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randomvarious · 3 years

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Madison Avenue - “Don’t Call Me Baby” The Annual 2000 by Judge Jules & Tall Paul Song released in 1999. Mix released in 2000. House / Dance-Pop / Nu-Disco

***Song starts at 7:19 and ends at 9:50.***

Madison Avenue, the formidable and fleeting Australian duo who achieved worldwide fame, sales, and accolades off of a pair of similar-sounding, fun, and fierce dance-pop club bangers at the turn of the millennium, actually didn’t originally intend for themselves to become just a two-person group. And that might sound a little hard to believe given that the team-up of Andy Van Dorsselaer and Cheyne Coates sounded like golden, mass-appealing kismet, but the two of them actually wanted someone else to sing their songs at first.

Van Dorsselaer, who would become a successful label owner, DJ, remixer, and dance music producer, met Coates, a choreographer and singer, in the early 90s at a Melbourne club where Van Dorsselaer was performing a DJ set. The two would then develop a years-long friendship before finally deciding to make music together, which would see Van Dorsselaer producing the songs, Coates writing the lyrics, and then the both of them trying to find other people to sing the songs that they had formulated.

The first vocalist that Madison Avenue enlisted was a woman named Kellie Wolfgram, who sang on the group’s debut single, “Fly.” Wolfgram was then picked again to provide vocals for their second single, too, 1999’s “Don’t Call Me Baby,” but the plan suddenly changed after Van Dorsselaer and Coates realized that they actually had another singer in mind, one with tons of awe-inspiring spunk and swagger: Cheyne Coates herself.

See, Coates at first had provided a vocal guiding track for Wolfgram so she could get an idea of what Coates and Van Dorsselaer wanted, but Andy and Cheyne soon realized that Cheyne’s own vocals were actually better suited for the track. And you’d think that someone who graced a song with that much attitude and gravitas would’ve been an obvious choice from the get-go, but as it turns out, that simply just was not the case; it took a bit of time for Madison Avenue to realize that what they had had originally was actually quite good enough.

“Don’t Call Me Baby” was then released on Van Dorsselaer’s label, Vicious Vinyl, which had a production and distribution deal with Virgin/EMI Australia at the time. The song became popular in the Aussie clubs, but it was Virgin/EMI who were able to get it to radio, where it then flourished with mainstream pop audiences across the country, launching it to #2 on the charts and eventually triple-platinum status.

However, the song didn’t originally fare so well in the UK. Released in Australia in October 1999, “Don’t Call Me Baby” worked as a spring-and-then-summer hit there, but it was released the following month in the UK, and naturally, they weren’t on that same seasonal vibe as Australia, so while the song did well in the UK clubs, radio decided to pretty much sidestep it.

But then a bootleg that mixed “Don’t Call Me Baby” with “Disco Babes From Outer Space” by Babe Instinct surfaced and received serious play in UK clubs, leading to 15,000 copies sold, which then forced Sony UK’s hand, who had US and UK rights to “Don’t Call Me Baby,” to re-release it. And at that point, UK radio stations were more than willing to play it. The song then went all the way to #1 overall and #2 on the country’s dance chart, while also earning gold status.

And while “Don’t Call Me Baby” proceeded to take much of the rest of Europe by storm with a bunch of top-10 placements, it did not achieve nearly the same fate in the US. It tore up dancefloors across the country and achieved #1 status on Billboard’s dance chart, yes, but it only got to #88 on the Hot 100, which, honestly, kind of feels like a crime! I think if it had been promoted well enough, this jam would’ve killed it in America, but I guess since top 40 radio wasn’t really too much in the business of playing house music in 1999 and 2000, Sony didn’t wanna throw money at a song that a path hadn’t been previously carved for. It’s understandable, but it was also probably dead fucking wrong!

Anyway, this song’s a goddamn bop. For one, Coates’ varying vocalizing is fantastically catchy. It’s not so much the notes that she provides, although her briefly, slightly higher-pitched lines within the chorus that differentiate from her overall tone throughout the rest of the track makes for a subtly killer touch; it’s moreso her changing of pace and how she switches from a free-flowing, sing-songy wateriness in the lines of her pre-chorus, where the last syllable of one line connects seamlessly into the first syllable of the next line, and all within a single breath:

Don’t think that I’m not strong I’m the one to take you on Don’t underestimate me, boy I’ll make you sorry you were born

To a couple lines later, with the much sharper and much more economical, putting-her-foot-down,

Don’t. Call. Me. Baby.

