This was Moby's first CD single released in the USA since Bring Back My Happiness in 1995, and his first CD with V2 Records. Honey and Run On were already released as seperate singles by Mute Records. The tracks included on the UK CDs and this CD are different (and good) enough to make it worthwhile to buy them all. With 44 minutes of music, this eight-track CD is a great value.
This is like the UK single version, but just a little bit longer at the end. As the mix name implies, it is the same version that appears on the album Play.
This version is really DJ-friendly. It's faster, more upbeat, with some changes to the piano notes, etc. It was previously only available on UK promo items and the UK limited edition 2x12". A radio edit of this mix is on the UK Honey Remixes CD, but this is the full version.
One of my favorite remixes of Honey, this lovely track was previously available only on the UK 12". It has a good standard boom-tiss beat with a really nice-sounding (like bright, distorted strings) two-note loop that floats and flits throughout the song. The only thing this remix has in common with the original is some vocal samples that were dropped in. But it's a nice listen/dance.
This is the drum & bass remix that is on the UK Honey Remixes single. Cool, but not spectacular. Lots of tweaked-up vocal samples and some pianos and strings from the original. This mix has kind of a dark mood, which serves as a good lead-in to Run On.
V2 knows that you can get the original version of Run On on the album Play, so they don't waste time giving you a radio edit. Instead, you get the full extended version from the UK Run On Extended CD. This starts out with a plain beat (DJ-friendly) and doesn't fade out at the end. Of the five different edits of the original version of Run On, this is my favorite. Good call, V2.
Faster, with a funky beat, this remix is well-suited to club play. Moby tosses a salad of vocal sample bits over a 303 (or similar) acid-style bassline. A danceable but forgettable remix.
When it started out sounding kind of like a car engine turning over, I thought this remix was going to be miserable. I was dead wrong. It's fantastic! Sharam Jey has done it again with this groovy, funky, infectious remix that packs tons of energy into its medium-tempo package. This is the funk soul brother of Sharam Jey's Sweet Honey Mix. Before being released in the USA, this remix was only available on the German 12" (which I highly recommend for its other excellent, rare Run On remixes).
The CD maxi-single closes with a reminder that Moby makes great B-side tracks as well. Originally released on the UK Honey CD single, Memory Gospel was recently used in a well-known Adidas shoe commercial. Its three-chord string harmony pours out all over a soft snare beat, accompanied by a piano and female vocals (the same "hey"s and "yay"s that are on Graciosa, I believe). Great instrumental song, filled with introspective emotion. The track time is misprinted as 9:03. It is actually about 6:40.
This rare remix is available only on the US promo 12" and on the German Run On 12", which you might be able to find if you're lucky. It is long, minimal, and repetitive -- probably too much so for the average person. But I think it's excellent, and definitely above par. It captures the mood of running on for a long time by relentlessly repeating a simple but menacing synth phrase over a tense, pounding rhythm. Dani König took a page from Moby's book by ending the track with an evocative descending string progression. This grand remix belongs in any good DJ's library.
Fairly accurate lyrics to these songs are available in the moby.org lyrics section.
untitled promo [Apr 1999]
US 12" promo, V2, V2AB-27584-1
A1 6:03 Run On (Moby's Young & Funky Mix)
A2 10:04 Run On (Dani König Remix)
B1 3:27 Honey (Album Mix)
B2 5:59 Run On (Sharam Jey's Always On The Run Remix)
HONEY / RUN ON [4 May 1999]
US 12", V2, 63881-27582-1
A1 3:27 Honey (Album Mix)
A2 6:21 Honey (Aphrodite & Mickey Finn Mix)
B1 6:03 Run On (Moby's Young & Funky Mix)
B2 5:59 Run On (Sharam Jey's Always On The Run Remix)
HONEY AND RUN ON [11 May 1999]
US CD, V2, 63881-27583-2
1 3:27 Honey (Album Mix)
2 4:48 Honey (Moby's 118 Mix)
3 6:41 Honey (Sharam Jey's Sweet Honey Mix)
4 6:21 Honey (Aphrodite & Mickey Finn Mix)
5 4:25 Run On (extended)
6 6:03 Run On (Moby's Young & Funky Mix)
7 5:59 Run On (Sharam Jey's Always On The Run Remix)
8 6:40 Memory Gospel
You can buy the Honey and Run On CD maxi-single and the Honey / Run On 12" from CDnow.
