MUSIC

APRIL 2, 1999

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

leaving behind her struggle to resolve inner issues of relationships and the tortured melodrama of love in terms of forward-looking songs, making them more accessible, and more importantly, more interesting.

Jeffrey L. Newman

Dance With Angels Various artists Centaur Entertainment

Dance compilations are no rare find these days. From the cheesy to the superb, dozens of these too-often hastily produced sets find their way into record stores. Fortunately, every now and again there are exceptions to the rule, such as the case with this brilliant collection of 16 rousing and infections dance floor rompers.

Produced as a benefit for the American Foundation for AIDS Research and the Community AIDS Resource of Florida, Dance With Angels lives up to its heavenly name, by soaring to new heights with remixed cuts of diva-fronted club gems.

Leading off with Cyndi Lauper's brilliant cover of the Marvin Gaye classic, "What's Going On,” the beat swirls into Gloria Estefan's delicious "Heaven's What I Feel." And the diva power only gets stronger from there with added doses of pop confection from Madonna (“Frozen"), Janet Jackson (“Together Again”), Billie Meyers ("Kiss The Rain”), Taylor Dayne ("Whatever You Want") and Linda Eder ("Something To Believe In"). The set also includes two previously unreleased tracks: Ava Cherry, with a cover of the Olivia Newton-John hit

"Hopelessly Devoted to You" and Elsa Raven, singing "Never Letting Go." The set ends with a Barry Manilow '98 dance version of his classic “Could It Be Magic."

Unlike other diva-driven sets, what makes Angels work is executive producer Nick De Biase's conscious decision to float each song around the same “heavenly" concept of hope and optimism, and keeping the mood upbeat in a continuous swirl. While each voice became different, the message remained the same, allowing that thread of continuity to become the harmony and glide through the beats. In the end, the question was not, could it be magic? The answer was, it is magic, and these angels are dancing.

• Jeffrey L. Newman

Fire island Classics Various artists Centaur Entertainment

New York indie Centaur Entertainment has put together a new brilliant collec-

tion of disco-infused club anthems just in time to get you ready to boogie into spring. Far from the "have these tracks" already, cookie-cutter collections, this set is brimming with remixed gems that recall the tea dances of those brazen, carefree days on Fire Island.

The continuous mix CD is treated with finesse by DJ Michael Fierman, who dug into his treasure chest to mix old with new. From Frankie Knuckles' stirring "The Whistle Song" and Viola Wills' "If You Could Read My Mind" to more recent hits like Alison Limerick's "Where Love Lives," Vicki Moore's "Breathe" and Peter Cox's "What A Fool Believes," this 10-song set is the perfect medicine to shake those winter blues and get your pulse beating.

White Party III Various artists Centaur Entertainment

THE WHITE PARTY III

少

CONTINUOUS CLUB MIS BY DE DAVID KNAPP

high-energy R&B kicker, "What The Child Needs," is sheer pleasure, while Joi Jeffrey L. Newman. Cardwell's rousing “Found Love," is sure to become a club classic years from now. DJ Dado adds some spice to the mix and funks up the set. But the real winners here are UBM's "Love You," a stunningly beautiful cover of the Minnie Ripperton classic and Judy Torres' catchy "Back In Your Arms," which is still igniting fire in clubland. Even if you've never been to the famed White Party, you can still indulge in the unadulterated fun with Knapp's dance ecstasy. And best yet, 100 percent of the net proceeds goes to AIDS patient care. ♡

The third installment of Centaur's White Party circuit party musical companion is the benefit series' best yet. While many of the songs are well known toclub goers, such as Kristine W.'s "Land of the Living," Lisa Stansfield's "Never Gonna Fall," Sunscreem's "Catch" and Veronica's recent number one hit, “Let Me Go... Release Me," having them all on one collection and continuously mixed by internationally-known DJ David Knapp makes it a worth while buy. Not all the ditties are household staples, which gives the set a deliciously fresh flavor. Hannah Jones' underappreciated and

Jeffrey L. Newman

Harriet L. Schwartz is a Chronicle contributing writer living in Pittsburgh. Jeffrey L. Newman is a freelance writer living in New York. He can be e-mailed at editorjeff@aol.com.

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