Publication: DANCE MUSIC AUTHORITY / 12” Reviews

Article: RALPHIE ROSARIO introducing

MARK GRANT presenting DONNA BLAKELY

“Gotta New Love” Underground Construction Records

Author: Chad Harris

Reference: Vol. 3  Issue 1 / January 1995 / Page 14

Leave it to Chi-town’s top house wizard to discover America’s newest vocal goddess.  Donna Blakely.  With a voice this strong and pure, it wouldn’t’ come as any surprise to me if she became the newest Martha Wash.  Why not, with a debut record like this one, she’s gonna get enough exposure.  “Gotta New Love” is beautiful piano driven house music at its absolute finest.  And talk about energy, whew, “Ralphie’s Extended Remix” is just about as energetic as a house record can get.  No, this is not another one of those typical, watered down, New York/Chicago house mixes that meks you want to fall asleep rather than dance, this is happy, fun, soulful house with an energy and drive that I haven’t heard since Juliet Roberts’ “I Want You” earlier this year.  If you want a dub, “Ralphie’s Keep Working Tribal Dub” or “Mark’s Greedy Beat Dub” are my favorites, but with vocals of this quality, you’ll most likely groove on the vocal mixes the best.  If enough people hear this record, Ralphie’s got his next “You Used To Hold Me.” TERRIFIC!!!

(122 BPM)

****PLUS

Donna Blakely “Gotta New Love”

Underground Construction

Producer Ralphi Rosario has this month’s REAL HOUSE HIT with this beautiful combination of Mark Grant’s arrangement and instrumental performance topped by star-to-be Donna.  It’s tough to pick a mix to play here as all four sides of the double vinyl release have worthy contenders.  A:  Mark’s Anthem Vocal (125) has a chunky house kick smothered in just the right amounts of piano and horns and generously topped with Ms Blakely’s soulfully happy voxe.  Mark’s Vox Dub is just that sans the horns, but still worthy.  B:  Both timbale-accented mixes, at 122, Ralphi’s Extended Remix and Ralphi’s “Keep Working” Tribal Dub add strings where there were horns but the toughening of the kick compensates for what could have been a more ambient mix.  The latter has a touch more punch.  Both sides are fantastic.  Also deserving props are Mark’s “Greedy Beat” Dub (122), a perc-a-pella on the C and the quirkily bassed Red Nail Redux on the D.  The glue holding all of these together is Donna’s impressive vocal performance.  You go girl. 

Richard Mink