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Glory for Gloria Estefan's "Gloria!"
174 Plays8 months ago
On this episode, Peloton's DJ John Michael returns to help Zach celebrate Gloria Estefan's magnum opus "gloria!" The colossal album that fuses latin dance pop with electronica, disco, and hip-hop celebrated it's 26th anniversary in the world and it's time to give this album the flowers it rightfully deserves. In this episode we do a track-by-track including it's singles "Heaven's What I Feel," "Oye," "Don't Let This Moment End" and "Cuba Libre" as well as dive into it's slew of remixes, megamixes, and medleys.
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome back to pop theory everybody it is Zach aka a function it gave from Instagram and once again we are joined by DJ John Michael from Peloton. Hello. I am so excited that you're here with me today. We have been talking about this for a moment now. ah and One could say that we don't want this moment to end. i You see you just beat me too and I was gonna do the same thing. ah Oh my god. um Yes. yes either're You're the perfect person to have here because this is this is why our relationship works so well. like You and I both know music so well in different ways, but we know it so well, but we also kind of geek out about the same.
00:00:38
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. And we recently just had a monumental album, may at least in my life, and I'm assuming your life as well. 100%. Just had an an anniversary. ah Gloria Estefan's Gloria album from 1998. Might be the first one like we were talking about just before to sort of kick off this this Renaissance. If you will. Yeah, this dance renaissance and what's a shame. So in my head to kind of backtrack a little bit in my head, I remember this was very much still during my phase of life where I was just getting into music like on my own terms. Like I was very influenced by my dad growing up and he had, you know, he listen played everything from Michael Jackson to Madonna to a bunch of like a slew of rock bands and things like that and everything in between.
00:01:28
Speaker
But when I turned 12, that's when I kind of discovered music on my own and started like listening things on the radio and going to the CD store. And for a time and honestly, this still kind of happens with me is that if I see like an album cover art that i that strikes me, that's I kind of I'm like, oh, what is this? And absolutely without even hearing it, I'll be like, oh, I'm interested. And so I go to the CD store one day. I know where this is going. And I see the CD cover art. This is for the single for Heaven's What I Feel. And I'm seeing this woman. She's got long hair. There's this blue background. I love the color blue. There's clearly a breeze blowing. There was a gale, a gust, if you will.
00:02:16
Speaker
her hair was flowing. And there was all of this like geometric design, very like, you know, we're starting to enter the millennium, right? It's 1998. We're ready for the future. right right And I was just like, I don't know what this is, but I'm interested. And just so happened that- Wait, did you read did you know who Gloria Estefan was at the time? I'm trying to remember if at that time I was about 12 years old, but to answer your question, I'm not sure if I knew who Gloria Estefan was at that age, but I quickly became familiar. And I remember, so I don't, I did not get the CD single at that time, but I remember seeing a commercial promoting this song. And I- Back when they used to do that. Back when they did that. And I remember, and I was like, it was like CD in storage now and they were playing the music video. And I was like, I need this.
00:03:06
Speaker
I need this in my life. And then the rest is history. I feel like so now at this point, you're 12 years old. I'm 12 years old. I'm 18 at this point. Okay. Now she is one year out of the closet. Okay. Oh, my God. Right. Life is extremely different at this point. Yeah. in this world, in this era, what's about to happen to the gayest of gay boys, which is me, is I'm about to be fed a buffet of this album from Gloria, Cher's Believe is gonna come in the same year, Donna Summer's ah version of Sarah Brightman's I Will Go With You, Conte Portiro, all of that is coming out. So it is just like, and and so much more, like this is the Deborah Cox, this is that there's so much happening at this point.
00:03:51
Speaker
And so this album very specifically became a crucial part of my coming out. Oh my God. And so i have I have very, very, because this was also a time like Gloria had been doing stuff, but it wasn't like, like, if you were gay, you definitely knew that because there was like remixes and Tony Moran was doing that. And like, you know, the the guys from Roosevelt, Abel and Ralphie Rosario were doing that. But. ah Like a lot of her mainstream, like she did the song for the Olympics, but it was kind of getting very ballad-y. Yep. And she was kind of like, they were kind of transitioning her to be this sort of like middle age pop star, like they always do, which is so freaking foolish. It's like, right. They're like, it's time for it to be adult contemporary. Right. Right. Right. Let's lower the volume. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. But so, but to have all of this sort of happen was like crazy because all of a sudden all of these women were like, wow
00:04:41
Speaker
Like we are back and we are going to be putting out all of this dance music that the gays are going to be getting their life for. And that's exactly what happened. ah Truly. And this album, I feel like to kind of go back to your question of did I know who Gloria Estefan was, she doesn't seem to be a part of the conversation the way that the other pop girls are. And Gloria Estefan, there would be no Shakira, no J-Lo, No, Carol G, no Talia. Okay, well, for yes, and I agree with you 100% because I feel like people don't even realize that she wrote the English lyrics to Shakira's Whenever, Wherever. Yep.
00:05:20
Speaker
yeah know that. And I think she also is the lyricist for JLo's Let's Get Loud as well. She sure is. yeah Right. So it's like, again, and you're 100% right. I don't know if it has to do with her being Latina and that they sort of, I feel like they market her that way, which is why I feel like that has happened. I'm not excusing it by any means because this album I feel like is the most outside of like the Miami sound machine and then like the early solo Gloria stuff, that this became so incredibly mainstream. like The label was like, we're putting money into this, we have a hit on our hands. There's going to be remixes, it's going to be everybody who's current and just put so much behind her. In a time when, again, like I said, I had always imagined Cher's Believe kicking this off, turns out Gloria happened first. Gloria happened first. There's really not like a template for that.
00:06:10
Speaker
right? Yeah, at that point. And it and so what's crazy to me though, is that like, this album came in in my head in my world and my stratosphere and clearly near stratosphere, this album was massive. Yeah, this album didn't perform the way that in my head, that it did. Yeah, like people are not familiar with this album. Well, and I think I get skewed sometimes too, because we had here in New York, we had WKTU, which we still have. yeah And at that point, again, another very crazy cross section. I swear to God, one day this will be studied.
00:06:47
Speaker
And you had this sort of symbiosis with all of these record labels who were putting money behind a lot of these artists like this, who were doing these big remixes. And then immediately there was a relationship to radio because KTU was playing the remixes and you would be on the radio like, in peak hour hearing like Victor Calderon remixes or Love to Infinity or like just the craziest, Razor and Guido, Junior Vasquez, Eddie Baez, like just the insanity of it all. yeah And so it was so like in my world, so everywhere. yeah So to your point, I absolutely agree because I'm like, how do people not know this? Like heaven's what I feel. I heard it in like CVS every day. like Like it was just everywhere. Like I couldn't get over it. And it's there's so many people that just don't know this. And
00:07:33
Speaker
Don't Let This Moment End was actually my favorite song on the album, which we'll get there. But there have been cover versions of that song in like Nightlife Land by like DJs and stuff who have done it. I think like, a I want to say there's an Israeli DJ that did one. And then I think there's another Latin DJ that did one. And both with great vocalists, obviously not Gloria Estefan, that did very well. So I feel like almost in many ways that song is a little bit more known, even though If you look at the streaming numbers, it's definitely not one of her highest by any means. Right. Yeah. And yeah everything around this album is bizarre to me because I agree with you. It's so bizarre. And to your point, talking about the money invested in this album, the not only is the artwork like I have the CD pulled up here to all of our listeners right now, I have actually I so i still own this album and I'm looking through the cover art and it is like you've got
00:08:23
Speaker
Lyrics on every page for every song you've got the production credits you've got photos and this photo shoot was I'm sorry It was giving con like it was like giving it was giving it was all giving it was giving I love the color scheme with the blues and the greens and um Gloria she's like with her disco balls Well, I was gonna say also everybody because if you can't I don't know if you'll be able to see that alternate covers were not really like a big thing at this moment. Right. So you've got Gloria here and she's just like, no, no, no. Did you love the blue cover? Because here's this green one for you. Here's a green one. Yeah, it's a green one. and And so good. It's so good. And the music videos were so high budget for this. yeah We got we got music videos for Heavens What I Feel, Oye, and Don't Let This move in Moment End. And actually, there was also a fourth music video for Cuba Libre, which is not
00:09:14
Speaker
as high budget. But the first three, like I'm watch I rewatch them recently. And it's like they are in nightclubs. It is like special effects. It is costuming. It is light. It is truly like it's they matched the sonic level that this album was bringing with the music videos. Well, and I think that as we talk about it, I think it's sort of easy to see and like, you know, we were talking before we started, like if you go through the production credits, there really are like heavy hitters embedded. Like you have obviously the main people, which is like Emilio Estefan Jr. And there's a little Pablo Flores in there now and then, but even, but he's an amazing producer who's in a handful of tracks. You've got Tony Moran, who's in a handful of tracks. There's a credit, a production credit here on, uh,
00:10:03
Speaker
For Rosabelle, like I said, the guys, Abel and Ralphie Rosario, Soul Solution also has a production credit on here, Bobby Lake and Ernie Guy. So it's like, you know, the guys that were doing the big Tony Braxton remixes and all that other stuff. So it's this sort of very well contained ecosystem, I think, right of artists that are sort of doing this behind the scenes. And it's and that it all landed up here in this Gloria Estefan project is phenomenal to me. But I think it's also probably due to the success that like Toni Moran had, which I think is before this, if I'm not mistaken, the um I'm Not Giving You Up remix, which was like a big white party song for her. Yeah, yeah. And I think that that song is what ah ultimately led it to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 that and I believe she included that remix on her like second volume of Greatest Hits. Yes, because it was on the CD single too.
