Who Did It Better? Waiting For The Night

Who Did It Better? 

Waiting For The Night

You ever listen to a song for the first time and instantly dislike it? As in, you never want to hear that song again? But the song persists and the next time it winds its way into your ear canals you do a one-eighty and suddenly you can't get enough of it? Well, that's pretty much the case with today's Who Did It Better? selection. When A certain future diva listened to a song a second time, she ended up having a huge change of heart... and one of the biggest singles of her early career. 

Waiting for Tonight was written by Maria Christensen, Michael Garvin and Phil Temple. 

Christensen had been singing since the age of five and writing songs long - before her days as part of the girl group 3rd Party. 

She originally came on the scene in 1984 as half of the Latin freestyle duo, Sequal, which was meant to be producer Lewis A. Martineé's follow-up group to his hugely popular girl group, Exposé. Recording for Joey Boy Records in Miami, the pair managed a string of  three club hits (It's Not Too Late, Stand By and She Don't Want You.) The group then caught the attention of the powers that be at Capital/EMI Records and a major label release with a plethora of producers such as Stock Aitkin Waterman, Kurtis Mantronik, Michael Morejon and Martineé was recorded and released in 1988. Despite that well of support, and although a number of the songs did do well in the clubs, neither the album nor the singles broke through to the pop charts, 

When nothing more seem to be on the horizon for the duo, they split up and Sequal was no more. 

Christensen began concentrating on her songwriting, and using all the contacts she'd made during her time with Sequal, began selling songs to major artists. Her songs were recorded by the likes of Nana Mouskouri, Eternal, 'N Sync, and Celine Dion. After recording a self-titled solo album in 1993, she recruited two of her backup singers, Karmine Alers and Elaine Borja to create the racially-diverse girl group that would become known as 3rd Party. 

The women, all extremely photogenic and talented, had little trouble finding a label that was interested. The group landed at DV8 Records, a subsidiary of A&M. An album was recorded and released on October 7, 1997, featuring two songs which would chart on Billboard's Hot 100: Can U Feel It (#43) and their version of an old Gary Wright song, Love Is Alive (#61.) Also included? The Christensen/Garvin/Temple co-write, Waiting For The Night.  

Two years later, after the group had disbanded, Jennifer Lopez was busy putting together her major label debut album, On The 6. Producer Ric Wake brought Waiting For The Night to the attention of Lopez and her producer, Cory Rooney. 

It was not love at first listen. In fact, Lopez immediately "hated the song" telling Wake, "I never want to hear that song again. It's horrible and so cheesy." However, Rooney felt very differently. Rooney kept after Wake to continue working on the song. Finally, Wake told Rooney that it would be too costly to rework the song for Lopez. That's when Rooney plunked down $50K of his own money and said, "That's how much I believe the record is gonna be a hit for her."

Apparently, money talks! When Lopez heard the reworked version, she was head over heels and wanted to record it right away. With Ric Wake heading up production, the song was included on the album which was scheduled to be released on June 1, 1999.

Waiting For The Night was released as the third single from the album and entered Billboard's Hot 100 on October 16, 1999. It wasted little time, going worldwide by reaching #1 on European radio. In the end, it would go Top 10 in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the UK, and the US.  

It was Lopez's first song to top Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart and earned her a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000 - demonstrating that it never hurts to give something a second chance!

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: Waiting For The Night 

The Competitors: 3rd Party vs. Lopez

Waiting For Tonight - 3rd Party

Waiting For Tonight - Jennifer Lopez

3rd Party

This dates back to one of my favorite eras of dance music. Euro-dance was everywhere - even on the radio - back in 1996. It had somehow spilled out of the clubs and suddenly the likes of Amber, Ultra Nate, and Kristine W were hitting the charts - and not just the dance club play ones.

