What Can You Do For Me

Album: Utah Saints (1991)
Charted: 10
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This club hit took the hooks from The Eurythmics' "There Must Be An Angel (Playin' With My Heart)" and Gwen Guthrie's "Aint Nothing Going On But The Rent." By fusing them together, Utah Saints created the mashup concept.
  • One of the best known mashups is the Sugababes 2002 UK chart-topper "Freak Like Me." The Sugababes hit was originally a bootleg titled "We Don't Give a Damn About Our Friends," created by UK based producer Richard X under the alias Girls on Top. He had the idea of re-recording the music of Gary Numan's "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and putting the vocals of Adina Howard's "Freak Like Me" on top of it. The bootleg became a classic anthem in UK clubs, and it was decided that it would be a good idea to release it commercially. However, Adina Howard was unwilling to give permission for her vocals to be used so The Sugababes were bought in instead.
  • A new version featuring British electronic production group Drumsound & Bassline Smith was released in March 2012. The update loses Guthrie vocals, which are replaced by a soundalike. It debuted at #28 on the UK Singles Chart, making the song the second reworked Utah Saints tune to chart in the 21st century. Its original follow-up "Something Good" returned to the Top 10 in a 2008 remix.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Taylor Dayne

Taylor DayneSongwriter Interviews

Taylor talks about "The Machine" - the hits, the videos and Clive Davis.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.