00:10:54
Speaker
Yeah. yeah and Oh my God. that And then the remixes that Junior did to higher and the other ones for Reach. Yes. Oh my God. See, her label really invested in dance remixes. And I even remember, so like again, talking about budget, the slew of remixers that produced all and all the singles You had everyone from Hex Hector to, as you mentioned, Roosevelt. You had Pablo Flores. You had mouse. tea Yeah. Yeah. Nicholas and Sibley.
00:11:27
Speaker
Oh my god. There's so many. There's so so many. one One could say you don't need this many remixes. I'd i'd argue differently. Right. Victor Calderon. Victor Calderon, Soul Solution, I think did a remix for Heaven's What I Feel. yeah You had- Trowzer enthusiasts. Trowzer enthusiasts. Love to infinity. Yeah. No, it's it's it's really well. And then, I mean, I know that we're probably gonna just keep going all over the place with this, but when you think of like the glorious hit mix that they decided to include, they were like, hey, you know what? You know all those songs that you love by me?
00:12:00
Speaker
Well, how about this? Take it, Tony Moran. No. take Seriously. And that's what, again, with the budget for this album, they invested in not only literally for the three main singles, they did about 30 remixes each. Oh yeah, easily. You can find them on streaming. Each has their own EP. And they also made physical CD singles for e all of them. And they also made vinyl releases, double discs for all of them. it like they said how like you know what budget we don't know what the budget is yeah and they just kept pumping it out but that but then when you thought it was like okay enough they said we're gonna make you not one not two not three but four mega mixes of my songs
00:12:43
Speaker
We're going to do glorious hit mix, which contains my, my biggest hits of the nineties. We're going to do the seventies moment medley. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Glorious hit mix, which also ends on, and I wish to God, I don't know if it exists and Tony Moran, if you ever are within the sound of my voice in this podcast. a longer extended version of your turn the beat around please please because I love it it's my favorite version of it and he only does a little bit of it at the end of it and it his production is so good it's so good it's so good and so you've got that you then have the 70s moment medley which is a medley of the biggest hits of disco and
00:13:25
Speaker
ah by far and above one of my favorite things that Toni Moranis I think has ever done and probably Gloria has ever done. Almost 15 minutes long. yeah It is absolutely brilliant the way that they just and you' it they give you background vocals, they give you fresh production. It is... Transitions. Transitions, the way that they... did i'mset like I listened to it recently and was just like, the time that this took to make, it's not like just going into the studio and be like, hey, we're just going to rerecord your vocals really quick. Right.
00:13:56
Speaker
Not that that not to like diminish that, because I'm sure that's also it's of course, of course. But like, it's not they're like, no, we're going to like, this is basically like we're arranging this so that all of these songs fit. And then we're going to get the background vocalists to come. It's it's in wild. Well, because Tony Moran, I feel like if you listen through to a lot of his very specifically like 95 96 ish to like 99 2000, that's those specific years. he, a lot of the background vocalists that worked on these projects were singers that he had already done tracks with or worked with in other capacities. So it's like he, even when he would do remixes by that point, I mean, this is also again, the sort of glory era of remixes when people were going in the studio and there was like, yeah budgets were being spent and time was being paid, um um had and whatever. So he would just do remixes and sometimes be like, I just want to add my own background singers. And he would, and I would be like,
00:14:54
Speaker
this doesn't exist on any version but his so it's like the time the effort and the production is just it's it was truly another level because he did that with it's all coming back to me now by Celine Dion he did that I think with Janet Jackson's together again correct did he do that too with my heart will go on I want i don't I think if they're back, I love that the balloons just you know the balloons the balloons are like the balloons are they, I think it did. I think it's it. I think you are correct. I think you're correct. I don't know. To be, to be quite fair. I don't know if I've listened to that in a very long time, that remix. Well, let's be honest, Sony get your shit together and put Celine's remixes on streaming. No. And maybe we could be more familiar with it. Right. Instead of having to dig out our old CDs. Right. Well, then this ah so that's like now that the documentary is going to come out for her, and I feel like they're releasing this like whole you know greatest hits. I don't know if there's going to be a new song in there. Maybe there is.
00:15:45
Speaker
but After that, I want to sort of like nudge again and be like, hey, now that we're having this moment, do you want to extend it? Do you want to don't let this moment end? Don't let this moment end. Let's let's keep it going. Let's get the party going. Right. Right. And and then to just to wrap up the mega mixes, though, but then you thought that those two mega mixes weren't enough. You got the 22 minute mega mixes, the party time, one of the English songs, which was kind of basically a medley of like the early Miami Sound Machine mega mix that came out on her like ah first greatest hits. And then the glorious hit mix. So they basically put the two mixes together into one. And then you had the by Londo mega mix, which is a ah mega mix of her Spanish songs. And like, what?
00:16:30
Speaker
How long did this take? Like, that's what I want to know. Like, and I really like these are the questions that I feel like nobody will ever ask. Yeah. And it's like, how did you do this? Did you all just like hole up in the house for a few months? Like, what did you I don't know, because it's like, again, like when you had these are people, it's like the peak of there. It's like happening. I don't know. I don't know. It's kind of wild. It's wild because again, you have to think of it like Gloria is like, OK, I have a new album coming out. And then she's like, oh, but let's also make all of these mixes. All of these. And yes, you're all going to get paid. Yeah, like it is crazy. I'm just like, it's it's truly impressive. And the reason I was going to say, if you want to get a bit of what we're talking about, go to the Wikipedia page for the Heavens What I Feel single, not the Gloria album, specifically the single. Get down to the bottom where it says formats and track listings and scroll.
00:17:23
Speaker
look at how long you're going to scroll for. And then I defy you to go and find any other release that has that is that long, that has that many entries. It is truly incredible. Because and again, to your point, when we were talking about this album earlier, not only do you get all these plethora of remixes, mega mixes, et cetera, et cetera, she also said, I'm going to record some of these songs in different languages. Yes. Yes. Spanish. Spanish and you know French. French, why not? Why not? Why not. Parlez-vous Francais. Right. And I want to say, weren't some of the remixes done in other languages too? Oh, no, that was just Pablo Flores doing his Pablo Flores thing. Yeah, I was going to say, I think Pablo Flores did, I think, For Heavens, What I Feel and then Oye. But still. And then like some of the album tracks, I think Cuba Libre had a Spanish version as well. Yes. Which it's just, I mean, they really pumped everything they had into this album.
00:18:22
Speaker
And it should have been a monster success. Or at least, even if even if it wasn't a monster success, it should have at least come up in the conversation several times over by this point, I feel. yeah Because I do fear that we are probably the only two people that are having this discussion. And you know what? I would rather have it. I would not have it any other way. like I would not have it any other way that and we are going to revive this album right and give it the glory ah it deserves. because it is, it deserves it. It absolutely does. It is quality. Right. Cut to me playing heavens what I feel on a DJ ride soon. yeah I'm like, you will like this and you will listen to it, Peloton. And you're going to listen to the Spanish lyrics. That's it. We're doing the ballad version today. Oh, my God. Seriously, you're going to pull basically a Janet Jackson Together again tour and you're going to be like going to start with ah the one of the remixes. You're going to do another remix. like You'll do the Spanish version and then end with the ballad version.
