Audiopile Review: ‘In the Light of the Miracle’ is one of those songs that crops up again and again in Arthur Russell’s posthumous output. We first heard the glorious thirteen-minute avant disco version collected on Soul Jazz’s ‘World of Arthur Russell’ compilation. You might know the Phillip Glass-sponsored version on ‘Another Thought’. It even cropped up, in stripped-down form, on the ‘World of Echo’-echoing ‘Picture of Bunny Rabbit’. But the ‘Ponytail Club Mix’ has always been something of a myth-legend in Russell lore. Does it really feature vocals from Julius Eastman and Allen Ginsberg? This new 12” from Be With Records answers that question and many more. Here, it’s paired with that 13-minute original, and it turns out to be almost a full minute longer. It adds a swinging four-on-the-floor groove and synthesized handclaps that bring Arthur Russell closer to house music than we’ve ever heard him. And yep, there’s Allen Ginsberg, sounding surprisingly at home in the discotheque. Sure, it’s been bootlegged before, but it is wonderful to have this leftfield dancefloor classic properly available on vinyl for the first time.

The very first commercial release of two legendary remixes of Arthur Russell’s In The Light Of The Miracle. Both are widely regarded as transcendent masterpieces and very much befitting of the title “holy grails.” At last, these jaw-dropping mixes are widely available to every Arthur fan in the world. This is musical perfection. The deep Loft classic “In The Light Of The Miracle” remained unreleased during Arthur’s lifetime, finally discovered when Phillip Glass included the original version on Another Thought on Point Music in 1993. The story goes that Gilles Peterson heard the remixes on a visit to the Point Music offices and wanted to release them on Talkin’ Loud. These remixes both extend and undeniably enhance the original, elevating it to new heights. The 13-minute remix on the A-side is by Danny Krivit and Tony Smith with editing duties performed by Tony Morgan. The “Ponytail Club Mix (Part 1 & 2),” produced by Tony Morgan in the mid-’90s, is in a more up-tempo style, with vocals higher in the mix, the BPM upped to 120 and the addition of a housey 4/4 kick drum. A 14-minute epic, you could say this is a more straight ahead “club-friendly” mix. It also has some really interesting vocal parts not used in the other versions, including some vocals from guest poet Allen Ginsberg. These remixes are part of the same original project that also produced the Another Thought album so it seems only right that they have a sleeve that matches. Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston’s precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12″ well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after treasure finds a home in many more collections, this and every year.