"I Will Survive" | ||||||||
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File:I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor.jpg | ||||||||
Single by Gloria Gaynor | ||||||||
from the album Love Tracks | ||||||||
B-side | "Substitute", "Anybody Wanna Party" | |||||||
Released | October 27, 1978 | |||||||
Format | 7", 12" | |||||||
Genre | Disco | |||||||
Length | 8:01 (12"/LP version) 3:15 (7" version) |
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Label | Polydor | |||||||
Writer(s) | Freddie Perren, Dino Fekaris | |||||||
Producer | Dino Fekaris | |||||||
Certification | 2x Platinum (RIAA) | |||||||
Gloria Gaynor singles chronology | ||||||||
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"I Will Survive" is a song first performed by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. A top-selling song after its initial release, it has remained a popular disco anthem, as well as being certified double platinum by the RIAA.
The song's lyrics describe the narrator's discovery of personal strength following an initially devastating breakup, delivered with increasing confidence and backed by a stirring instrumental accompaniment. It is one of the most famous disco songs of all time and remains Gaynor's biggest hit. It received heavy airplay in 1979, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the UK Singles Chart on consecutive weeks. The song is also frequently recalled as symbol of female strength and as a gay anthem.[1][2]
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Originally released as the B-side to a cover version of the Righteous Brothers song "Substitute", "I Will Survive" became a worldwide hit for Gaynor when disc jockeys played that side of the record instead. New copies of the record were eventually pressed with "I Will Survive" as the A-side ("Substitute" itself peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, equaling to number 107 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart).
As a disco number, the song was unique for its time by virtue of Gaynor's having no background singers. And, unlike her first disco hits, the track was not pitched up to make it faster and to render Gaynor's recorded voice in a higher register than that in which she actually sang. Most disco hits at the time were heavily produced, with multiple voices, overdubs, and adjustments to pitch and speed. "I Will Survive" had a much more spare and "clean" sound. Had it been originally planned and released as an A-side, it would almost certainly have undergone a substantially more heavy-handed remix.[citation needed]
The song received the Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980, the only year the award was given. It is ranked #492 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and ranked at #97 on Billboard magazine's "All-Time Hot 100". [1][dead link] In 2000, the song was ranked #1 in VH1's list of the 100 greatest dance songs.[3] Comedian George Carlin, however, listed it without comment as item 9 on his list of "10 Most Embarrassing Songs of All Time".[4]
A promotional video was filmed in 1979 at New York discothèque Xenon. Sheila Reid-Pender of Harlem, NY is the featured skater in the video from the skating group, The Village Wizards. Although three videos were filmed that day, the "I Will Survive" video was the only one to survive. The video can be seen on VH-1 countdowns and is featured on YouTube.
Following the success of fellow 1970s disco stars Sister Sledge with remixed singles in the UK in 1993, "I Will Survive" was also remixed and released that summer. This remix reached number five on the UK Singles Chart.
Robbie Williams sampled the song in his 2000 single, "Supreme".
Featured in the film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), and stage musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical.
The song was performed in its entirety by Khadijiah (Queen Latifah) in an episode of Living Single.
The song was also covered as part of Glee Season 3 - mixed with Survivor by Destiny's Child.
Recorded by Gloria Gaynor
Chart positions [link]
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Sales and certifications [link]
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The song has been covered by musicians such as Diana Ross, Shirley Bassey, Miss Piggy, Billie Jo Spears, Selena, Chantay Savage, Antony and the Johnsons, The Puppini Sisters, Hermes House Band, voice actor Cam Clarke, the band Cake and in a recent duet by Jill and Lindsay from KickTease. Conan O'Brien has sung this song at some of his live shows, with some lyrics revised to take shots at NBC.[9] Cuban artist, Celia Cruz recorded a Spanish salsa version of the song, called "Yo Viviré". Brazilian singer Beto Barbosa recorded a Portuguese lambada version of the song, called "Eu Viverei" and satirical band Velhas Virgens did a parody version, "Vai Wilson, Vai". The 2002 film Men In Black II and its soundtrack has Frank the Pug (voiced by Tim Blaney) covering the song. Pussycat Dolls cover parts of the song in their disco-pop version of Hush Hush. In 2011, the Glee Cast used the song in a mashup with Destiny's Child's song Survivor for their season three episode Hold on to Sixteen.
