You're right! Lauryn Hill's cover of KILLING ME SOFTLY is massive;
unfortunately, I don't know if it's on the album or not. Chances are it is.
Mind you, I will be seeing them this week @ TRAMPS in NEW YORK CITY. They are
on a bill with GROOVE THEORY.
Regarding your other question - though - this is the deal! There are
actually 2 covers of Gloria Gaynor's I WILL SURVIVE out there. The one you
refer to is by CHANTAY SAVAGE...and you're right, it is 'U.S.-R&B-style' and is
'OK, but not fantastic'. However, it debuted at #19 on the R&B Billboard
charts...and has already debuted favorably on the POP charts. So somebody is
liking it and it's video which is getting lots of play on BET.
The irony of it all is that MOTOWN may be missing out on its first chance
(in a long time) to help the vocalist of the other remake of I WILL SURVIVE to
have her first AMERICAN hit in a long time. The singer is DIANA ROSS...and her
rendition is -basically- a house/disco version - produced by NARADA MICHAEL
WALDEN.
By the way, SAVAGE also released an up-tempo version of this song that was
only promotionally released last summer; her hip-hop/house version of the song
has never been available in stores...nor has DIANA's version (even though it is
available on her new CD "TAKE ME HIGHER"). Here's the story: DIANA sang I WILL
SURVIVE on Jay Leno (to a very enthusiastic crowd), she made a video for it
with RuPaul & thousands of people watching on the sideline, she made it the
centerpiece for her fantastic Superbowl performance. Every time she performs
the tune, people really get into it. Well, EMI-INTERNATIONAL (her label in the
U-K and abroad) has released it; however, MOTOWN (her label in America) says it
will not be released immediately (although the demand for it has been great!).
Instead Diana's next single "If You're Not Going To Love Me Right"
(another great song that has been re-mixed for radio [it's a more stripped-
down, less sythesized version that gives me GROOVE THEORY/"TELL ME"] has been
released and is being played all over New York (I don't know anything about a
video yet). Just the same, response has been good...and the song is DA BOMB.
I just can't help but wonder if it's going to KILL her SURVIVE song - when
and if it is ever released - DOMESTICALLY. It seems that with all the press and
publicity that came with her SUPERBOWL BLITZ a la "I WILL SURVIVE" that MOTOWN
would have reversed its plan to release a great song with little international
promotion vs. a song that everyone has been asking for.
Some experts suggest that the marketing move on Motown's part centers
around RCA's release of singer Chantay Savage's slow-groove, RCA-rendition of
the hit. One way or the other, it appears that MOTOWN's HIT machine may come
back to bite them again...and unfortunately, DIANA will be the SACRIFICIAL LAMB
- on the domestic front (as she has been for her last 5 MOTOWN albums). THUMBS
UP to EMI-INTERNATIONAL for rising to the occasion. I guess that's the price
DIANA must pay for being an INTERNATIONAL STAR with - I'm sure - another U-K
DANCE HIT.
F-Y-I
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