Tori Alamaze - "Don't Ya"

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go download it. it's good. sorta trippy r'n'b, sorta freestyle

the organ reminds me of This Heat's "24 Track Loop"

anyone know anything about her?

― JaXoN (JasonD), Thursday, 23 December 2004 22:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Cool song

From some press release:
"This former make-up artist, Tori Alamaze, has moved from the background to the driver’s seat as an emerging vocalist. Tori’s rise to fame began with a first place finish at the 2003 BMI Atlanta Urban Showcase and since has been featured on BMI’s “Black Music Month” CD, Hidden Beach/Sony “Hidden Hits Vol. 1”, and most recently sang background vocals on the Multi-Platinum, 3-time Grammy Award Winning, Album of the Year Speakerboxx/The Love Below –OutKast (LaFace). Tori Alamaze’s highly anticipated project is in the works and features tracks produced by Cee-Lo and Traxx of Mood Swing Soundscaping Production. Tori Alamaze’s is truly an important link in a vastly growing, dominant Neo-Soul genre. "

― xian (xian), Friday, 24 December 2004 01:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I've been talking about this one for a while. It's been a floor filler here in L.A. for a couple months. I've only heard of vinyl but I'm assuming this will get a proper release and storm the charts.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 24 December 2004 01:58 (twenty-one years ago)

heard this on the radio the other day (98.9 in San Diego/Tijuana) and am now obsessed with it. That synth pad/chord is mesmerizing, and the low tom drums...ooh.

― tylero (tylero), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 04:04 (twenty-one years ago)

holy crap, i just heard this on portland, oregon's godawful commercial R&B station and it is fucking BINOCULARS. the first great song of 2005! (ok, i know it's an 04 track, i don't care.)

i love, love, love that organ - jesus, it sounds like lawrence or sten or someone - and i love the way those low toms don't quite resolve down as much as you want them to (unless it sounds differently on a car with proper sub-bass, of course).

plus the fucker is SLOW, even though it probably cooks along at about 120 or so, it's got that half-time feel. it's so strange and mournful, for such sassy lyrics. this is genius. now i just want to hear some electrohouse remixes...

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Saturday, 1 January 2005 21:46 (twenty-one years ago)

enthusiasm isn't dead! *fires up slsk*

― Rizz (Rizz), Saturday, 1 January 2005 21:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, it's definitely called "Don't Cha" on the vinyl.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 1 January 2005 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

DAMN, how good is this track? Dark as a funeral pyre, yet sexy as hell.

I guess we are going to have to wait on the album, but I hope this track doesn't turn out to be an anomaly.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Sunday, 9 January 2005 05:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I've just listened to this 4 times in a row.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Sunday, 9 January 2005 06:11 (twenty-one years ago)

― etc, Sunday, 9 January 2005 10:12 (twenty-one years ago)

it's like toNi braxton if she weren't absolute garbage.

seriously, though, this track is gritty and great in all of the right dancefloor sorts of ways. the vocals are a superb counterpoint to the beat, too.

DONCHU WISH YR GIRLFRIEND WERE HOT LIKE ME
DONCHU WISH YR GIRLFRIEND WERE A FREAK LIKE ME!

― rob mackey (mackey), Sunday, 9 January 2005 10:14 (twenty-one years ago)

exactly, the vocals and the beat are from totally different universes - the lyrics are all sassy, but their delivery and the beat itself are wrist-slashingly dour. it's goth&B, i tell ya.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Sunday, 9 January 2005 22:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Who cares if there's an album?!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 9 January 2005 23:53 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

color me obsessed. here's a link for anyone who has yet to hear it:

http://ystrickler.blogspot.com/2005/03/who-is-tori-alamaze.html

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 16:55 (twenty-one years ago)

dude, thanks yancey.... i'd forgotten about this tune for a half minute, glad for the reminder. amoeba records tells me the single comes out this month.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 17:01 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, i'm tracking down universal peeps to find out about the album

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw the vinyl single in the shops this week!

