Granting second life to songs
Even the best pop songs begin to wear thin if they're overexposed. But some CD singles are remedying this problem by offering not just remixes but new recordings of a song, often with guest appearances by other pop stars. Occasionally, a new hit is created or enough versions of a song are made to saturate different radio formats. The group Everything but the Girl's 1994 album, "Amplified Heart", was languishing until last year, when it commissioned Todd Terry to remix the song "Missing" as a single. For the last two weeks, his version of "Missing" has been the second-most-played song on radio (after Mariah Carey's "One Sweet Day").
Reviewed here are five recent singles with remixes that breathe new life into a pop song. Always Be My Baby
Mariah Carey's latest single, "Always Be My Baby" (Columbia), takes a tight, polished pop ballad and with the help of the producer Jermaine Dupri sets it askew. In one version of the song, she steps back and lets the silky vocal trio Xscape croon the choruses as she provides backing vocals. In another, also with Xscape, the song is extended to include raps by Da Brat, whose fast-paced rhymes don't quite mesh with the arrangement. (excerpt from The New York Times)
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