00:19:23
Speaker
I have, I have a 30 minute class and I'm going to do a 20 minute Gloria Estefan, 22 minute Gloria Estefan mega mix in it. And then one other song, please, please. And have the other, have the other song be let's get loud by JLo. Right. In case you were unaware. Yes. Which actually, now that you bring that up, I believe that let's get loud was actually written for this album and i think so and then didn't make the cut. So then that's why they probably gave it to JLo. and said Which is kind of wild because it's like, I love Gloria. I don't know. I mean, of course she would do an amazing part, especially at this part of her life. But well, did you know that she have finally released her version? No. So are you familiar with i it? I came out in. Oh, God, I don't remember what year, but it was Little Miss Havana.
00:20:07
Speaker
Right. That was a bonus track, I think on the target version of the album. Oh, and so. Yeah. And so I think it's on I think it's finally on streaming. Yeah. But it's fun. Yeah. Is it like something that they recorded in that style for Little Miss Havana or is it like the Let's Get Loud style that we know? i it's I think a little bit of both. It's not it's definitely because Little Miss Savannah was very much, I think i think that a big chunk of it was produced by Pharrell. um I'm actually wondering who's taking care of her metadata here, unless I'm wrong. Wait, hold on. I don't want to be an idiot right now because I'm looking at this and I'm like, I feel like there's a typo.
00:20:49
Speaker
Oh my God. Treat Gloria better. It is. Oh my God. They have Havana spelled wrong on Spotify. No. Yes. It's spelled as H-A-V-A double N-A. And it's only one N. And I'm like, that doesn't look right. Oh my God. Come on. Come on, Sony. Treat your artists with respect. Right. Get that gay intern to be better. Literally. like i'll be I'll be the gay intern. Please. I will go in there and I will be i will make sure everything is spotless. Not going to lie. That's the job that you need. I need you working at a record label. Just saying. I'll be like, I'll get everything on streaming. I'll be like, you want my God. I'll be like, you think that Taylor Swift has too much content coming out? Watch out. We're going to give you every we're going to give you radio edit number one, radio edit number two. but We're going to give you Vox up. but Sheena Easton, the anthology go.
00:21:40
Speaker
ah Oh, my God. Amazing. But yeah, this I mean, this album, though, like, I mean, you know, we we kind of harp on Taylor for putting out a lot of content. And I mean, maybe we can get into that a little bit at the end of this episode. But um Gloria, like the beauty about this album and this time period is that the music that was coming out, it was top tier quality. And that's not to shade anyone. It's just the songs were longer than two minutes. Well, like I said, they were songs, they were songs and they were also like, almost kind of like what I said about Dua Lipa in that, in the radical optimism thing. Everybody that worked on this album, it's like the same, like core four or five people. yeah So it's like a fully realized, because again, also, if you listen to it all the way through,
00:22:29
Speaker
transitions like a whole like there's a whole bunch of stuff happening there and it really is just sort of like these five people are like we've got this project this is what we're going to do and go and then we're going to follow pull in some people here and there yeah and what i find fascinating about this album because when i was just doing a brief little bit of research prior to recording um is that this album was conceptualized originally as a remix album so i'm So I'm curious as to to know like what that plan was, and and maybe that's where maybe like the the glorious hit mix of it all kind of came from, is that maybe that she was like, let's do a remixes of all my greatest hits, and then with a couple new songs, and they probably got really inspired by the new songs. For sure. and Thank God, because this truly, this album is in my top 10 favorite albums of all time.
00:23:20
Speaker
Right. And it's so crazy too, because it's like she did this album. This was a home moment. And then she did such a left turn for the next album. That was a soul. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But she's still got Pablo in there. And she said, yeah, she said, but she said, we're still gonna make you dance a little bit. Yeah. I think they break bread. You know, they Oh, I think they definitely. I think it's a clan. I think it's a clan and I think they're currently breaking bread right now because probably Pablo Flores just posted a photo of him with Javier Garza and Emilia Safan in the studio. So I was like, don't you dare, don't tease me like that. Because if y'all get together and you give me music of my heart, I'm gonna be very upset.
00:24:03
Speaker
I'll be very pissed. We don't want that. We don't want that. Don't be wrong. I liked it. It was cute at the time and the remixes were cute. Thank you so much, Hex Hector. I appreciate it. but Yep. I don't. Mi cuerpo pide salsa. Yes. I'm ready to dance. helped make single choices and like just different decisions like that, yada, yada, yada. If you were the A&R person for Gloria Estefan's new album, which producers would you like to see her work with? I'm in a dance moment. If it's not going to be. Oh, if it's not the gang. Literally, we just named them. Who would I want her to work with? Because immediately I'm like, her and Purple Disco Machine, done.
00:25:04
Speaker
Ooh, that would be good. Would be fantastic, would love it. Yeah. Could be a remix album, could be something brand new. Would love it if it was something brand new, but I totally get that too. Ooh, I don't know. I'm just trying to think of like, you put me on the spot. I'm like sitting here, I'm just sitting here thinking I'm trying to think of like new, cause I've truly been in such an old cake of like old music. I mean, I don't know if you saw my post about Gina G being my most dreamed artist, but name another person, name another person. There's there's like one twink in the UK that's just like, I love her. I love her. Yeah. But I think for me, again, I just you know, all of these new producers and new people and this is no shade. It's just like it's really hard for me to get into music that is shorter than two. It's like two minutes long. Right. Right. Right. For me. Right. But I'm saying like Fantasyland like I would love to see her with Purple Disco Machine. I would love to see her do something.
00:26:04
Speaker
I mean, I'll be honest. I mean, this is probably everyone's going to roll their eyes, but I would love her to bring Hex Hector out of his dungeon. Right. And I'm so mad because he's actually going to play here in New York on the 22nd and I can't even be here. What? Oh, my God. Where is he playing? He's at the White Party. I know. Oh my God. Okay. Hex, Hex, I've got notes. I've got everything I want you to play. I'm not going to be there, but I have everything that I want you to play. Just push play on this Spotify playlist and everybody's going to live. Exactly. But I mean, you know, if if we're going to get, if we would ever get like a Gloria 2.0.
00:26:40
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it would have to be like people that are in the in the current in the now. Yeah. you know Yeah. Right. And I just don't know of like anyone that can because what she does so beautifully and what this core of producers do so beautifully is the blend with this album, the blend of dance house electronica even hip hop and then with their either latin like afro cuban well that's what i was gonna say that's what i think makes this is that it's completely cultural yeah like without a doubt like this album was for the gays but clearly but it's still very culturally them
00:27:15
Speaker
truly. and like and i And I think that when revisiting this album recently, going back and hearing all the textures, especially with all the progression that they put in, right it is mind-blowing, the instrumentation and the musicianship that goes into this. How it was mixed down, the whole thing. Yeah, because even when I was listening, I had my headphones on and I was just like, Oh God, I was like, I really need to like, take another deep listen because it's been such a long time since I've really set through this album again. Yeah. It is a very easy listen too. Should we dive right in? I mean, we can. We might as well. I was going to say we've been edging the audience with this Gloria, but the album starts with Heavens What I Feel, which was the lead single. Which was the lead single at five minutes and two seconds. I'm sorry. Can you say that again? Five minutes and two seconds. And I believe that the radio edit, wait for it, was like four minutes and 32 seconds or something like that. They were like, we couldn't bear with parting with any more of this song. They said it's too chopped. It's too chopped. That's it. You will play this version and you will like it.
00:28:21
Speaker
Can you imagine someone putting out a four and a half minute song today and and be like play this on the radio plays on TikTok? Right. Right. Right. that's And that's I mean, I'm not going to sit here and be that person that always bitches about TikTok, but it is part of the reason why this is all happening. And it's a big part. So it's like it's it's kind of annoying because I feel like What's going to happen in the future, and mark my words now on the internet, um is that we're going to look back and be like, wow, what were we doing? What were we thinking? We really missed an opportunity to XYZ. Right. Yeah. Chase the shiny object.