This fits into that mold perfectly. That opening bubbling synth clues us in on what to expect. Yes, it is a bit precious and coy and very cleanly and neatly packaged. The synths here are pitched a bit too pointed for my taste. I like a fatter sound. Euro-pop/dance? Not known for great base lines or much bottom, so those accent synths have to bring the weight in order to get our bottoms pumping. 

Christensen, who carries the bulk of this song, is a good singer. I've checked out her stuff with Sequal and the other 3rd Party cuts which charted (available below) and I have to say she's as good as Fergie, who was doing the same sort of gig at the time with Wild Orchid. Christensen brings just enough color and interp to help liven up the proceedings. I don't care for how the producers have treated her vocals, though; they sound vaguely pitchy and are squeezed in such a way as to make her sound pointed and a bit shrill.

That bridge section with the 'ah-ah, ay-ay's' and 'oh-uh's' is a hoot and ripe material for creative remixers.

And I do believe that one of the other ladies steps to the foreground near the end with a few improvised wails. It's a welcome touch of... something different. And demonstrates that the other two were more than window dressing and that Christensen was not the only one with a set of pipes.

Unfortunately, the production work here is by-the-numbers and doesn't generate much heat. The synths are too vertical to land or strike deep. Other than Christensen's vocals, there's nothing here that is roughened or human enough for a listener to grab hold of. The song sort of skates by on a glassy layer of dance floor ice.  

That said, this could have been a hit. Amber was having great success with this exact sound and I, personally, would have been on the dance floor every time this was spun. A pity the executives at A&M weren't hip enough to realize it; 3rd Party's story might have ended differently.

Jennifer Lopez

A strummed Spanish guitar and some great, real percussion work warm this up immediately. 

I've been rather harsh on Lopez in the past. I saw a live performance of hers once and was rather dismissive; she's like Be-Bouncy - she can dance, and... umm, sing? But she sounds fine on record. Nice and warm and full-bodied. Ah, studio magic? Perhaps. 

Nice vocal treatments and backing vocals as we scoop into that chorus. Very focused. 

The basic track, by the way? Just as regimented as the Euro-dance version. It's the fact that real instruments augment and flavor this whole affair. It also helps that Lopez's vocals are warmer and more intimate than the icy shrill coloring 3rd Party's version received.

There's a fun, very tiny, synth bass part during the first half of verse two which is awful fun. Hope it shows up later. 

The backing vocals on the chorus are key to this version's success. Everyone loves a good rugby or soccer chant and that's what they evoke - a crowd reaction. That sound instantly generates a ton of energy in the mix which the listener is sure to get swept up into. 

That trumpet, like the percussion and Spanish guitar trappings before it, warms this thing up like a charm. It also helps keep the listener's ear. As instrumental bridges go, this is nice. Now? I want to dance. 

It gets a little messy/complicated at the end. Kitchen sink time - but it's fine. What else do they have to do?

The Verdict

The song is slight. This is not Gershwin. This is not Bachrach. So, I'm not suggesting this is a classic 'anything.' But it's fun and energetic and danceable, so it gets points for checking all those boxes.

3rd Party's version is undone by lackluster production, work so rote, it barely registers. Unfortunately, the producers do manage to ruin the one thing which might have saved this: Christensen's vocals. She can sing. But they've treated her voice and manipulated it, removing all her natural warmth and girthy earthiness, her grit, opting instead for something as piercing and needle-like as the synths which blanche everything. It's a bloodless affair.

Lopez is in good form; her vocals are warm and natural. The producers zip up the chorus with effective backup vocals It's really not that different than 3rd Party's except the natural instrumentation employed - guitar, percussion, trumpet - which help keep everything feeling human and relatable. One naturally gravitates toward her sound. 

So this is a definite win for Lopez. She had the hit, not only because A&M missed the boat, but because hers is the better version.

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And that's enough of me.

Okay, your turn. Leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. You know I love a differing opinion. 

That's all for now. Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Waiting For Tonight (Remix) - Jennifer Lopez

Love Is Alive - 3rd Party

Can You Feel It - 3rd Party

I'm Over You - Sequal