin Me Round
4. Hey (So What)
5. For The Record
6. Mighty Fine
7. On The Loop
8. Push
9. Mystified
10. Don’t Wanna Lose This Groove
11. Vibe On
12. A Piece Of Time
13. Who Do You Love Now?
14. It Won’t Work Out
15. Come And Get It (Radio Version)
16. Blame It On The Music
17. Hide And Seek
18. Nervous
19. Goodbye Song
20. Just Can’t Give You Up
21. Viva L’amour
DISC 2 – DVD
1. Who Do You Love Now (Video)
2. Put The Needle On It (Video)
3. I Begin To Wonder (Video)
4. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Video)
5. Begin To Spin Me Round (Video)
6. Don’t Wanna Lose This Groove (Video)
7. Who Do You Love Now? (Top Of The Pops)
8. Put The Needle On It (Top Of The Pops)
9. I Begin To Wonder (Top Of The Pops)
10. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Top Of The Pops)
11. Hits Medley (CBBC Junior Great North Run Party)
Cassette Edition:
1. Put The Needle On It
2. Creep
3. I Begin To Wonder
4. Hey (So What)
5. For The Record
6. Mighty Fine
7. On The Loop
8. Push
9. Mystified
10. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling
11. Vibe On
12. A Piece Of Time
13. Who Do You Love Now?
14. It Won’t Work Out
15. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Initial Talk Radio Edit)
16. Blame It On The Music (Amyl Radio Edit)
17. For The Record (Luke Mornay Thirst Trap Radio Edit)
18. I Begin To Wonder (Project K’s Night At 54 Mix)
Digital Edition:
1.Put The Needle On It
2. Creep
3. I Begin To Wonder
4. Hey (So What)
5. For The Record
6. Mighty Fine
7 On The Loop
8. Push
9. Mystified
10. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling
11. Vibe On
12. A Piece Of Time
13. Who Do You Love Now
14. It Won’t Work Out
15. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Initial Talk Radio Edit)
16. Blame It On The Music (AMYL Radio Edit)
17. For The Record (Luke Mornay Thirst Trap Radio Edit)
18. I Begin To Wonder (Project K’s Night At 54 Mix)
19. Est-Ce Que Tu M’aimes Encore
20. Hide And Seek
21. Nervous
22. Goodbye Song
23. Just Can’t Give You Up
24. Viva L’Amour
25. Blame It On The Music
26. Begin To Spin Me Round (Radio Edit)
27. Don’t Wanna Lose This Groove (Radio Version)
28. Come And Get It (Radio Version)
29. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Radio Version)
30. Put The Needle On It (Tiga Remix)
31. Come And Get It (Sebastian Krieg Remix)
32. Blame It On The Music (Original Roger Sanchez Twelve Inch Mix)
33. It Won’t Work Out (Acoustic Version)
7 Disc Box Set
CD 1: Neon Nights + Bonus Tracks
1.Put The Needle On It
2.Creep
3. I Begin To Wonder
4. Hey (So What)
5. For The Record
6. Mighty Fine
7. On The Loop
8. Push
9. Mystified
10. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling
11. Vibe On
12. A Piece Of Time
13. Who Do You Love Now?
14. It Won’t Work Out
15. Come And Get It (Radio Version)
16. Blame It On The Music
17. Hide And Seek
18. Nervous
19. Goodbye Song
20. Just Can’t Give You Up
21. Viva L’amour
CD2 – Who Do You Love Now?
1.Who Do You Love Now? (Radio Edit)