00:28:54
Speaker
chasing chasing it, but Heaven's What I Feel, such a beautiful song. Also, I want to say that this song, I want to say, was also the lead single for the Shall We Dance soundtrack. I think you are correct. It was whatever that dance movie was, it I think it was Vanessa. Dance with me? No, what was it? Maybe it was Dance With Me. It was something about dancing. Vanessa Williams and Cheyenne, I think. Yeah, Dance With Me, yeah. Dance with me. Cheyenne is so gorgeous. Oh my God. Yum. Yes. And Vanessa Williams still putting out bops. She said, what's that song? Legs. Legs. I'm here for it. Come on, girl. Right. Love. Right. I'm like, come on now. if you Vanessa Williams, be a good influencer and go get a panty hose sponsorship. Exactly. because That's what makes me feel like when I think of Tina Turner, like with her legs campaign that she used to do.
00:29:41
Speaker
ah Lived. Lived. right You know that ah gays in the 80s were just like getting their life to Tina Turner commercials? Oh my god, absolutely. They're like, come on, mama. Right, look at her getting her coins. Yeah. Pantyhose. Pantyhose. Pantyhose. But yeah, this song, I mean, beautiful, beautiful song. And I love that it kind of starts like a ballad. And this what's beautiful about the song, too, is that like the structure is so like you've got a verse, but then it's kind of like a bridge and then it goes into the chorus. Right, right.
00:30:15
Speaker
And it's it's so when it goes kind of into that first bridge, that's when the beat kicks in. Oh, yeah. And it's like this beautiful blend of like disco and house. And what's crazy is I'm looking at this on Wikipedia right now. And in the first paragraph, it says this song was written by Kiki Santander, originally for Celine Dion. What? Is that true? I mean, look, I know Wikipedia, anybody could say anything. I don't know. That's the first time I've ever heard that. That would be wild. Celine, I demand you record the song now. I need it. Oh my God. Give us a Celine version. Put it in my veins. Put it in my veins. Put it literally inject it. like So that's a little crazy. Oh, I'm just like imagining Celine's vocals on that right now. I mean, she would kill it. Right, of course. And then the last, this song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording but Lost to Madonna's Ray of Light.
00:31:06
Speaker
Oh, well, you know, I can't be mad about that. No, I look, I get it. I get it. I get it. I get i get it. But, you know, tough stiff competition. Right. Right. You should still be part of the conversation, but I understand the award. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yeah. But yeah, I was obsessed with the song Still Am. I mean, like listening to it recently, I was just like, bring this type of music back like this. What this is. And it is just again that the five minute like mark. I know for a lot of people is like, oh, it's so long. But it's this is what dance music is supposed to do. It takes you on a journey. And well I feel like that song did that. Yes. And I think that, you know, what it what part of the problem is that I think a newer generation has to when I think about it is that.
00:31:46
Speaker
Society is no longer engineered for you to sort of have the time that you're immersing and listening to your so to to music in the way that we did. So I can't fault the newer generation because I feel like you know I would get in my car and I would be undisturbed for the entire time that I am driving to wherever it is that I'm going and I'm just listening to music. If I'm walking and I have a Walkman with me, I'm walking undisturbed because I'm not staring at my phone really, you know, or on social media to do whatever it is that I'm going to do. So it's like there was just a difference in how we consumed music, which I feel like we don't really talk about often enough. um But I feel like that's very true. Yeah, I think that's a big part of it as well.
00:32:27
Speaker
Yeah, because then you're constantly also distracted with your phone, you've got messages from right social media, you've got text messages, emails, you've got, you know, 5 million things happening. So that's why people like the kids, their attention spans are so short. And I'm like, well, why do you think that is? Hello, taps the sign. that Right, yeah. you know Seriously. it's Yeah, so I think we have to be a little bit more realistic about those things. Yeah, yeah. But, you know, going back to realism, we've hit the next song is Don't Stop. Incredible. and And the first transition of the album, which was amazing. First transition of it. Yeah, so good. And another song that kind of starts out slower um and then builds up into this incredible, like,
00:33:10
Speaker
I don't even like it's like disco, but also like I don't want to say techno, but no, it's definitely there's house elements, but it's so like because Tony Moran has the production credit on this one, too. And it's like it feels so much of like his style. Like it's just it's very Latin influenced its dance music, but it's Latin influenced through and through. Yeah. And there's a synth in the background. It's like that. don' don du don don du du du du don't don du That's very of the time. Right. Right. And like I listened back to it and I'm like it's I was like, oh my gosh, this is kind of like subtle, more subtle in the mix that I had like in my earlier memories. But like now it stands out to me a lot. Right. And it's just it's so high energy because it's it's it's that's the gay whisper.
00:33:51
Speaker
It really is. It's just that like, put your hands in the air, you F slur. Come on. Come on. I'm waiting for you. OK. Here in the little corners. Oh, my God. Yeah. What a banger. What a banger. I don't want it to stop. I don't. Alas, alas, we get another transition going right into arguably one of my personal favorites on the album. I mean, it's kind of one of the hard ones to beat. If Don't Let This Moment End wasn't mine, it might be this one because it's you want to just turn up the energy a bit. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Mi cuerpo pide. Oh, yeah. Mi cuerpo pide. I felt like a native speaking like Spanish speaker after listening to this song. I was like, oh, yeah. Mi cuerpo pide salsa. Right. And she said my last name is Oracle.
00:34:44
Speaker
that I do that now. that's I've been baptized.
00:34:50
Speaker
I was like, when I go to a restaurant, like ah I'll have the quesadillas. Gracias. Gracias. No, but this song, like another Toni Moran production. right Oh my God. like But truly, like really fusing that like house stylings with their ah like the-Cuban progression. like what This song won the Billboard Latin Music Award for Best Latin Club Dance Song of the Year. And I don't think it should go to anyone else ever. Right. that It should have been gone. Like, that is it. Like, this this song is the epitome of club music and dance for me. And the music video? Right, right. But this is also I feel like, because I think this one, oh no, he's not they're not listed on the, but the remixes, if you listen to the remixes, specifically all of the Roosevelt ones, when it's like Abel Aguilera and Ralphie Rosario, two absolute titans and legends of the industry. yeah That time they were so high on the cha-cha hog and it was just like everything was those drums and I just lived for it. and um
00:35:57
Speaker
So if you kind of fall down that rabbit hole at like that time span, I mean, Ralphie and Abel still always have like drums and like Latin inspired sounds and their stuff. But that time specifically, like anything that they did was like that high. but but but but but but It's so good. it's They cornered the market on that. They really did. This song is so fun. And Pablo Flores did the single remix for the song. and Legend. Legend. And I don't know which version I love more. I don't know if I love Pablo's remix or Tony Moran's album version.
00:36:30
Speaker
or Roosevelt's remixes. They're all so good. And they're all like similar, live in the same world, but have are different enough to where they can stand on their own two legs. yep And what a like club smash dance floor stomper. like I don't even know what else to describe it. I feel like every Latino circuit queen in 1998 was just like, let me play you the song of my people. It's really like ah you would hear this at every party back in the day. I would hear some version of this remix and it was just fans and just the exact reaction. Oh, I am so jealous. I wish i wish that I could have experienced that. I like oh my God, I would do anything to go into like a club or a bar and hear the song.
00:37:16
Speaker
Like girl, we got to go on a road trip, please. Right. I mean, I need it. Like I need it right now. Like I'm just like, oh, my God. i just And then the second I'd hear, I'd just be like me. Let you know. Right. That is it clearly me. Clearly. Yeah. Clearly me. Latino. Clearly me um that's Cuban. ah Right. Yeah, exactly. Right. Um, and then that brings us to track four, which is real woman. I mean, another banger like an unexpected banger. unexpected. Because the the way it starts, it's like this real, real, real, real. And then it's got you've got like the drums coming in. And then she's like, what you need is a real, real woman tonight. And then it goes, as it's like, I would describe this as more techno.
