CAFFE` LATTE` 
TOP 1200 CHOICE TRACKS

(MID-WEEK BONUS) #819-815
#819 GO AWAY Gloria Estefan
'Made in America' was a motion picture starring Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson. The 1993 film's soundtrack opened with a catchy track entitled "Go Away" performed by Gloria Estefan. The singer wrote it with Lawrence Denner. It was produced by Estefan's husband Emilio Estevez Junior, Jorge Casas and Clay Ostwald.

#818 LADY MARMALADE Labelle
Labelle formed in 1962 but will always be best remembered for their disco hit "Lady Marmalade". The trio's line-up featured R&B singer Patti Labelle who later launched a solo career. The song was written by Bob Crewe (famous producer of songs by The Four Seasons) and Kenny Nolan. The original version was by studio group The Eleventh Hour. Producer Allen Toussaint was aware of the recording and decided to get Labelle to remake it. The song was transformed into a funky disco-flavoured track, with strident vocals by the female trio. This new version reached #1 in 1975. Interestingly, the single replaced another Crewe-penned hit, "My Eyes Adored You" by Frankie Valli, at the top of the US chart.

#817 SPACE ODDITY David Bowie
"Space Oddity" made David Bowie a star and kick-started an enduring career that has spanned several decades. Although released around the time of the moon landing, Bowie had in fact started writing the song in 1968. The final version was produced by Gus Dudgeon, who would later work with Elton John. It reached #1 in Britain, #9 in Australia and #15 in America. 

#816 ON BROADWAY George Benson
When George Benson recorded his cover of "On Broadway", he completely modified the song. The original hit version of this Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil composition was by The Drifters in 1963. It featured some alterations to the music and lyrics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Benson recorded his remake for the 1977 'Weekend in L.A.' live LP. The in-concert context adds an authenticity to the lyrics that wasn't there in the vocal group's interpretation. 

#815 BRAVE Kate Ceberano
When I interviewed Australian performer Kate Ceberano, she explained the origin of her song "Brave". Siblings Kate and Phil Ceberano were being pressured by record company personnel to write a hit song for her 1989 solo LP. The young singer / songwriter dug deep and came up with a song about empowerment that became that album's title track. 

2 more songs added tomorrow.