SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Martha Wash – I’m Not Coming Down

Everyone loves Martha Wash. From her start as a backup singer for Sylvester to her classic with the Weather Girls “It’s Raining Men” and more than 30 years of club anthems, Martha is beloved in gay clubland as a legendary diva. For 2014, she is back with “I’m Not Coming Down” a house record that shows both the soft and powerful side to her voice. She can sing but she can also sang (as is the proper idiom for her unmatched vocal prowess.) Surely to be featured at every circuit party this summer, It comes as no surprise that it is flying up the Billboard Club Chart and set to reach the pinnacle any day now. One sure sign of how much she is loved by clubland is the sheer volume of remixes with more than 20 different ones currently floating around (Rosabel, Tony Moran, Danny Diggz, DJ Ting, Gustavo Scorpio, Phil B & Leo Frappier, John Le Page & Brian Cua, Todd Terry, Ranny, Alex Acosta, Guy Scheiman, C-Rod, Deep Influence, Giangi Cappai, James Anthony, Wayne G, Mauro Mozart, Guy Scheiman, Albert Cabrera, John Lepage, Gustavo Scorpio, Phil B & Frappier.) As the most remixed record of the year (aside from Cher’s “Take It Like a Man,”) it’s a good thing that we are in a digital age because there is no telling how many cd singles would need to be released to cover all the remixes and dubs. If perchance you’re a dj and can’t find a suitable mix among those, there is even a sick electro bootleg mashup with Showtek. Having worked with Martha several times over the years, she is also a joy to perform with and always has a fun sense of humor. Evidence of this is the video for “I’m Not Coming Down” which is clearly a tongue-in-cheek spoof of the 90s NuHouse meme with her updating the classic “Give It To You” video with hot shirtless men dancing all around her.

Image Courtesy of Purple Rose.

SONGS OF THE DAY: Tony Moran vs Deborah Cooper – “Heartbeat” and? Inaya Day & DJ Escape – “Make Some Noise”

Just like the other day, when I wrote about Duke Dumont and Disclosure bringing back ’90s underground house, here are two songs that are reviving the seemingly long-lost tribal diva house of the late ’90s. Instead of new faces remaking classic sounds, here we have legendary tribal producer/DJs teaming up with cherished divas to let us have it on the dance floor.? These songs are all about partying and having a good time with sing-a-long choruses over percussive (and explosive tribal beats) kind of like the old school circuit parties. When Deborah Cooper commands you to “get ’em up” while Inaya Day belts out “make some noise,” can you really refuse?????

Images Courtesy of Sugar House / Electronic Kingdom.

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Damon Paul ft Patricia Banks – “The Sun Always Shines On TV”

When classic songs get covered, it’s like old friends coming over for a visit to relive wonderful memories. Originally recorded by a-ha in 1985, “The Sun Always Shine on TV” was covered by europopsters Diva in the mid ’90s and again by Milk Inc in 2003. Ready for 2013 comes German DJ Damon Paul who obviously likes to inject some fun into his production (note the playfully named Miss Vio Line who performed on his last single “Next Life”). Straight-ahead europop with elements of stadium is the production style with the obligatory dubstep breakdown is the approach, though the absence of a seemingly omnipresent (and unnecessary) rapper is much appreciated. Frequent collaborating vocalist Patricia Banks (“Last Christmas,” “Ai Se Eu Te Pego”) contributes a quality vocal which fits the track perfectly. For club consumption, more aggressive mixes by Guenta K and Bodybangers toughen the track up while keeping the full vocal in place. DJs looking for a track that mixes perfectly (and ironically) with the recent Pitbull/Christina Aguilera collaboration should definitely drop this one.

Image Courtesy of Future Soundz.