ABC - One Better World (Pickering Park Remix)

12" cover.

I have to concede I don't know an awful lot about ABC - I've only heard their Up and Lexicon of Love albums and a few other various songs. From what I have heard, I quite like them. They're not my favourite group of the 80's, but they still have some great songs like Love Conquers All and When Smokey Sings. Anyhow, this is a remix of their lead single (released in May of 1989) from Up by Mike Pickering and Graeme Park. I listened to the Up album for the first time in its entirety yesterday and I have to say that it did leave me feeling rather disappointed if I'm honest. It's funny because the whole album is done in a very house influenced style - and house music is one of my favourite genres - but for me the whole production on the album was just a little bit cheesy and the songs just all sounded more or less identical to the other. One of the only tracks on the album that I thought had a bit of individuality about it was One Better World, but if I'm honest I think I prefer this remix. I also do quite like the Club mix and the Garage mix too though. Having said that I think this remix brings out the potential in the song a lot better and it's just produced far better in my opinion. I don't think the original version has aged all that well at all, but the Pickering/Park mix has aged substantially better I feel. Elements of the sound vaguely like Good Life by Inner City to me actually. Also, the piano chords are much more prominent in this remix which gives it more of a euphoric atmosphere to me, and that goes perfectly with the lyrics. As you could probably guess from the title One Better World is a very upflifting song with a very direct and straightforward message (but a lovely one at that). The message of the song is simple: we should promote the values of peace, love and equal rights for all. It's a message that's always timeless I feel as let's be honest, the world has yet to fully embrace those principles. Honestly, I could have imagined that this would have fitted in just perfectly with the Second Summer of Love that was underway in the UK at this time. On that note, one of the most well known nightclubs in the UK at this point was Manchester's legendary Hacienda nightclub, at which Pickering and Park were both regular DJ's. The Pickering/Park remix was released as a stand-alone 12" in its own right, but you can also find it on the 2005 remastered edition of Up and on the 1990 greatest hits album Absolutely. A great remix that still sounds fresh!