Sunshine Anderson - Something I Wanna Give You

She's back after a good long break after rocketing to stardom with "Heard It All Before" and a gold-selling album. Her upcoming followup album Sunshine At Midnight will be released in early 2007. However, the first single "Something I Wanna Give You" is being promoted to Rhythmic and Urban radio right now. And soon, this one will be promoed to the clubs as well. Junior Vasquez has already remixed this. He previously remixed "Heard It All Before" for her. With this one, he gives the mix a slight "old school" feel. Junior mentioned in an interview with HX that he was planning to bring back the old sounds. "But I am going back to old school, something the young kids don’t know was ever out there." He already went in that direction with his critically acclaimed mix of Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man" which didn't deviate too much from the old school sound of the original. This mix is still circuit enough for even the most hardcore DJ. The transformation from a midtempo R&B track to a medium circuit track is stunning. This mix is already getting played in Junior's weekly mixshow on XM radio as well as in his legendary sets at his various residencies. Look out for this mix to be packing dancefloors and burning up the club charts when this one is widely promoed.

Check out Sunshine Anderson's MySpace.

Big Bass Vs Michelle Narine - What You Do

This was originally released back in 2000. In the fashion of re-hashes, er remakes or updates, this one comes with a new mix, coming courtesy of Hoxton Whores. Utilizing the "Playing With Knives" sample heard in Stonebridge's Playing With Stones Club Mix, the Hoxton Whores makes the track a bit more repetitive sounding. It has a bootleg feel to it.

The Playing With Stones Club Mix is actually from the original 2000 release. It's the same exact mix. This one has the potential to be a favorite now just as it was for many DJs back then. Some of the DJs who have the original release can dust off their old copies.

This is scheduled to be released on October 9 in the UK.

One of the vinyl promos out now has the following tracklisting:

01. Playing With Stones Mix
02. Hoxton Whores Mix

Sun - Gone

The Singaporean Dance/Pop starlet is back with a followup to the smash "Ends Of The Earth." Just like her previous record, this one comes with a plethora of mixes. "Ends Of The Earth" had over 23 mixes, including vocal mixes, radio edits and dubs! There's only 12 versions on the CD promo for this one, but more mixes could come at any time.

Doing the honors this time are Tony Moran & Jody den Broeder, Ralphi Rosario, Bobby Blanco & Miki Moto, Jason Nevins and Steve Mac.

Here is the tracklisting for the CD promo:

01. John Poppo Radio Mix (Ballad) - 3:38
02. Jason Nevins Radio Edit - 3:14
03. Ralphi Rosario Radio Edit - 3:40
04. Moto Blanco Radio Edit - 3:34
05. Tony Moran & Jody Den Broeder Mix Show Edit - 6:39
06. Jason Nevins Club Mix - 6:06
07. Ralphi Rosario Club Mix - 8:35
08. Steve Mac Club Mix - 7:02
09. Tony Moran & Jody Den Broeder Beat Stomping Dramatic Dub - 9:04
10. Ralphi Rosario Dub Mix - 8:18
11. Moto Blanco Dub Mix - 8:38
12. Steve Mac Dub Mix - 7:02

Since there's so many mixes, here's the highlights. Tony Moran and Jody den Broeder give this song a trancey/tribal workout. It is very reminiscent of both Tony and Jody's (as Life In Intense Volume) spectacular individual mixes of Annie Lennox's "Into The West." The dub version by Tony and Jody is also really good. Ralphi Rosario also does a slightly more epic sounding mix. The dub is much darker though. Moto Blanco give this their usual best. It's very soulful and classic sounding.

Expect a second set of mixes for this to be released soon. Overall, this is her most solid release since "Without Love."

Want to discuss Dance Music (and more)?

Check out All Music Board. Discuss the music reviewed here as well as other music and other stuff. It's a relatively new community. Come on and join in. Hope to see you there soon!

Gioia Bruno - Higher

This former vocalist from mega Freestyle girl group Expose' has made a name for herself as a solo artist. She will be taking her success to a whole new level with the release of her upcoming single "Higher." This one is basically a remake of "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher And Higher" by Nancy Davis. This one has some fierce remixes by up and comer Arenna, Deep Influence, Eddie Baez, Mike Cruz and Michael T. Diamond. Previews of the Arenna and Eddie Baez mixes can be heard at Gioia's MySpace. More information about the release of this single will be posted as soon as it is available.

Chico - D.I.S.C.O.

This is the followup to his smash hit "It's Chico Time." The song debuted at number one in the UK earlier this year, knocking Madonna out of the top spot. The former X-Factor contestant is back with a remake for his second single.