"I Will Survive" | ||||
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File:I will survive CAKE.jpg | ||||
Single by Cake | ||||
from the album Fashion Nugget | ||||
B-side | "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle" | |||
Format | CD single | |||
Recorded | 1996 | |||
Genre | Alternative rock | |||
Length | 4:14 | |||
Label | Capricorn | |||
Writer(s) | Freddie Perren, Dino Fekaris | |||
Producer | Cake | |||
Cake singles chronology | ||||
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Cake covered the song rock-style in 1996, on their album Fashion Nugget. In addition to many subtle changes, lead singer John McCrea altered the lines "I should have changed that stupid lock" and "I'm not that chained up little person" to "I should have changed my fucking lock" and "I'm not that stupid little person". The word "fucking" is faded out in the Radio Edit version of the song. Some of the subtle changs significantly affected the meaning of the lyrics such as "And you see me, somebody new" to "And you see me with somebody new".
This version is Gaynor's least favorite, due to its use of profanity.[10]
The music video for Cake's version features John McCrea as a parking control officer who is writing tickets in San Francisco, often at the expense of normally happy people (such as a newly wed couple). This is combined with footage of Todd Roper playing in the streets, Victor Damiani playing on top of a car, and Greg Brown playing in a crowded courtyard.
Chart (1996) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 28 |
"I Will Survive" | ||||||||
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File:I Will Survive Chantay Survive.jpg | ||||||||
Single by Chantay Savage | ||||||||
from the album I Will Survive (Doin' It My Way) | ||||||||
Released | January 23, 1996 | |||||||
Format | CD single, 12" | |||||||
Genre | R&B | |||||||
Label | RCA | |||||||
Writer(s) | Freddie Perren, Dino Fekaris | |||||||
Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||||||
Chantay Savage singles chronology | ||||||||
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R&B singer Chantay Savage covered the song in 1996 as a ballad. Her version peaked at #24 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and was certified Gold by the RIAA.[11]
Side A
Side B
Chart (1996) | Peak position |
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UK Singles Chart | 12 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 24 |
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 35 |
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 10 |
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 5 |
Preceded by Fly Away (all cuts) by Voyage |
Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single with "Substitute", "Anybody Wanna Party?" and "I Said Yes" January 27, 1979 – February 10, 1979 |
Succeeded by "Keep on Dancin'" / "Do It at the Disco" / "Let's Lovedance Tonight" by Gary's Gang |
Preceded by "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" by Rod Stewart |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single First run: March 10, 1979 – March 17, 1979 Second run: April 14, 1979 |
Succeeded by "Tragedy" by Bee Gees |
Preceded by "Tragedy" by Bee Gees |
UK number-one single 17 March 1979 – 7 April 1979 |
Succeeded by "Bright Eyes" by Art Garfunkel |
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Gloria Gaynor (born September 7, 1949) is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (Hot 100 number 1, 1979), "Never Can Say Goodbye" (Hot 100 number 9, 1974), "Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (Hot 100 number 42, 1980) and "I Am What I Am" (R&B number 82, 1983).
Gloria Fowles was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Queenie May Proctor and Daniel Fowles. Her grandmother lived nearby and was involved in her upbringing. "There was always music in our house", Gaynor wrote in her autobiography, I Will Survive. She enjoyed listening to the radio, and to records by Nat King Cole and Sarah Vaughan. Her father played the ukulele and guitar and sang professionally in nightclubs with a group called Step 'n' Fetchit. Her brothers sang gospel and formed a quartet with a friend. Gaynor was not allowed to sing with the all-male group, nor was her younger brother, Arthur, because he was too young. Arthur later acted as a tour manager for Gaynor. The family was relatively poor, but Gaynor recalls the house being filled with laughter and happiness, and the dinner table being open to neighborhood friends. They moved to a housing project in 1960 and Gloria grew up as a tomboy. "All through my young life I wanted to sing, although nobody in my family knew it", Gaynor wrote in her autobiography.
