"Turn the Beat Around" | ||||
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Single by Vicki Sue Robinson | ||||
from the album Never Gonna Let You Go | ||||
B-side | "Lack of Respect" | |||
Released | February 1976 | |||
Recorded | 1975 | |||
Genre | Disco | |||
Length | 5:35 (LP) 3:21 (single) | |||
Label | RCA Victor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Gerald Jackson, Peter Jackson | |||
Producer(s) | Warren Schatz | |||
Vicki Sue Robinson singles chronology | ||||
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"Turn the Beat Around" is a disco song written by Gerald Jackson and Peter Jackson, and performed by American actress and singer Vicki Sue Robinson in 1976 (see 1976 in music), originally appearing on her debut album, Never Gonna Let You Go (1976). Released as a single, the song went to #10 on the Billboard pop charts, and #73 on the Billboard soul chart. [1] The song earned Robinson a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The track also went to number one on the Billboard disco chart for four weeks. [2] "Turn the Beat Around" is considered a disco classic and is featured on many compilation albums.
"Turn the Beat Around" was written by brothers Gerald and Peter Jackson of the R&B outfit Touch of Class. Peter Jackson knew Al Garrison, an engineer at Associated Studios in New York, through Jackson's work as a session drummer, and it was at Associated Studios that Touch of Class cut its own demos. Peter Jackson recalls that one Sunday at noontime "I called Al and said...we want to come in and [cut a] demo...He was leaving at four...He said: 'My girl[friend]’s coming to pick me up for dinner. You have to be done [by then]." [3]
Garrison's girlfriend turned out to be singer Vicki Sue Robinson whose debut album was nearing completion requiring one additional track. On arriving at Associated Studios that Sunday, Robinson overheard the playback of the "Turn the Beat Around" demo which Touch of Class had just recorded and according to Peter Jackson said: "Oh, man, I’ve gotta have that song." Gerald and Peter Jackson initially demurred, wishing to submit "Turn the Beat Around" along with four earlier demos to be green-lighted for the Touch of Class debut album. [3]
Peter Jackson - "Monday [the next day], Gerald and I go up to Midland [Touch of Class' label]. We’re excited because we know this song ["Turn the Beat Around"] is slammin’...[Midland] took the other four songs and they passed on that one. They said: 'We don't like that one. The lyrics move too fast. You have that jungle beat in there. It's not what's happening'." Peter Jackson resultantly called Vicki Sue Robinson to give her the song for her album. When Jackson told Robinson: "'I'll meet you down on Thirty-Fourth Street [with the demo]' she said: 'I [already] made Al give me a copy.'" [3]
Robinson recorded "Turn the Beat Around" on September 26, 1975, cutting her lead vocal in a single take after recording her own multi-tracked chorale vocals. Like the other cuts on Robinson's debut album Never Gonna Let You Go, "Turn the Beat Around" was recorded at RCA Studios with producer Warren Schatz who recalls the basic master of the song was recorded "on a Friday after a very depressing week of rain [and] I hated [the track]! I listened to it in my office and I just couldn't get it. It had been such a bad week that I just couldn't hear anything with an open mind. Then David Todd, the head of disco promotion at RCA, came into my office and he went crazy over the track! He convinced me to finish it as soon as possible." [4]
Issued as a single in February 1976 "Turn the Beat Around" became a club smash subsequently breaking on Top 40 radio in Boston - where it would reach #1 that June - to make a gradual ascent on the national Pop chart: the Billboard Hot 100 to reach a #10 peak in August 1976.
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"Turn the Beat Around" | ||||
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Single by Laura Branigan | ||||
from the album Laura Branigan | ||||
Released | 1990 | |||
Recorded | 1990 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:22 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Gerald Jackson, Peter Jackson | |||
Producer(s) |
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Laura Branigan singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Turn the Beat Around (Live)" on YouTube |
American singer-songwriter and actress Laura Branigan covered the song in 1990, becoming the first major artist to do so. It was released as the third and final single from her self-titled sixth studio album (1990), however only to radio and clubs. The song was co-produced by Branigan and Steve Lindsey for the album, with several remix versions following garnering significant play in Hi-NRG clubs.
