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Flo Rida is currently dominating the charts with “Right Round,” his (and Dr. Luke’s) re-imagining of Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record).” But it’s not just his two-hit wonderdom that makes me think he might be the ultimate pop star for this crazy time. Billboard asked him how he came around to using the Dead or Alive track, and his basic response was that his A&R guy at Atlantic asked him to use the song, so he did. While that’s likely been great news for whatever plastic surgeon Pete Burns sold his songwriting share to for services rendered, I had to wonder why the A&R guy didn’t think of what could be plundered from the Atlantic catalog before providing revenue to Dead or Alive’s then-label Epic. Since I’m in the giving spirit, here are five tracks from the house that Ahmet built that Flo Rida should consider in the near future.
5. White Lion, “Wait” (from the album Pride, Atlantic Records, 1987):
The track’s intro has a dancefloor-ready build, and although the verses would need to be vastly re-worked, if you throw a few vocal ad-libs on the chorus and replace the guitars for shiny synths you have a hit waiting to happen. If nothing else, bringing Mike Tramp back might help Flo Rida break into the lucrative Danish market.
4. Donna Lewis, “I Love You Always Forever” (from the album Now In A Minute, Atlantic Records, 1996):
I’m not sure this song can be thugged up quite enough for the club, but it does has a few things going for it: one, female singers from Wales are big right now; two, Flo Rida can win over the female demographic that misses Ally McBeal.
3. Jawbox, “Savory” (from the album For Your Own Special Sweetheart, Atlantic Records, 1994):
There’s no way this would work, and I certainly don’t want to hear it happen, but I wanted to use this opportunity to boost the number of views on this video. Only 54,541? For shame, America. For shame.
2. Skid Row, “18 And Life” (from Skid Row, Atlantic Records, 1989):
Flo Rida has said in interviews that he wants to release more music that emphasizes his difficult childhood in his work. Problem solved.
1. Collective Soul, “Shine” (from Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, Atlantic Records, 1993):
Can’t you just hear Flo Rida providing the “yeah”s in between those big alt-rock riffs? I smell another hit.
Exclusive: First Listen To Flo Rida’s Sweet New Single [Billboard]
“18 and Life” would make a great song about a shawty stripping her life away, too!
@drinkypuss: “that child blew this child away”
A Donna Lewis resurgence would kill me, though that song is so repetitive it makes a nice hook. Well played.
@katesilver: Isn’t it crazy that that was THE biggest song of the nineties?
@Maura Johnston: “Accidents will Happen” eww. gross.
Actually, the intro to “Savory” could be interesting to mix w/some cool beats…but I guess that wasn’t the point, huh? (Although, they could sure use the loot.)
the deftones did a great cover of “Savory” with jonah matranga. It was basically an exact copy of the original, but it got me into Jawbox.
How is it possible that no one mentioned that the new Flo Rida single streaming at that link samples EIFFEL FRIGGIN’ 65???
I love “Right Round.” I have been jamming on the Ross.FM Club Mix, which is double the cheese.
I hate to be Debbie Downer at the party, but the chorus of this song isn’t a sample (in which a portion of the original recording is utilized), but instead an interpolation (in which an entirely new recording is created, in this case even changing the lyrics).
Which means Epic isn’t involved or profiting at all here — it’s entirely a publishing issue.
@CarWashHair: OMG, I HAD NO IDEA. Next you’ll be telling me that Flo Rida appearing on a reworked White Lion song would be an artistic misstep.
@Dan Gibson: I’m confused. You wrote specifically that they were “providing revenue to Dead or Alive’s then-label Epic”; I clarified that Epic isn’t getting revenue from this. Why the sarcasm?
@CarWashHair: i don’t see what this has to do with paul’s boutique.
@CarWashHair: Sorry, knee jerk reaction.
jawbox! such a classic.
I don’t want to be the bearer of even worse news, but Flo’s next single samples/interpolates Eiffel 65’s “Blue.” I’m not making this shit up.
@chachwitablog: I thought it was odd that a pig hit my second floor window this morning.