A Pop Music Feature
This remake reimagined the r&b classic into a major club-thumper and propelled Amber, Ultra Naté, and Jocelyn Enriquez into dance floor divas for the new millennium. 25 Years Later IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND is remastered and all the remixed are again available.
They say that disco is dead, but that’s always seemed extremely unlikely. The music genre which epitomized much of the late 1970s dance evolution and inspired the height of the club culture, has always been able to sink its influence way past its intended shelf life. The decadence that was often associated with disco allowed for social abandonment and inspired a sex-positive expression in the mainstream that pushed the boundaries of every generation that followed. In the heart of Manhattan, inside its concrete canyons, disco would reach its apex at the infamous Studio 54, the playground for the artistic elite, trendsetters of the time, gay culture, and the excesses of time, all set to the soundtracks of Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder and “Le Freak” by Chic.
In 1998 54 a feature film set in the backdrop of the disco era and starring Ryan Phillippe, Neve Campbell, Salma Hayek, and Mike Myers was released. Among the songs that helped to characterize the era was a remake of the hit single “If You Could Read My Mind” first performed by Gordon Lightfoot. The mid-tempo torch song would be reimagined into an uptempo disco homage with a very contemporary spin for its inclusion in the film and would be performed by not one, but three dance divas. Ultra Naté, Amber, and Jocelyn Enriquez would be brought together under the banner of the “Stars On 54” to record the new version.
The track became an instant classic and rose above the other pop dance music of the time, which had started to take on a more commercially palatable electronica-induced rhythm. The production showcased the stunning vocals while perfectly marrying their harmonies, with an organically replicated instrumentation that institutionalized its disco-era feel while a bass drive that kept it grounded in the club sounds entering the new millennium. In the expert hands of remix producers Hex Hector and “Silk” Hurley the track is as relevant today as it was 25 years ago. To mark the occasion the remix package was been remastered and re-released by Tommy Boy Records.
Take a look and listen! Here is your #FanzEyeView of the Official Music Video to the remix of “If You Could Read My Mind (Hex Hector Edit)” and listen to the tracklist of remixes here.
The original track appeared on the second volume of the soundtrack 54: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture (Volume 2) and the newly released package includes remixes never before offered to the public for digital download. When the track was recorded for the film, the producers loved it so much that the end of the film was recut and included the three artists performing the song.
On fan reactions when performing the song years later, Amber says: “All three of us individually perform this song to this day when we tour and it is still a crowd favorite. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are very thankful for Gordon Lightfoot’s talent and his gift of a song that we were allowed to give our own interpretation. We hope this classic will continue to bring joy to many more generations.”
IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND Remixes | by ULTRA NAT´´E, AMBER & JOCELYN ENRIQUEZ | is available now on iTunes and other online music store retailers. Download from iTunes here.
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