Bill Coleman from Billboard wrote, "Trend-conscious rendition of Vicki Sue Robinson's disco classic lacks the spark needed to ignite widespread action, though Branigan's sonic vocal attack is always a treat." [15]
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"Turn the Beat Around" | ||||
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Single by Gloria Estefan | ||||
from the album Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me | ||||
Released | September 23, 1994 | |||
Recorded | 1993–1994 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:52 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Emilio Estefan Jr., Lawrence Dermer | |||
Gloria Estefan singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Turn the Beat Around" on YouTube |
In 1994 (see 1994 in music), the song was recorded by Cuban-American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan for the soundtrack to the film The Specialist , starring Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone. It is also featured on Estefan's fourth solo album, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me (1994). Released as a single in September 1994 by Epic, the song became a hit reaching number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Estefan also took the song to the top spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart, making it her first number-one song on that chart in English. In Australia and New Zealand the song charted at number eight and 18. In Europe, the song peaked at number 21 in the United Kingdom, number 24 in Scotland, number 27 in the Netherlands and number 29 in Belgium. Estefan performed the song as her opening performance in VH1's first ever Divas Live. In 2018, Australian music channel Max included Estefan's "Turn the Beat Around" in their list of "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time". [18]
Larry Flick from Billboard felt that Estefan "has not delivered a pop single with this much verve and energy in a long while. The groove is reminiscent of her own classic "Conga", and it is wrapped in delicious layers of live strings and horns. An inspired pairing of song and artist that will likely spark heavy top 40 and club activity." [19] Josef Woodard from Entertainment Weekly said that Estefan's "easygoing charms still do the trick" on the song. [20] Joey Guerra from Houston Chronicle called it a "pulsing rendition". [21] Jeremy Griffin from The Ithacan declared it as a "rousing cover". [22] Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel complimented Estefan as "a natural" to remake the disco classic. [23]
Pan-European magazine Music & Media noted that here, the singer "revives her Miami Sound Machine days of fatback disco". [24] Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song three out of five, describing it as "an intoxicating mix of Latin rhythms and disco sensibilities. Likely to earn her a substantial hit." [25] John Kilgo from The Network Forty declared it as a "classic" remake of the 1976 "Top 10 gem", adding that it has "uptempo flavor spiced with trademark Miami Sound Machine overtones". [26] A reviewer from People Magazine called it "an exuberant run" through Robinson's disco classic, that "demand repeated listens." [27] Brad Beatnik from the RM Dance Update viewed it as "fairly standard disco fare" from Estefan. [28]
AllMusic editor Eddie Huffman complimented the song as a "brilliant pop hit". [29] Pip Ellwood-Hughes from Entertainment Focus ranked it among Estefan's 10 best songs, descring it as a "raucous dance number". [30] In an 2015 retrospective review of Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me , Phil Shanklin of ReviewsRevues felt that this is "an excellent choice for Gloria whose voice is similar to Vicki Sue’s". He also remarked that it has "the same Latin vibe as the best of Miami Sound Machine". [31]
A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by German feature film director and producer Marcus Nispel. [32] It features Gloria performing with her band atop of a large building, while a helicopter are flying in the air above them. In between, there are clips from the movie The Specialist . The video was later published on Gloria's official YouTube channel in 2013, and had generated almost 10 million views as of January 2023. [33]
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Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García, simply known as Gloria Estefan, is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of the Top 100 greatest artists of all time by both VH1 and Billboard. Estefan's record sales exceed 100 million worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female singers of all-time. Many of Estefan's songs became international chart-topping hits, including "1-2-3", "Don't Wanna Lose You", "Coming Out of the Dark", "Turn the Beat Around", and "Heaven's What I Feel". Other hits include "Bad Boy", "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You", "Get On Your Feet", and "You'll Be Mine ".
Vicki Sue Robinson was an American singer, closely associated with the disco era of late 1970s pop music; she is most famous for her 1976 hit, "Turn the Beat Around".
Laura Ann Branigan was an American singer-songwriter and actress. Her signature song, the platinum-certified 1982 single "Gloria", stayed on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks, then a record for a female artist, peaking at No. 2. It also reached number one in Australia and Canada. Branigan's "Gloria" was a cover of a song written by Italian singer-songwriters Giancarlo Bigazzi and Umberto Tozzi. In 1984, she reached number one in Canada and Germany with the U.S. No. 4 hit "Self Control", which was released by Italian singer and songwriter Raf the same year. Both "Gloria" and "Self Control" were successful in the United Kingdom, making the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart.
"Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by the Jackson 5. The song was originally written and intended for the Supremes; however, Motown decided it would be better for the Jackson 5. It was the first single released from the group's 1971 album Maybe Tomorrow, and was one of the group's most successful records. It has been covered numerous times, most notably in 1974 by Gloria Gaynor and in 1987 by British pop group The Communards.
"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" is a song written by Harry Noble and originally performed by Karen Chandler in 1952. It has been re-recorded several times since then, the most notable covers being by Mel Carter in 1965 and Gloria Estefan in 1994.
"Everlasting Love" is a song written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, originally a 1967 hit for Robert Knight and since remade numerous times, most successfully by Love Affair, as well as Town Criers, Rex Smith & Rachel Sweet, Carl Carlton, Sandra Cretu, U2 and Gloria Estefan. The original version of "Everlasting Love" was recorded by Knight in Nashville, with Cason and Gayden aiming to produce it in a Motown style reminiscent of the Four Tops and the Temptations. When released as a single, the song reached No. 13 on the US chart in 1967. Subsequently, the song has reached the US top 40 three times, most successfully as performed by Carl Carlton, peaking at No. 6 in 1974, with more moderate success by the duo Rex Smith and Rachel Sweet and Gloria Estefan.
