In XPath 2.0:

normalize-space(string-join(text(),''))

In XPath 1.0 you're stuck, just as you feared.

Just had an idea -- finite string-join approximations.
Simulate
   string-join(text(),'')
by
   concat(text()[1],text()[2],...,text()[k])
for any finite chosen value k.

This works in XPath 1.0 given that k is chosen big enough.
Sample:
$ xpath++ "concat(/a/text()[1],/a/text()[2],/a/text()[3])" mixed.xml  13
$

Cheers,
Wendell

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Wendell Piez                            mailto:wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com
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Suite 207                                          Phone: 301/315-9631
Rockville, MD  20850                                 Fax: 301/315-8285
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