Hands up in the air, lay down your arms

You Got The Love... it's one of those rare songs which [1] keeps coming back time and again, [2] people never seem to tire of hearing and [3] doesn't fall into the category marked "irritating" because of points [1] and [2].

The song itself has a history which stretches back almost a quarter of a century. The precise details are murky, but from what I can gather - having pieced together the things I think I know, the stuff on Wikipedia and other bits 'n' bobs I've picked up from elsewhere - Candi Staton recorded the original vocal track for inclusion on an American weight loss video. It was subsequently put to music in 1986 and has continued to resurface in a number of incarnations ever since, most notably (and officially) in 1991, 1996/97 and 2006.

Someone has kindly uploaded the 1986 version onto YouTube (have a listen here). It makes for interesting listening, I'm sure you'll agree. For me, quite unlike all subsequent mixes and versions, this is the only one in which the production sounds very much "of its time".

My favourite version is the 1991 release where Eren Abdullah paired the vocals with the very beautiful and sparse electronic instrumentation of Your Love by Jamie Principle and Frankie Knuckles; this one is most often referred to as Eren's Bootleg Mix. When it was officially released in the UK, this version was edited down (4:02) for the 7", whilst the full-length version (7:09) - and a number of other mixes - came spread across two 12" singles. Wikipedia makes reference to the 1991 release, but does not document the specific mixes contained therein. So for the sake of accuracy, I will.

The white-sleeved 12" is the main one and features:

• Eren's Bootleg Mix (the aforementioned 7:09 mix)
• Olimax Remix (8:05)
• Chicago '86 Mix (4:26)

The pink-sleeved 12" is a five track release featuring:

• Dave Harrow and Charlie Hall Remix (6:08)
• BPM Remix (5:24)
• Up Side Instrumental Mix (5:16)
• Sow The Seed You Reap Acapella (0:17)
• A short reprise (1:56) of the Dave Harrow and Charlie Hall Remix. 

The song's next official release came in 1996. This time the minimal electronica had gone, replaced by a somewhat blustery-sounding (but nonetheless excellent) backing. The main version of this is known as the Now Voyager Mix and should not be confused with the similarly entitled New Voyager Mix from 2006! The Now Voyager version is the one which most people seem to remember best, reinforced by the fact that it serves as the basis for Florence + The Machine's cover version(s). So, although the song's early history does not seem thoroughly documented, it's the plethora of remixes from the mid-1990s onwards which I find especially dizzying.

The main versions from the 1996/97 release are:

• Now Voyager Radio Mix (3:34)
• Now Voyager Mix (6:06)
• Rhythm Masters Classic Vocal Mix (9:58)
• Farley and Heller Roachin' In Tha Bassline Mix (8:44)
• Original Mix (6:47) This is clearly not the original mix nor even the 1991 version, but actually an updated remix of Eren's Bootleg Mix; the most notable differences being the speeded-up instrumentation, the pitch-shifted vocals and the addition of some other mid-90's flourishes.
• Original Radio Mix (4:02) This is the 1991 7" edit of Eren's Bootleg Mix and is mercifully free of any additional fucking about.

...but I'm quite sure there are likely to be many, many more mixes from this era.

2006 saw yet another onslaught of further new mixes, the lead one being the New Voyager Mix referred to above and, frankly, I can't be arsed listing them all. If I could be bothered trying, it's unlikely that I'd make the list anywhere near exhaustive - only exhausting for you and me alike.

And yes, it's back again! The latest slew comes courtesy of a cover by Florence + The Machine who have retitled it slightly to You've Got The Love. The current incarnation is Florence and Dizzee's live performance from the Brits, You've Got The Dirtee Love, but this is, in fact, Florence + The Machine's third version of the song! The first appeared on their Dog Days Are Over single in 2008. It was then later re-recorded and included as a bonus track on the Lungs album (and indeed released as a single in its own right - with a number of associated remixes - in 2009). On a side note, I do like Florence + The Machine; my only criticism is that I sometimes feel Florence's vocals border on ear-hurting shouty-ness (1:55 to 2:55 on their 2009 version will bear this out). That said, (as other bloggers have noted) she does seem a bit barking - at least on stage - but I'd say that's exactly what British music needs, eh?

Jeezo, you can't keep a good song down, can you? I'm willing to bet that You Got The Love will continue to be remixed, re-interpreted, "re-imagined" and covered for years to come. Magic!