2. Est-Ce Que Tu M’aimes Encore?
3. Who Do You Love Now? (Extended Vocal Version)
4. Who Do You Love Now? (Monoboy Remix)
5. Who Do You Love Now? (Monoboy Dub)
6. Who Do You Love Now? (Riva’s Bora Bora Remix)
7. Who Do You Love Now? (Riva’s Bora Bora Edit)
8. Who Do You Love Now? (Rhythm Junkies Extended Remix)
9. Who Do You Love Now? (Future Breeze Remix Club)
10. Who Do You Love Now? (John Johnson Remix)
11. Who Do You Love Now? (Bart Claessen Radio Mix)
12. Who Do You Love Now? (Bart Claessen Fm Edit)
13. Who Do You Love Now? (Radio Instrumental)
CD 3 – Put The Needle On It
1.Put The Needle On It (Extended Original)
2. Put The Needle On It (Nevins Club Creation)
3. Put The Needle On It (Nevins Super Freak Dub)
4. Put The Needle On It (Nevins Club Creation Edit)
5. Put The Needle On It (Mute8 Vocal Mix)
6. Put The Needle On It (Mute8 Vocal Mix Edit)
7. Put The Needle On It (Laid’s Zoo Brazil Remix)
8. Put The Needle On It (Laid’s Zoo Brazil Dub)
9. Put The Needle On It (Cicada Vocal Mix)
10. Put The Needle On It (Cicada Dub)
11. Put The Needle On It (Cicada Vocal Mix Edit)
12. Put The Needle On It (Tiga’s Cookies Dub Edit)
13. Put The Needle On It (Tiga Remix)
14. Put The Needle On It (Instrumental)
CD 4 – I Begin To Wonder
1.I Begin To Wonder (Radio Version)
2. Begin To Spin Me Round (Radio Edit)
3. Hide And Seek (Thriller Jill Original Radio Mix)
4. I Begin To Wonder (Extended Original)
5. Begin To Spin Me Round (Extended Mix)
6. I Begin To Wonder (Krystal K Vocal Mix)
7. I Begin To Wonder (Krystal K Dub Mix)
8. I Begin To Wonder (Krystal K Vocal Edit)
9. I Begin To Wonder (Blue Amazon Remix)
10. I Begin To Wonder (Almighty Mix)
11. Hide And Seek (Thriller Jill Extended Mix)
12. Hide And Seek (Thriller Jill Dub)
13. I Begin To Wonder (Instrumental)
CD5 – Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling
1.Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Radio Version)
2. Don’t Wanna Lose This Groove (Radio Version)
3. Don’t Wanna Lose This Groove (Extended Bootleg Mix)
4. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Stella Browne Vocal Mix)
5. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Stella Browne Dub)
6. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Jupiter Ace Mix)
7. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Jupiter Ace Speared Thru The Heart Mix)
8. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Jewels & Stone 7” Mix)
9. I Begin To Wonder (Bini & Martini Vocal)
10. I Begin To Wonder (Bini & Martini Dub)
11. I Begin To Wonder (Dj Bardot Remix)
12. I Begin To Wonder (Dj Bardot Dub)
13. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Album Instrumental)
14. Don’t Wanna Lose This Groove (Instrumental)
CD 6 – Come And Get It
1.Come And Get It (Alternative Radio Cut)
2. It Won’t Work Out (Ross Cullum Mix)
3. Come And Get It (Radio Cut)
4. Come And Get It (Late Night Radio Version)
5. Come And Get It (Sebastian Krieg Remix)
6. Come And Get It (Extended Version)
7. Come And Get It (Tom Novy & Jca Late Night Session Mix)
8. Come And Get It (Sharam Jey Remix)
9. Come And Get It (Jca Dub Version)
10. Come And Get It (Full Vocal)
11. Come And Get It (Jerome Isma-Ae Remix)
12. Come And Get It (Pure Dub)
13. Come And Get It (Instrumental)
14. It Won’t Work Out (Album Instrumental)
CD 7 – Blame It On The Music
1.Blame It On The Music (Original Roger Sanchez 12” Mix)
2. Blame It On The Music (Roger Sanchez Instrumental)
3. Blame It On The Music (Amyl Remix)
4. Blame It On The Music (Amyl Radio Edit)
5. Blame It On The Music (Amyl Dub)
6. For The Record (Luke Mornay Thirst Trap Remix)
7. For The Record (Luke Mornay Thirst Trap Radio Edit)
8. For The Record (Luke Mornay Track Ya Baby Dub)
9. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Initial Talk Remix)
10. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Initial Talk Radio Edit)
11. Don’t Wanna Lose This Feeling (Initial Talk Dub)
12. I Begin To Wonder (Project K’s All Night At 54 Mix)
13. I Begin To Wonder (Project K’s Night At 54 Mix)
14. I Begin To Wonder (Project K’s Piano Mix)