I've heard one other song "Gone Fishin" which wasn't as good. But yeah, "Don't Cha" is brilliant.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a page-length profile on her in a recent Vibe. Can't rememember if it's the one with 50 Cent or the Game on the cover.

― DJ Face Down in the River (ADK), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

In the meantime, the Brooke Valentine album is almost completely eyeballs-popping-out good.

― DJ Face Down in the River (ADK), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

you like the valentine that much, andy?? i like four or five songs quite a bit, but by and large it was a bit too schizophrenic for me.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

The mood shifts are drastic in spots, yes.

I could do without two or three songs.

(The first four seconds of "Laugh Til I Cry" are a total rip of Bark Psychosis' "I Know" [COUGH]!)

― DJ Face Down in the River (ADK), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 17:46 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

Coming late to the party as usual but DAMN this is good...
I found a version featuring the Clipse and some 'Milkshake' drim rolls.

― Baaderonixxxorzh (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 07:48 (twenty years ago)

I love the Pussycat Dolls' version.

― davidsim (davidsim), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 10:46 (twenty years ago)

I'm surprised no-one's picked up the Prince influence on this. Explains the Goth n 'B thing...

― Baaderonixxxorzh (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 13:17 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

Ok, WTF? I'm hearing rumors that Tori Alamaze was dropped - can't confirm though.
Meanwhile, the Pussycat Dolls' version is apparently getting airplay. They're some kinda Vegas burlesque act? Cee-lo's production is almost identical here, except with a few minor details (bit of acoustic guitar, etc) - and then Busta Rhymes' totally perfunctory cameo spot, which as far as I'm concerned ruins the whole goddamn song. Don't get me wrong, I like him ok, but the Alamaze original hit me so hard because it created this whole self-contained world, and Busta just ruptures that, makes it any other rap&B song. Oddly, the Pussycat Dolls couldn't sound more like Alamaze's original vocals if they were samplers.

BTW, Pussycat Dolls look like the fucking Spice Girls.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:54 (twenty years ago)

and why do you need six women to sing that song? i don't mean to be rockist, but come'on... are any of them actually DOING anything?

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:02 (twenty years ago)

and then Busta Rhymes' totally perfunctory cameo spot, which as far as I'm concerned ruins the whole goddamn song. Don't get me wrong, I like him ok, but the Alamaze original hit me so hard because it created this whole self-contained world,

OTM

i'm quite depressed and annoyed by this.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:10 (twenty years ago)

Well, we will always have our secret superior version.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:12 (twenty years ago)

:'(

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:15 (twenty years ago)

thank god i bought a tori alamaze copy on vinyl. in fact i should snap up more while i can!

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:16 (twenty years ago)

this is one of those very rare occasions i actually feel like launching an internet petition or something. i kid, but not much.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:16 (twenty years ago)

"don't ya wish yer girlfriend was hott like me?"

http://www.pussycatdolls.com/images/temp_photo.jpg

no, no i don't!

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:17 (twenty years ago)

perhaps, on a more positive note, this will spell the final nail in the coffin of gothic typefaces? i mean, really. it's just gotten silly.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:20 (twenty years ago)

...on the other hand i have no idea what tori alamaze looks like.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:23 (twenty years ago)

and it adds to the mystique!

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:24 (twenty years ago)

http://www.bmi.com/showcases/200304/images/at_talamaze.jpg

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:31 (twenty years ago)

besides the mad max style and the ugly ass bleached/black hair, the three on the left in that photo are HAWT. pass on the three on the right. far right looks like baby spice, bottom looks like kylie and braidsy looks like she has a mop on her head

― [that bastard] jaxon (jaxon), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:32 (twenty years ago)

totally baby spice. maybe she's a baby spice impersonator on her off nights?

