Tuesday, September 9, 2014

"It's Gonna Take a Miracle" by Deniece Williams

Top 10 Alert!
Song#:  0982
Date:  04/03/1982
Debut:  66
Peak:  10
Weeks:  17
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  Williams scored a gold record with her 1981 album "My Melody." Her follow-up, "Niecy," couldn't sell as much, but did well on the pop chart (#20) thanks to this single that became her first solo pop Top 10. It would be her first solo R&B #1 as well. (Williams had previously scored a #1 on both charts but in duo form - "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" with Johnny Mathis hit #1 in 1978.) Williams would receive a Grammy nod for Best Female R&B Performance for this song.

ReduxReview:  This is a terrific revival of a song that didn't really make it the first time around. Sometimes that is the best way to do a cover - do a song that wasn't originally a hit and make it one. Williams sounds so great on this song and her little boo-ap-ap-bop's at the end are so awesome. I'm not sure why the original (see below) didn't make it. That version is really good as well.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  This song is a remake of the 1965 single put out by the girl group The Royalettes. Their original reached #41 on the pop chart and #28 at R&B. It would be their biggest hit. Singer/songwriter Laura Nyro covered the tune for her 1971 album of the same name. On that album, Nyro would be backed by LaBelle, three years before that trio hit #1 with "Lady Marmalade."

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