Stephen_Murray's Full Review: Greatest Hits by Gloria Gaynor
Just because a performer or group has only had a few hits is no bar to a "greatest hits" compilation, as some of the other contributions in Paul Lorentz's BOBs writeoff demonstrate.
Gloria Gaynor (who was born in Newark in 1949 and originally christened Gloria Fowles) was a two- or three-hit wonder, though her defining 1979 song "I Will Survive" was such a mega-hit that provided resonances for so many people that it overshadowed her earlier hits, a cover of Clifton Davis's "Never Can Say Goodbye" (which rose on the charts in 1974) and the very suggestive disco hit "Honey Bee" (which got a lot of disco play in 1974-75). If there was any doubt what "come on and sting me" meant, it was immediately cleared by "your love is sweet as can be" (not to mention "Workin’ on love’s honeycomb" and "Gotta have it"...).
Gaynor had sung with the Soul Satisfiers, a jazzy pop band, during the 1960s and released a solo single as early as 1965 ("She'll Be Sorry/ Let Me Go Baby" — not included on the "Greatest Hit" album). And after her career's 1979 peak, she has—um, survived?—and released at least three albums in this millennium, as well as hosting DVD "Disco: Spinning the Story" that was released this past June (and includes by her of "Never Can Say Good-Bye" and "I Will Survive").
The Song: Amazingly, "I Will Survive" was released as the flip side (someone else can explain to youngsters what a flip side was!) of something called "Substitute," which, if I ever heard it, I don't remember. It was considered more "radio friendly" by Polydor executives. The Divas of the Dance compilation has a six and a half minute version, the "Greatest Hits" the full dance version of eight minutes.
It was difficult to mix in the distinctive piano arpeggio start of "I Will Survive," and it takes 26 seconds for the disco beat to kick in. This was not enough time to get off the dance floor, but until everyone recognized the song, it threatened to interrupt The Disco Beat.
For listening, 7.5 minutes of boom-boom beat is mind-numbing, even with the considerable vocal stylization and dynamic range of Ms. Gaynor and the lyrics of Dino Fekaris (that has been recorded 213 times by others and is a karaoke staple).
As someone recovering form a broken heart at the time of its initial popularity, I "related" primarily to the title assertion. I, too, had "spent so many nights thinking how [someone] did me wrong." I'm not sure that that made me stronger, but I, too, "learned how to carry on... I used to cry/ Now I hold my head up high," etc.
There is a more specific plot line that I think is a fantasy of many people who have been dumped: being able to reject the one who rejected them. This requires the rejecter to return, and the song's lyrics do no exult in the ego boost but take on the return as a threat of returning to being chained by dependence on the one who hurt her (the singer).
Go on now go walk out the door!
Just turn around now,
'cause you're not welcome anymore
weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?
You thought I'd crumble,
You thought I'd lay down and die?
[she is able to bait now and then exults:]
Oh no, not I!
I will survive.
As long as I know how to love,
I know I will stay alive.
I've got all my life to live,
I've got all my love to give,
and I'll survive
I will survive.
Of course, she was convincing herself while sending "the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye" back through the door she never expected to be opened again by the one who nearly broke her.
Only tonight did I discover that, like Donna Summer, as disco was going out of fashion, Gloria Gaynor turned to Jesus. The feminist autonomy anthem has submissive lyrics with
"Only the Lord could give me strength not to fall apart" replacing
"It took all of the strength I had not to fall apart,"
and continuing with
"I will survive; He gave me life;
I stand beside the Crucified One;
I can go on; I will be strong;
For my strength to live is not my own;
I will survive!"
This version is not included on the "Greatest Hits" album, though there is room for it, 'cause after four songs the album, like Gaynor's career, peters out for lack of material.
The Other Hits
I've already mentioned the unsubtle sexual metaphor of the "Honey Bee" invited to come an "sting me" after the come-on "Honey" whispered seven times in the first minute as instruments join and crescendo and Gaynor starts singing (soulfully) "You're my honey bee, come on and sting me."
"Never Can Say Goodbye" starts upbeat. I prefer Smokey Robinson's version, but Gaynor sounds the most like Aretha Franklin in this.
After a soaring "Ooh, Whoo, Hoo," "Never Can Say Goodbye" segues with heavy-driving percussion on the "Greatest Hits" album to the Holland-Dozier-Holland hit most identified with the Four Tops, "Reach Out, I'll Be There." Although I don't think there is any warrant for considering it a Gaynor "hit," she does is superbly with the support of some anonymous (female) backup singers. It's very danceable, and I think that this is the track on the album that is most listenable (it runs more than six minutes, which is the length of "I Will Survive" I prefer...)
The songwriters Dino Fekaris and Freddie Ferren, who wrote "I Will Survive," also wrote "Let Me Know (I Have A Right)," which is more than passable (though running even longer than "I Will Survive"). "Where's the love we had?" is what she wants to know to plan her future and can get on with her life. More soul styling over the relentless disco beat and some lengthy saxophone riffs. "Will you dream of me or someone new instead?"
The Filler
After the first five (of eleven) tracks, I usually skip to the next disc in my CD player(s). There are apparently some admirers of "Let's Mend What's Been Broken," but it does nothing for me.
"If You Want It) Do It Yourself" is IMO the most tolerable cuts of the downside of the disc (for a substantial part it is instrumental).
The Bacharach-David "Walk on By" is intimately associated with Dionne Warwick. The beginning of Gaynor's version is undanceable and begins as spoken rather than sung. It would clear a disco floor if a disco dj was stupid enough to play it.
Gaynor sounds rather like Warwick in the vacuous narrative "Casanova Brown."
The instrumentation of "We Can Start All Over Again" is very tinny, and Gaynor sounds like she is imitating Donna Summer.
"All I Need Is Your Good Lovin'" runs half the length of the next shortest cut. There's no there there (let alone a "hit"...) and its instrumentation also sounds tinny.
Conclusion
I think Gaynor was (and probably still is) an accomplished vocal stylist. In addition to he signature mega-hit, which is presented in its longest version on the "Greatest Hits" album, are a first-rate sequence "Never Can Say Goodbye"/"Reach Out"/"let Me Know." Then there's nothing I consider worth listening to, even occasionally.
The "Greatest Hits" contains a lot of non-hits, but the arrangement of tracks simplifies playing the good stuff and then moving on. "Casanova Brown" was made for pushing eject or skip IMO.
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