Stonebridge & Crystal Waters - Be Kind

Two icons of the 90s club scene have united for this new single. This is everything one could expect from such a duo. The Dance/Pop production is clubby enough for the clubs and has the Pop sensibilities needed for a crossover, and of course, there are Crystal's always warm and inviting vocals delivering the amazing hook. There is a full package of remixes as well, and most of them are in a similar vein as the original, however, the S69 Classic mix is pure Disco bliss with the sax solo and uplifting keys and strings.

Listen to the original here (YouTube)

Grade: A

Kristine W. - New and Number Ones Club Mixes Part 2

This is the second volume of the New and Number Ones album featuring some brand new remixes as well as some previously unreleased rare ones.

Here is a track by track overview of the digital edition (the CD edition does not include track 11, however "So Close To Me" is supposed to be released as single very soon):

1. Lovin' You (Soul Seekers Club Mix)
This brand new funky electro-disco rework of the hit maintains much of the melody that is characteristic of the original. It's really well-done.

2. Happiness (Twilight Club Mix)
This darker take on the song from The Power Of Music is delightful.

3. Love Come Home (Kristine W. & Frankie Pharoah vs. Bitrocka Epic Duet Mix)
The edit of this appeared on the first volume of this album. This is so uplifting and pretty.

4. Everything That I Got (Offer Nissim's Tel Aviv Mix)
This mix was released a short time after the initial remix packages had been made available. This one could be thought of as an entirely new track as it centered around some spoken parts and ad libs instead of the verses and chorus.

5. Clubland (Junior Vasquez Big Horns Club Mix)
This was done around the time of the Thunderpuss mixes and the original however this was not released properly. It has circulated on the internet, but now it's finally here in great quality. This is a festive horn-laden mix with select elements of Royal Party's "Can You Party" and Lil Louis' "The Conversation" in it.

6. Sometimes Like Butterflies (Simon Langford and Soul Seekers Summer Club Mix)
This gorgeous cover of the Donna Summer b-side appeared on the first volume of this album, however, it gets extended and a little harder here.

7. Stand in Love (Stonebridge Alternate Radio Mix)
A slightly different version of this was released a few years ago for sale through the now closed Perfect Beat digital store when they had a large number of rare and unreleased Kristine material. Stonebridge's treatment makes it more uptempo.

8. Shower the People (Welcome & Joe Carrano Vegas Nightclub Mix)
The full version of this remix was made available as a bonus download with the purchase of the "Everything That I Got" CD maxi from Kristine's website last year. The midtempo was made over into a lush disco/house floorfiller.

9. Sweet Mercy Me (Junior Vasquez Icon Club Mix)
This was also made available as part of the Perfect Beat digital release of the unreleased material, however, this is a much clearer, restored version than the one released before. This had been at the top of many collectors' wishlists for almost 15 years and it was worth the wait. This mix is quite the club anthem.

10. Wonder of It All (Joe Carrano Progressive Club Mix)
The previously unreleased mix is far more anthemic than any of the previously released mixes. This is easily one of the many highlights of this album

11. So Close to Me (Tony Moran Destination Mixshow Mix)
This brand new mix by Tony Moran and Joe Carrano is in a trancey, big room style. It ends up being more chill than anthemic as the beats could have been a little harder.

Overall, this is a solid collection of tracks as it includes some of the rarest mixes and they have been beautifully remastered.

Grade: A

House of Wallenberg feat Jwl B - Love Yourself

This throwback Hip House track from Sweden is part of a campaign to raise awareness for getting tested for HIV (Love Yourself Test Yourself). The song sounds straight out of the 90s with the handbag house piano sections and the female rap a la Shawn Christopher and Technotronic. The lyrics about loving oneself will resonate with almost everyone in all parts of the world, as would the message about getting tested. Stonebridge's remix hardens up the song making it a little darker, but the original is the best version.

-Watch the fun music video here (YouTube)

Grade: A

Artist Feature: Crystal Waters

Known for her soulful and sultry vocal performances, singer-songwriter Crystal Waters has been a major force in Dance music for almost a quarter of a century.

Chris Cox & DJ Frankie feat. Crystal Waters - Oh Mama Hey (Remixes)

The main versions for this mega-collaboration were released a few a weeks ago. Chris Cox and DJ Frankie's production is very poppy, with the usual blend of electro house. The lyrics especially delivered in Crystal's voice just make this track so infectious. The main version could easily be on radio right now.

There are remixes by Stonebridge vs. J-C, Koko, Vanity Police, Trent Cantrelle & Jquintel, Steven Redant & Phil Romano, and Rosabel. Of the main versions, the Chris Cox Dub has just enough of the vocals and the dark production makes for a great tease into the original. Of the remixes, the Redant & Romano and Rosabel mixes are the best. Redant & Romano's mix is really synthy and tribal. Rosabel deliver two dark circuit/tribal mixes. The dub is particularly exciting with all the loops, buildups, and drops, but overall the vocal mix works the best.

This is a great track.