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:43 (twenty years ago)

thanks for removing the mystique, philip, now i dont like any version of this song.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

(she looks great)

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

hahahaha. i felt a bit mean ruining the mystery like that, but i am a journalist. my job is to harsh people's buzz.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:51 (twenty years ago)

i pictured a woman with a huge afro for some reason.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

the new version isn't terrible, but it contains none of the wierd vibe of the original. boo.

oh wait I just got to the chorus of the new version. it DOES suck! tra-la-la.

oh well, I'll be playing the original over microhouse still (this weekend:

http://talkevax.ucsd.edu/~taylor/bc_05_05_07_back.jpg

― tylero (tylero), Thursday, 5 May 2005 23:41 (twenty years ago)

believe it or not, it really does get worse.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Friday, 6 May 2005 04:39 (twenty years ago)

this is so depressing.

― david day (winslow), Friday, 6 May 2005 16:30 (twenty years ago)

philip, do you live under a rock? have you really never heard of the Pussycat Dolls and all the celebrities involved in it?

― [that bastard] jaxon (jaxon), Friday, 6 May 2005 17:09 (twenty years ago)

I guess it makes sense, the original "Don't Cha" was way too hip, too dark and cool to be played on radio. They had to streamline it.

But really, fuck the Pussycat Dolls.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Friday, 6 May 2005 20:36 (twenty years ago)

i guess so. i don't have cable, which might explain it. are they really that big? i actually avoid celeb culture (well, non-ubercoolische celebs, anyway) as much as possible.... jen? ben? give me sten!

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Friday, 6 May 2005 21:46 (twenty years ago)

I've never heard of them either - and I enjoy celeb culture!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 6 May 2005 21:47 (twenty years ago)

dudes! such guest performers as Christina Aguilera, Charlize Theron, Gwen Stefani, Dita Von Teese, Brittany Murphy and Christina Applegate

i dunno, i thought it was pretty well known. especially to spencer. they're big in hollywood

― [that bastard] jaxon (jaxon), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:05 (twenty years ago)

yeah, it's weird, but that's just me - i tend to fall out of touch with my ex-girlfriends after we've broken up. (da-dum-dum. thanks folks, i'll be here all week.)

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:28 (twenty years ago)

nice, phil! heh... can someone You Send It the original? i'm now totally intrigued...

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:29 (twenty years ago)

btw, Pussycat Dolls... is that the best name they could come up with? i've got ten better off the top of my head...

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:32 (twenty years ago)

This new version is OK. Not quite as good, but the essence is still there. It's missing one little essential bongo riff, but apart from that it's great.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:46 (twenty years ago)

Is it really necessary to have 6 of them?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:47 (twenty years ago)

ken you can grab it at www.moistworks.com

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:16 (twenty years ago)

awesome. thanks, yancey!

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:25 (twenty years ago)

wow, this *is* fucking great.

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:31 (twenty years ago)

...if for nothing more than that Farfisa fizzle fade thingy

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:32 (twenty years ago)

fa-shizzle ma farfizzle

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:36 (twenty years ago)

in SF the Alamaze version of this definitely made it to wild 94.9's clear channel-approved playlist for a few weeks.

of course MTV's a whole new playing field but Alamaze isn't languishing in total obscurity either...

― milton parker (Jon L), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:38 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Tori has contacted me over at Stylus. She says her album is finished and there are still plans to release it by the end of the summer. No word on what label it is going to be on. And yes, she's upset by the whole Pussycat Dolls fiasco.

She also sent me this:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeo5c64/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/tori.jpg

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 23:52 (twenty years ago)

Hell.
Yes.

That's kinda crazy!

― deej.., Wednesday, 29 June 2005 00:06 (twenty years ago)

woot! looking forward to this.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 00:42 (twenty years ago)

me too.

http://www.geocities.com/telephonepolesmusic

Thanks, Brian Hall.

― Michael Costello (MichaelCostello1), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 00:47 (twenty years ago)

The original was played on clearchannelish stations here, but now it's just this inferior pussycat dolls version. That's great that she's got an album coming, and I hope she's making some songwriter money!