It really is a thing of pop lyric songcraft brilliance.

And on the production side, Van Dorsselaer cobbled together an equally catchy funky house groove by utilizing and re-working a handful of samples from the opening seconds of Pino D'Angiò’s silly 1980 Italo-disco classic, “Ma Quale Idea,” which actually based its bassline off of McFadden & Whitehead’s super popular disco hit, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.” Van Dorsselaer brought his construction made of samples up to a house music speed, added a 4/4 kick drum, claps, and hats, and then threw in a searing, high-pitched string pad for the chorus. And that string pad goes well with those points when Coates also raises her own vocal tone for that little bit, too. Also, there’s parts in “Ma Quale Idea” where D'Angiò sings at a noticeably rapid-fire pace, and, conceptually, it’s not really all that unlike what Coates does on the pre-chorus of her own song, although Coates’ parts don’t sound nearly as absurd, so I wonder if Madison Avenue got their idea for that speedier delivery from this song that they wound up sampling so liberally 🤔.

Much to my own and what should also be your surprise, Madison Avenue was the first dance act to top the Australian charts (“Who the Hell Are You”) and also the first Australian dance act to top the UK charts as well (“Don’t Call Me Baby”). You’d think that both of those honors would have belonged to Australia’s own undisputed dance-pop queen, Kylie Minogue, but they absolutely do not. Madison Avenue actually got there first, and as far as Aussie dance goes, they completely owned ‘99 and 2000.

“Don’t Call Me Baby” is a song that manages to fit perfectly well on not just a late 90s-early aughts pop playlist, but also a house playlist that spans that same time period. And I don’t think that there’s that many songs from 1999 that you could say that about. I mean, along with its promotion and club success, this song’s inherent dynamism is the reason why it was included on both a bunch of pop comps as well as more dance-focused comps at the turn of the millennium, like Ministry of Sound’s The Annual 2000, which was mixed by Judge Jules and Tall Paul, and appears on Tall Paul’s side of the mix.

This one’s a tremendous tune that more than deserved all the praise, awards, and airplay that it received. Apparently Cheyne Coates grew pretty tired of it not all that long after its release, but I sure as hell haven’t and hopefully you won't either!

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wannabe-cartoonist-blog · 7 years

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Reactions to Official SBM Recordings

A bit spoiler-y if you haven't seen the show or listened to the new recordings of the songs. So proceed with caution.

ACT 1

Intro/Bikini Bottom Day

-here we goooooo

-ahhhhh ze narrator

-love how they include sb's foghorn alarm, just gonna say that

-award goes to Ethan for the cutest yAWN

-ethan is using such a soft tone of voice and it's honestly perfect

-"meow"

-the shoe squeaks!!

-the laugh was a little weaker than other performances but I'll let it slide cause he's so cute

-I thought it was "where the sun shines down" not "when" but apparently not

-MY BOI PATRICK STAR

-"oOOO OOOO I want a verse!!!"

-I love the difference between his singing voice and the Patrick Voice (tm)

-the chorus harmonizing in the bg

-sQUIDY

-Gavin Lee sounds a little strange...like Squidward sounds like he could't care less about anything and is so resigned to his loud neighbors

-which...he is....but he sounds off idk. Still a good performance tho

-like with Pat, there's a distinction between his singing voice and speaking voice

-he sounds good though but not like the live performances....idk if that's good or bad

-the fart noise strikes again

-RIGHT INTO SANDY'S PART

-love the country track

-she sounds so nice 10/10

-that "daaaaAYYYYY" 10000/10

-they didn't include the explosion or like all of the dialogue that follows it but I like it. Keeps the flow of the song going

-KRABS

-THE WALKING NOISE

-plankton's voice is so deep and smooth, I love it

-KAREN'S "forever" WAS MADE TO SOUND COMPUTERIZED THAT WAS A REAL NICE TOUCH

-"CLeeeeeveeeeerr" melted butter

-I love krabs, Karen, and plankton singing together

-Squidward is so depressed 10/10

-pearls deep voice is 10000/10

-spongey sounds so sad after being shot down, perfection

-"everyone would say GOOD MORNING MR. SQUAREPANTS"

-the CHORUS!!!!!!

-I freaking love this song

-it captures the town so perfectly

-they finish the song without being interrupted by the volcano, very nice choice

No Control

-the panic

-Perch Perkins could punch me in the face and I would thank him

-velvet voice. Pure velvet.