00:37:59
Speaker
Oh, yeah, because I feel like they don't like when we think of Gloria Estefan and this is by no means shade in any way, we don't think of her as like a vocalist, like right vocalist vocalist, like a Celine Dion type. But this was really, really, I have to say, like vocal peak on this album for me, at least, I think. Oh, absolutely. Like she was always good at giving ballads and it's not like we didn't know that she could sing. But like this type of club diva vocal, I felt like. Yeah. wasn't really like 100% her thing. And I really like she slipped into it and owned it on this and I love the song.
00:38:32
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. It's so good. And just like that, the way that the drums and the the the way that the synths kind of stab in it, i I think of lasers. Like I just, it oh yeah I feel like I'm beating a dead horse now, but like the way that they fuse all these different types of sounds and make it just sound so lush and big. Yeah. Well, that's why I feel like this is, this is really like Tony Moran's, like that, that sort of white party era. And I feel like all of that music that not that he was, did This one but it's just sort of like that era of just that sound especially in the and then it Transitions into feeling with a fun little like cool transition to something else with her voice at the very end little Scratching which actually was done by if anybody from Miami knows DJ Laz
00:39:16
Speaker
ah Very very famous Latino DJ because this this music this song is like more like Miami bass music yeah Break Beaty like bass kind of whatever and he was the one that did the scratching and he's very of that community which is kind of I was gonna ask you what it was because I was like when I was listening to it I was like what I was like, I don't know how I would describe this because I was like it's I was like it's kind of hip-hop ish Yeah, it's sort of like a branch of of hip-hop is with Miami bass. Yeah, Miami bass. Okay. I like rhythm track. Yeah. Yeah. It's so fun. So fun. And then we go into another one of my personal favorites on the album. Don't release me. Don't release me. Really? Because I was going to say I almost wish that don't release me came like a little bit later in the album. That's my one great.
00:40:04
Speaker
Ooh, you know what? I actually agree with you. Yeah, I feel like it's too early for this. i i I actually agree with you yeah and okay. It's too early for this much of a downshift for me. Yeah. Because you've really given me five. bangers yeah yeah boom boom boom well no because you know what and i don't know where it's split on like cassettes and stuff or any of that but i feel like as we were moving like this could be like where the sort of side b side a because i feel like that would be you want to start side b with that and kind of then
00:40:39
Speaker
shift the gears up, I'm down with that. but yeah yeah Yeah, for sure. But what's the what I love so much about the song, so first of all, this is a collaboration with Wyclef Jean. Who we love. Who we love. love patient Haitian. But it starts off as kind of like this mid-tempo, groovy, like torch almost song. And then halfway through, she's like, hold on, we're going to pick it up. Right. And it goes into this. I don't know how to describe the sound the second half of the song. I think it's still it's just dance. It's just slower. It's slower than the other stuff. It's just definitely like just Latin dance stuff. Latin land dance pop.
00:41:15
Speaker
Yeah, with like a, dare I say, like a big band influence. It's kind of a sort. I don't want to get it wrong because obviously neither one of us is of the community. Yeah, yeah. But it's sort of like, that it feels like that Brazilian funk type of like big drums, but it's probably not, but it's something like that. Yeah. And I'm obsessed with the horns in this. I used to do this like like little dance and then I would be like, just like shaking my hands with the horn that would come in and like, I just, I am obsessed with this song. Yeah. If you like this and you probably know it already, like the the second half of it reminds me of Christine W's Clubland. Oh my God, of course.
00:41:54
Speaker
i eat pa but up but up be papa up but but but skiy david Jeff is screaming right now. Jeff is screaming. I can already hear him like screaming from Atlanta because I will sing that to him and he's like, what the fuck is this? And I was like, don't you dare disrespect my queen. The two guys that I lived with in my very first apartment, we would say that all the time. it would just up blooded up Just in random bits of the conversation. skebadi but and be butpaa it' be papaa it don' be papa it know
00:42:27
Speaker
I love her so much. I do too. Did you hear that she just dropped a cover of Sade? She sure did. and i am i didn' And has that been like on repeat when I'm at the gym? You better believe it. Oh my God. The James Herr one I think is my favorite so far. so I love that one. And then it's Black and Crown is good too. I, I've been listening to, oh my God, I'm going to fuck up his last name. Mark. Pitchi, Pitchiati, I think. Pitchiati. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Who famously produced Kylie Minogue's butterfly. butterfly So good. um um But yeah, ah fantastic cover. Yeah.
00:42:59
Speaker
And because and it was funny to have to like to change directions. But I was I love me some Christine W. A girl in a way that I can't even describe. I have to tell you about the times when I met her and it's really yeah like ridiculous. She's let's get her on the show. Well, absolutely. She is the nicest. person I cannot even tell you like the kindest like as soon as she meets you she's just literally like hugs and just whatever like you want to take the picture let's take the picture you want to do videos to video like she's so great and if you give her a microphone she'll never shut up it's fantastic I love shows perfect Christine W if you're listening we would love to have you on the show right Um, but I was like I was actually looking because I've been again and talk about another artist who has a lot of stuff that's actually not on streaming yet and which probably is not again, not her fault. It's I think the Tommy label, which sounds like yeah, which sounds like that there's ah that's a whole shit show in a nightmare. Love and You is probably one of the best dance remixes I've ever gotten. Yeah.
00:43:58
Speaker
I can't hexes mix of that I was obsessed with but you know the one for me on that album on the stronger album though with stand in love hexes remix of stand in love I cannot. Oh my God, I'm trying to keep it together. I cannot even tell you how important that song was for me. I can i i have a very, very special place in my heart for Ms. Christine W. ah But yeah it is that song specifically, Dear God, even Let Love Rain. Oh my God, when I want my soul to ascend, I will play that song.
00:44:30
Speaker
the cover of Shower the People. Did we think that Christine W. was going to be great doing a James Taylor song? She said, yes, I could do anything. I can do anything because I'm Christine W. Right. Right. W, double two. Yeah. Two of you I can do. Right. No, she's amazing. I love everything about her. We we can definitely do an episode of Just. Please, I would love that. No one is going to care about except for us. I know because you you know what's interesting is that I was like trying to think of like, you know, like when I do my obscure pop songs, posts and whatnot on Instagram, you know, I'm trying to sit there and think I'm like, OK, what is an obscure, you know, song these days because you've got songs. It's so.
00:45:08
Speaker
depends on who you talk to and then right the and the age group and whatnot. And I was like, do the newer gays know about Christine W? I don't think so. I'm like, I don't know why they would. I'm like, because I don't think that she's super active in the pride scene anymore. Oh, she absolutely is. Is she good? Oh, God, that's like where she makes all her money. i was i had hope I was going to say people always make jokes about Betty Who and Debra Cox. No, no, no. And I think that she absolutely owns it. Okay, good. This is by no means a read at all. Like I think that this is just like her money making season because she'll be at Palm Springs. She'll be in Altra, California. and just Oh, good. Because I just haven't seen anyone mention her. right And so i'm just so I'm just kind of like, we need to elevate and keep
00:45:49
Speaker
praising these queens. No, it's true because there's like a, i I could do a whole list of like specifically the club divas for for me, which is like Christine W, Vanessa Mitchell, Anaya Day, Joy Cardwell, specifically these women who have given nightlife, so many incredible songs, so many incredible anthems and are all pretty much still in it. um And a lot of them have done other things, worked with other DJs, worked on background, who's, there's been, you know, some of the background singers that Tony Moran used to work with did background for Mariah Carey, did background for this one, for Patti LaBelle, for whatever. Wow. That sort of stuff. um But that's another one, Tony Moran, your remix of Christine W and Patti LaBelle's duet of Land of the Living. Where is it? Where is it? Give it to me.
00:46:33
Speaker
We you want it. Right now. but Please. Right. But it's yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Please. i don't Tangent tangent. Sorry, Gloria. Yeah. i was says yeah Sorry, Gloria. but But back to Mr. Moran, you know, this leads us into your favorite song of the album. I. By this point here in America, unfortunately, I feel like this album really had run its course, which is sad because I felt like Heaven's What I Feel should have been the second ah first single. Don't Let This Moment End should have been the second single, and then Oye should have been the third single, at least here in America. That makes the most sense for the American mind as far as I i can see. Yeah.
