Vanessa Williams

   Best known for Save The Best For Last and her current role on TV’s Ugly Betty. There was a time when Vanessa was a pop diva. Shortly after handing back the Miss World crown thanks to a few nude pics appearing in Penthouse, Vanessa began work on her debut album, The Right Stuff. The funky R&B tracks worked perfectly alongside some tender ballads. Vanessa always had a great voice and really could sing anything. The lead single was the title track, followed by a remix of He’s Got The Look and the lovely ballads Dreamin’ (a US Top 10 hit) and Darlin' I. The album did well Stateside, but didn’t generate the same interest across the pond. The Right Stuff was remixed by Norman Cook for a second UK release, but flopped. The album went Gold and Grammy nods secured her place as one of the top pop divas of the day.

 Her biggest hit came with her next album, The Comfort Zone. The lead single, the dance influenced Running Back To You, was a modest hit in the US. It was remixed to perfection for its UK release by DNA. But the big hit came with ballad Save The Best For Last, a massive hit across the globe. The album sold millions of copies off the back of it and it is still her biggest seller. Another ballad Just For Tonight (Remix) was released, but really it’s far too classy to warrant a mention on here. Instead I thoroughly recommend the remixes of The Comfort Zone by Frankie Knuckles, they are fantastic! Only beaten by the aforementioned DNA mixes of Running Back To You. A final remix single, the sassy Work To Do was released in 1992.

One of Vanessa's finest roles!

Movie roles took up much of Vanessa’s time and her music took a back seat. The Sweetest Days was released in 1995; the lead UK single was an amazing dance remix of The Way That You Love by 20 Fingers. Truly well worth tracking down. The album stuck to the Adult Contemporary sound that made her so popular a few years earlier. In 1997 she won an Oscar for her theme tune to Disney’s Pocahontas, The Colors Of The Wind. Her next album, aptly titled Next was released in 1997 and wasn’t very popular. In fact it didn’t even warrant a single release in the UK, the single Happiness was cancelled. Mixes were by Darkchild and David Morales. The album track First Thing On My Mind was remixed by Jonathan Peters, but it didn’t take off, even in the clubs. Unsurprisingly she left Mercury Records soon after.

The worst was yet to come with some truly hideous offerings, a Christmas album and a collection of 70’s soul songs re-recorded to make them even blander than you could possibly imagine. Even the remixes of her Marvin Gaye/Diana Ross cover You Are Everything wouldn’t set any dancefloor I’ve ever been on alight. A jazz album is on the way, god help us! Please get back to your roots Vanessa, nobody is buying this granny pop. Cash in on your camp appeal and do a proper pop album.

- Jamie

Happiness (1998)