Back in high school there was a female friend I fancied — an attraction belied by that choice of verb — so I did what any red-blooded teen male in that situation would do: I picked up the phone, called into one of those late-evening radio shows (the kind with names like “Love Notes”), and dedicated a song to her. My pick: Basia’s “Time And Tide.”

She already had a boyfriend at the time, which made lyrics like, “Love never knows when the time is right,” wholly appropriate (and totally dramatic, another tip-off as to my misdirected affection). But even with Basia’s smooth sophistipop serving as messenger, no love ever did blossom between us beyond friendship — the ideal outcome, to be sure. What remains to this day, however, is a deep and abiding devotion to “Time And Tide.”

This week, UK reissue label Cherry Red released a deluxe edition of Time And Tide, Basia’s 1987 debut album. The project was overseen by the multitalented (and very busy) Vinny Vero, who took me behind the scenes of putting it all together.

POPSERVATIONS: My understanding of your relationship with Cherry Red is that these reissue projects are initiated by you, that you’re the one doing the picking. What was it about Time And Tide that made you feel it was ripe for a remastered edition?

VINNY VERO: “That is correct. I have a wishlist and I’ve been going through it with Cherry Red to see what might be available for licensing. Time And Tide was always one of my favorite albums. Initially, I was curious about it when I realized Basia had been in [UK band] Matt Bianco. Then, I was even more curious about it when Phil Harding was brought in to mix it. I wasn’t sure what to expect from it.

My initial introduction to Basia’s solo material was the UK 12″ single for “Prime Time TV.” It was 1986 and I happened to spot it at one of the record shops I used to visit regularly in NYC. I loved it upon my first listen! As she released more singles, I got more interested in the full-length album which seemed to never materialize. By the time it appeared, I couldn’t wait to unwrap it and listen to it. I bought the UK edition the week it came out. After all these years, I realized that many of the remixes and single versions never appeared on CD. So I thought it was a perfect candidate for a deluxe edition.”

What first drew you to Basia’s music all those years ago?

“I’ve always been a fan of pop music that pushes boundaries. I like beautiful melodies over difficult chord sequences. There is a lot of musical tension in the more sophisticated song structures. On the surface, there are simple melodies and lyrics. Digging a little deeper, the sonic structure is more complicated. I like how those opposites play against each other.

It’s a classic style that was first developed in the ’60s. That’s why I like Burt Bacharach. That’s also what drew me toward acts like Matt Bianco, Sade, Swing Out Sister, Incognito, and others that appeared around the same time in the mid-’80s. It’s an extension of that sound so many UK groups identified with. Even acts like Simply Red, Jamiroquai, and Brand New Heavies pulled in some of those influences.”

Was there anything you were surprised to discover or uncover as you were working on the deluxe edition of Time And Tide?

“I was reminded about how dedicated labels used to be when it came to breaking an act. Even though Basia sold reasonably well in the UK, her debut performed much better in the US, Japan, and France. And in the UK, they pulled seven singles from the album! Two of them were re-releases. The amount of support for the artist and the album was staggering. Those days are long gone.”

I’m curious about the remastering process. What’s involved with compiling these sorts of reissues?

“The process starts with finding the original tapes. Not the 24-track masters. We’re talking about the 1/4” stereo masters. Sometimes, there aren’t any. For instance, all of the remixes for ‘Promises’ that Justin Strauss did were only available on the original U-matic tapes, which meant we had to send them to a studio that had that type of equipment.

Overall, I try to get the best original source and compile it all from there. Then the mastering engineers take over. I let them do their job and they send me a finished reference. Then I listen to it for quality control, making sure there are no dropouts or distortion. I want to make sure the purchaser gets the best listening experience possible. There’s nothing more disappointing than waiting for a reissue only to find out it’s tinny or too bottom-heavy when you finally sit down to listen to it.”

Did Basia or producer Danny White have any involvement with the project?

“They did. I reached out to them to contribute track annotations. Eventually, I met up with them in London and I laid out my vision for the project. They saw how much care I put into it and that’s what made them decide to get involved. Since then, we’ve been communicating regularly on various possible projects. Watch this space!”

With over 19 bonus tracks on the new deluxe edition of Time And Tide, including 12″ remixes of “Promises,” “New Day For You,” “Prime Time TV,” and “Run For Cover,” I can’t believe that the album’s biggest pop hit, the title track, was never remixed.

“I always thought that was a strange oversight at the time the single was released. It wasn’t unusual to have a ballad issued as an extended remix. I can only guess that it wasn’t considered to be the type of track that warranted that kind of reworking. Since that question seems to be popping up quite a bit, I sent an e-mail to Danny and Basia. The confirmed that my guess was correct. They didn’t think it needed to be done.”

Would you consider putting on your DJ/remixer hat to give it a go?

“I would consider remixing ‘Time And Tide,’ but I think the tempo might be too slow for a contemporary dance remix. I’d have to sit down with the 24-track master and listen to the individual parts. I would want to keep the essence of the original. Then all of that would have to be transferred to digital audio. That could get quite expensive. And I’m not sure the label would see any reason for it. But I’m always up from reswizzling a great tune!”

What should we be on the lookout from you this summer, Vinny?

“For Cherry Red, I just approved the artwork and masters for the first two Julia Fordham reissues. Deluxe editions of Porcelain and Swept will be released on June 17 just ahead of Julia’s first UK tour in over a decade. I’ll be at some of those shows. We’ll be doing some press, as well.

I’m waiting for some last minute licensing approvals for the next batch of reissues. I should be able to release more information about those in the next few weeks. I have about 20 projects in various stages of completion.

I just finished producing remixes for Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, The Brand New Heavies and Bright Light Bright Light [“Moves,” out next week]. I have several more on the production schedule. Just waiting for approvals and contracts to be signed.

At the moment, I’m in the middle of promoting “Be Free With Your Love,” my single with super Swedish DJs, Drop Out Orchestra [Ed note: Previous interview here]. We’re just about ready to chart in Billboard and the single is doing very well in the UK. So, there are a lot of interviews lined up. Along with that, I have a number of DJ gigs in Europe throughout the summer.

Then, there’s a movie soundtrack I’ve been asked to supervise. Lots of meetings going on about that. And l’d like to squeeze in a vacation somewhere along the way!”

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As it happens, Basia peaked with “Time And Time” at #19 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart 25 years ago this very week. (Follow-up singles “New Day For You” and “Promises” fared much better, reaching #5 and #8, respectively.) “Time And Tide” was subsequently promoted to mainstream pop radio and topped out at #26 on the Hot 100 in October 1988, Basia’s strongest showing on that chart.

Purchase Basia – Time And Tide (Deluxe Edition) via Amazon or direct from Cherry Red.