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I've come to doubt Disco's status as a "remix album".

In The Night was a b-side of the failed first 7'' of Opportunities. Disco was released early in the PSB history so their format of releasing albums, singles and b-sides (which never appear on albums) was not set in stone and not common knowledge. Sure the version of ITN in Disco is not the 7'' b-side but it might as well be regarded as the album version.

Suburbia (The Full Horror) is a new recording and the 7'' is based on this. Sort of in the same vein as the singles off Introspective.

Opportunities (Version Latina) is indeed a remix)

Paninaro. Yet again a b-side but it has never been uncommon for bands to release album tracks as b-sides. Besides, Paninaro was a single in Italy (and therefore also other parts of Europe). The version on Disco could be regarded as the album version in the same way as with Domino Dancing.

Love Comes Quickly. Indeed a remix.

West End Girls. Well it is a remix but in many ways also a completely different version. There are several new verses added.

I would say In THe Night, Suburbia, Paninaro are not "remix album"
West End girls only partially
THe other two tracks are "remix album".

Introspective is not seen as a remix album although half of it is already released songs but in remixed form.

Disclaimer: this is a new topic on my ongoing quest of viewing Disco as a proper album.

"Disco" is an "early stage in history remix album" like:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vital_Idol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_and_Dancing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Can_Dance
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_12%E2%80%B3_Album
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Wanna ... with_Me%3F
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundreds_%26_Thousands
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch_Dance

Disco doesn't have to be classed as anything. They're all different. The first one is mostly remixes or alternate mixes, the second one long megamix, the third a mix of remixes and new tracks, the fourth mainly mixes of other artists, the fifth the same but with the addition of one PSB-produced track that isn't a remix.

Disco - The Remix Album

It’s the Arthur Baker remix of In The Night that’s on Disco. He had no involvement with the original b-side version.
So that’s a definite remix, alongside those by the Latin Rascals and Shep Pettibone. The versions of Suburbia and Paninaro are original recordings.

Compilation album.

Disco 1: Greatest Hits
Disco 2: Remix album
Disco 3: More of a an EP of original dance-style PSB songs, expanded with remixes
Disco 4: Compilation of collaborations
Disco 5: Compilation of collaborations

I mean they're all remix albums in the sense it's largely pre-existing songs in remixed form.
And each compilation is dance music oriented.

daveid wrote: Thu 03 Sep 2026, 1:40 pm Disco doesn't have to be classed as anything. They're all different. The first one is mostly remixes or alternate mixes, the second one long megamix, the third a mix of remixes and new tracks, the fourth mainly mixes of other artists, the fifth the same but with the addition of one PSB-produced track that isn't a remix.

Yeah, basically this.

It's a remix album. Not remixes like people did in the 90s though. You can actually recognize the tracks!

Towa wrote: Thu 03 Sep 2026, 3:00 pmIMG_0323.jpeg

Well, that says it all. I'm reluctantly wrong.
Tack!

Greetings,

leesmapman wrote: Thu 03 Sep 2026, 4:12 pm It's a remix album. Not remixes like people did in the 90s though. You can actually recognize the tracks!

Yes, and I find it at least as enjoyable to listen to as Please.

Retro.

It is a remix album... BUT... I'd still consider it a "proper" album as well. Just like Introspective is. It will always be their "second album" for me... and Actually their third.

Yes, Introspective is really a bit odd. When I read about it before it was released I thought it was going to be another remix album like Disco, but when I saw the track list I got confused and I also found out that it was a full price record (remix albums, like Disco, were often mid-price). Upon release it was clear that PSB considered it a proper album (at least that’s how I remember it), and since then I also do so. But yes, it’s quite odd…

telys wrote: Thu 03 Sep 2026, 4:39 pm

Towa wrote: Thu 03 Sep 2026, 3:00 pmIMG_0323.jpeg

Well, that says it all. I'm reluctantly wrong.
Tack!

Never mind the sticker, doesn't it literally say "the Pet Shop Boys remix album" on the back and the record labels?

It wasn’t priced as a full price album back in 1986.
Please was £6:99 on album. 12” singles were £2:99

Disco was £4:99.

telys wrote: Thu 03 Sep 2026, 1:01 pm I've come to doubt Disco's status as a "remix album".
Suburbia (The Full Horror) is a new recording and the 7'' is based on this. Sort of in the same vein as the singles off Introspective.

Paninaro. The version on Disco could be regarded as the album version in the same way as with Domino Dancing.

West End Girls. Well it is a remix but in many ways also a completely different version. There are several new verses added.

The 7" of Suburbia was created first, so it's not "based on" The Full Horror, which is the extended 12" mix they recorded afterwards (the next day if I recall correctly).

Similarly, both Paninaro and Domino Dancing had the shorter versions recorded first, and the "album"/12" versions created afterwards.

West End Girls on Disco had one extra verse, not several. The verse recorded as part of the Stephen Hague single version, which he talked them into removing from the single and Please versions. It can also be heard in the 12" Dance Mix and 10" version. I have always wondered if a version of the album mix was made that included this verse (basically, a full length single/album mix), which would've effectively had the structure of the Performance version. I guess if it had, it would have been included with Please Further Listening., so assume it doesn't exist.