Soft Cell x JG Thirlwell: Ghost Rider (The JG Thirlwell Remixes), Blood Red and Black Swirly Vinyl 12'' EP

• Strictly limited edition coloured vinyl 5-track 12” single.

• Mail order exclusive. 

• All new 2026 remixes of the recent Soft Cell remake of Suicide’s ‘Ghost Rider’.

• Remixed by JG Thirlwell (Foetus).

• With a sleeve designed by JG Thirlwell, this 5-track, 33rpm, 12” Single is pressed on an evocative blood red and black swirly vinyl. 

In a 2019 interview, Dave Ball stated of Soft Cell’s origins, “We were into bands that were confrontational and challenging like Suicide. We were trying to make a pop version of that.” A Soft Cell cover version of the Suicide song ‘Ghost Rider’ was worked on in 1983 and was frequently featured live at that time, often with guest vocals from JG Thirlwell. 

Forward to 2026, and a collaborative Soft Cell x JG Thirlwell strictly limited edition 12” single contains five dramatic and compelling new remixes by JG Thirlwell of a recent rework of the song. These all new versions get their exclusive first release on this 12” single, infused with an unbridled electro-punk energy and a signature percussive force that enhances the sensibility of Suicide’s evocative lyrics.

The combination of Soft Cell and JG Thirlwell is a skilful synthesis of Marc’s left-field synth-pop origins and JG Thirlwell’s intense energy and melodic angst. 

JG Thirlwell says, 

“I started performing Suicide's ‘Ghost Rider’ with Soft Cell at their live shows back in about 1983. I was in the studio with Dave Ball when he recorded the original backing track that was used in the live set, with Flood engineering. Marc Almond and I traded vocals on this version of ‘Ghost Rider’ for the encore of the Soft Cell set, and we performed it multiple times in the UK and in Los Angeles. It was also immortalised on a TV appearance on Channel 4's ‘Switch’, which has been enjoyed by millions of viewers in subsequent years on YouTube and other platforms. 

When Soft Cell started preparing the reissue of ‘The Art Of Falling Apart’, they asked me to record a new vocal on the ‘Ghost Rider’ backing track so we could have a proper studio recording of our version for release. Subsequently, I felt I’d like to remix the song in a re-invented, driving and cinematic version, and Marc and Dave liked the idea. I took a lot of liberties and the new version really rocked out. All parties were really pleased with the result. Soon after I completed the remix, Dave Ball tragically died. 

After a while, Marc and I started talking about the ‘Ghost Rider’ remix again and he was keen to release a physical version. I felt that I’d like to create two more remixes so that the buyer of the record was getting something really substantial. This led to the ‘Brake Caliper’ and ‘Camshaft’ mixes of ‘Ghost Rider’. The ‘Camshaft’ mix has a more electro bent, while the ‘Brake Caliper’ mix started with the idea of using a reggaeton rhythm and ended up as a cinematic tour-de-force. The songs were powerful enough as backing tracks that I was inspired to include instrumental versions of the “Accelerator" mix and the “Camshaft” mix on the EP.

The great Vicki Bennett (aka People Like Us) offered her services to create a video for the Accelerator mix and I created a video edit for that purpose.

Of course, the resulting EP is dedicated to the late Dave Ball. Rest In Power, Dave.”

TRACK LISTING