januari 2010 – Sida 8 – WelcheMusic.com

Countdown to February Release of New Sade Set

CHART SPOTLIGHT. There is a lot of anticipation for Sade’s February release of the album Soldier of Love. This is the first album since Lovers Rock was issued ten years ago, and the title track was released to radio in early December last year. Although Sade is an English group, Lovers Rock was a greater success outside the home country. While the set peaked at No. 18 in the UK, it reached No.2 on the Billboard 200.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvDaJaU5My4&hl=sv_SE&fs=1&

One of WelcheMusic’s favorites, “No Ordinary Love,” was the lead single off the 1992 album Love Deluxe. It was originally released in 1992, but was re-released the year after finally peaking at No.14 in the UK. By then, it had also gained exposure in the 1993 movie Indecent Proposal starring Robert Redford and Demi Moore. Despite the recognition, it wasn’t included on the soundtrack. Instead, Lisa Stansfield’s “In All the Right Places” was the lead track.

WelcheMusic VS – Original vs. Cover

CHART PLAYLIST. You can judge a book by its cover. But it turns out to be quite hard to distinguish if some of the hits we love (or hate) really are originals? WelcheMusic compiled a set of tracks where we let the original go head-to-head with the cover version. Did you know that “Bette Davis Eyes” originally was a hit for Jackie DeShannon? Or that Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” was a hit for Tommy James & The Shondells?

Download the Spotify playlist here
Right-click on the image above to download the cover art

Will Melanie Fiona Become the Next Mary J. Blige?

CHART SPOTLIGHT. Née Melanie Fiona Hallim in 1983, this Canadian recording artist definitely has potential for stardom. Melanie Fiona issued her debut set The Bridge in June 2009 via the classical Motown label.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfVfFy-I0z0&hl=sv_SE&fs=1&

The set’s lead single “Give It to Me Right” was written by Andrea Martin who also penned Leona Lewis’s “Better in Time” and En Vogue’s “Don’t Let Go (Love).” Melanie Fiona’s debut hit was a top ten single in Greece and Italy.

Melanie Fiona is scheduled to release some new material in 2011. The MF Life will include the upcoming single “Gone and Never Coming Back.” Fiona’s sound is very similar to Faith Evans and even Mary J. Blige.

Listen to The Bridge via Spotify.

He Had the Biggest Hit of the ‘00s

CHART REWIND. The biggest UK singles hit of the last decade, Will Young’s “Evergreen,” was performed as the winning song of Pop Idol UK back in 2002. Today, the Idol franchise produces new stars yearly around the world and was followed by X-Factor in the UK. The track was written by the Swedish songwriters Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger, and had already been recorded by Westlife.

It only appeared on the Westlife’s album World of Our Own, and was never issued as a single. Will Young’s version of the track immediately topped the UK singles chart, staying there for three consecutive weeks. The track was included on Will Young’s debut album From Now On. That album produced the No.1 singles “Light My Fire,” and “The Long and Winding Road” as well as “Don’t Let Me Down,” which peaked at No.2.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc-sq7cJGho

The second biggest hit of the ‘00s was “Unchained Melody” with Gareth Gates. He was the runner-up behind Will Young in Pop Idol, and the track succeeded “Evergreen” on the chart.

Will Young hasn’t issued any album since 2008 when Let It Go bowed. The set spawned four singles, yet only one reached the UK Top 10. “Changes” was co-written by Young himself and Eg White of James Morrison fame. In 2009, a greatest hits compilation was issued including the new track “Hopes & Fears.” It flopped as it only managed to reach No.65 in the UK.