Who Did It Better? No One Can Love You More Than Me

Who Did It Better?

No One Can Love You More Than Me

This one is really going to tax the old memory cells. It's a bit obscure, but a vital turning point in one of the artist's careers.

The musical landscape is littered with millions of songs that had a shot at breaking into the public's consciousness, but, for any number of reasons, failed to do so. Well, imagine a song that got four swings at the plate over a thirteen year period, yet still fizzled when trying to connect in a big way. Oh, it succeeded in small ways, ultimately becoming a #1 Dance/Club Play hit in its final incarnation, but that hardly makes for a household sing-along, now does it?

No matter. Sometimes I find the misses even more interesting than the hits. Let's take a look at today's batting line up, shall we?

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No One Can Love You More Than Me was written by Terry Britten and Billy Livsey. You may remember Terry Britten as one of the British chaps responsible for Tina Turner's What's Love Got To Do With It.  In addition to Turner, for whom he wrote numerous hits, his work has also been recorded by Cliff Richard, Celine Dion, Anita Baker, Cathy Dennis, Dusty Springfield, The Pointer Sisters and many more. 

Our lead-off batter is none other than the venerable Melissa Manchester.

During her tenure at Arista Records, under the guiding 'force' of Clive Davis, Manchester managed to score seven Top 40 hits; three of which landed in the Top 10. 

Coming off of the heels of her Grammy-winning, pop smash, You Should Hear How She Talks About You, Manchester was expected to deliver more of the same. In 1983, with veteran producer, Arif Mardin (Chaka Khan, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Aretha Franklin, The Bee Gees, Norah Jones) manning the boards, the album, Emergency, featured lots of thundering electronic percussion covered in clouds of icy synths; all in a vein similar to the then influential Flashdance soundtrack. 

No One Could Love You More Than Me was chosen as the lead single, but sadly, lightning did not strike twice. Not even the photos of the legendary Helmut Newton could help the single generate any heat, and without label promotion, it died a quiet death on November 18, 1983 at #78, after having spent only four weeks on the chart. It would also grab the #34 spot on the US Adult Contemporary chart and hit #75 in Australia. Considered a failure, Arista and Manchester soon parted ways after a decade on the label.

Next up, as today's contact hitters, with their roof shaking vocals and a bevy of beauty, we have The Weather Girls.

Izora Rhodes and Martha Wash are the voices known the world over as The Weather Girls. Originally nicknamed Two Tons of Fun, the two rose to prominence thanks to their featured vocals on Sylvester's biggest hits (Dance (Disco Heat) and You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real). In September 1982, the duo released their single It's Raining Men, and the dancefloors of gay clubs were never the same again.

1985 found the pair recording their fourth album, Big Girls Don't Cry with the help of producer Hank Medress (The Chiffons, Tony Orland and Dawn, Frankie Valli, Rick Springfield) and the girls were really up against something; indifference. Their label, Columbia Records, viewed them as little more than a novelty act. So it was a surprise to no one when Well-A-Wiggy, the album's lead single failed to catch fire. In its wake, No One Could Love You More Than Me was pushed out to the clubs. However, with little in the way of promotion and label support, it met a fate similar to that of its predecessor, only reaching #26 on the US Dance chart.  

Batting in the three-hole, it's 'The First Lady of House Music', Kym Mazelle.

Mazelle, raised in Gary, Indiana (she lived on the same street as the Jackson family), enjoyed a hit in the UK with Wait; a duet with Robert Howard from The Blow Monkeys which peaked at #7. She then joined Soul II Soul  in 1990, both in the studio and on tour. In 1991, the tracks from her 1989 album, Crazy, were remixed and released stateside and in the UK as Brilliant!, with her version of No One Could Love You More Than Me getting the nod as a singles release. The song, produced by Ric Wake (Paul Lekakis, Taylor Dayne, Robbie Nevil, Natalie Cole), would climb all the way to #62 on the UK charts.

And, finally, batting clean-up, we have that powerhouse of the dancefloor, Hannah Jones.

Jones, who scored four, Top 5 hits on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the late 90's, was the final artist to take a swing at No One Can Love You More Than Me. Produced in 1996 by Marvin Howell (Norma Lewis, Hazell Dean, Ellie Warren), with remixes by Stonebridge and Mark Picchiotti, she would take the song all the way to the #1 spot on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1997.     

And there you have it... today's starting line up. 

So, grab yourself some sunblock, a visor, and a nice cold brewski. 

It's time to... Play ball!

The Song: No One Could Love You More Than Me

The Competitors: Manchester vs. The Weather Girls vs. Mazelle vs. Jones

No One Can Love You More Than Me - Melissa Manchester

No One Can Love You More Than Me - The Weather Girls

No One Can Love You More Than Me - Kym Mazelle

(Boilerhouse Mix)

 

No One Can Love You More Than Me - Hannah Jones

Melissa Manchester

Hee, hee. I just adore that sci-fi sounding intro. Those pulsating synths? Classic. Add that big big, big beat, followed by those flatulent sounding keyboards and we are in mid-80's heaven (or hell, depending on your perspective.) Icy synth, right on cue with Manchester's vocal entrance. By this point in her career, Manchester had been through a number of image makeovers, which included everything from hair to make-up to body sculpting and voice lessons. She's in perky, powerful pop mode here, but notice the slight, dry airiness of her vocals; a long way from the earth mother I first fell in love with back in 1975. 