"Perfection" is a song performed by Australian singer Dannii Minogue and the Soul Seekerz. It served as the second single from Minogue's fifth album, Club Disco (2007). The song was written by Minogue, Peter Jackson Jr., Gerald Jackson, Rob Davis, Therese Grankvist, Simon Langford, and Julian Napolitano. The song was based on "Turn Me Upside Down" by The Soul Seekerz which sampled "Turn the Beat Around" originally performed by disco singer Vicki Sue Robinson.
"Gloria" is a 1979 love song written and composed in Italian by Umberto Tozzi and Giancarlo Bigazzi, and afterwards translated to English by Jonathan King. A 1982 cover version by American singer Laura Branigan peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Coming Out of the Dark" is a song by Cuban-American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released on January 10, 1991, worldwide by Epic Records as the leading and first single from her second album, Into the Light (1991). It was written by Estefan with her husband Emilio Estefan, Jr. and Jon Secada, and produced by Estefan Jr., Jorge Casas and Clay Ostwald. It became the singer's third number one in the United States and second number one in Canada. The song is a soul ballad which includes the use of a choir. Among the voices in the choir are Estefan's colleague, the Cuban singer Jon Secada, and the R&B singer Betty Wright. The song's accompanying music video received heavy rotation on MTV Europe.
"Self Control" is a song by Italian singer Raf, released in 1984. It was written by Giancarlo Bigazzi, Steve Piccolo and Raf, and arranged by Celso Valli. The track topped the charts in Italy and Switzerland, and started the explosion and dominance of Italo disco-style recordings in continental European charts during the 1980s.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Cuban-American singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan, released on October 30, 1992, by Epic Records. The album includes songs with soft rock influenced sounds as well as more upbeat Latin pop works inspired by dance music. The tracks were gathered from various releases over the 1985 to 1992 period.
Mi Tierra is the third studio album by Cuban-American recording artist Gloria Estefan, released on June 22, 1993, by Epic Records. Produced by husband Emilio Estefan, it is a Spanish-language album and pays homage to her Cuban roots. The album features Cuban musical genres, including boleros, danzón and son music. Recorded at Crescent Moon Studios in Miami, Florida, Mi Tierra features notable Latin musicians such as Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval, Cachao López, Chamin Correa and Paquito D'Rivera.
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me is the fifth studio solo album and first cover album by Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan, released in October 1994. It is Estefan’s 17th album overall.
"No Me Dejes de Querer" is a song by Cuban American singer Gloria Estefan from her ninth studio, Alma Caribeña (2000). The song was written by the artist along with her husband Emilio Estefan and Roberto Blades. The latter two also handled the song's production. It was released as the album's lead single on March 27, 2000 by Epic Records. "No Me Dejes de Querer" is a son cubano and murga song in which the narrator pleads her lover to never stop loving her. The song was met with mostly positive reactions who found it to be an upbeat number.
"Heaven's What I Feel" is a 1998 song by Cuban American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan, released as the lead single from her eighth studio album, gloria! on May 5, 1998 by Epic Records. The song was written by Kike Santander originally for Celine Dion. It was produced by Emilio Estefan, Jr. and Santander. The song is an up-tempo dance-pop, house and dance song.
"Don't Let This Moment End" is a song by Cuban-American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released on November 3, 1998 by Epic Records, as the third single in the United States, the third in the United Kingdom, and her fourth globally, from her eighth album, Gloria! (1998). The song was written by Estefan, her husband Emilio Estefan, Lawrence Dermer and Roberto Blades and produced by Estefan Jr. and Dermer. It became a smash hit on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, almost peaking at the top of charts for that field. The song also peaked at number nine in Spain and was a top 30 hit in the UK. It was first intended as a ballad and then remixed into a dance-ballad. According to Estefan, it celebrates the perfect moment in time. Its music video was directed by Gustavo Garzon. The track was nominated for a Grammy Music Award, but lost to "Believe" by Cher.
"Tradición" ("Tradition") is a song by Cuban American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released in 1993 as the third single from her first all Spanish-language album, Mi Tierra (1993). The song is heavily influenced by African and Cuban rhythms, and became the first song by Estefan to top the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, even though it was a Spanish language song. The single was released as a CD single and CD maxi, but some promotional singles were sent to clubs, the main reason why the song went to number-one on that chart for two weeks.
"Dr. Beat" is the first international single released by the American band Miami Sound Machine, led by Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan, on their first English language, but eighth overall, studio album, Eyes of Innocence (1984). The song which was written by the band's lead songwriter and drummer Enrique "Kiki" Garcia and was released worldwide in 1984 becoming a top success across Europe where the album impacted the charts with this hit.
The discography of singles, promo singles, remixes and Latin tracks for Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine consists of 50 singles (solo), 18 promotional singles (solo) and eight other guest or special appearance singles as a solo artist. Although Miami Sound Machine was no longer featured in the credits from 1989 onwards, they remain Estefan's backing group until this day, though none of the original members remain.
Touch of Class is an American soul/R&B musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that had a number of hits in the 1970s including, "I'm in Heaven", "Don't Want No Other Lover", "You Got to Know Better", and "I Need Action".