Duran Duran – DMM Mega Mixes (1983)

From the shelves

Some records stand out not just because of what they contain, but also for how they sound. Indeed, ‘DMM Mega Mixes’ is without a doubt one of the best-sounding records I own. Specifically, it’s a Duran Duran EP released in 1983 exclusively for the German market and, as the title suggests, it was cut using the direct metal mastering (DMM) system, boldly advertised on the front cover as featuring “5 previously unreleased titles in supersound”.

Side A includes the “Night Versions” of two of their earliest hits, ‘Planet Earth’ and ‘Girls On Film’. Duran Duran’s Night Versions were particularly interesting because, unlike most extended 12″ mixes of the era—often created by simply stretching or rearranging the original tracks—they included entirely new sections recorded specifically for that purpose. The two songs here come across as funkier and more punchy. John Taylor’s bass really booms, making an interesting pairing with the overall DMM sound, which sits at the opposite end of the spectrum, being very precise and rich in high frequencies.

Side B is just as impressive, compiling two early single B-sides: a surprisingly strong and funky cover of Bowie’s ‘Fame’ and the original ‘Khanada’, whose title is a reference to Jane Khan, a clothing designer from Birmingham who was very close to the band during those years. It’s an uptempo track with a slightly “dreamy” feel that wouldn’t have been out of place on their debut album.

All in all, this EP is essentially a rehash of ‘Nite Romantics’, an EP released in Japan in 1981, featuring the same four songs, albeit in a different order. I have no idea how the Japanese EP sounds compared to this one, as I don’t own it, but I’d be happy to find out.

However, this German EP also includes a fifth track at the end: ‘Save A Prayer’. For some reason, the back cover lists it as a “Night Version”, but it’s actually the standard album version. As far as I know, a “Night Version” of that song doesn’t exist, which makes me wonder whether this is simply a typo, or if a different version of ‘Save A Prayer’ was planned and then scrapped after the record jackets had already been printed.