You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)

"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" is a 1978 single by American disco/R&B singer Sylvester. The song was written by James Wirrick and Sylvester. It appears on Sylvester's 1978 album, Step II. Music critic Robert Christgau has said the song is "one of those surges of sustained, stylized energy that is disco's great gift to pop music".[1]

"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
Single by Sylvester
from the album Step II
B-side"Grateful"
Released1978
January 1979 (U.S.)
Recorded1977
Genre
Length3:35 (single), 6:39 (album)
LabelFantasy
Songwriter(s)
  • James Wirrick
  • Sylvester
Producer(s)
Sylvester singles chronology
"Dance (Disco Heat)"
(1978)		 "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
(1978)		 "I (Who Have Nothing)"
(1979)
Music video
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" on YouTube

In 2003, Q Magazine ranked "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" at number 677 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".[2] In 2019, the song was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3]

Origins

The song was originally recorded as a mid-tempo piano driven gospel song, however after producer Patrick Cowley saw a rehearsal of the song at San Francisco's city disco, he offered to remix the song.[4] The result was one of the pioneering disco records using some electronic instrumentation and effects, following closely on "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer which heavily used electronic instrumentation ahead of its time. These 1970s songs using electronic instrumentation would have an influence on 1980s and 1990s dance music, which in turn, would have an influence on dance music in the next century.

Impact and legacy

In 2003, Q Magazine ranked "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" at number 677 in their list of the 1001 Best Songs Ever.[5]

In 2018, Pitchfork Media featured the song in their list of 50 Songs That Define the Last 50 Years of LGBTQ+ Pride.[6]

In 2019, the song was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3]

In 2020, Daily Mirror listed "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" at number 13 in their ranking of Top 50 happiest songs ever.[7]

Charts

The song was Sylvester's first Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at #8 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1978.[8] In Sylvester's home country, the single was his second Top 40 hit, peaking at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1979.[9] The song also reached #20 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart. A 12" single was released in 1978, with "Dance (Disco Heat)" as the A-side and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" as the B-side, and these two extended dance mixes proved to be very popular in dance clubs at the time. The two songs held down the top spot on the Billboard Dance/Disco chart for six weeks in August and September 1978.[10] These two songs helped to establish Sylvester's career as a noted disco and dance music performer, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Weekly charts

Jimmy Somerville version
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
Single by Jimmy Somerville
from the album Read My Lips
B-side"Remix"
Released1989
Genre
Length3:57
Songwriter(s)
  • James Wirrick
  • Sylvester
Producer(s)Stephen Hague
Jimmy Somerville singles chronology
"Comment te dire adieu"
(1989)		 "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
(1989)		 "Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough)"
(1990)
Music video
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" on YouTube

British singer Jimmy Somerville, formerly of the bands Bronski Beat and Communards, released a cover of "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" in 1989. His version of the song also received substantial club play, and it peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1990.[8] To date, this is the highest-charting version of the song in the UK. Somerville's cover of this song appears on his first solo album, Read My Lips.

Background

Somerville told in an 1990 interview with Billboard, that the track "was originally released during a period of time when the gay community was successful in creating positive visibility." He noted further, "And then AIDS created a political backlash. I wanted to bring this song forward as a means of picking up these pieces of history and contributing to bringing out a positive image of gay men." Having already covered two other 70's classics; "Don't Leave Me This Way" and "Never Can Say Goodbye", Somerville said he was trying to "reclaim what originally belonged to the gay community." He added, "During the '70s, we had all of these gay men expressing their emotions by writing music, and then using women vocalists as a front. We can now front these songs ourselves. It's an important thing to do. The problem is that so few people are willing to jeopardize record sales in order to be the honest and true people they really are."[28]

Critical reception

Bill Coleman from Billboard described the song as a "unashamedly hi-NRG/pop cover". He noted that it marked Somerville's debut as a solo-singer.[29] Music & Media wrote that the song is "an obvious choice for Somerville" and added further that he performs it with "such raw enthusiasm that his version is easily as good as the original. The basic difference is that the backing is tighter and cleaner-a punchy brass riff has been added and there is a video (that mixes fun and gay politics to good effect)."[30] In his review of the song, David Giles from Music Week stated that the singer "makes a very fine job at it."[31]

Weekly charts
Chart (1990) Peak
position
Irish Singles Chart)[32] 2
Israel (Israel Top-30)[33] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 5

Byron Stingily version
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
Single by Byron Stingily
from the album The Purist
B-side"Remix"
Released1998
GenreHouse
Length3:40
LabelClub Tools
Songwriter(s)
  • James Wirrick
  • Sylvester
Byron Stingily singles chronology
"Sing a Song"
(1997)		 "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
(1998)		 "Testify"
(1998)
Music video
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" on YouTube

Chicago-born house music singer Byron Stingily, formerly of the band Ten City recorded a cover of "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" in 1997. Like Sylvester's original recording, Stingily's cover version of "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" (produced by UK music producer Damien Mendis) also went to number-one on the American dance chart, where it spent one week atop the chart in March 1998.[34] Although there have been instances where the same song, recorded by two different artists, has reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart ("Don't Leave Me This Way" is one example), it is still a fairly rare occurrence. This version also reached number 13 in the UK.[8]

