The new collection continues the NOW series celebrating classic 12-inch mixes from the 1980s. Spread across four CDs and 46 tracks, it captures a year that delivered some of the decade’s most inventive pop and club sounds. Right in the middle of it sits one of Eurythmics’ more adventurous singles, given new life in its extended dance form.

Originally released in early 1987, ‘Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)’ marked a bold shift in style for Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. The Dance Mix leans further into that theatrical edge, stretching out the rhythm and textures into something designed as much for clubs as for radio. It is a reminder of how willing Eurythmics were to experiment at a time when many acts stayed firmly in one lane.

The compilation around it gives a strong sense of the musical landscape they were part of. George Michael and Aretha Franklin open the set with ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)’ in extended form, while Pet Shop Boys’ ‘It’s A Sin (Disco Mix)’ and New Order’s ‘True Faith (Remix)’ highlight the growing influence of club culture.

Elsewhere, you have Duran Duran’s ‘Skin Trade (Stretch Mix)’, a-ha’s ‘Manhattan Skyline (Extended Remix)’, and early hits from artists like Rick Astley, Wet Wet Wet and Johnny Hates Jazz. It is a mix of established names and emerging acts, all meeting in that late 80s space where pop and dance music were starting to overlap more than ever.

For Eurythmics fans, the inclusion of the ‘Beethoven’ Dance Mix is a welcome one. It is not always the first track people think of, but it represents an important moment in their catalogue, where Annie and Dave pushed their sound in new directions without losing their identity.

As these NOW 12-inch collections continue, they are doing a good job of reminding listeners just how creative that era really was. Extended mixes were not just longer versions. They were often completely reworked takes that gave songs a different life.