― mike h. (mike h.), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 01:30 (twenty years ago)

OMG!

― Die Emanzipation von Baaderonixx (redukt) (Fabfunk), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 06:44 (twenty years ago)

i love that that cover forcefully (and rightfully) reclaims "don't cha" as HERS, DAMMIT

(boo pussycat dolls)

― joseph (joseph), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 06:59 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/24/arts/music/24sher.html

Don't Cha Blink

By PHILIP SHERBURNE

Published: July 24, 2005

Before the rise of the singer-songwriter, songs were properties to be test-marketed in search of the ideal hit-making synergy. (See "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Gladys Knight and the Pips and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye.) The producers who dominate hip-hop and modern R&B have brought that model back, and the short history of "Don't Cha" - first recorded by the Atlanta singer Tori Alamaze, now a hit for the Pussycat Dolls - is a good case study. It also demonstrates how, in the Internet era, original versions that might have been forgotten can now leave ghostly echoes.

JANUARY 2004: In a basement studio in Atlanta, Cee-Lo Green produces his composition "Don't Cha" with Ms. Alamaze, a former hair stylist and backup singer for OutKast. With a reprise of the hook from Sir Mix-a-Lot's 1988 song "Swass," it has the chorus, "Don't cha wish your girl was hot like me/ Don't cha wish your girl was a freak like me."

JULY 2004: Interscope Records signs the Pussycat Dolls, a sextet spun off from a burlesque group best known for its sometime member Carmen Electra.

AUGUST 2004: Felli Fell, a Los Angeles producer and D.J., hears Ms. Alamaze's demo while recording in Atlanta. He begins playing the song on Power106 in Los Angeles.

NOVEMBER 2004: Ms. Alamaze signs with Universal Records, like Interscope a part of the Universal Music Group.

JANUARY: Unhappy with Universal, Ms. Alamaze says, she agrees to release her rights to the song to get out of her contract. "I feel like I got caught up in the middle of egos and favors," she says. She completes an album with Cee-Lo and shops it to other labels. The San Francisco producers Justin Martin and Sammy D. make a house-music remix of "Don't Cha" for their D.J. sets, but don't press it on vinyl, believing the song is too obscure. "Then we went to Miami, and lo and behold, the song was playing on every radio in the city," Sammy D. says.

JANUARY-MARCH: Copies of Ms. Alamaze's "Don't Cha" reach stores. Meanwhile, Cee-Lo re-records the song with the Pussycat Dolls. The new version sounds almost identical but adds a verse from the rapper Busta Rhymes.

APRIL 14: Z100 in New York plays the Pussycat Dolls "Don't Cha" three times the day it's released. According to Z100's Tom Poleman, listeners call in immediately: "This is one of those big reaction records." In the next three months, Z100 will play the song 379 times.

MAY: The Pussycat Dolls' single is No. 75 on Amazon.com, which is selling only used copies of Ms. Alamaze's single. A reviewer on the site writes that Ms. Alamaze's version "is way better than that one of Pussycat Dolls." Posters to various message boards echo the sentiment. One writes, "The Pussycat Dolls are better known as the Copycat Dolls."

JUNE: Hip-hop retailers stock an unofficial 12-inch single, "Breezy Blends No. 3," that includes a mash-up of Ms. Alamaze's "Don't Cha" with Rick James's "Cold Blooded" and a Dave Chappelle sketch. File-sharing services offer an anonymous "chopped and screwed" rework of her recording.

LAST WEEK: The Pussycat Dolls rise to No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100. In Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Ms. Alamaze gives a concert and is furious to find herself billed as "Tori Alamaze of the Pussycat Dolls."

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 25 July 2005 21:20 (twenty years ago)

Has the Alamaze version ever appeared on any kind of CD?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 25 July 2005 21:28 (twenty years ago)

Just a couple of promo R&B mixes I think.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 25 July 2005 21:32 (twenty years ago)

So, that's a NO to the "definitive" version, right?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 25 July 2005 21:42 (twenty years ago)

wow, every time i hear the pussycat dolls version i remind myself to resurrect this thread to find out wtf happened. i prefer the tori alamaze version i think.