00:47:13
Speaker
but This song is melodically one of, I think, the most beautiful dance floor songs ever created, like specifically for the dance you know genre, and then which is why I think it's worked well in other versions when people have done covers and stuff like that. but What Hex Hector and Matt Quayle did on that remix with the orchestra and the strings and the breakdowns and even the dub is wild. The du dub is insane. Right. And that and it's usually usually I would say for most people, the dub is kind of like an afterthought yeah for the for the average listener. To qualify, if you're not if you're unclear about what a dub is, there's usually a vocal mix and then a dub. A dub will have vocal elements, but usually not a full vocal. Maybe it'll use a chorus, maybe it'll use a verse, maybe it just loops the same sample over and over again, but it usually will be a much more stripped down version. It will be more focused on music than a vocal mix would be.
00:48:11
Speaker
Thank you for explaining that. You're very welcome. Because I've always, I always, I was like, I think that that's what that means. And you just, you just clarified that. So thank you. So you'll see like on some of these mixes where it'd be like vocal dub, that means that you're going to get more vocals in this than you would otherwise. You know, they used to come up with really crazy like contractions where it would be like dub stromental. And I'm like, all right, everybody. Let's take a breath. It's a lot of characters. Dubappella. Right. Right. A lot of that. And I'm like, all right. All right. Clapappella. OK. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. But this song, like again, another club smash, no just dance floor stomper. The breakdown in the middle. Unbelievable. The radio edit, it's homophobic that they cut that down.
00:48:52
Speaker
In my opinion, it should be like they should take that part and just put that on loop for 10 minutes. Right. Like this song and also nominated for a Grammy lost to Believe by Cher. You know what? I know. I know that. But I feel like this is probably why there was such a big direction change at the end of the day for the next album, because it's like, yeah again, just it's sort of like she was out here doing it first and really giving it to everybody. And Yeah. We gave it to the other girls. We gave it to the other girls. Yeah. And you know what? That's okay. It's okay. They deserved it. It's true. They deserved it. They deserved it. But even, and specifically this one too, don't let this moment in, works so incredibly well as a ballad when they include the ballad version, which was on the CD single. Yes. Or the maxi single or whatever. This is another one. if It's like, there's oh no, there was only a few versions of this, but there was so many.
00:49:44
Speaker
remixes. This is the 70s moment medley was on this maxi single. But yeah, which I just learned that she performed the 70s moment medley like a short version of it on the Rosie O'Donnell show. so i I know I was like because I was like, you know, the kind of like looking it up and I was like, I was like, oh, did they do anything to like promote this? And sure enough, she did the medley like like kind of like the four minute version on Rosie O'Donnell. That is so wild. I was like, what a different time. right What a different time. Promo was so different then. Truly. And yeah, she crushed it. And that's the other thing too. And it's like, I feel bad for the new generation of music stands at times because it's like, when I think about the trove that I look through now, it's like as somebody who spends a lot of time on YouTube, I watch a lot of interviews, especially when it comes to the divas and I've watched
00:50:39
Speaker
hundreds of countless interviews with Britney and Whitney and Dolly and Cher and Madonna and whatever. yeah There really isn't that for this new generation of fan. I don't know the excitement I feel like around the releases like it used to be like these artists. I want you to have the opportunity to speak about it. I'll tell you one story because I'm going to name drop here, but it really is relating to this. yeah When I had gotten invited to go listen to the New 30 Seconds to Mars album, One of the coolest things about the whole experience, is aside from the fact that Jared Leto was there, was being in the studio with him and just hearing him talk about
00:51:16
Speaker
the genesis of the project, the stages that they went through to get to it, how it, you know, it transformed their experience during COVID and all this other, this crazy like layout of just him talking so honestly about that, all of a sudden made me be like, oh, I'm absolutely gonna pay more attention to this than I really had ever imagined I would. yeah And I feel like not giving these artists that chance or that stage to sort of do it, like even the Dua Lipa album, like she did the Zach Sang interview, she did the Zane Lowe interview, and those are like the big ones that you see and then like little bits here and there whatever but it's not really like performances on talk shows and like all of the same like it's just not the same level of they're performing over here in Germany performing well like it's not that they don't do it but it's just not as much I feel
00:52:01
Speaker
What we get is you know kind of we get the promo week. The week that the album comes out, that's the heavy promo week. You're lucky if you get two weeks. right And plus, I think social media. I think that social media, I think a lack of journalism. I think a lack, because like I said, you can tell like most of the iconic clips are from like, what was the clip I just saw of Kylie Minogue and Alan Carr from the UK, where he was like god about the Time Bomb video and the Red Hankey. Did you see that? No. oh My God, when he tries to tell Kylie Minogue that the red hanky in the back of her jean in the time bomb video is actually the gay hanky code for, I don't even know if I should say it on the podcast. Say it, say it. It's for fisting.
00:52:47
Speaker
I think I have seen this. And I just saw it this week for the first time. And I was like, how have I never seen this before? Oh, my God. I left so hard. I was like, oh, my goodness. And yeah, it was kind of crazy. But sorry, just to divert completely from the Rosie O'Donnell show. I know, but you bring back performing B-side medleys on right talk shows. Just because. I don't know. I just feel like the remixes gave this era such a longer life, you know and I feel like that also is something that I miss that doesn't happen. When I think of Taylor, she put out the album, she put out the whole whatever, Michigas, and then
00:53:29
Speaker
the single for Fortnite and now the Blondish remix, but there was like barely any anything about that. like Barely a promo, barely a nothing. like i didn't It just showed up on my Spotify and I was like, oh, all right. i think I think I saw a tweet about it from something yeah and then and that's how I even knew about it and I was like, oh, I'll give that a listen. Well, next i we have the song Touched by an Angel and I have to say this is probably my least favorite song on the album. I get that. For me, I like it a lot, but what can I compare it to? It almost feels like the musical theater entry of the album. It's so... Yes. It is theatrical. I don't know. It's very theatrical and it feels like a musical theater song for me. For me, I think this is the part where it kind of how you said that don't release me kind of like
00:54:17
Speaker
took you down a step. Yeah, this is the part of the album where it kind of takes me down a step where I'm kind of like, I think I think it's placement makes sense. and i And I think that the purpose is to kind of be a palate cleanser, right? For the remainder of the album. um But yeah, like, I don't dislike the song. no And this is a Tony Moran production. And I think he co wrote this too. Yeah. And this is just the one where I'm just kind of like, this is a passive listen for me, where I'm like, I'm going to listen to it because I'll because, you know, I'm listening to the album, but I don't go back and like single this one out. I feel that way about the next song. Interesting. Which I like. Don't get me wrong. And I like how dramatic the intro is. That shocks me. Yeah. No, I like it. But I'm just like, it's fine. I as coming from somebody, especially at this point in my life at 18, I was just coming off the back of like
00:55:09
Speaker
five or six years doing musical theater. So it's like, Touched by an Angel spoke to me, whereas this one didn't as yet. I love it, but I was just like, it's okay. It's fine. Gotcha. Okay. That makes sense. That makes sense. Well, the song that we're talking about is Lucky Girl. Yes. It is, I believe has a production credit from Soul Solution. This is their contribution. Right. Which is, like I said, I would eventually get to the point where like, I totally understand this now. And when I listen to it now, it absolutely sounds like a Soul Solution song. Yeah. So this song and then the next two tracks after it are like, much like Oye that really experiment with blending Latin music with dance house production. And what I loved about Lucky Girl is that like piano breakdown. Right. Right.
00:55:52
Speaker
and it is it is And I don't know, because that that cause that like rhythm or that like style of piano playing, i it's it's used in other types of music before. it's it's I want to say, not ah flamenco, maybe flamenco, but it's it's very like dramatic, very typically Latin music. Spanish feels Spanish, maybe. Yeah. See, but I just want to be happy for me is probably my least favorite, I think, on the album, even though I recognize it as being like, this would be so good on a tour. Yes, this would be a crowd. Please run. it Right. This is the moment. It's the cheesiest song on the album. Yeah, which is what I think I have the issue with. Yeah, for sure. I think it's really fun. It's funny that you say that because during covid, my work was putting together. We were just trying to think of like, how do we even survive in like whatever?