-sandy, sponge, pat, sandy, THE BABIES

-all of krab's parts sounds much better than the live versions, not gonna lie

-smooth-voiced plankton once again. He and perch need a duet but I think I'd actually melt from it

-kAREN

-I love the bg singing, heck yeah

-"the end. Is. Coming!"

-spongey

-ETHAN'S "WOOOOOH" OMG I WASNT READY

-there are 3 ticks instead of 2, that's interesting

-David Bowie did a really good job with this. So sad he didn't get the hear the finished product.

-Thank you, David Bowie. Rest In Peace.

B.F.F.

-oh, boy I'm ready

-that cute acoustic sound oh yes

-classic Plain White Ts

-I love how they remember that spongebob wears glasses sometimes 1000/10

-their voices compliment each other so well wow

-I love pat's singing voice, did I mention?

-the best friend dance part kills me every time

-the instrumental bit 1000/10

-"feeling good" part literally knocked the breath out of me

-"you're my best friend forever!"

-"B.F.F that stands for"

"Spongebob and Patrick" <33333

When the Going Gets Tough

-"give me some muuuusic, Karen"

-KAREN IS PERFECTION

-"exCUSE ME?"

-"e-he-he"

-this sounds so freaking cool

-for the 700th time, I love plankton's voice

-the sponge rap!!!!

-"you've got one day left go home and pack"

-plankton changes his tone slightly near the middle/end and I almost had a heart attack cause it sounded so good

-they included the krabs and plankton interaction about the sleeves, good choice

-"I'm a one-celled organism...I don't even HAVE sleeeeVES."

-the MAYOR!!!!

(Just A) Simple Sponge

-I've listened to this about 100000 times already

-but I'll do this anyway

-again, Ethan always sounds so pure

-he really nails the innocence of sb

-the bg chorus is fantastic

-I love all the references in this song

-Brendan Urie did a great job

-I really love how this song is in reference to krabs' opinion of sb. That's always been a really cool relationship dynamic

-sb is like a son to krabs and krabs is kinda a father figure? (I know sb has a dad but) sb is always looking to krabs for approval and when he looses it he gets real down (the second movie has a cool nod to this; "you were like an underpaid son to me")

-all these artists could've just written songs that these characters could sing, but they all wrote songs that these characters would sing. They all really nail the characters and I’m so grateful for that.

-the last note is so damn powerful I love ethan slater

Daddy Knows Best

-this song always sounds good

-love how pearl made sure to always keep her voice deep

-"money, money" that's 100% pure Eugene Krabs

-LOVE THE CONTRAST BETWEEN PEARL'S SINGING AND SPEAKING VOICE

-opposite of Patrick's

-she sings so softly

-THE BEAUTIFUL SCREECHES OF "DADDY"

-I love Krabs

-the cries

-"DADDDDDDYYYYYYYYY"

"MONNNNNEYYYYYY"

Hero Is My Middle Name

-spongey, I love you

-this song is such a cute bop

-it's so 80s, thanks Cindy Lauper

-"yeahH"

-"mine's Jennifer" was included heck yeah

-the slide whistle sound

-WHEN THEY SING TOGETHER

-"alriiight!"

-the way sandy says "courage" and "myyyyyy middle name" I love

-"us go!"

-love the instruments at the end

-the bandstand-y type music for when Pat dances, SO GOOD

SuperStar Seastar Savior

-this is one of those songs I didn't really care for live

-but MY GOD ITS AMAZING AS A RECORDING

-LISTEN TO THOSE HARMONIES

-it really does sound gospel-y

-pATRICK

-he sounds so pure "my new friends"

-"does anybody bake?"

-GOD HE SOUNDS SO GOOD

-THE TWANG

-"ME"

-"uh, I dunno"

-"figARO"

-the wrestling announcer towards the end

-"y'all praise pink!"

-the explosion what a perfect way to end it

Tomorrow Is

-lili, slay me

-oO the shift!!!

-the sb and sandy harmony yes very good

-squidy still sounds a little strange but I love him

-krabs always on point

-"oooo"

-god, plankton's voice is velvet

-"victoryyyyy"

-spongey boy, god, he's so hurt by Pat im crying

-tHE CHORUS

-bikini bottom day reprise, I'm in actual tears

-gOD

ACT II

Poor Pirates

-another one I didn't care for live

-but the recording captures it so much better

-it just sounds so different

-the KAZOO

-"en-c-i-n-o"

-"h-winds in our earrings"

"don'tcha know pirates have feelings?"