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 25 July 2005 21:43 (twenty years ago)

Also, kudos to P. Sherburne for that illuminating history.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 25 July 2005 21:43 (twenty years ago)

There's this one little bongo thing missing from the Pussycat Dolls version which ruins it for me. I'm sure I wouldn't mind at all if I'd never heard the Tori Alamaze version.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 25 July 2005 21:45 (twenty years ago)

Has the Alamaze version ever appeared on any kind of CD?

It came out as a domestic CD-single. You can still get it from Coconuts in the US:

http://shop.coconuts.com/searchresults.aspx?qu=tori+alamaze&queryType=54&loc=41159&search_store=54

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Monday, 25 July 2005 23:03 (twenty years ago)

That page says 12"...

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 25 July 2005 23:05 (twenty years ago)

But I just found a promo-CD on GEMM.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 25 July 2005 23:13 (twenty years ago)

Ah- my bad, I should've read more closely. I got one from them a month or so ago and assumed they still had it in stock.

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Monday, 25 July 2005 23:28 (twenty years ago)

I ordered a full length from Amazon a while back attributed to a "Tori." I don't know, in retrospect, it was actually billed by Amazon as a Tori Alamaze CD, but it was the only thing that came up for a search on her name. It was NOT Alamaze, anyway. (You can get the CD single for Tori's version used from Amazon, btw. Apparently iTunes used to stock it, but not any more. A search for Tori Alamaze returns the result: "Did you mean Toro Llamale?" (That would translate, more or less, to "the bull, call him.") I laughed my ass off at that; unfortunately it got cut from the story.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:10 (twenty years ago)

The Alamaze "Don't Cha" I found easily enough as a 12" in HMV, even if I did have to pay £6.49 for a copy.

(for REALLY old readers: this is the latter-day equivalent of Lance Fortune's "Be Mine" and Adam Faith's "What Do You Want")

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 05:55 (twenty years ago)

What was the deal with the Lance Fortune track? Top 5 hit & a Joe Meek production, I believe.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 06:45 (twenty years ago)

Well the story is that "Be Mine" was written and recorded first - with a Les Vandyke composition and John Barry arrangement - but for various reasons, mainly the fact that it was to be released on what was effectively an indie label (Meek's own Triumph Records), it didn't come out until February 1960. In the meantime, Vandyke and Barry went back in the studio with Adam Faith and came up with "What Do You Want," which is extremely similar in terms of melodic construction, vocal delivery (Mr Fortune was first with the ersatz Holly hiccup) and arrangement (those pizzicato strings). Because Faith was signed to a mega-label (Parlophone), they were able to rush out "WDYW" before Xmas '59, and it shot to number one. I suppose that Messrs Vandyke and Barry were legally entitled to rip themselves off, but certainly when "Be Mine" came out subsequently it was criticised as a poor "WDYW" copy, which, as with many things, annoyed Meek no end, such that he never worked with Vandyke or Barry again.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 07:08 (twenty years ago)

so i finally saw the Pussycat Doll's video and i coulda sworn that the lead singer girl was in some reality tv show like american idol or making the band, and the wifee just found out that she was actually part of Popstars and made it into Eden's Crush

she's on the far right

http://www.mtv.com/shared/media/images/artist/e/edens_crush/az_official/376x180.jpg

in the middle holding cee lo

http://images.mail2fans.com/99380/pcd%2015.jpg

or in the middle in pink (bad pic)

http://www.pussycatdolls.com/images/temp_photo.jpg

― plain ol' jaxon (jaxon), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 18:50 (twenty years ago)

I think the third pic is best!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 19:14 (twenty years ago)

scratch what i said up top about preferring the tori alamaze version, the production on the pd version rules. i do wish it was her singing, though.