00:56:39
Speaker
And one of the things that we did for social media was we put together a dancer or ah dance party playlist for your living room. And I and i put that song. stop Because i was like I was like, we need something that's family friendly and really fun, but like upbeat. And I was like, what is that? That's a song. Yeah, you're absolutely right. But then that takes us to the final track on the album or at least the final track that's like the original songs. Yes. And if you go by the Spotify numbers, the third most streamed on the album. Oh, no, no, no, I'm trying the second most streamed on the album. Oh, interesting. Most streamed is Oyay. Let's celebrate that. Second most streamed is Cuba Libre. And then the third most streamed is Heavens What I Feel.
00:57:19
Speaker
Wow. That is crazy. Well, I have to say not mad about it. This is another one of my favorite songs. In fact, to the point where I have this is so stupid, but I have fantasized about dancing to this song with my mom at my wedding as like our mother daughter or our mother son. damn No, you were right. Mother daughter. and But like I was like, we are we are not Cuban. We are not of any sort of Hispanic, Latin descent whatsoever. But I was like, I want to dance to Cuba Libre. All I'm saying is that if the day ever comes when you're going to get married and this is going to be a moment, I am coming to your wedding. Please. And I but i love this song, the dance break at the end of the song. It's a great album closer.
00:58:12
Speaker
great album closer, you know obviously talking about you know wanting Cuba to be free. If people don't know Gloria's story, i mean I'm not you know super, super intimate with it, but like I do know that she did flee Cuba when she was really young. um I know that her family was very poor. I feel yeah i remember i remember her saying something about like they would sleep on newspapers as mattresses. So, um you know, this is something that's near and dear to her heart. But the song is so, you know, while, you know, it's expressing wanting Cuba to be free, like this song is very celebratory and very joyous. Oh, yeah. And that spirit, like you feel that. And that's what i let me tell you is you go to any type of Latin Spanish country, whatever, like, and it's just everywhere. The joy like I've been to Mexico, I've been to Puerto Rico, those two specifically, I feel are like
00:59:04
Speaker
I can't even tell you like from the minute you get it's just it's just and again like every country there's good there's bad but it's I don't know it's just a certain level of joy that just seems instinctual that I i just love I'm very yeah that drawn to that's it yeah and that's what I kind of get yeah and I don't know I always joke that like I'm the ah Rachel Dolezal of like Hispanic culture Dear God in heaven, I don't even know what that means. I think I think i always joke about it because I tend to gravitate. I do love a lot of of Latin music. I love like I love Hispanic food. Oh, yeah. And and it's just always felt so natural to me. Right. that's right Like one day I was like, I'm the Rachel. Like so i was stupid. But that's the second time that she's come up today, actually. I watched you. you We've talked about Heartthrob Anderson, Rob Anderson.
00:59:54
Speaker
Oh, my God. Jeff just sent that to me. Did you watch it? I watched it. Oh, touched I speak of touched by an angel. I like I it was wild, ah wild for anyone that's listening. Hartthrob Anderson did this basically like this like breakdown video of an episode of Touched by an Angel where sun god someone wore blackface on the show. It is so crazy. And when he was just like, girl, up put that 4C wig on, I was like, not the 4C wig. i know Oh, my God. It was so so funny. Funny and so crazy. Please watch that clip. and that is It is wild that that happened in like.
01:00:33
Speaker
It did not cause a stir at the time. And that's not long ago. Oh, no. Right. Yeah. it's Yeah. Crazy. And to his point, I think he said like 20 million people watch that episode live like insane. But back to the album, the CD version of the album kept going. She's like, she's like, we're going to give you some remixes now. Right. because And yeah because I know you want them. So we got a love to infinity remix of Feelin, which I like more than the album version. Agree 100 percent. Yeah, I think I was a really big fan of their stuff for a long time. Yeah. And I just think it really kicks up the notch and just I don't know like this. This remix really does it for me. And then you get the don't ah don't release me remix by Ryclef Jean. So he did a remix of the song and very much in the spirit of Mariah Carey. They re-saying their vocals. it's It's a hip hop remix. Not my favorite, by but but I do. I get it. And I appreciate his guitar playing.
01:01:32
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. No, I mean, he's a genius. so And then we get ah three Spanish remixes. So we've got the Spanish remix of Heavens What I Feel by Pablo Flores. Yes. We've got Cuba Libre, which is actually just the same version. I mean, but in Spanish, but that's OK. Right. Right. And then Pablo Flores remix of Oye in Spanish. Incredible. Wasn't he is he the one that also did the Madonna Don't Cry for Me Argentina? Was he? where That's what I thought. hit that and Buenos Aires. Yeah, both incredible. Yeah, which put the Buenos Aires remixes on streaming. Right, right, right. Come on, promo only insane. I mean, but all I can say is that they're getting they're they're being really good about her catalog on streaming now is that they keep releasing it. So it's like I do have hope say for her that at least some F slur at the label is like,
01:02:24
Speaker
Girl, don't forget the Buenos Aires months, you know, like that sort of. you You explained this before on one of the episodes, but the fact, again, just going back to the whole like money of it all and having a budget, the fact that they were like, oh, we're going to commission remixes, but we're not going to put them up for sale. right This is just for pro promo only at the clubs for the DJs to play. Right. But that was that was at a time when that was happening because DJs were breaking records. Like that was where you were hearing the stuff first. I will never forget being at rest Rest in Peace, David Henney, down in Asbury Park. He was a very long time resident at Paradise, which is where I was a resident before I went to Peloton. He, I remember, and he was also a billboard reporter, so he had everything. So no matter what, if like every week, if there was like promos, if there was anything that was new, David was going to have it and he was going to play it. and
01:03:15
Speaker
I remember but being on the stage at Paradise hearing what I would come to know is the Thunderpuss remix of Lady Marmalade for the first time and just having the most visceral response in my body. And I was like, I cannot believe that I am hearing like that. So but that's where it would happen. Because like I said, in a pre internet thing, you know, whatever, but it's yeah, we hear these remixes at the club. That's why Whitney's my it's not right, but it's okay. Or my love is your love. Like all of these DJs were actively in huge residencies that were playing these to so many people.
01:03:49
Speaker
suck at Vegas residencies. It's crazy. It really, really is. so it's it's It's like a very, very different world. like you know yeah Cause even like I think about me, even me being just like a, I mean, obviously I have Peloton, but beyond that, it's like DJing in my gay bar in Philadelphia. It's, which, shout out to having her come back. If you want to find me, I'm on DJ John Michael. If you want to come down for dates. Um, soon to be more elsewhere, but we're working on it. Um, yeah, she's trying and she's got a, what's the, uh, do you watch ad fab? No. You didn't watch Ab Fab? No. Absolutely fabulous. Oh my God. No. Shut this podcast off. Cut. Cut. Go to commercial. Try it. I am. Go to commercial. Commercial. Okay. Well that, that is definitely home where you, especially of all people, Jesus, I'm like the magnitude of that. I know. You need to watch it. Okay. Like I don't know what's. What's it on? I'm going to find out. I don't know. Okay. I think we're going to find out. Okay.
01:04:44
Speaker
I feel like it's Hulu, but I could be wrong. I currently have like, i I need to like cut back on my on my subscriptions, but I currently am sub subscribed to Hulu. so Yeah, my subscriptions only change depending on where RuPaul decides she wants to park Drag Race this season, which is like the most annoying thing ever. And I'm like, oh, I got to sign up for Peacock again. Right. Yeah. ah Yeah. So you need to see that. But anyway, I was going to make a reference to there that doesn't doesn't matter now. But either way, she's got her fingers and lots of pies and she's trying. So we'll see. Maybe I'll show up in a town near you soon. Hey, let's celebrate that. Oh, more to come. More to come. Well, DJ John Michael, do you have a song that we don't talk about enough? I think I'm going to keep it Gloria Estefan just because. Let's do it. And I'll do maybe two, but either way. But the first one that I had is.
01:05:30
Speaker
Hotel Nacional. And I will say this specifically because of the Razor and Guido remix, which I was beyond obsessed with. And the fact that they did a music video for that song that was inspired from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Yes. All of these things combining for no absolute... that part and You know the video when like she opens up the thing and it's her eyes? I was like, bitch, you you absolutely better. yup And I live for that. That video is everything. It's so good. And ah but ah again, Hotel Nacional, I think second single from Little Miss Havana, which was kind of a sequel to this Gloria album. And what a again, a dance floor stomper. The remix is incredible, as you mentioned. So good. So good. and Great selection.
