And This Is Why I Still Buy CDs, Volume 2

Glory to Gloria Estefan, my final VH1 Divas Live infinity stone

As last week’s inaugural volume of this series showed, everything isn’t cut-and-dry when it comes to music’s accessibility on digital/streaming platforms. This week’s volume continues that thread.

One of the reasons I still buy CDs is that it gives me a portable, easily accessible canvas for autographs if destiny sees fit. On Monday, fate put me in another one of those situations. After years of hoping, I finally got to see a performance by the Queen of Latin Pop herself, Gloria Estefan. I also got to meet her briefly afterwards, and she was generous enough to take a few photos and sign a CD for me, one whose contents you won’t find on streaming services.

This wasn’t just wonderful happenstance, it was a really big fucking deal for me. I’ve called 1998’s VH1 Divas Live my musical fertile crescent. Though I watched that show (whose live album has never been made available on digital/streaming outlets), because of my budding admiration for Aretha Franklin in 1998, it was my introduction to Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, and Gloria Estefan. It’s how I became a fan of each of them. I have a 24”x24” poster of the album cover hanging in my kitchen. I’d seen all of them perform live, including Aretha Franklin, with the exception of Gloria Estefan.

Gloria hasn’t toured since 2009, and her last two formal NYC performances were in 2004 and 2015. These days her performances are usually one-off, and it’s very catch-her-if-you-can. Finally being lucky enough to catch her performing was a tremendous moment for me. It was also a surprise. I’d gotten a ticket to attend a taping of ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ featuring Gloria, and figured there was a slim chance she’d sing a note or two during her interview. It’s an exciting time to be a Gloria fan. Next month, she’s releasing a new album called Raíces. It’s her first solo album in 5 years, and first album of original material in almost 14 years.

Imagine my surprise when I walked into the studio and learned that it was a ‘Songs and Stories’ episode, a special series that dedicates entire episodes to an artist and their music. Kelly sits with the artist, talks to them about their music, and they sing pieces of that artist’s songs together. What I thought would be a 10-20 minute interview in the middle of an episode was actually nearly two hours of Gloria Estefan and Kelly Clarkson singing 5 Gloria songs and discussing them, premiering her next single and video, “La Vecina (No Se Na’),” and even dedicating a segment to VH1 Divas Live that culminated in the duo singing “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” I’m fairly certain I’d already ascended to another plane of existence when Gloria sang that first note and I could finally say that I’ve seen all 5 original Divas perform live, but a Divas segment AND “Natural Woman”?! I almost lost it. Imagine Thanos getting that final infinity stone and only wanting to use it for good. That’s been me since Monday.

I still cannot believe that after such a tremendous moment I also got to meet her, get a photo, and a signature on my CD (by the way, she asked everyone’s name and personalized everything she signed, which was extremely thoughtful and kind). The CD I brought with me was a maxi-single of “Everlasting Love,” one of the hits from her 1994 covers album, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me. The single was released in January 1995, alongside a music video full of West Hollywood’s finest drag queens (and two women), each doing their best Gloria. Gloria was in the final weeks of her pregnancy with her second child, Emily, and was unable to take part in a video shoot. What resulted is a camp classic.

The centerpiece of the “Everlasting Love” maxi single is the “Classic Paradise Mix” and its shortened companion, the “Classic Paradise Radio Mix.” They’re among my favorite remixes from the 1990’s. Forged by Manchester-based fraternal trio Love to Infinity, who were a focal point of 90’s remixes, the “Classic Paradise” mixes extract Gloria’s fantastic vocal from its source; a brassy, disco-y, future-y electro-pop production, and drop her square in the middle of 90’s house territory.

Punchy piano infects the hook alongside a subtle string accompaniment and driving beat. Combined with a slight hint of new jack in the beat, these elements all help to transform this cover of a 1960’s Motown-esque classic into one of the best house remixes of the 1990’s. Pardon the pun, but it’s a glorious reinvention. And it’s a damn shame that there are generations who aren’t aware of it because it isn’t available to stream. The remixes were so significant 30 years ago that there’s even a cut of the song’s music video set to the full-length ‘Paradise Mix.’

