Love Hangover revamped with Muscles

The latest release that can fit in the Porn-to-Music theme I have developped from time to time on my blog is for another american porn star, Zeb Atlas, a beefed up former bodybuiler who has made himself a name in the porn industry (either hetero and gay) after what looks like oiling up his big muscles in the lockerrooms for years.

He first had a joint-venture in the music bizz last year when he appeared in the video for Pearly Gates single Stop for love in 2009, for the independant record label Night Dance Records. He starred as the young love interest of the cougar lady and his flesh had a little sur-exposure in this video, sure with the intention to appeal to cougar women or grab the pink dollars, while Pearly's first fans were the ones who still had an interest for Motown/Northern Soul music. The experience must have been a good one as he is now the lead singer of his own single, a cover version of Diana Ross' Love hangover disco hit, along the same Pearly Gates who is credited as a featuring and whose vocals are largely used, with the same team on production and with remixes by disco/house producer Laurent Schark, who is now the co-producer of Soren Jensen, founder of Night Dance Records, since his previous music partner Clive Scott died.

The music video hit the internet last month and made the buzz on multiple blogs and forums worldwide long before the single was digitally available, but now that it's been released on all usual digital download platforms, I truely hope for my friend Soren that this talked-about release will get him and his label more exposure. It might be the breakthrough single Night Dance Records needed to grow bigger maybe ? Not all critics were good though, and I must admit Zeb Atlas' talent is not his vocal range, which must not grow with the muscles, but his vocals are good enough for me, supported by Pearly Gates backing vocals and the nice disco/house arrangements. I especially like it when he says "sing it for me Pearly" with his low masculine vocal while Pearly's adlibs.

As I always like to have a new cover version of a song I like, I naturally downloaded my single, but I understand some purists must go insane saying this version is a crime against the original... For those who only like the original singers/versions, they should not try to hear the new revamps and let them exist for those like me who like their taste of new cheesy house. In fact, this single sounds like the perfect hit Zeb would gogo-dance to in the clubs where he could be doing live shows, showing off his muscular body and biceps (damn : they look bigger than my legs!).

If you like what you hear/see below, I can only ask you to buy it online to support the men behind the music, who are not a big company but music fans who dedicate their living to recreate the magic that once had them fall in love with music.

Here are some links :

http://www.emusic.com/label/Night-Dance-Records-Oseao-MP3-Download/247744.html

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/love-hangover-single/id418683803

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B004MFJ2NU?ie=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=digital-music&field-keywords=Zeb%20Atlas%20feat.%20Pearly%20Gates

Disco-Soul Divas Alert : The Plan !

It's been nearly two years I think that I know Soren Jensen in the networld. He is a HUGE Ian Levine addict and completist and as I like a lot the 90's productions of the man, I first surfed pages about the man's discography that Soren put online and asked him a couple of questions before sharing more info and becoming MySpace friends.
He first reached one goal when he became close to his beloved producer, being able to touch old demos and unreleased material then releasing newsletters for every new Ian Levine releases.
Now he has reached another limit : create his own music label, Night Dance Records, and release his first record, a 2CD package of soul flavoured discopop like a fan of Ian Levine could do : The Plan.

Named after the first single Stick to the plan, this album includes 20 (!) original songs written or co-written by Soren, some with Ian Levine partner in crime Clive Scott, some with UK lyricist Philip Carter, all sung by several disco soul divas, from yesterday to nowadays, but all sounding better than ever.

First, there's Evelyn Thomas, the never forgotten performer of the Ian Levine hit of the 80's High Energy. Here she sings the great Stick to the plan she co-wrote with Soren, whose single release includes fabulous electro house remixes by french Laurent Schark or Wayne G & Porl Young.

She sings three other songs, the equally disco stomping Infidelity, the laid-back melancholic & breezy Why must the sunrise and the galloping disco-fun number Missing the target. The lady's voice hasn't lost any power at all and this collaboration must have been a blessed one for the young producer.

Then there is Tahira Jumah, a young session singer that has previously worked with Ian Levine. Soren tried to get qualified for the danish pre-selection for Eurovision in 2008 with a song he wrote and make her sing, Every day's a new day. He wasn't selected but this song, all soulish and poppy, ends the CD and is the only track which Ian Levine put his production skills on along with Soren & Clive Scott. She has been given 3 other songs here, Been there, done that and Seasons come around again, Motown-inspired as well, and To be loved by him, which sounds to me like a My man, the sequel.

Another Ian Levine's young session lady, Corine Armstrong, has 4 songs here, the full-on dreamy mid-tempo Point of no return, and 3 disco numbers that could all compete for being the next single : The challenge, a powerful up-to-date disco house anthem, Feet keep on movin', another galloping disco stomp on which you can't help your feet movin'..., and Stronger than ever, a beautiful orchestred disco soul song with a strong anthemic chorus. The lady co-wrote the latter with both Soren Jensen & Clive Scott and Ian Levine's partner's influence on these tracks is clear. They could have been featured on any recent Northern Soul compilation for sure.

Another session singer, Donna Williams, sings on Thinking of you and on the euro-cheese I will follow my dream, all wrapped with key change & a good rhythm, and brings us back in the days when europop was all over radios.

Pamela Ivonne-Cole, a talented background vocalist, has another contender for next single with the pure anthem Spider in a cobweb. This powerful disco hit has all the right spots : good vocals, good melody, good lyrics & a good beat. The chemistry's all here to make it a hit ! The other song she sings here, Let us try again, is a sweet ballad with a spanish guitar intro, pleasant & nice like a necessary pause between the dance tracks to take a sip and then get back on the dancefloor.

Then there is Pearly Gates (of The Flirtations) who's been given an old school flavoured disco soul number, One time too many, and another Motown inspired winner Stop for love where her voice shines all bright.

Finally, there is dance diva Erire who sings the hit-written-all-over-it Come to the decision, an incredibly memorable anthem where her powerful vocals suit the track & arrangements very well, as well as Standing on top of the world, which starts with a calm intro then builds up around uplifting strings to become a full on vocal disco soul powertrack.

So let's count with me, there's just enough fingers on my hands and your hands for the extra value tracklisting of The Plan CD except... that was just the first !
For a first release, Night Dance Records have chosen to give us no choice BUT buy it for this release comes all in a glossy digipack with classy booklet and two (!) CDs. The second one includes remixes of 10 songs from the first CD, all in full length version and housefully made by Laurent Schark plus a megamix of The Plan songs by MySpace man Crazy Pitcher.

So what do you think?
Isn't this release a must-have for every -disco soul lover?, -northern soul completist?, -Ian Levine follower?, -disco house addict?, -good pop songs fan?
SURE!
All you have to do is get to the Night Dance Records MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/nightdancerecords, then click on the Add to cart button for a worthy price of £15.00 (incl. p&p), then wait for Mr. Postman and then lay down for over an hour and a half to surrender to the power of this disco souled divas' heaven.

Another useful link, for those who like it more housey is the remixer's page : http://www.myspace.com/laurentschark for he has had a couple of good releases and I can't wait for his second album coming...