All that cleanliness and distance in the mix? That's Arif Mardin. No one, other than his protégé, Richard Perry (The Pointer Sisters) achieved such a separation of sound, layer upon layer.  I love the synth sounds that play off one another in this arrangement, the chimes - offering a counter melody,  and  the windy whorl, sweeping us forward. The mistake here? It simply continues in the same vein. At the 1:05 mark? It would have been dramatically effective had everything dropped out and we got something big  and striking to launch us into the chorus. Instead? We simply coast into it... no variance.

And, yes, a new synth sound... but nothing fresh to the ears. We've heard something nearly identical earlier. And Manchester's vocals? They get a bit of treatment - the treble is pushed up so they become very pointed, but not enough to differentiate them from what passed before. I think additional harmonies might have helped here - something to make the chorus stand out. Instead? She's lost in a sea of synths, although, I must say, I do really appreciate that oddly sparse, scattershot beat the bass guitar has to offer. It's too subtle though and gets lost in the sweep of synths. 

My favorite part of this song? That fat synth bass and the 'I can love you better' tagline. I would max out that bass. The tagline? Perfect. Matches the iciness of the synths. It's very coquettish - an attitude that I really wish would have been played up more throughout this recording.  

And back to the beginning with the sci-fi synth as we hit verse two. I am puzzled by Manchester's lack of emotional pull here. She sounds? Defeated. Tired? I don't know. She sings this song so carefully, it's devoid of any human warmth. Yes, she can turn up the brightness in her voice on a dime, but when it comes to telling the story - and there is one worthy of telling here - she seems a bit absent, bringing little in the way of heart and absolutely no soul.

And again, we get to the chorus and it's an air ball - nothing new brought to the table. We needed some punch-up here, fellas, and all we got is a rather hollow sounding synth. Thing is, I really like the song. The melody is lovely. The lyrics work. The hook is right there in the staggering of the title. This should have been a homerun (Sorry. I have no idea what it is with the baseball analogy crap today. I don't even like baseball that much.) 

So, what we end up with is a lot of point (the vocals)/ counterpoint (the army of synths). It's interesting, but ultimately anemic. I keep wanting it to kick-in. I keep wanting things to get punched up. But it just drags on, trapped in the same polar state.  

Check out the little hoot owl accents they throw in the background of the final choruses - sort of like those steam pipe organs that power a calliope. It's a setting on most synths called human voice. Yeah. There ain't nothing human about it, hons. Except that odd accent vocal at the very end. Those sound human (I think it's Melissa, herself, actually), but are like "Wha-hooooo". Interesting choice.

In the end? I like it, because it's Melissa Manchester and the song is catchy. I remember when this came out. I listened to the whole album and was totally bewildered. It felt like Clive had steam pressed and homogenized her to the point where she'd vanished completely. It was like ordering food and getting food product instead. 

Given the arc of her career? Such an opportunity wasted.

Love those Helmut Newton photos, though. Who knew she looked that good dressed as a dominatrix? Hmmm. New career path?

Naw.

The Weather Girls

I like the intro. A nice vibraphone feel to it. Martha's vocals kick ass. So soulful. I wish the arrangement offered more for her to play off of. The chorus? Meh. Messy. It ruins the syncopation of the title, which is part of the ear candy that makes this song likable. It's buried by those gospel choir backing vocals bleeding all over the place. 

There is, indeed, more punch in this arrangement, but I still think there are possibilities for something even more percussive. Still love 'I can love you better.', although I think it worked better in the Manchester version. 

Okay, I could be mistaken, but it seems Martha handles verse one and Izora takes verse two. Neither is adhering strictly to the melody, but Izora seems to be ignoring it completely. I get that she has a powerful voice, and it could be that I simply find Martha's to be more melodic, but Izora does not always use her power wisely. Maybe I am being a little harsh. I do appreciate the gospel inflections she employs. I mean, this is how we go to church, right, son? 

As that sax enters, those background vocals grow a tad shrill. The sax solo? By the book, though I do like the way it dovetails into the rhythm track and Martha's vocals as we move into the bridge.

Oh, I like the bridge. The backing vocals are fun, as is the gait of that light plucked bass. Very detective-on-a-case. It's always enjoyable when a singer gets to layback and stretch out like this. Not sure why the sax is back. 

Oh. Call and response. They create a dialogue. I really like the play out. It begins where I initially thought the bridge started. Elements are stripped and then added back in different ways with Martha and Izora doing what they do best. So, from the 2:28 mark we start the play out. That's a lot of time to fill (just over two minutes, 15 seconds), but they: the singers, back-up singers, sax, various synth elements... they manage to fill it very, very well. 

I've been playing this version recently while working out at noon. Listening to it more closely? I have to say, I am duly impressed. Far from anemic, this version has a lot of muscle and hustle. It's the kind of R&B I love.