01:06:18
Speaker
Yeah, that, and I was gonna say, I had a ah really big moment with the Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me album because I was so like at that moment in 94, like still so theatrical and like musical theater. Her version of It's Too Late is so pretty. I'll have to visit that. I don't think I've heard that version. Oh, it's so good. It's like later in the album. It's like okay it's the third to last song. Yeah, but like the Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me is great. Everlasting Love is obviously the big single, which we love. And that video, Happy Pride, full of drag queens. Full of drag queens. Full of drag queens. She said, here they are. And they're going to give you, and it's like her doing a little bit of choreo. That's the move that they do. Everlasting love. Lesting love. Yes. Yes. Yes. Shoulder, shoulder and up. Turned the beat around was on this too, which is another one that's huge for her, but iconic remixes. But yeah. ah So good. So good.
01:07:04
Speaker
ah You're right. You're like, now I'm sitting here and I'm like, am I really going to fly this flag for Gloria Estefan? I am because really she deserves it. She, like, again, she's just, she's just, at least in, in, I would say in English speaking, again, we are not, you know, of, you know, Spanish speaking cultures, but in English speaking that, you know, in America, I'll just say that right like she's not a part of the conversation in the way that she should be. Yeah. And, you know, especially, but you know, in in the stand culture of pop divas and whatnot, because Gloria has done so much paved the way for so many true, huge ally to the LGBTQ community. And yeah, she and her music is just it holds up so well. Yeah. Yeah, it really does. It really, really does. I have to say like and she she doesn't fall as
01:07:50
Speaker
pray to some of that as like when you listen through artist catalog where I'm like, oh, no, this is actually this like all of her Latin music works no matter what anytime, anywhere like it's. Yeah. You know, so I'm going to go with where do I want to take this? and There's like three ways I could take this. I with my ah song, we don't talk about enough is also going to be Gloria. I'm going to you know, I'm going to go with out of nowhere. If you were going to be like music of my heart, I was going to be like, girl, just what a beautiful ballad. Right. It was such it a poignant in the movie. And oh, my God, seriously, no out of nowhere, which is a fun dance song that was one of the new tracks as part of her greatest hits, volume two, that came out in like 2000 or 2001. Yeah, that's a lost single, I feel.
01:08:35
Speaker
It really is a lost single and the, again, had a slew of remixes, including Thunderpuss and ma Metro. That was the one I think I really liked was the Metro. It's so good. yeah and And again, this is also during a time too where remixes like every, there were different sounding remixes. Whereas like not everyone's trying to do the same sound. Like it was like everyone had a unique sound or even if they were trying something different, you'd still, you had a slew of different types of remixes, you know, kind of for different fields and different clubs and whatever. yeah And this that song is so it's just so fun and catchy. Oh, yeah, such a bouncy. I would say bouncy is a great way to describe that song. Absolutely. Yeah, does not get talked about enough. No, not at all. Part two song that should be on streaming. That's not. Yes, I actually do have one. If you have one to me, I got it. And I have it. The CD single right here.
01:09:33
Speaker
Oh my gosh display this baby display this is it this is an artifact everyone miss Bette Midler shut up to deserve you. These remixes do you know the song no it's not familiar at all I think her bet of roses album it's originally like a sort of mid-tempo adult contemporary. sort of jam but it is an absolutely beautiful song but here MK has a remix on here very famous MK we everybody knows as well as I don't know who Banzai is hold on I'm like looking see what this is it's just some remixes by Arif Martin the famous producer yeah but either way
01:10:12
Speaker
these remixes I was absolutely obsessed with. And this is 1995. I keep forgetting this and I have, so I have a list and actually I'm gonna, I should probably share this with you too. Anything that is missing off streaming remix wise, I have it broken down by record label. I love this so much. yeah So anytime I can, and I keep forgetting, anytime I get back into like the room with them, I could be like, hey, by the way, you know those wild orchid remixes that no one has ever asked you about? Let's put them on streaming.
01:10:44
Speaker
you know That's so good. Right, right. Do you know the Richie Santana mix of stuttering? You know, I remember seeing i I know I've heard it, but it's been so long since I've heard it. I have to say, I have this. I don't remember it. All right. So the Richie Santana, who is a local Staten Island guy, actually, um who does like a very heavy techno music now. ah Yeah. Did this. I don't even know. it's It has to be on streaming, too. And I need that on streaming. He had a moment with some of the pop girls. A lot of them. like Yeah. Yeah. Because he did. um He did, I think Gloria Estefan for um No Me Dejes De Care. OK, so that song, that remix, the Latin surprise remix, it's called. Mm hmm. It is like 4 a.m.
01:11:30
Speaker
I'm on the dance floor in New York City at this club exit, which was one of the biggest. It's the old, uh, what was it? So the old, no, I think it was just exit. Was it the old factory? I don't remember. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Huge, huge, huge, huge. It's now terminal five. Everybody knows it in New York as terminal five, of the venue, but there used to be in that club called exit. i'm Lord only knows what time all of a sudden this remix comes on. I am probably the only person who understands exactly what it is. I am 1000% under the influence. And all of a sudden, as the breakdown happens, it starts snowing in the nightclub.
01:12:06
Speaker
No way. I was like, take me down. Like I was just unbelievable. My soul cracked open and I, that is one of my favorite. Like I will never forget that moment. Wow. Insanity. It was such a good moment. Oh, that's so fun. See, I, that I was too young at the time. I was like 14, 15 when that came out. So, and ah but can you imagine my dweeby little 15 year old self listening to that hard ass remix in my bedroom? And just not understanding. Yeah. And just being like, this is so cool. like Like, where the hell do they even play music that sounds like this? Right, like me trying to play that with to my friends. I'm like, do you like the song? right like No, wait. No, wait. It'll hit. It'll hit. It'll hit. It'll hit. we Wait for the breakdown. But, like, Wild Orchid talked to me. How is those remixes not on streaming? Like, they were iconic, incredible. Come on. Get it together, whatever label they were on. Was it RCA? ah It is. Yeah, it's RCA, BMGC. I don't know how the fuck I knew that. i
01:13:05
Speaker
That's why this works. That's why this works. That's why this works. Yeah. Yeah. I'm going to I'm going to go with for my song that should be on streaming. I will go with a Gloria Estefan remix. And that is going to be um a Brit, a Brito Pertas, the Afro Cuba remix. Oh, yeah. By Pablo Flores. It is kind of on streaming as part of that by Lando Megamix earlier, but the full mix on its own is so fun. Talk about a celebratory, just like those celebratory horns in that song. I got to put that. I'm making a list. I'll tell you about it in a second.
01:13:45
Speaker
Such a fun song and there's a lot of Gloria remixes that are not I mean The fact that we don't the one the big one for me is I'm not giving you up Like it is so gorgeous Like I remember like back in the day when the labels even went further like you want to talk about more promo when the labels would actually hire People to do video mixes so they were so that VJs could play them in the clubs which was I mean mostly the gay bars where the VJs would come in and have like a a mixture, like a six minute long version of that, that they would mix into at the club. Because when I was at Paradise, in the main room was where I played, but in the copper room, which was the the adjoining room, that's where the VJs played. So they would have all the videos that was like the video bar, that type of stuff. Like that's, I miss that type of stuff too, because even now, like
01:14:32
Speaker
you know, yes, and comes out and it's a dance song and we love that. But then they put up remixes too. And it's like, it would be nice if you had like remix videos for these. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. But this just like the, they just don't do it. Danarama, where are you at? Right. Right. Right. I think I have like one, one or two of my remixes from way back in the day that exists or somewhere. But yeah, I think it's like on Vimeo, but, um, no wild. What a time to be alive. I'm like, I really want to like send this to her label and be like, can you send this to Gloria's team? Like she needs to listen to this. and Seriously. Like I'm not even kidding. Like I'm like, every day I'm like checking my Instagram, seeing if she sees the Gloria post. Cause I'm like but crossing fingers. Come on, Gloria.
01:15:13
Speaker
Well, everyone, thanks so much for taking this deep dive down Gloria's iconic 1998 album, Gloria. If you haven't listened to it, go stream it, go stream the remixes. We are lucky enough to say that all of everything from this era is on streaming. Well done, Sony. So yeah, good job. continue the Continue the good job. Please. And until next time, ah we will talk to you all later. Peace out. Bye.