Chico takes on Ottawan's 70's dance classic "D.I.S.C.O." this time. The last fairly known cover of "D.I.S.C.O." came from dance act N-Trance back in the mid 90's. Thankfully, Chico doesn't rap on this one (let's hope he never raps). This is not a word-for-word cover. Some of the lyrics have been tweaked a bit to make them a little more "Chico-licious." Chico sounds fine on this one. This track is a good party-starter, and could be a surprise floor-filler. The production on this track is quite good. It sounds very retro while also sounding current. Brian Rawlings' production is top-notch, even for a song like this.

The music video for this one looks very similar to the one for "It's Chico Time."

This one will be released on August 14 in the UK.

Donna Summer - She Works Hard For The Money 2006

When it got out that new mixes of Donna Summer's 1980s smash "She Works Hard For The Money" were to be done, many became excited.

These new mixes were made using the original acapella. Rarely have the original acapellas been used for updates of Donna's songs.

Eddie Baez and John Kano have each done a vocal mix. Both mixes breathe new life into an already great song. Despite the original vocals being over 20 years old, they sound like they were just recorded yesterday. They have definitely stood the test of time. The new generation of clubbers will get a chance to hear this classic through the updated mixes, and hopefully, they may decide to check out the original version.

For Eddie's mix, he makes it into a circuit-house anthem. It's not as dark as some of his other work. It works though. The portions without the beats sound almost like they are from an amazing Trance song. The beginning of the track is also striking. It resembles the beatless intro of the original version. It goes on for a little longer in Eddie's mix. Eddie uses all the vocals in his mix and uses them effectively. And there are not too many vocal effects or loops. The ones he used only add to the atmosphere he is creating in his mix.

This mix was supposedly going to be on an upcoming Eddie Baez CD, but apparently, the mix was not hard enough! So there's the possibility of a re-styled mix too. This mix is tasteful and great. It will work well on the dancefloors, and with the right edit, it could work on radio too.

John Kano goes in a more housey direction. His mix is very retro sounding. It is soulful. It's very reminiscent of Masters At Work, Knee Deep, Shapeshifters and Maurice Joshua. Some of the sounds from the original version have been recreated and have been peppered throughout the mix. The vocals are used nicely on this mix too. Vocal effects and loops are kept thankfully kept to a minimum on this mix. This is a great choice for those soulful house sets.

Don't miss out on these two new updated mixes!

Inaya Day - Spin Me Round

After having done pretty well with some of the covers she has done, including "Nasty Girl" and "The Glamorous Life", Inaya is back with another one. This time, she takes on the Dead Or Alive classic "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)."

It may seem a bit horrendous on paper, but the manner in which it was executed was quite unorthodox and fun. Instead of just covering the whole song, the only part of the song covered is the first half of the chorus. The verses and the other half of the chorus of this song have completely new lyrics. And the verses are not done to the tune of the original verses in the DOA track. Pop princess Jessica Simpson has also done a similar thing with the DOA track for her upcoming album. She, however relies upon keeping the track sounding more like the original DOA track. Sounds and other effects from the original DOA version are thankfully kept to a minimum. Inaya makes this track her own. She brings her unique energy and voice to this and gives this track a treatment that is so fresh that it is worth listening to over and over.

Mike Cruz did the main mix of this track. It opens up his two disc mix compilation Many Moods Of Mike Cruz. The compilation is on sale at PerfectBeat and at iTunes.

This track may be released later on as a single, but there's no word on whether that is actually going to happen at this time.

Offer Nissim featuring Maya - Perfect Love

After word got out towards the end of last year that Israeli DJ/remixer/producer Offer Nissim and singer Maya Simantov were doing a cover of the House Of Prince classic "Perfect Love", which was released in 1997 on Twisted, there was very much excitement. A low quality rip of the main version surfaced back in February of this year and then the long wait was finally over.

A commercial release of this has finally been planned on New York-based Star 69 Records. "Perfect Love" is slated to be the lead single off of Offer and Maya's second album, tentatively titled Second Time, a followup to the acclaimed First Time. This new album is scheduled for an October release as of right now.