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 19:18 (twenty years ago)

hey dis song aint baaad mann!! it is ssooooooo SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― pivi frm london England, Saturday, 6 August 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

yall think 'lo hit it?

― 3, Saturday, 6 August 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

http://www.nintendoland.com/graphics/tecknat/Bowser.JPG

― 3, Saturday, 6 August 2005 18:25 (twenty years ago)

http://platinumstudios.com/titles/img/badrock_bored.gif

― 3, Saturday, 6 August 2005 18:27 (twenty years ago)

My Tori promo CD arrived - sounds amazing. GEMM rules ($9 all in).

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 7 August 2005 08:02 (twenty years ago)

What's with you people? The Tori Alamaze version is nowhere near as good as the Pussycat Dolls one!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 8 August 2005 00:31 (twenty years ago)

wow, i missed this thread completely. been liking tori's version for a couple of months now since hearing it only that recently. saw pussycat dolls version on tv last night and yeh it seems like a cheaper repro. not cool.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 10 August 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

wait so you got the whole cd, spencer? share that shit!

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Wednesday, 10 August 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― duch131, Thursday, 11 August 2005 12:36 (twenty years ago)

Just a comment...but i was totally confused about WHO sang this song and a couple of my friends saw tori perform at a club in miami and then seeing the teen choice music awards last night i was like "What!??!...this is not the same person and it was only the one chick singing the song the rest of the chicks on stage looked like they were there for eye candy or visual support.....BOOH!!!!...pretty lead singer but where is the talent??? my money goes to TORI!!!!

― ron grant, Wednesday, 17 August 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

Pussycat Dolls UK No.1.

Stirmonster played Tori's version in protest at Optimo last night.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 12 September 2005 15:13 (twenty years ago)

Hey, I know It's probably not fair and all but the Dolls version is also amazing . What can you do about that?!

― daavid (daavid), Monday, 12 September 2005 16:45 (twenty years ago)

The PC version with Busta kind of kills.

― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Monday, 12 September 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)

I sort of wish now that I'd never heard the Alamaze version, so that I could just completely enjoy the pop thrill of "Don't Cha."

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 12 September 2005 17:09 (twenty years ago)

Sounds rockist.

― Some Guy, Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:00 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone prefer the PC version? (I don't)

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:04 (twenty years ago)

what spencer said.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:09 (twenty years ago)

it's not rockist, it's preferring the version which is superior in every way.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:10 (twenty years ago)

heh

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:13 (twenty years ago)

the album is almost retardedly bad

― strng hlkngtn (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:18 (twenty years ago)

also, wonkiest looking buncha "hot" girls in ages

― strng hlkngtn (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:19 (twenty years ago)

(i suspect the british may be more used to this)

― strng hlkngtn (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:19 (twenty years ago)

Except for the parts with Busta it sounds 99% the same.

― Some Guy, Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:25 (twenty years ago)

was that a girls aloud dig, jess? :(

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:26 (twenty years ago)

The PC version is of course completely the same. If you subtract Busta and their image. Take those two things away and you have the same thing. But the videoclip just reeks. Tori's version was far sexier in my opinion.

― nathalie's pocket revolution (stevie nixed), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:40 (twenty years ago)

Can someone gmail/YSI the Alamaze version?

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:40 (twenty years ago)

altho 1. i never wanna hear this ever again and 2. whatever differences btween the 2 mean nothing at all to me, the og alamaze wd never have been a hit - v private and dour and all that, chorus less catchy. also the little parpy horns do quite a lot of important work in the pcd wrt breaking the fug

on a 'reggaeton club bangerz' 12 there's a late 80s technotronic-y rmx (of the alamaze, this ws a while ago) that has nowt to do with r-ton (maybe the time signature, slightly, but not even a dembow) besides giving a huge nod to the latent 80s things r-ton liked in its infancy. (see also dj skribble's 'latino pride' wot stelfox mentioned once i think) it's no coincidence latinos keep covering 'sweet dreams', for instance. but then as someone sez upthread 'dont cha' is quite prince too.

anyway it's a bit rubbish really but i think ppl here might like it.

