Space Under Sun [Enhanced, Explicit Lyrics]

Ari Gold | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2004)
• Original Release Date: January 1, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Gold 18
• ASIN: B00018IYKE
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #220,820 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Space Under Sun

2. Funk That Ship

3. Fan-tastic

4. More Than Enough

5. Intimate

6. Caught

7. Bashert (Meant To Be)

8. He's On My Team

9. Do You Really Want 2 Hurt Me

10. Wave Of You

11. Back To Me

12. Re:Union

13. Love Will Take Over

14. Wave Of You (Twisted Dee's Undertow Mix) - Bonus Track

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Born and raised in the Bronx and currently a resident of the Lower East Side of NYC, Ari Gold has been "wowing" audiences in his home town and around the world as a recording and performing artist. Ari’s career began at age five, when he was discovered singing at his brother’s bar-mitzva. This led to a successful career as a child vocalist singing on over 400 jingles, doing various animated voices and back-up singing for the likes of Diana Ross and the cartoon Jem. Ari’s first following began in his home town of NYC where he has performed to packed houses at many NYC hotspots including Joe's Pub, Fez, China Club, Barracuda, Metronome, Flamingo East, Pyramid, SBNY, xl, Bar d'O, Starlight and CBGB's. He has also taken his show on the road to Kansas City, Philadelphia, LA, Milan, London, Israel and most recently, San Francisco where he performed at the DNA Lounge. Gold released his self-titled debut CD in 2001 to rave reviews from the press without the backing of a record label. The album anticipated pop music’s movement to a more R&B sound and included explicit lyrics of love songs sung to a man by another man—something the genre had practically never seen or heard of before. The album went on to take home the 2002 Outmusic Award for Outstanding Debut Recording and Ari was later named one of Genre Magazine’s "Men We Love" of 2002.

The debut album garnered the attention of legendary tunesmith Desmond Child (Ricky Martin, Cher, Aerosmith, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, etc.) and their first collaboration "I'm All About You," (Island Universal) debuted in the top 20 on the UK pop charts and became a top 10 dance hit. Co-written and produced with UK garage sensations DJ Luck and MC Neat the song brought together the sounds of R&B, Pop and two-step—an underground genre that was breaking in the UK. The video, shot in Miami, was heavily played and requested on MTV and The Box. In conjunction with the single Ari performed with Luck and Neat on practically every major TV and radio show in the UK including, Live And Kicking (CH. 5), T4 (CH.4), Radio One Big Sunday and the legendary Top Of The Pops (BBC). The song has since gone on to appear on numerous compilations alongside other smash hits by Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliot, U2, Nelly Furtado, Destiny's Child, Craig David and many more. He has also lent his songwriting and production skills to other artists and projects. In 2003 Grammy award winning producer David Morales remixed "I'll Be Here" on his label Definity Records which Ari co-wrote with Automagic for Nashom of The Ones ("Flawless") solo project. The song went on to become a top10 Billboard dance hit and was featured in an episode of Queer As Folk. Ari has also written for #1 Billboard dance recording artist Kevin Aviance ("Give It Up") both for his debut CD as well as for his latest release Entity. Ari keeps company with Diane Warren and Stephen Bray on 80's teenscream Tommy Page's last album as well. Ari's music has been licensed to numerous independent films, including the cult hit Latin Boys Go To Hell, where he served as Music Supervisor and appeared in the film performing his song "See Through Me." Ari’s unique look and style have graced top fashion magazines such as W, he was named one of the 9 hottest men in NYC by H/X magazine, and was chosen as one of "the Stylistics" for VIBE magazine's January 2002 issue shot by photographer Walter Chin. Ari has recently released his first ever 12 Month Calendar for 2004 sold through his online store

Product Description

"...Infinite possibility, if I can only break down this fourth wall/I’m living in a room for everyone, finding my space under the sun..."and so goes the title track of Ari Gold’s sophomore release, Space Under Sun (Released Nov 2003, independently over the internet on Gold 18 Records). In a market saturated with manufactured stars who for the most part are perfectly content churning out the same old cliché's, Gold is determined to shake pop up and find a space for his music in a postmodern world. "I wanted to make an album that I didn’t have when I was growing up," Ari told Larry Flick of Billboard magazine in 2001 regarding his first album as an openly gay pop singer which would later take home the Outmusic Award for Outstanding Debut Recording. With Space Under Sun Gold goes even further musically & lyrically and creates a pop landscape that goes beyond boundaries and labels.

