Jomanda - I Like It 1993

Big Beat Records A8377CD

Jomanda are from New Jersey and comprised of Joanne Thomas, Cheri Williams and Renee Washington. Their 1990 album was a house music affair that delivered several US dance chart hits, including Got a Love for You, which made US #1 in 1991. It also crossed over to the mainstream, peaking at number 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

I first encounted Jomanda during the 'Summer Of Love', courtesy of a blinding House classic entitled Make My Body Rock. It certainly did and when I came across this release, I hoped for another belter. I was in for a bit of a shock. To my surprise, I Like It turned out to be an R&B track. In 1993, they released their second album, Nubia Soul, which was an R&B/Hip Hop joint from which this single was released.

The track play list is perfect though. The Radio Edit introduces you to a great R&B joint. It's followed by the Smoove Edit. Eric 'E Smoove' Miller was the third part of the Chicago Trax team, along with Steve 'Silk' Hurley and Maurice Joshua. His mixes are of the 4x4 variety, walking that thin line between Dance and House. It's good ground in the right hands but the Extended Smoove Club Mix is too cheesey for my liking and the Smoove Edit has nothing to offer at all. What can I say, I'm honest and it's only my opinion?

The Original Mix puts you back in an R&B mood and then up steps Kenny 'Rah-Rah Smoove' Kornegay with his Nubia Soul Remix for an Untouchables Production that gives us that last minute slam dunk. Bam!

• Radio Edit
• Smoove Edit
• Extended Smoove Club Mix
• Original Mix
• Nubia Soul Remix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Jomanda.rar Filesize: 35.62MB

Joanne Thomas also went under the name of Yavahn and in 1998 she released a track called Baby You which is one of my (many) all time favourite songs. Sadly, she died in October 2003 after a three year battle with cancer.

Chantay Savage - I Will Survive 1996

RCA Records 74321 37768 2

In 1996 Chantay Savage released her version of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, which was a #12 in the UK Top 20, #5 hit on the US Billboard R&B chart and was also a radio hit in Japan, reaching #6 on the Tokio Hot 100.

Savage grew up in Chicago raised on the sounds of jazz and Soul legends like Sarah Vaughn, Chaka Khan, and Marvin Gaye. Before she signed a record deal, she worked as a session musician, singer, and songwriter with artists such as CeCe Peniston and Tanya Blount.

Chicago of course, is world reknown as the birthplace of House Music and one of it's pioneers was Steve 'Silk' Hurley. In January 1987 Hurley was one of the earliest artists to have a successful house music hit with Jack Your Body. He then moved into production scoring success as a prominent remixer and record producer. Hurley was nominated for a Grammy Award for Remixer of the Year in 1998 and 1999 but I digress.

Chantay Savage first appeared on Maurice Joshua's I Gotta Hold On U in 1992. I was unaware of her prior to that release but Maurice Joshua was part of the Trax team, along with Steve 'Silk' Hurley and Eric 'E Smoove' Miller. In January of that same year CeCe Peniston's We Got A Love Thang spent 8 weeks in the UK chart reaching #6. Co-written by Chantay Savage and produced by Steve 'Silk' Hurley. Quite an incestuous circle going on then.

In 1993 she released her first single If You Believe from her debut album ...Here We Go, following it with Betcha'll Never Find which scored #2 on the US Billboard R&B chart. In 1995 she teamed up with Aaliyah, En Vogue, BlackGirl, Mary J. Blige, Vanessa Williams, SWV, and others for the single "Freedom" from the movie Panther. The single hit #18 on Billboard.

She returned in 1996 with I Will Survive from her second album I Will Survive (Doin' It My Way). It reached #5 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, #6 in Japan and #12 in the UK. The single was also certified Gold by the RIAA for US single sales of over 500,000 units. RCA records didn't release a follow up single

Executive production by Steve 'Silk' Hurley and Chantay Savage with the track being produced, arranged and remixed by Hurley on four of the seven mixes, one of which features a rap by Common.

Puff Daddy gets to work a Bad Boy Mix, while Nate Tinsley & Michael Stewart turn in the Liquid Soul Remix and Marvin Thompson handles the Marvellous Light Remix.

• Original LP Edit
• Silk's Old Skool Extended Remix
• Puff Daddy Bad Boy Mix
• Liquid Soul Remix
• Marvellous Light Remix
• Silk's Classic House Mix
• Original Acappella

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Chantay Savage.rar Filesize: 57.92 MB