And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going [Single]

Rosabel | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 23, 2001)
• Format: Single
• Label: Tommy Boy
• ASIN: B00005QD59
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #468,589 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Colossal Vocal Overcomes Spotty Production, November 7, 2001

By 

philphila "philphila" (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going (Audio CD)

This single features dance versions of Jennifer Holliday's show-stopping Dreamgirls aria, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." This set was assembled, I'm sure, to counteract the many embarrassing dance remakes of this song that have proliferated overseas in recent months, featuring far inferior singers and largely generic production. This release attempts to remedy the deficiencies of the imports, and actually succeeds on a few counts.

Clearly, the best reason I can give for buying this CD is Jennifer Holliday's shattering performance. Holliday has recut the song, and her new vocal is faithful in spirit and execution to the original. At the song's devastating peak - the final "You're gonna love ... ME!" - Holliday still sends chills up your spine. As if the original version weren't definitive enough, Holliday's new vocals effectively slam the door on other, lesser performers who would ever aspire to sing this song.

A vocal performance of this magnitude requires equally exciting production, however, and that's where this set runs into some problems. Of the six remixes on the CD, the best by far are turned in by the team of Rosabel (Ralphi Rosario and Abel Aguilera). Their 9:43 Anthem Mix is just as punchy and upbeat as their other circuit exercises, while their 10:27 Attitude Mix is a bit darker but still quite accessible, reminiscent of Hex Hector's work. Rosario contributes two more mixes, apparently on his own: a 3:44 radio mix that's surprisingly flat, and a 7:24 Funky Underground Mix that features bouncy, stripped-down, Steve "Silk" Hurley style instrumentation that's totally incongruous with Holliday's vocal fireworks. Rounding out the collection is an amazingly lifeless trance radio version (3:50) by Tranceuro Express, and a rather limp, been-there, done-that Junior Vasquez Earth Club Anthem (9:23) that sounds ten years old.

This song may not stand the test of time to become a dance classic, and most fans of Jennifer Holliday will probably still prefer the original version. Still, this is far from sacrilege - like, for instance, that god-awful disco version of "Memory" from Cats was. And I think fans of Holliday's might actually enjoy hearing the way their favorite singer has reshaped her signature song. Just stick with the 20 minutes of high-quality dancefloor drama delivered by Rosabel, and you won't go wrong with this one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars as Patsy would say..."Fabulous Darling!", January 30, 2004

By 

"djmts" (Las Vegas NV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going (Audio CD)

As a pro Disc Jockey for 15+ years, it takes a really great song (much less a cover) to get me excited. Indeed, some songs do improve when covered, but this is not just a cover...it's a wonderful remake. As dance remixes go, this cut totally embodies within itself the true depth and emotion Ms. Holliday gave her original Broadway hit. Granted, you most likely won't hear this one on your favorite top 40 station, and unless you know who Jennifer Holliday is, you won't even care...but you will love it from the first beat to the last. Get this CD...(or 12" Wax...for the old skool)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jennifer Holliday the Diva come back., April 4, 2002

By 

Jorge Melo B. Pereira (Almada Portugal) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going (Audio CD)

A great song from Dreamgirls. A new dance version from the hit. Absolutelly fantastic.