There are remixes for "Perfect Love." A promo CD has been sent out with the following tracklisting:

01. Offer Nissim Full Vocal Mix
02. Offer Nissim Perfect Club Mix
03. Dope Boyz Bangin' Mix
04. Javith & Salazar Dub Mix
05. Redkone Lisbon Mix

The Full Vocal Mix is basically the original version of the song with some minor tweakings and changes that were noticeably absent from the version that surfaced back in February. The Perfect Club Mix is similar to the Full Vocal Mix, but has some additional differences. The Dope Boyz Bangin' Mix is a slight throwback to the House Of Prince version. This one actually has Maya re-singing the signature "I, I, I, I, I, I believe in love" part that was in the classic. The Javith & Salazar Dub is basically an instrumental track with some vocal samples. It's slightly tribal and really electro. The Redkone Lisbon Mix is very synthy and tribal.

In addition to that, Peter Rauhofer has also done a remix which is currently just an exclusive. He has been playing that version in his sets. Some individuals who attended some of his events say Peter sometimes plays a mashup of "Perfect Love" with the Johnny Vicious Instrumental of "Hola Hola Hola" by Yuhan. There has been no confirmation yet. It would make for an interesting combination. Here's to hoping that Peter's mix makes it onto one of his upcoming mix compilations.

Overall, this track is pretty good. Maya's vocals are the highlight on this one, as they usually are. It also helps that this wasn't a straight cover with Maya just re-singing everything the way Oezlem did on the original. Maya made this track her own.

Deena Jones & The Dreams - One Night Only

This is the first single (for the clubs and dance radio) from the movie version of Dreamgirls starring Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson and Jamie Foxx. Although the film doesn't officially hit movie theaters until December 25, this one is out now! It will help generate some buzz.

This song, even in its main version is a dance-leaning track. It's a nice little disco throwback. With all the recent revivials of that sound a la Jessica Simpson through "A Public Affair" and Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor album, this one will fit in nicely on DJs' playlists and on radio station playlists.

The 12" and CD promos sent out by Columbia have the following tracklisting:

01. Club Mix Edit 4:06
02. Club Mix 8:28
03. Club Mix Instrumental 8:28
04. Film Version 3:25
05. Film Version Instrumental 3:25

One of the cute touches on this release is the credit being given to Deena Jones & The Dreams instead of just Beyoncé who is the vocalist on the track.

The legendary Eric Kupper and Richie Jones have done the programming on all the mixes.

The Club Mix Edit, Club Mix, and Club Mix Instrumental are a lot dancier and way more disco than the Film Version. The pianos at the beginning of the edit dazzles and then the thumping beat comes in. Then the energy doesn't let up until the end. The edit packs the same punch as the longer version. WKTU in New York has already put this into rotation. The Club Mix definitely calls to mind some of the greats from the disco era including Giorgio Moroder and Shep Pettibone. While sounding retro, these versions do not sound dated and would work when played with many of the current tracks.

The Film Version and Film Version Instrumental are at a higher BPM than the Club versions. These sound more like something one might hear during a Broadway show. These are more "classic" sounding.

Beyoncé sounds fresh on these tracks. She sounds comfortable and totally relaxed, something that has been not happening on her other material.

Don't miss out on these little gems.

Pussycat Dolls - Buttons

This one has dozens of fanmade and unofficial mixes and mashups. Some official mixes by Dave Aude have finally been sent out.

All three mixes are vocal mixes. They are just edits, mixshow edits, club mixes.

Dave Aude keeps the Middle Eastern feel of the original version in his mixes. It works really well. The electro bassline that is found throughout the mixes works well too. The overall energy of the mixes is just perfect. These mixes will work perfectly on radio and in the clubs.

Jason Nevins did a remix, however, it is not a dance mix. It is more of a hip hop mix. It can be seen as an alternate mix to the original version. This one was not sent out on the promo and has been up for streaming on Jason Nevins' MySpace.

Jamie Lewis & DJ Pippi featuring Kim Cooper - So Sexy

Kim Cooper is known primarily for her work with Peter Rauhofer under his various aliases including Danube Dance and Club 69. She provided vocals for some of their biggest hits including "Unique", "Let Me Be Your Underwear", "Diva", "Warm Leatherette", "I Look Good" and "Drama."

She previously provided vocals for "Impress Me" which came out a couple years back. This track is a followup.

The track is in a similar vein as many of the Club 69 tracks. This track also has a slight old-school feel. It is really reminiscent of the mid 90's sound that put Peter Rauhofer on the circuit map.

The vocals by Kim are mostly spoken. Her signature classy sass is all over this track. She sings a bit on the chorus. The lyrics are a rather suggestive. There's no actual obscenities or profanities uttered, but the use of double entendre is quite naughty as well. This would fit in nicely with all those dirty tracks that are out now.

There's two 12" singles out now. One features mixes by Jamie Lewis and the other has mixes by DJ Pippi. All the mixes are worth checking out.