― hold tight the private caller (mwah), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:43 (twenty years ago)

I agree about the fact that Tori's version could never have been a hit. A shame of course, but very true.

― nathalie's pocket revolution (stevie nixed), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:46 (twenty years ago)

i like how spencer fails to uphold his "Who cares if there's an album!" popism early in this thread!

― hold tight the private caller (mwah), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:48 (twenty years ago)

Tori Alamaze - "Don't Cha"

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:49 (twenty years ago)

Can someone gmail/YSI the Alamaze version?

It's near the end of part 4 of my 05 mix if you got that.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:49 (twenty years ago)

I agree about the fact that Tori's version could never have been a hit. A shame of course, but very true.

I suspect this to be true also but I was thinking about Tori's voice and how it's not that far away from that of Deborah Cox or Sunshine Anderson (if anyone remembers them!) so if it had been a few years earlier she might've had a one hit wonder as they did before fading into obscurity.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:51 (twenty years ago)

i wonder how many other jill scotty neo-soul songs just need a dressing down and a bit of cheap slap to become megahits

― hold tight the private caller (mwah), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:55 (twenty years ago)

Cor it's pretty good!

Still playing the PCD version at Poptimism, sorry Lex, rules is rules.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

like say raphael saadiq could probly be neo-soul's kanye if he wsnt such a charming layabout wastrel type guy

― hold tight the private caller (mwah), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 12:01 (twenty years ago)

i like how spencer fails to uphold his "Who cares if there's an album!" popism early in this thread!

How so???

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 16:32 (twenty years ago)

I still don't care if there's an album.

I still think the Alamaze version is actually better because of a couple details. My only regret is that because the PCD version is missing those details, I can't enjoy it as much on the radio/in clubs as people who've never heard and loved the Alamaze version previously.

My popism is still righteous!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

I prefer the PCD version (except for the stupid little horns in the chorus), the Alamaze version sounds a bit demo-ish. Maybe it needed to be polished a bit more.

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 17:34 (twenty years ago)

no no no! The pussycat dolls polished all the edge out of it, all the sexiness. seduction's gotta be subtle, y'know? subtle and a little dark.

the most significant difference is the singing though - tori alamaze's purring and crooning is completely perfect, the pussycat dolls oversing everything and trample their way through the song like galumphing elephants.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 21:46 (twenty years ago)

I heard the Tori Alamaze version on hip hop radio this spring, so good. the new one is tacky.

― dar1a g (daria g), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 02:22 (twenty years ago)

Yes, no contest really, esp. the Wreckshop mix of Alamaze's with Clipse.

― Baaderonixx and the choco-pop babies (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 06:45 (twenty years ago)

Oh I never heard this version. :-( I'll need to look on Soulseek.

― nathalie's pocket revolution (stevie nixed), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 07:03 (twenty years ago)

thnks dr bill i finally get to hear the tori version!

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 07:09 (twenty years ago)

the alamaze track is so much more mature/adult. tori has been through pain, is pushed to the edge, is resigned and fighting back. it's desparation, the whole thing, from that organ drone to that bass that shudders like sobbing shoulders. it's sexy in a grown up way because we KNOW that tori feels what she sings. the pussycat dolls version is so adolescent and unnatural, like a little girl kissing a pillow while watching a romantic comedy.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 14:21 (twenty years ago)

OTM.
Esp. the "maybe next lifetime - possibly" line, so resignated and spot-on in the original, sounds like an elementary school routine in the PCD version.

― Baaderonixx and the choco-pop babies (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 14:31 (twenty years ago)

presumably it's mostly that one person singing that chorus gives it a completely different meaning to six people singing it?

