Review of “Ultimate Dirty Dancing”

Dirty Dancing was a 1987 U.S. film about the relationship between a male
dance instructor and one of the guests at the resort where he is working. It is
a romantic film which is basically a showcase for Patrick Swayze and Jennifer
Grey’s dancing prowess. The film became somewhat of an 80’s iconic event
mainly because of Swayze’s dancing and film star status, and also because of
the film’s climactic main hit song “I Had The Time Of My Life”. This song was
a major hit for Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes earning a Golden Globe
Award, The Academy Award for Best Original Song as well as a Grammy
Award for best duet".
It has a distinctly 80’s style arrangement with its insistent bass line and highly-
processed drum sound with plenty of Latin percussion – congas and shaker.
It was a feel-good anthem with great harmonies from the two lead singers.

The Ultimate Dirty Dancing CD contains all the songs from the movie in the
order that are heard in the film.

The majority of the songs on ULTIMATE DIRTY DANCING are 1960’s R&B
classics with a sprinkling of 80’s recordings and some Latin dance
instrumentals.
Here are some of the highlights:

Will You Love Me Tomorrow – was released by Shirelles in 1960 and was
ranked number 125 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All
Time. It was written famously by Carole King and Gerry Goffin appearing on
King’s album Tapestry. Check out this jazz-flavoured live version by Carole
King with a nice descending bass line in the first part of the verse.

The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” was a hit in 1963 with Phil Spector as the
producer creating his famous “Wall Of Sound” approach to recording. This
was achieved by having many of the parts of the song played in unison by
more than one musician so the sound was rich and full. The whole song was
also treated with copious amounts of reverb which also added a sense of
space and magnitude to the sound. The resulting recording prompted Brian
Wilson to call Be My Baby “the greatest pop record ever made”.
Songwriter Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby", released in 1961, features a strong
harmonica theme as well echoing the vocal tune on harmonica. This
harmonica sound no doubt influenced John Lennon’s solo on “Love Me Do”
as well as Frank Ifield’s “I Remember You” – both big 60’s hits.

Otis Redding's pleading ballad "These Arms of Mine" for me is an absolute joy
with it’s gently insistent piano part of 6/8 triplets and which underpin the entire
song. The guitar is exactly the style that veteran Stax label guitarist Steve
Cropper would have played but was in fact played by Johnny Jenkins of the
Pinetoppers (source : http://www.americansongwriter.com/2010/06/behind-
the-song-these-arms-of-mine/). Redding also contributes “Love Man” which is
a high-energy dance workout with classic Stax brass and strong snare drum
backbeat.

Solomon Burke's consoling, soulful "Cry to Me" (recently covered live by

Duffy) is one of his most significant and influential recordings and is a song
about loneliness and longing and features early Elvis-style instrumentation
with xylophone and some nice rhythmic improvising at the end.

Merengue, Trot The Fox and Johnny’s Mambo are 3 Latin/jazz instrumentals
which again allow the dancers to showcase their craft without the distraction
of lyrics.

The other tracks are good too so check them out and then head on over to the
CD Music Club blog and you can click through to pick up a copy of Ultimate
Dirty Dancing for yourself.

1. Be My Baby - Ronettes
2. Big Girls Don't Cry - Valli, Frankie & The Four Seasons
3. Merengue - Lloyd, Michael & Le Disc
4. Trot The Fox - Lloyd, Michael & Le Disc
5. Johnny's Mambo - Lloyd, Michael & Le Disc
6. Time Of My Life (instrumental) - Morris, John Orchestra
7. Where Are You Tonight - Johnston, Tom
8. Do You Love Me - Contours
9. Love Man - Redding, Otis
10. Stay - Williams, Maurice & The Zodiacs
11. Wipeout - Surfaris
12. Hungry Eyes - Carmen, Eric
13. Overload - Zappacosta
14. Hey Baby - Channel, Bruce
15. De Todo Un Poco - Lloyd, Michael & Le Disc
16. Some Kind Of Wonderful - Drifters
17. These Arms Of Mine - Redding, Otis
18. Cry To Me - Burke, Solomon
19. Will You Love Me Tomorrow - Shirelles
20. Love Is Strange - Mickey & Sylvia
21. You Don't Own Me - Blow Monkeys
22. Yes - Clayton, Merry
23. In The Still Of The Night - Five Satins
24. She's Like The Wind - Swayze, Patrick & Wendy Fraser
25. Kellerman's Anthem - Bergstein, Emile Chorale
26. I've Had The Time Of My Life - Medley, Bill & Jennifer Warnes

www.cdmusicclub.co.uk