Janet Jackson featuring Nelly - Call On Me

This is the first single off of Ms. Jackson's much awaited eighth studio album 20 Y.O. (20 Years Old).

This is a downtempo R&B slow jam in its album version. However, there's some dance mixes as well that take it up several notches.

Tony Moran and Warren Rigg are on hand for the mixes this time. They have done an edit, a club mix and a dub.

The edit is a nice tight version of the club mix. The edit is already getting some spins on dance radio. Big tribal beats, beautiful synths and nice chugging bassline are just some of the highlights of the mixes. Another great thing about the vocal mixes is that Nelly's vocals are not removed as many rappers or second vocalists' vocals are often dropped for the usual reason of the rap or similar vocals "working" in a nightclub setting, especially in a gay club setting. Nelly's vocals work in this song and it just seems like something is lacking if the vocals are dumped. The club mix is an epic. Clocking in at over nine minutes, this one will be a floorfiller.

The dub version is just an instrumental this time. It is the same length as the club mix.

Overall, these mixes should help Ms. Jackson make her presence on the club scene known again.

iiO - Is It Love

This is the sixth single from iiO's much-delayed Poetica. In 2001, "Rapture (Tastes So Sweet)" took the world by storm and topped many DJ's playlists and club charts. This track even charted on the Hot 100 in the U.S. Then in 2002, "At The End" made quite the splash on dance radio. "Smooth" and "Runaway" did moderately well in the clubs and on dance radio. Then in 2006, "Kiss You" was a massive hit on both dance radio and in the clubs, and their debut album was finally released. The album had been available on PerfectBeat for quite awhile, but that and the official iiO site were the only places the album could be purchased.

In true iiO fashion, there's a good assortment of mixes. On the promo, there's mixes by Kotola, Chris Ortega, Martin Accorsi and the Starkillers, in addition to that, there's an edit and an extended mix. However, these last two mixes are different from the album version. This version is actually much faster and dancier than the album version. The album version is lower BPM dance track. The album version may be a good option for playing in sets with Chillout music, or lower BPM house. The new edit and extended mixes are perfect for radio and club play.

The Kotola mixes are a little faster. They are slightly harder and a little trancier. These may work better for late night and prime time play.

Chris Ortega's mix is very electro in its sound. The parts without the beats and other sounds are very haunting. A version without any of the beats and other instruments would sound really great.

Martin Accorsi's mix is a lot more housey. It's more of a minimal house track.

Rounding out this release is the Starkillers mix. This one is more like a dub. It has hard beats and is very electro. There's very little vocals on this mix. This one is the mix of choice for circuit clubs.

Mixes by Angel City were rumored to be on the first promo, but they were not when the promo arrived. Maybe a second set of mixes will be issued later.

This release can be purchased digitally on BeatPort and at PerfectBeat. A CD maxi is also available at PerfectBeat.

Paris Hilton - Turn It Up

Just as "Stars Are Blind" is going up the charts, "Turn It Up" is beginning to build momentum. Promo CDs containing mixes of this song have already been sent out to DJs. "Turn It Up" had been previously considered for being the lead single off of the much delayed album.

Mixes for this one have been done by Peter Rauhofer, Paul Oakenfold and DJ Dan.

Peter Rauhofer gives us two mixes. One is more electro (Peter Rauhofer Does Paris). This will be right at home with all the other electro-house that is out now. This one is slightly tribal. Paris sounds really sexy on this track. Her voice goes perfectly over the track. A dub of this mix would be perfect with just some vocal samples. The other one is more tribal and anthemic (Peter Rauhofer Turns It Up). This is a return to a sound that hasn't been heard from Mr. Rauhofer for almost a year now. The synth line is very retro sounding and almost sounds like the first few bars of Inner City's "Big Fun" and "Good Life."

Then comes Paul Oakenfold's mix. His mix is super electro and very 80's sounding. This one is actually the pick of the bunch. Clocking in at just under 6 minutes, it packs more punch than the two Rauhofer mixes. This looks like the mix that will get airplay on the dance stations as the promo contains an edit only for this mix.

And rounding out the promo is DJ Dan's Hot 2 Trot Vocal. This mix is quite tribal and electro as well. However, this one feels a lot dirtier and grittier. The use of vocal loops, especially the ones chosen for this mix are quite clever.

All in all, all four vocal mixes are quite good and will get lots of play.

There's mixshow edits and dub versions also which fulfill their roles. Edits of all the mixes and dubs are available too, but not on this promo. Those mixes were put up on Apple's iTunes Music Store and on Walmart.com's online download store a short time back.