Tulipomania – You Had To Be There (Martyn Ware & Charles Stooke Remix)

Tulipomania is back with another fine piece of sonic artistry. This time, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based post-punk duo teamed up with Martyn Ware and Charles Stooke for a remixed version of “You Had To Be There.” Besides being known as a highly creative member of The Human League and Heaven 17, Martyn Ware is also known as an accomplished record producer for artists such as Tina Turner, Terence Trent D’Arby, Chaka Khan, Erasure, and Marc Almond, while Charles Stooke is known for being co-composer for the Illustrious Company, which Ware established with Vince Clark in 2001. With an impressive lineup like this, the listening pleasure is more than guaranteed.

The “You Had To Be There” remix preserves all the qualities of the original composition, but it also showcases many innovations in arranging and production. You’ll immediately notice how Martyn Ware and Charles Stooke worked on all the brilliant ideas and exceptional musicianship delivered by Tom Murray and Cheryl Gelover. As you probably know, the original version carries complex instrumentations that showcase Tulipomania’s mindblowing experience, creativity, and talent. This number immediately draws you into the rich and luxurious ambiance achieved by stacking layers of intricate themes, leads, melodies, and harmonies. The equally delicate soundscapes serve as a perfect backdrop for all these sonic maneuvers, while magnificent synth basslines and rhythmic sequences provide more heaviness, clarity, depth, groove, and pace.

While the original version carries a more organic drumming feel, the remix, on the contrary, introduces the electronic beats that perfectly match the synth qualities of the song. Perhaps this addition gives more electronic music vibe to “You Have To Be There” and emphasizes its synthwave, darkwave, and industrial side, but the number still retains the initial post-punk and art rock core. Sonically, the remix still carries that irresistible, addictive, hypnotic, dark ambiance that supports Tom Murray’s exceptional lyricism. Martyn Ware and Charles Stooke did an incredible job while remixing this magnificent number. They invested all their knowledge and skills in emphasizing everything Tulipomania is about by pushing their ideas and instrumentations to an entirely new level. This remix demonstrates what Martyn Ware and Charles Stooke would eventually do if they wrote and composed “You Have To Be There,” and both the original and remix equally represent Tulipomania’s brilliance. Also, this single is more than adequate sneak peek into “Dreaming Of Sleep,” Tulipomania’s upcoming full-length album, due for release on November 17th. You can check out the original single and remix on all streaming platforms.