Kym Mazelle

Oh, this reminds me of Soul II Soul right from the start. It's that rhythm track. Bongos? 

Lady Kym has a voice like silk. She goes a little wild a little soon, but at least there's heat. 

They blow it a bit on the chorus again, ignoring the syncopation. It's like she's picked the song up at the Weather Girls' 2:28 mark. Curious to see if she has someplace else to go with this. I like the rhythm breakdown into the second verse and that little bit of Baretta's Theme synth with wah-wah guitar bubbling in the back ground? Fun. It's like 'Popcorn'. 

I can see why she's called 'The First Lady of House Music', she can shred and open her tone so damn wide. 

I love that deep cello string synth riding underneath as we go into the chorus for a second time. Oh, weird. A horn chart. Wasn't expecting that.  Actually, I think it's just a synth effect. 

At the 2:28 mark, guess what? Everything drops out (sound familiar?) I am a sucker for a repeated piano riff over a complex rhythm track. British R&B/House brought together so many elements - it's one of my favorite time periods. 

Love the build on the strings. Wish the piano would go crazy. Ah, there it goes, finally. It's too classically influenced, not rhythmic enough, and there's too much sustain - it muddles the clarity of those runs. Hmm. See, I like it when they mash on the piano and play with the off-beat, so a bit disappointed that this is so bloody tasteful. I want crazy energy to play off of... this? This is so classy. And again with the string swell, this time into the full chorus. I like the horns. I can't tell if they're real or synth, but I'm going to say synth. They're a little too pointed and accurate. And into the fade.

Ooo. I like this one, too. I am surprised it didn't do better on the charts or break big stateside. However, if I remember, there was a certain kind of backlash/indifference to this sound after the initial Soul II Soul surge. The sound was everywhere and we sort of burned out on it. 

Still. I like this a lot. 

Hannah Jones

Oh, my. This is SO 1996/1997. Yes. That rhythm fill and the tempo is pumped up. Hmm. Don't like her voice. That vibrato is no fun to listen to. I see how they are using it, but no - Gatling guns are not my thing. I do like that icy little synth sting. Fun. Those climbing strings... yes. Effective. 

Hmm. But then we hit the chorus and - nope. No boom. We just skate into it as fast as we can. Aww. I was hoping for a build and a drop and a boom. (There! If I ever do a dance album, I now have the title for it: A Build And A Drop And A Boom - in fact, I think that's the lead single!)

Disappointed. That means that out of four versions no one figured out how to set up that chorus properly. Pity.

I can see why this went to number one in the clubs. The way they handle 'I can love you better'... fun and fitting for this version. Her voice sounds better with the backing vocalists behind it. Interesting organ sound. Effective. 

It was during this time period that I was buying and ingesting dance music at a furious pace, like I was making up for lost time. This is sort of a cookie-cutter archetype. That fill? In hundreds of songs from the period. Her vocals, after their initial introduction, quickly move into Martha Wash territory. I do like how that icy sting plays off the funky Wurlitzer. It sets up some interesting tension. 

At the 2:19 mark we enter filler territory. I can guarantee you there is an extended mix out there that begins with this section and repeats it ad nauseum. Oh, big surprise, back to the chorus at 2:52 and I am liking it a lot more this time. Effective. 

Again. This reminds me of so many songs from the period. So much so, that this one almost gets lost in the cookie jar. But it is ultimately very likable. I could so see myself dancing to this. I know, it's a bit stale in terms of today's dance music, but still... it's a good cookie. 

The Verdict

I hate this part. 

So, sorry Melissa, but this is not even close. Your version pales in comparison. It's nice, but too polite and quite frankly, you sound a little checked out throughout. I blame Clive. Of course, I blame that man for so much in your life. 

Moving on...

The Weather Girls do a great job. I like it better once the open up, lay back and just fill the space, but it lacks sharpness, too. It's better than Manchester's version, but, frankly? I'm surprised it got as high as #26 on the dance chart. Still. Lovely vocals. Maybe the sax overstays its welcome?

Next.

Kym. Yes. Granted, it is stuck in a time period (that rhythm track totally dates it), but her vocals are full-bodied. I would have taken the piano in a different direction - something more dangerous, off-kilter, but still, this is a lovely track from start to finish. 

That leaves...

I had trouble getting comfortable with Hannah Jones' vocals, initially. Once the back up singers joined and she, more or less, was left to prowl and growl, I liked it much better. Still, it's a cookie cutter arrangement. And, sorry to say, it hasn't aged particularly well. 

In the end?

I will go with Kym Mazelle. 

I adore the elegance she brings to it, yet there is just enough fire to keep the whole thing lit until the end. 

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Well, buy me some peanuts and Crackerjacks - that is the whole ballgame. 

Okay, batter up. It's your turn!

Leave your thoughts in the comments section. You know how I love to hear from you. And a differing opinion? Always welcome.
 
And thank you, all, for reading (and listening!)

No One Can Love You More Than Me - Melissa Manchester

No One Can Love You More Than Me - Kym Mazelle