Vital Idol

Vital Idol is a remix album by the English rock singer Billy Idol, released on 31 May 1985 by Chrysalis Records.^[4] It contains remixed songs from his first two albums and the Don't Stop EP. The album was reissued in the United States with one extra track in September 1987, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard 200.^[5] The US release was supported by a non-album live single version of "Mony Mony".

The original release, sporting a photo from the "Dancing with Myself" video, was first issued in Europe in 1985. It peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart,^[6] outperforming Idol's previous studio albums.^[2] The US release was expanded to feature the "Mother of Mercy Mix" of "To Be a Lover" and reissued in 1987 with different cover art, featuring a photo still from the live video for "Mony Mony" on CD. The 1987 issue was 24-bit digitally remastered and released globally in 2002.

The album has been certified platinum by both the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Background

Most of the tracks are the original 12″ extended versions,^[2] except "Catch My Fall", which features a new remix with some re-recorded instruments.^[7] "What we would always do is we knew we had certain songs where we wanted to have some space to do remixes," guitarist Steve Stevens said in 2014. "So we'd leave 16 bars or 32 bars in the middle of the song no matter what the song was and then do an edit on it later and that left us room to experiment for a dance remix."^[2]

The album's title was inspired by a 1974 single by reggae artist Horace Andy titled "Ital Vital".^[7][8]

Critical reception

In his review for AllMusic, Steve Huey wrote: "It doesn't really work as a hits collection, since it's missing key songs like 'Rebel Yell' and 'Eyes Without a Face,' and most of the dance remixes are repetitious and uninteresting compared to the originals."^[4] In The Rolling Stone Album Guide, Mark Coleman called the album "both a cynical recycling ploy and the essential Billy Idol album".^[9]

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes.^[10]

• Keith Forsey – producer, remixing
• Gary Langan – remixing ("Flesh for Fantasy", "To Be a Lover")
• Billy Idol – remixing ("Catch My Fall")
• Steve Stevens – remixing ("Catch My Fall")
• Tom Lord-Alge – remixing ("Mony Mony" (Hung Like a Pony Mix), "Mony Mony" (Live), "Shakin' All Over")^[11]

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Vital Idol: Revitalized

Vital Idol: Revitalized is a remix album by the English rock singer Billy Idol, released on 28 September 2018. The album has been described as a "modern-day upgrade" of Vital Idol. The digital version features four additional remixes, including a new Billy Idol and Steve Stevens remix of "Mony Mony" and "Save Me Now" (Lost Dog Remix), reworked by Idol's son, Willem Wolfe with Brandon Rauch and Ed Bedrosian.^[22]

Release history

References

1. ^ "Billy Idol, Vital Idol, Album". Bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
2. ^ "30 Years Ago: Remixes Prove 'Vital' for Billy Idol". Diffuser.fm. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
3. ^ "Billy Idol - "Vital Idol: Revitalized": Album Review". Beatselector Magazine. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
4. ^ Steve Huey. "Vital Idol - Billy Idol | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
5. ^ Greg Prato. "Billy Idol | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
6. ^ UK chart 85
7. ^ Rachel Brodsky (11 October 2018). "Billy Idol On Remixing Vital Idol, Finding New Life In Old Songs, And Listening To Post Malone". Stereogum. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
8. ^ "Ital Vital". Discogs. 1978. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
9. ^ Coleman, Mark (1992). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. 3rd ed. Random House. p. 341. ISBN 0679737294.
10. ^ "Vital Idol (Europe, 2002)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
11. ^ "Vital Idol (Japan, 1988)". Discogs. 1988. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
12. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated ed. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 147. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
13. ^ "European Top 100 Albums". Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 37. 16 September 1985. p. 18. OCLC 29800226. – via World Radio History.
14. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish). 1st ed. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
15. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1985" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
16. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1985". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
17. ^ "Top 100 Albums (January 5–December 28, 1985)". Music Week. 18 January 1986. p. 11. ISSN 0265-1548. – via World Radio History.
18. ^ "Top 100 Albums of '87". RPM. Vol. 47, no. 12. 26 December 1987. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064. – via Library and Archives Canada.
19. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums for 1988". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
20. ^ "Top 100 Albums of '88". RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. 24 December 1988. p. 13. ISSN 0033-7064. – via World Radio History.
21. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1988". Billboard. Archived 11 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
22. ^ "Billy Idol's 'Vital Idol' Is 'Revitalized'". Los Angeles: Capitol Records/UMe. PR Newswire. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2021. – via Business Insider