Listen to clips and buy the remixes here (Beatport)

Grade: A

Kristine W - Everything That I Got

This is the latest single from the veteran Dance diva. The song is sassy and festive, recalling some of her earlier songs such as "Clubland", however, it lacks the excitement of her earlier work. Vocally she sounds great though. Bimbo Jones, Stonebridge, Subgroover, and Twisted Dee provide the remixes this time around. Bimbo Jones' mixes are straight-forward mainstream ones. Stonebridge's organ-driven mixes are surprisingly hard-hitting. Subgroover's are string-driven with a hint of electro. Twisted Dee's mix is the most anthemic of the bunch. Overall, Twisted Dee and Stonebridge deliver the best mixes of the bunch. It must be noted that the club mix and dub versions are very short (the longest version on the package is 6:23).

-The digital single is available for purchase here (iTunes)
-The CD maxi is available for purchase from Kristine's website here (purchase includes a free download of a previously unreleased remix of "Shower The People" by Welcome)

Grade: B+

Martin Clancy & The Witness Protection Programme - You Can't Stop The Rain

After last year's "Flat Foot" comes the latest neo-Disco offering entitled "You Can't Stop The Rain." Just as infectious as the previous single, this one is a little more modern. The bassline has a mid 80's hi nrg feel to it. The vocals are light and airy. The main version is lovely. There are remixes for this by Richard Morel, Timmy Loop, Stonebridge, Emjae, Chris Cox, Matt Joko, and DJ Yiannis. Richard's mix is soft and light Disco. Timmy Loop's mix is similar to the original, but the bassline is more prominent. Stonebridge's funky house treatment is bassline driven too. Emjae's vocal mix has a fun electro swing beat production. The dub is more circuit-oriented. The remaining three are circuit-oriented. Chris Cox's mix has a darker bassline harder synths, while the Matt Joko mix has some electro/tribal elements. DJ Yiannis' mix is very tribal too. Overall, every single mix is really good. It's very rare that every mix manages to be so thoroughly enjoyable. The Richard Morel, Stonebridge, and Chris Cox mixes are the standouts in addition to the original.

Grade: A+

Cher - You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me

This is one of two solo songs sung by her on the soundtrack for the movie Burlesque. This is a dramatic, power ballad written by Diane Warren. Vocally, Cher sounds fantastic. Her voice has held up quite well. The song starts off slow and then builds to a massive climax. It's great. There are remixes for this by Almighty, Dave Aude, and Stonebridge. Unsurprisingly, Almighty's production fits this song the best. They have remixed Cher numerous times to great effect. The piano-driven production is uplifting and allows the vocals to truly shine. Dave Aude's mix is a tad on the minimal sound. It calls to mind the 2008 revisit of "Infinity" by Guru Josh Project in some parts. The vocals sound good on this one too. Stonebridge's mix leaves much to be desired as much of the vocals are not used for whatever reason. It's a shame because the production is quite good. Overall, the Almighty and Dave Aude mixes are the best of the bunch.

Grade: A

Martin Clancy and the Witness Protection Programme - Flat Foot

This one has 'classic' written all over it. From the lush strings to the funky bassline and understated beats, this one has all the makings of something from the heyday of Disco. The vocals are great, complementing this retro jam perfectly. The main mix is pure Disco heaven. There are additional mixes by Stonebridge, Richard Morel, DJ Meme, Liam Bates, DJ Bander, and Louie Balo & Trakkula. Stonebridge toughens things up just a little while Richard Morel toughens it up a lot more. DJ Meme and Liam Bates both preserve the Disco atmosphere of the original while making it slightly more modern. DJ Bander vs. Floppy Kid's mix is sparsely produced keeping it to the bare minimum. Louie Balo & Trakkula's mix is a noisy, electro mix which doesn't really bring much. Also included is a mix called the Clancyhouse Elizabeth Jane mix which has an electro-tinged "I Feel Love" type production. Overall, the original, DJ Meme, and Liam Bates versions are the highlights, however, Stonebridge and Morel's closely follow.

Listen to the full original version here (MySpace)
Buy the vocal mixes here and the dubs here (Amazon)

Grade: A+

Sybil - Stronger (Can't Look Back)

This is the followup to last year's single "Shining Star." "Stronger" is really great as well. Sybil delivers a perfect vocal performance as usual. This song has two main versions by Quentin Harris and Stonebridge. Quentin Harris' mixes are a bit lighter and more classic-sounding. Stonebridge's are a bit faster and modern. Both mixes are excellent.

Buy the mixes here (TraxSource)

Grade: A+

Boys Town Gang - Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Originally written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, this song has been covered numerous times. In 1967, Frankie Valli was one of the first artists to record and release this. Since then, Diana Ross, Shirley Bassey, Barry Manilow and Lauryn Hill have just been a few of the other artists to cover this song.

In the early '80s, a Disco/Hi NRG group out of San Francisco called Boys Town Gang was formed by Bill Motley. The first single they released was a medley of Ashford & Simpson's "Remember Me" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." The latter was a hit for Diana Ross as well. Nearly a year later, they covered "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." While this recording of it was not a mainstream hit, it did get played in the clubs.

Listen and watch the original version here.

In late May of this year, some newer mixes were released on a special CD single in Japan.

01. Stonebridge Remix (6:42)
02. Stonebridge Dub (6:26)
03. Rasmus Faber Remix (7:27)
04. Groove That Soul Remix (6:32)
05. Soul Source Production Remix (6:09)
06. Stonebridge Radio Edit (3:52)
07. Original Version (9:33)

Stonebridge's mixes stay true to the original, but they also bring it into the new millennium. His mixes are the best of the bunch. Listen to the Stonebridge mix here.

Grade: A