After landing on Top Of The Pops with DJ Luck and MC Neat on the UK single, "I’m All About You" (Island Universal) co-written and produced by hitmaker Desmond Child, Gold began working on Space Under Sun. He collaborated with top notch industry songwriters and producers such as Peter Amato (Leanne Rimes), Marsha Malamet (Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan), MAJOR (Lamya), Mr. Khalil (Res), Steve Skinner (Rent, Bette Midler), Soong Lee (Allure) recording all over the globe from Atlanta, Miami, LA and NYC to London and Israel. Gold describes the album as "an intergalactic hybrid of 80’s and contemporary R&B, spacey pop, and funky smooth soul." Gay City News stated that "Gold pushes the envelope as much as a rapper like Eminem does." Although instead of lyrics that are fag bashing and woman hating, the subject matter ranges from a guy and a girl (Kendra Ross, currently featured on the latest CD by Talib Kweli) fighting over the same man ("He’s On My Team") to getting caught having sex in public with another man by the cops ("Caught), to diva worship ("Fan-tastic"), a matter that is crucial to many a gay man’s evolution, seeking independence and self actualization ("More Than Enough," "Back To me") to romantic and sexual intimacy ("Funk That Ship," "Intimate.") There is also the tender ballad "Bashert (Meant To Be) in which Gold incorporates his Jewish identity of having grown up as an orthodox Jew. The 13 track CD includes a downloadable music video of "Wave Of You" directed by Guy Guido which was shot as a tribute to the late great photographer Herb Ritts as well as an mp3 of "Review My Kisses" a song co-written and produced by Desmond Child. Gold will continue performing in NYC where Time Out magazine said that he was a "smash success...wowing the local music scene" and Backstage called his musicianship, "flawless" as well as around the globe to promote his new CD.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this CD!, March 29, 2006

By 

Chris (England) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Space Under Sun (Audio CD)

Easily the most pleasurable CD I've bought recently. Ari Gold's voice is quite simply superb. His vocal technique is polished and remarkably flexible. The arrangements and production are flawless. Overall, this CD deserves to be very sucessful. If Ari had marketed himself has a neutral figure, this would probably come to pass. As it is, he undoubtedly has the talent (and, it seems, the backing) to break out of the "gay" genre and become a true crossover artist, especially in clubland. Whenever I listen to him I'm in awe of his talent. As I said to my wife today, listening to him in the car, "I WISH I could have a voice like that!" There's a mix of very danceable music and some great ballads, especially "Beshert", which is not only a good piece of music, but deeply meaningful for anyone who has an ounce of romanticism. Of course, "Wave of You" is popular, but there are a lot more potential hits in this collection. Buy it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Album... A Must Have!!!!!, November 1, 2005

By 

Joshua Moore "*~Josh~*" (Asheville, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Space Under Sun (Audio CD)

I was acutally searcing Amazon for another gay artist when I came upon Ari Gold. I had never heard of him, so I thought I'd order the album & give it a shot. When I recieved it in the mail, I started to listen to it, and couldn't stop! Song after song, I became even more addicted. Being a gay male, there are few celebrities that I can relate to. In Ari's songs, he is actually singing to a man, so I can listen to his music and get a sence of realism, instead of pretend. Ari Gold has easily became my new favorite artist, and I HIGHLY recommend this album to everyone!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make A 'Space' In Your Album Collection, January 29, 2004

By 

k. lane "jester1436" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Space Under Sun (Audio CD)

Right now, I can tell you that Ari Gold will be the most commercially underrated artist of 2004. I know it's not completely set in stone, but his music and image, while incredibly appealing, fit in an area currently outside the American music mainstream of patriotic country singers and down and dirty rap stars. The mainstream's loss is definitely my gain, however.

Something that I can say, that I personally believe really should be carved in stone, is that Ari Gold has soul. Out and out blue eyed soul. He's also got a killer groove and an amazing musical sense. This, combined with his stunning good looks and sex appeal, would in most cases, make him the total package most record labels kill themselves over. And he is, but this guy is totally independent.

I really wouldn't want Ari any other way either. His material is fresh and funky, and tackles subjects outside the normal pop parameters, including a track entitled 'Caught' about being found having sex with another man. Old pop conventions are applied and twisted in Ari's own way too, with the fight over a man taken to a whole other level with his Kendra Ross duet 'He's On My Team'.

Another theme of this record is tribute to the sounds of the 80s in various ways. For instance, the little known Jam & Lewis produced Thelma Houston classic 'You Used To Me Hold So Tight', is cleverly sampled on the bouncing 'Funk That Ship'. The tune 'Fan-tastic' was inspired by none other than the forever reigning pop queen Madonna. Boy George and his Culture Club also get some attention, with what is, in my opinion, a better than the original remake of 'Do You Really Want 2 Hurt Me'. The production on that one just throws me for a loop, I love it so much. The album, despite all of this, still retains a fresh 2004 sound that I adore.

Other highlights include 'Bashert (Meant To Be)' and the title cut. One of my absolute favorites that I haven't mentioned yet is the current single, 'Wave Of You'. This track was also on his now out of print debut, a record I wish I had caught when originally out. The song is here in two versions - an album version and a club mix by Twisted Dee, who is usually known for her bootleg remixes and club updates. Both are great, as is the music video included as an enhanced portion.

It should be a crime that he won't get the mainstream recognition he deserves, but as long as he continues and makes more music this good, I'll be forever hooked.