Throwback Thursday - RIP Loleatta Holloway 1946-2011

Damn, lot of deaths lately! I CANNOT believe this hasn't been more widely reported! Soul diva/gay icon Loleatta Holloway passed away last week and the ONLY report of it I saw was in Entertainment Weekly!
This powerhouse vocalist had a string of hits including "Vertigo/Relight My Fire" with Dan Hartman, but will forever be best remembered for her disco anthem "Love Sensation!"


That fro is off the hook! "Love Sensation" was a number one dance hit in 1980 as disco waned. But that shizz was so good, it came right back! In 1989, Black Box sampled STOLE it and re-released it as "Ride On Time" lipsynched in the video and onstage by Katrin Quinole. Oh PS, Loleatta is singing "Right on time," those silly Itallians just didn't understand her, which is why their version is entitled "Ride On Time!"


"Ride On Time" bad spelling, lipsynching and all, was the #1 selling single in the UK in 1989! In the US, it was released as "Black Box featuring Loleatta Holloway" which is better than poor Martha Wash got, when she provided the vocals to ALL of their other songs!
But wait! There's more! "Love Sensation" was sampled a second time in 1991 as the hook to gay pin up Marky Mark's "Good Vibrations!"



Unlike Black Box, Marky Mark had the decency to showcase Mz. Holloway in both the music video and in live performances! (I thought Marky Mark was THE. HOTTEST. GUY. EVER. Now I can't stand him. Weird.) The song was a #1 smash and Holloway's only pop #1 in the US.

And finally, the original track, "Love Sensation" was remixed by The Freemasons in 2006 and this new club version became a hit all over again!


Strangely, although the track is credited to Loleatta, the video shows some skinny tramp lipsynching her lines. Shades of Black Box!

She also redid her former hit "Relight My Fire" first with Take That and then with Ricky Martin.

Rest in peace, DIVA!!!