This remix feels like it may have come from that year, although the sleeve suggests it was really 1989. This was her second solo single, but it floundered at #74 in the UK back in 1988. This is followed by The Way That You Love Me (Houseafire Edit), which comes bursting in withВ what sounds like my old Casio keyboard on drums.

A fantastic version, complete with teasing false ending. This version follows the theme of вЂknocked outвЂ™, with its dramatic synths, and hard beats. Legendary producer Shep Pettibone gives us Knocked Out (Pettibone 12вЂі)В вЂ“ which begins with the sultry breathy samples from Paula вЂ“ the kind that youвЂ™d find in his later work with Madonna (especially hit Vogue). The minimal sounding start reminds me of one some tracks on a few early Deee-Lite albums, although whilst the song gently meanders, the best part of this track is most definitely PaulaвЂ™s vocals.

Next up is Forever Your Girl (Frankie Foncett Mix), with remixer and producer Frankie Foncett on the dials of the previous albumвЂ™s title track. After a bundle of vocal samples, the bass-heavy mix is pretty mellow, giving Paula plenty of space to deliver some flawless vocals that help turn this into quite a catchy track. If thereвЂ™s never been a court case over this, then IвЂ™d be surprised, but then PaulaвЂ™s earlier career as a choreographer, led to her choreographing The JacksonsвЂ 1984 Victory tourвЂ¦ so maybe it was okay. This remix opens as a near carbon copy (in my opinion) as Michael JacksonвЂs hit Bad. One Or The Other (1990 Mix)В follows this, and this is one of her album tracks. This is quite a nice version, although at 2m 58s I am 99.9% sure that thereвЂ™s a robot that in a brief musical pause shouts вЂ BITCH!вЂ before Paula returns. Then, after a few awkward вЂ ah yeahsвЂ (which firmly dates this remix to 1990), the familiar track arrives with little interruption. The dramatic beats feel emphasised here вЂ“ making them sound more like LetвЂ™s Go All The Way by Sly Fox. This is followed by Straight Up (Ultimix Mix)В вЂ“ a version of my favourite Paula Abdul song вЂ“ I remember playing the single versionВ of her third single over and over, as it was on my Now ThatвЂ™s What I Call Music 14 LP. This is aided by the fact that it includes a somewhat Boo-sounding rap by Paula. This track reminds me musically of something youвЂ™d find on the Betty Boo debut Boomania. This is a heavily sampled 12вЂі version of her 5th single from 1989, complete with record scratches, however it manages to retain a recognisable form. The album opens samples of PaulaвЂ™s vocals before breaking into the beat of Cold Hearted (QuiverinвЂ™ 12вЂі). This 12 track album features a number of remixes from PaulaвЂ™s 1988 hit album Forever Your Girl, and the release of this album saw the beginning of the concept of the remix album format. Paula Abdul вЂ“ Shut Up And Dance вЂ“ The Remixes (1990) album

Paula abdul straight up album tracks