Sobreviviré (English: I Will Survive) is a 1999 comedy-drama romance film directed by Alfonso Albacete and David Menkes, starring Emma Suárez and Juan Diego Botto, playing a straight girl and a gay guy who fall in love. The film and especially the soundtrack was very successful in Spain. Paz Vega has a small role as an airline hostess. Writer and co-script writer Lucía Etxebarría has a cameo as herself in a Chueca café.
Atlanta is the capital of and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia, with an estimated 2013 population of 447,841. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, home to 5,522,942 people and the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States. Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County, and a small portion of the city extends eastward into DeKalb County.
Atlanta was established in 1837 at the intersection of two railroad lines, and the city rose from the ashes of the American Civil War to become a national center of commerce. In the decades following the Civil Rights Movement, during which the city earned a reputation as "too busy to hate" for the progressive views of its citizens and leaders, Atlanta attained international prominence. Atlanta is the primary transportation hub of the Southeastern United States, via highway, railroad, and air, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being the world's busiest airport since 1998.
Atlanta is a major city in the United States, the capital of the state of Georgia.
Atlanta may also refer to:
Atlanta was an American country music group formed in 1982 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. It was composed of Brad Griffis (vocals), Bill Davidson (vocals, guitar), Tony Ingram (vocals, fiddle), Alan David (lead guitar), Allen Collay (keyboards), Bill Packard (keyboards), Jeff Baker (harmonica), Dick Stevens (bass guitar) and John Holder (drums). Between 1983 and 1988, Atlanta recorded two albums for MCA Records and charted nine hit singles on the Billboard country charts. Its chart history included two Top Ten country hits in "Atlanta Burned Again Last Night" and "Sweet Country Music." The latter was also the band's highest charting single, peaking at number 5.
Atlanta was formed in 1982 by Brad Griffis (Bass guitar), Bill Davidson (vocals, rhythm guitar), Tony Ingram (vocals, fiddle), Alan David (lead guitar), Allen Collay (keyboards), Bill Packard (keyboards), Jeff Baker (harmonica), Dick Stevens (vocals)) and John Holder (drums). Prior to the foundation, Ingram had recorded on Epic Records in the band Spurzz, and Stevens, Davidson, Griffis and David had previously toured as a re-establishment of The Vogues. The group was founded through the assistance of record producer Larry McBride, who had also launched the career of Alabama. With nine members, Atlanta was the largest country music band at the time.
(This is dedicated to my girls)
At first I was afraid, I was petrified
Kept thinkin' I could never live without you by my side
Then I spent so many nights Just thinking how you did me wrong
And I grew strong
And I learned how to get along
And so you're back from outer space
I just walked in to find you here, with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I had known for just one second you'd be back to bother me
Go on now go, walk out the door
Just turn around now
'Coz you're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one who tried to break me with goodbyes?
you think I'd crumble?
you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh no not I, I will survive
For as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive
I've got all my life to live
And I've got all my love to give
I'll survive
I will survive
Hey hey
(I, I will survive)
Hey hey
(I, I will survive)
Every day
(I, I will survive)
Oh yeah
It took all the strength I had not to fall apart
Just trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart
And I spent oh so many nights just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry, but now I hold my head up high
And you see me, somebody new
I'm not that chained up little person still in love with you
And so you felt like dropping in and just expect me to be free
But now I'm savin' all my lovin' for someone who's lovin' me
Go on now, go walk out the door
Just turn around now
You're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one who tried to break me with goodbyes?
you think I'd crumble?
Did you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh no not I, I will survive
Oh as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive
I've got all my life to live
And I've got all my love to give
I'll survive
I will survive
Hey hey
Go now, go walk out the door
Just turn around now
'Coz you're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?
Did you think I'd crumble?
Did you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh no not I, I will survive
Oh as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive
I've got all my life to live
And I've got all my love to give
I'll survive
I will survive