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that Stingily "bravely takes on Sylvester's disco classic and infuses a startling combination of pulpit-pounding preaching and hip-grinding sexuality." He noted that "his falsetto has never sounded so limber and soulful, and the track percolates with equal parts retro reverence and modern flair. Stingily has recently burst into pop prominence in the U.K. and Europe with this winning effort. What a treat it would be to see him enjoy comparable success in his home territory."[35] Music & Media commented that "This latest attempt to reinterpret the song stays close to the original (sampled here), but doesn't sound at all dated."[36] Vibe noted that "it's deliciously ironic that the defining moment in Byron Stingily's solo debut, The Purist, occurs during the climax of Sylvester's evergreen "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"." The magazine added that Stingily "whips through a vamp that eerily duplicates the late disco belter's primal intensity."[37]

Weekly charts
Chart (1998) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[38] 47
France (SNEP)[39] 97
Italy (Hit Parade Italia)[40] 29
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[41] 17
UK Singles (OCC)[42] 13
UK Dance (Official Charts Company)[43] 1
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs 1

Other notable versions

In 1991, actress-comedian Sandra Bernhard recorded her own version of the single, which is a tribute to James, on her album Excuses for Bad Behavior (Part One). A series of 12" remix singles was released in 1994 by Epic Records' 550 Music imprint, who also signed Bernhard and picked up her album for a major push that same year. It peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, and #86 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1994.[8][44]

Appearances in other media
  • Featured in some episodes of the Italian TV series: "Romanzo Criminale" of 2008
  • Featured in RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8, episode 8, where Bob the Drag Queen and Derrick Barry performed the song in the episode's climax.[45]
  • Also featured in 2017 Candy Crush commercial.[46]
  • The style of New Order's 1983 release "Blue Monday" was influenced by "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)".[47]
  • Danny DeVito dances his striptease for Phoebe's bachelorette party to this song on Friends "The One Where the Stripper Cries" (season 10, episode 11)[48]
  • "Fly Away (Bye Bye)", a 2000 hit by Eyes Cream heavily sampled "You make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" throughout the song. The song hit #1 on the US Dance Club Songs in early 2000.

Miscellaneous

According to the 2008 Drew Daniel book,[49] in the 1977 video for this song, there is a short appearance by Cosey Fanni Tutti from Throbbing Gristle. She briefly appears as one of the female dancers wearing (very short) silver hot pants.

References
  1. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  2. "Q - 1001 best songs ever (2003)".
  3. Andrews, Travis M. (March 20, 2019). "Jay-Z, a speech by Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and 'Schoolhouse Rock!' among recordings deemed classics by Library of Congress". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  4. Turn the Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco, Peter Shapiro, p76, Macmillan, 2006
  5. "Q - 1001 best songs ever (2003)".
  6. "50 Songs That Define the Last 50 Years of LGBTQ+ Pride". Pitchfork Media. June 18, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  7. "Top 50 happiest songs ever". Daily Mirror. May 26, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  8. "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  9. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 619.
  10. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco 1974-2003, (Record Research Inc.), page 252.
  11. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 303. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. "Austriancharts.at – Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved December 9. 2019.
  13. "Ultratop.be – Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved December 9. 2019.
  14. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1978-09-16. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  15. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1978-03-10. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  16. "Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (song)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  17. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know > Search results for 'Sylvester' (from irishcharts.ie)". Fireball Media, via Imgur.com. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  18. "Hit Parade Italia > Indice per Interprete: S" (in Italian). Intercom. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  19. "Dutchcharts.nl – Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  20. "Swisscharts.com – Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  21. "Swedishcharts.com – Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)". Singles Top 100. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  22. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  23. "Billboard > Sylvester Chart History > Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  24. "Billboard > Sylvester Chart History > Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  25. "Billboard > Sylvester Chart History > Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  26. "Kent Music Report No 288 – 31 December 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1979". Kent Music Report, via Imgur.com. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  27. Scaping, Peter, ed. (1979). "Top 200 Singles in 1978". BPI Year Book 1979 (4th ed.). London, England: The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. pp. 186–89. ISBN 0-906154-02-2.
  28. Flick, Larry (May 26, 1990). "Somerville Peppers His Music With Politics" (PDF). Billboard. p. 33. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  29. "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. March 31, 1990. p. 78. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  30. "Previews: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 27 January 1990. p. 26. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  31. Giles, David (January 13, 1990). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  32. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know - Jimmy Somerville". IRMA. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  33. Israel Top-30: 1 week at No. 1 (18.03.90)
  34. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco 1974-2003, (Record Research Inc.), page 247.
  35. "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. January 31, 1998. p. 26. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  36. "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 20. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  37. "Byron Stingily - The Purist". Vibe. December 1, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  38. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  39. "Lescharts.com – Byron Stingily – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  40. "Indice per Interprete: S". Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  41. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  42. "Byron Stingily: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  43. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". officialcharts.com.
  44. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco 1974-2003, (Record Research Inc.), page 33.
  45. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPaul%27s_Drag_Race_(season_8)
  46. https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wEKU/candy-crush-saga-its-party-time-get-that-sweet-feeling
  47. "New Order:Singles:Blue Monday". Niagara.edu. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  48. "Friends (TV Series) : The One Where the Stripper Cries (2004) : Soundtracks". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  49. "33 1/3: Twenty Jazz Funk Greats", Drew Daniel, Bloomsbury Academic Publishers, ISBN 978-0-8264-2793-9, (pp101)
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