Reviews - Bette Midler, Gabriella Cilmi

So this weekend I was thrilled to receive my first batch of my recent Ebay purchases. Let's do some music reviews! I'm not talking about every remix, just the stand outs.

Bette Midler - In These Shoes (CD Maxi Single) (2001)

Released in 2001, "In These Shoes" is off of Midler's 2000 album - "Bette." According to All Music, "Bette" was her second and final record on Warner Brothers Records. She was dropped after declining sales, eventually signing with Columbia. The track was written by Kirsty MacColl & Pete Glenister.

1.) In These Shoes (Radio Mix) 4:10 (Remix By Jonathan Peters & Tony Coluccio)
Great radio remix. This one is jazzy and campy preserving the sound of the original.

2.) In These Shoes (Soundfactory Vox Mix) 9:07 (Remix By Jonathan Peters & Tony Coluccio)
This mix hits the ground running! Starting out with Bette Midler commanding our attention - finally screaming out "Shut the fuck up!" Love it! I don't know where that part came from because I don't think it's in the original track. This mix is totally high energy and I love it! Vocals start in around 2:40 and start with the first verse. Still no trace of the original instrumentation it's just Bette's voice over a house beat. The vocals don't really extend beyond the song's first verse. I wish there was more vocal here. It's still a lot of fun though.

***3.) In These Shoes (Mark's Heels To Platforms Vocal Mix) 8:35 (Remixed by Mark Picchiotti)

I love a lot of Mark Picchiotti's remixes, most recently his remixes of Sia's "The Girl You Lost To Cocaine." This Bette mix is a lot of fun! High energy with a bit of the original jazzy sound from the original. Vocals start in at around 2:30 with the first verse. This is the only mix (other than the Radio Mix and the Extended Radio Remix) that uses all of the verses...or at least most of the verses. This is hands down my favorite mix on the Maxi.

4.) In These Shoes (Other Side Mix) 7:57 (Remixed by Jonathan Peters & Tony Coluccio)

Good mix. The vocals come in at nearly 4 minutes into the track. The first half of the song is hot. The only vocal present on this track is the Spanish chorus - repeated over and over. Not full vox, but that's OK. Still plenty enjoyable.

Gabriella Cilmi - Sanctuary (Promo Remix CDM)

This is the 4th single off of Cilmi's debut album, "Lessons To Be Learned." Released on November 10th, it samples a riff from "Oh No Not My Baby" sung by Maxine Brown (1964). It's rumored that a new version of this song will be featured in the Disney 2009 animated movie, "Rapunzel."

1.) Sanctuary (Mac Project Club Mix) 8:00 This mix is great. High energy, bumpin' beats and her vocals sound awesome over all of the production. Her voice is reminiscent of Amy Winehouse in a way, a comparison she has heard back when she released debut single "Sweet About Me." It's hard to believe this talent is only 17 years old! My only complaint about this mix is that the original melody of the song is lost.

***2.)Sanctuary (Solitaire Club Mix) 5:28 First off, this is a relatively short club mix, clocking in at just under 5.5 minutes. That being said, it jumps to the vocals relatively quickly, which I like. The melody is preserved in this remix, which I really like. Her voice sounds fab with the production. It's a tough call, but I think I prefer this mix to the Mac Project mix.

3.) Sanctuary (Alex B Club Mix) 7:58 This is probably my least favorite mix. The vocals start in at a little after the 1:30 marker and immediately get lost in the production. The beats seem to be working against the vocals throughout the mix, and the melody is gone completely. I'm not saying I need the remix to sound just like the original track - but I love it if some trace of the original is left.