The Killers – Mr Brightside

I absolutely hate Mr. Brightside - it's the ultimate party tune for people who don't actually like music. Yet one starry, star-crossed night not long after I'd finished my set at a festival in 2005 I kissed a beautiful girl. The world seemed to stop turning, we didn't know each other's names yet we were already in love. It's still the greatest night of my life.

The DJ was playing a blissed out banger which seemed to capture the mood perfectly. Then recognition seemed to kick in for both of us as we pulled apart and gazed at each other's eyes, a hint of the heartbreak which was to follow already apparent for two music lovers as we mouthed the words to each other - 'Is this Mr. Brightside?'

Fortunately, not even that realisation could ruin the moment or the night which followed, and we're still married now nearly 20 years later. But knowing our first kiss was to Mr. Brightside is a source of perpetual disappointment to both of us. When we argue, I sometimes wonder if it's because Mr Brightside was playing when we first kissed? Maybe we're not so perfect for each other after all? At least it was the Thin White Duke mix though, which did somehow still sound good that night. But then maybe anything would have...

Subsequent listens prove that even the association with the greatest kiss in history and production by one of the hottest remixers of the time cannot disguise the fact that whilst the Thin White Duke mix really demonstrated his excellent ability to make a huge glistening euphoric indie-dance banger, you still can't polish a turd. Mr. Brightside truly is one of the worst records of all time, down there with Toploader and all those pricks.

So anyway, the magic might not have lasted for the soundtrack from that night, but at least it has for me and my wife, who like the song itself are still in the charts all these years later, the only Flowers seemingly never to wilt.

Still in it's clear plastic sleeve. The record that is, not my wife.

Everyone loves the Thin White Duke mixes (for good reason) but because of how they're structured you can only really play them right at the end of a set. Quite a few Thin White Duke mixes of the time were like that. I always felt The Lindbergh Palace mixes were much easier to integrate into the middle of a set.

Just received my purchase and this is really good stuff!
The Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) is just really outstanding.

Very nice strings and beats. Just loved it.

And also the Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Dub) is an absolute "hammer" record.

This Christmas no Jingle Bells for me! It will be Mr. Brightside all the way.

I know the record from a german movie, called "Kein Ohr Hasen". The remix was at the end of the film. fitted just perfectly.

The Thin White Duke mix is, in my opinion, not only superior to the actual original of this tune in every way, but possibly one of the finest remixes of all time. Truly stunning :)

A complete reinvention of what was originally quite a bland affair, his interpretation has such massive cross-genre appeal that any number of DJs from all ends of the musical spectrum could get away with playing it. Simply majestic from start to finish, definitely the high-point of an already illustrious career for Stuart Price.

Jacques Lu Conte's Thin White Duke Mix is simply outstanding. Beautiful strings, excellent structure and retention of the original's best elements all contribute to this gem of a tune.

I just love the subtle, beautiful melody in the breakdown of this track as well.