-"p-o-o-rrrrrrr people too"

-bg guy who says "we've too many too gold teeth"

-I really really love this

-"the BLOOMIN ONION"

-Talk Like A Pirate Day is now a fully international holiday idc what anyone has to say

-god, the instrumentation is on point

-Sara Bareilles did an amazing job (listen to some of the songs from The Waitress if you like her stuff. She wrote for and stared in that too. "She Used To Be Mine" is amazing)

Bikini Bottom Boogie

-okay, this also sounds better than it was live

-that guitar, man

-really does sound like a good ol' rock ballad

-nice job, Aerosmith

-IM FEELING IT ALRIGHT

-"rad, gnarly, and tIGHT"

-"kiss my JELLYFISH"

-what a freakin bop

-yEAH

Chop To the Top

-the banjo oh yes yes yes

-I'm in love with it already

-tHE FIDDLE

-sandy is so pure

-"keep it moving don't stop till you drop" that's new I love it

-sPONGY YOU CAN DO IT

-"way" the TWANG HAS PASSED ON TO SB NOW

-F THIS IS THE REAL BOP

-pURE TOO PURE

-LILI, GOD YOURE KILLING ME

-ehem, yes this was fantasic.

-Great job, Lady Antebellum

(I Guess I) Miss You

-oh boi, here we go feels

-just imaging John Legend writing this while playing piano while Chrissy Teegan watches on in the bg is hilarious to me

-pat, my boy I'm in tears

-the "I"s in this song are good no matter how you're listening to it

-sponge is so HURT

-"nobody can make me laugh like you" :((((((

-the har-mon-iES

-IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-e-I'm in pain

-"bring my sunshine back again" the sad twang :,((((((((((((((((((

-nobody talk to me for a month I need to recover

I'm Not a Loser

-the piano, oh yes

-he's really doing the nasally thing

-it works tho

-he sounds much more put together and sure of himself than live, yet not, if that makes sense???? Gavin Lee gave it a different performance and I give him props

-the CRYING

-"huha?"

-*monotone* "this is weird"

-*just going with it* "okay"

-"look at me now mama!"

-okay, this is just my opinion but I think squidy just sounds better live???

-"I'm not a loooossar"

-the "stay at home" girl is always great

-"hey. Shhhhst."

Best Day Ever

-oh, we're here already omg

-pure sponge boy, pure

-I still get all choked up when the "best day ever" tune starts

-he sounds so SWEET

-sandy chiming in

-Pat joining heck yeah, yeah

-"dum, dum, dum, dum"

-really like how they changed "just tying my shoe" in the tv show version to "just being with you"

-I LOVE WHEN THE CHORUS COMES IN EVERY NOW AND THEN

-the Elvis impersonation is always great

-that bg girl after Squidward comes in? Amazing.

-"this is it, everyone" IM GONNA DIE

-this is so soft and so dark

-the soft countdown that gets more and more scared omg

Bikini Bottom Day Reprise

-the ukelele gets me every time

-it's the perfect instrument for sb

-"busy day" I'LL SAY

-I love everything about this

-Mr krabs?? I forgot he had a line in this?? Did he ever??? I LIKE IT

-the cymbals, play it pearl yes yes

-Pearl, you're killing it

-"a simple sponge can be handy when you're cleaning up spills" omg

-"sometimes you need a hero with some management skills" squidy that was such an amazing thing to say

-"hey there, that's me" it sure is, my son. It sure is.

-I LOVE BIKINI BOTTOM DAY JUST SO YOU KNOW

-the ending, the ENDING OMG

-"meow" I LOST IT

-the crazy instruments all at once, god it's great

-everyone in this town is a child

The SpongeBob SquarePants Theme/Closing

-*HEADBANGS*

-oMGGGGGGGGGGG

-THIS IS THE THEME REDUAL I NEEDED AND DIDNT EVEN KNOW IT

-THE GUITAR AT THE END

-well, I'm in tears and throwing all my money at this show

-and you should too

-also congrats if you made it this far with me on this incredible journey of pain, references, and fluffy feelings

#the spongebob musical #broadway #spongebob broadway #ethan slater #the spongebob musical soundtrack #wannabe writes

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