― tom west (thomp), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 14:56 (twenty years ago)

(i always liked that one girls aloud single that was written with the right set of pronouns)

― tom west (thomp), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 14:59 (twenty years ago)

zemko otm about saadiq, but i do wonder if actually, like, fleshing our his melodies/choruses/verses might negate some of his charm

― strng hlkngtn (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 15:09 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

http://www.torialamazeonline.com/

Now with soundclips and news blurbs about the Tori/PCD battle.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Saturday, 3 December 2005 03:57 (twenty years ago)

busta ruins this song

― okok, Saturday, 3 December 2005 13:08 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

Is this producer "Cee-Lo Green", mentioned upthread, the same Cee-Lo now involved in Gnarls Barkley? It would appear that he is...

― Catherine Ryan (and so this is catherine), Sunday, 18 June 2006 23:20 (nineteen years ago)

Yes indeed. Dude gets around.

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Monday, 19 June 2006 00:23 (nineteen years ago)

Cee-Lo has been unjustly overlooked for a long time now. Nice to see him getting his due with "Crazy".

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Monday, 19 June 2006 01:14 (nineteen years ago)

The Lex not supporting a girl group? Oh brave new world etc.

― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Monday, 19 June 2006 11:26 (nineteen years ago)

four months pass...

double spaz

(oh so if its ur newly beloved amerie its ok huh)

― rtccc (mwah), Monday, 6 November 2006 16:43 (nineteen years ago)

the tori alamaze version of 'take control' is so much dirtier! god she nails it. i think amerie does a really really good job, more passive and more convincingly controllable, but i like alamaze's too. what's with all the dodgy rock guitar on the chorus though.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 13 November 2006 17:13 (nineteen years ago)

I like how Amerie does a different take on the song whereas Nicole Somethingermansounding tries to imitate Tori's vocals.

― Rodney... (R. J. Greene), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

mmm. i totally got the pussycat dolls wrong on this thread though. still not keen on their 'don't cha' but it is clear now that overall they are a Great Thing. nicole scherzinger is great on 'buttonz' and that p diddy song.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 14:34 (nineteen years ago)

Also...neck-kissing = much more blush-worthy than hand-holding. Blushing at hand-holding kind of implies she's embarrassed to be seen with you.

― Rodney... (R. J. Greene), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 22:44 (nineteen years ago)

two years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYTphvySAjY

― butthurt (deej), Thursday, 20 August 2009 20:07 (sixteen years ago)

is this new?

― goole, Thursday, 20 August 2009 20:20 (sixteen years ago)

like a year or two old

― butthurt (deej), Friday, 21 August 2009 00:07 (sixteen years ago)

woah...

so the intersection of sultry and trippy is kind of her...thing, no?

― im a square wave and this is my hetero life partner jim jonsin (The Reverend), Friday, 21 August 2009 05:13 (sixteen years ago)

Even though it's your typical sexy R&B siren antics, the obvious cheapness of that video makes Tori seem, well, cheap. The song is a big nothing too. Nevertheless, it's still irritating that the Pussycat Dolls are still going strong 4.5 years later and Tori is still pretty much unknown.

― ken tynan's spanking buddy (sciolism), Friday, 21 August 2009 06:24 (sixteen years ago)

nine years pass...

does anyone have the dirty version of this on mp3 (preferably of 320 or more) or wav or flac? I would be eternally grateful to you if you could send it to me.

― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Saturday, 25 May 2019 21:44 (six years ago)

FYI - looking for the version that is around 4:30 long.

― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Saturday, 25 May 2019 22:40 (six years ago)

(and doesn't have Bust Rhymes on it)

― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Saturday, 25 May 2019 22:43 (six years ago)

if you don't get it i can rip the 12". if you do get it, please share the file.

― stirmonster, Sunday, 26 May 2019 01:47 (six years ago)

oh great! thanks!

― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Sunday, 26 May 2019 15:02 (six years ago)

lol i forgot all about this song

― Mr. Snrub, Sunday, 26 May 2019 16:40 (six years ago)

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