Groove to
This
Guerra
The day we all have been waiting for has arrived - even if it is a few months overdue. The dance mixes of Celine Dion's mega-hit "My Heart Will Go On" are finally available for mass consumption.
The domestic release of this snappy maxi-single was supposed to be Tuesday, but there's been no indication so far at local record stores. Luckily, always-trusty import versions have hit stateside, with no less than three distinct mixes making appearances since about last week.
Though the mixes featured on the German import are obviously edited down for radio play (each clocks in at under four-and-a-half minutes), there's still plenty on the disc to groove to. And finally hearing Dion's inimitable voice above the beat is a relief after pale rip-offs from cookie-cutter dance acts like Deja Vu, Clueless and, in the worst case of cheesy marketing, Leonora Decapo. Leonora Decapo?!?
Thankfully, Dion's versions will likely wipe those versions off the face of clubland. In this set, the best mix by far comes from DJ Tony Moran, who previously reconstructed Dion's epic Falling Into You ballad, "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," into a peppy house track.
Here he turns the Titanic love theme into a glittering ball of candlelight rhythms and high-impact beats, never sacrificing the emotion behind the lyrics or Dion's delivery. Backed by a chorus, the song soars to impressive heights, and Moran breathes new life into an often-heard tune. It's an affecting blend of beats and balladry that will still manage to work up a sweat on the dance floor.
Next up is Richie Jones, who slowly builds a beat off the song's wispy, slightly sped-up intro. He opts for a high-NRG sound here, framed by more blocky beats that actually accentuate Dion's delicate delivery. It's not as infectious as Moran's reworking, but it is a slightly different take on the Oscar-winning ballad.
Soul Solution, who recently mined glitterball gold with remixes of songs from Whitney Houston ("Step by Step") and club-fave Cyndi Lauper ("The Ballad of Cleo and Joe"), takes final honors here, working a more electric vibe complete with chiming bells and tense keyboard work. The music serves to dilute Dion's power a tad, but it still retains a continuous flow that's hard to resist on any dance floor.
Clubland will probably be more than satisfied with this set of tightly produced mixes, and Dion's voice is always a welcome addition to the dance arena. It may not seem like a natural pairing, but the Canadian chanteuse found remix success with hits like "Misled" and "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." "My Heart Will Go On," though, probably stands as her most impressive club cut.
While we're all basking in the glow of this Titanic-sized opus, be on the lookout for a number of other dance overhauls due any day now. Most notable are the mixes for Madonna's fabulous new single, "Ray of Light," off her album of the same name. Those ditties are tentatively due on May 28, but you can be sure promo versions and imports will be surfacing soon.
With a video due soon for that single, Madonna is poised to eclipse the success of Ray of Light's first single, "Frozen," which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard pop charts and is currently at that same position on the dance charts. Victor Calderone did a great job mixing that bleakly beautiful track into a house jam, and "Ray of Light" should equal or better that feat.
In its original form, "Ray of Light," is a screaming, shimmering hell of a great pop song. It's one of Madonna's best vocal performances in years and could quite possibly work a dance floor in its original form. It'll be interesting to see what a remixer does to the track.