I stumbled on this “Everlasting Love” single back in the fall of 2021, 5 blocks away from where Gloria signed it for me, at the bane of last week’s installment, Bookoff. It was a special find, because I didn’t know the remixes even existed. A lot of Gloria’s songs have received the remix treatment, but most of them haven’t made it into the digital/streaming sphere.

In fact, only one of Gloria’s albums has substantial remix representation on streaming/digital, 1998’s dance-fueled gloria! Those remixes, which were originally released across multiple CD and vinyl pressings of each single (as was oh so common back then), were specially compiled together for release on streaming/digital outlets.

Beyond that, you’ll find no remixes prior to 1998 (save for one that appears on a dance compilation). After 1998 is largely piecemeal, save for the remixes to her Academy Award-nominated duet with *N’SYNC, “Music Of My Heart,” 2002’s “Out Of Nowhere,” and the remixes from 2011’s fantastically underrated Miss Little Havana.

Produced largely by Pharrell Williams, Miss Little Havana was also unavailable on streaming until 2020. When it was released in 2011, the only place to purchase a physical copy was Target, and that CD contained two exclusive bonus tracks. Impressively, that deluxe edition was also added to streaming (not a common pipeline), which culminates in the latter bonus track, her own rendition of a song she wrote but gave to Jennifer Lopez: “Let’s Get Loud.”

Make no mistake, what’s available on streaming is crucial, and warrants a listen (or ten, or more). And if the gloria! remixes coming to streaming in 2022 is any indication, there’s a chance that more will eventually follow. My favorite track from that batch is something I discovered over a decade ago, and have been wearing it out ever since. It’s a b-side to one of those songs, “Don’t Let This Moment End.” But it’s not your typical b-side, it’s a medley of disco hits from the 1970’s called “The 70’s ‘Moment’ Medley.” There are a number of edits, but at its full length, the medley spans sixteen minutes. Sixteen. And it was just for funsies. Its various moments of nostalgia culminate in two verses and choruses of “Don’t Let This Moment End,” connecting it to the single it appeared on.

I’ve been listening to “The 70’s ‘Moment’ Medley” relentlessly since I learned about it in 2013 and eventually got my hands on a copy of the “Don’t Let This Moment End” single in 2014, but I love that now it’s easily accessible for all, albeit with a caveat. The version on the CD single I have is 16:12, but the version on streaming is 14:50. Some research uncovered different pressings of the single containing versions clocking in at 14:47 and 15:30 (n addition to some shortened versions that are around 6 minutes, one of which also appears on streaming). So even though it’s there, you’re missing a minute and a half of disco. And that’s a lot of disco to miss out on, honestly.

A lot of Gloria’s singles and remixes haven’t made it to streaming platforms yet, partially or in full form. However, some of them do appear in slivers on a series of Gloria megamixes. Here’s a playlist of the megamixes that are currently available to stream, and great for a workout:

Here are some of my favorite Gloria remixes currently available to stream:

And here are notes on a few favorites that I’ve gotten my hands on over the years:

Her 1994 cover of Vicki Sue Robinson’s “Turn The Beat Around,” got a series of flaming remixes, including a slate by David Morales that Gloria blessed with a new set of vocals.

Morales and Love To Infinity both also contributed remixes for 1996 Olympic Games anthem “Reach.” The Morales mixes were once again elevated with new vocals from Gloria.

Among the other Gloria singles I’ve acquired in my travels include a 12” remixes single from 1993, a Japan import of Let It Loose which includes two remixes as Japan-exclusive bonus tracks, remix singles for “I’m Not Giving You Up,” “Higher,” “Tradición,” and “You’ll Be Mine (Party Time).” None of them are streaming. As I dug around a bit while writing this, I learned that what’s on my shelves only scratches the surface; there are many, many more. I love the chase, and I can’t wait to both seek them out and stumble on them unexpectedly as I continue thumbing through CDs around the world.

And this is why I still buy CDs, volume II.

Oh! And one last thing, Gloria’s new album (her first of all-original material in 14 years!), comes out