Relight My Fire

Album: Everything Changes (1993)
Charted: 1
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Songfacts®:

  • Dan Hartman wrote this song and originally recorded it in 1979. As well as topping the US Dance chart for six weeks, "Relight My Fire" was a disco favorite in Northern England clubs in the late 1970s. With its lyrics about a heated love affair, Take That's manager Nigel Martin-Smith thought it would be an ideal song for his group to update.
  • Hartman's original version featured a female vocal by Loleatta Holloway. RCA Records wanted a similar black disco diva to sing on Take That's version, but Martin-Smith had always loved the Scottish singer Lulu, and contacted her to sing on the song. Lulu's first UK hit was a cover of the Isley Brothers "Shout" in May 1964 and her wait of 29 years 148 days for a UK chart-topper broke the record for the longest ever.
  • The racy video shows a party at the Ministry of Sound in London. Take That's Mark Owen wore a T-shirt saying "Junkie's Baddy Powder" and Jason Orange appears in the shower.
  • Lulu said in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, "My cameo was about two-thirds of the way through. It was a powerful section of the song and everyone seemed happy with the result. It wasn't until I heard the final mix that I realized why the producers were so excited."
  • In the BBC documentary When Corden Met Barlow, Gary Barlow expressed some regrets about the recording of the song. He admitted going behind the backs of his Take That bandmates to record the co-lead vocal when Robbie Williams' singing wasn't up to scratch.

    "He went in and I got a call from the producer late in the night saying 'we've had him in all night and it's just not working,'" said Barlow. "And so the next day I just thought I'm just gonna do it. In defense of everyone else I should have just said to everyone, I'm going to go in and do a vocal today. There's a few things in that time which, believe me, still come up. I just went in a way that upset people."
  • The British press speculated that Orange had a fling with Lulu while recording "Relight My Fire." The rumors were later confirmed by Take That member Howard Donald during an appearance on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.
  • Ricky Martin recorded a cover of "Relight My Fire" in 2003. It was reported by Billboard at the time that Anastacia had filled in the role of Holloway. The collaboration was never heard in public, however, with Martin instead releasing a version featuring Holloway's original vocal sample.
  • Take That's saucy rendition of "Relight My Fire" peaked at #1 in the UK for two weeks in 1993. It appears on Take That's second studio album, Everything Changes, which produced three other #1 hits: "Pray," "Babe," and "Everything Changes."

Comments: 2

  • Eilish from Leeds, EnglandThis song is Way better than LuLu's
  • Luke from Manchester, EnglandBoy/Girl bands are depndant on cover songs for over 80% of their careers... It's a shame but they're manufactured and some of the time talentless... Lulu's amazing tho'
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