House music legends Inaya Day and Ultra Naté have joined forces on the new year’s hottest collaboration, “Over Me”. The ladies will perform the song live this Friday at 10pm at Le Bain at The Standard, High Line.
Produced by Frankie Knuckles, the late great record producer known as the “Godfather of House Music,” the original song, written by Day and Naté, mixed seventies disco with a modern age vibe for an energetic, electronic groove. The latest versions, remixed by eight of the world’s leading DJ remixers, are now raising the ante with varying interpretations all intended to get arms waving in the air and booties shaking on the dance floor.
“Though it’s about lost love, ‘Over Me’ is a fun song,” says Day. “There’s no deep message to it like in my ‘Keep Pushin’’ or Ultra’s ‘Free’. The song’s basically calling out exes who are faking the funk! We all know the types who say they’re over us but then keep calling on the phone and looking back at us with their sad, moping eyes when we walk away. Our answer to the guys is: you cut the strings of our relationship, now its time you cut the cord!” she laughs.
“The idea was to make an empowering track for the ladies,” continues Ultra Naté from her Baltimore home. “People usually equate the lingering feelings of a lost love to women but more often than not, it’s men who have the hardest time moving on from a failed relationship. They’re often so desperate to hide their feelings, they end up doing some crazy, outlandish things that only make them look foolish.”
Inaya Day approached Ultra Naté about collaborating on a song. At the time, Inaya was working with Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper on her first EP. Naté agreed and began writing the single. Day later added her contribution and the two divas met in a recording studio in NYC to lay down their vocals. “There was so much love in the studio that day,” recalls Inaya Day. “Ultra and I are like family. We fully support one another's endeavors and aspirations.”
“We love and respect each other as people first and artists second,” agrees Naté.
Inaya Day became a force on dance floors in the late nineties with hits like “Keep Pushin,’” “Hold Your Head Up High,” and “Horny.” She continued her club domination through the early 2000s with “Nasty Girl” and the Mike Cruz-produced dance anthems, “Movin’ Up,” “Can’t Stop Dancing,” “Lift It Up” and “U Spin Me” and has kept the party going ever since with a multitude of hits including “Glamorous Life,” “One Night In Heaven”, and last summer’s “Love Is In The Air”. Holding firm to the belief that club music should be happy and up lifting, Inaya was voted one of Billboard’s Greatest Of All Time Dance Artists.
Ultra Naté became a dance floor superstar with the release of her all-time classic #1 hit, “Free.” The single was named by Billboard as the #10 Greatest Of All Time Club Songs. Ultra Naté, herself, was named the #12 Greatest of All Time Dance Artists. Throughout her nearly three decades of making music, she has been a musical chameleon, embracing a variety of sounds, from R&B/hip-hop to soul, disco, rock and electro-pop.
Frankie Knuckles played a vital role in developing and popularizing house music in the 1980s, when the genre was in its infancy. In 1997, he won the Grammy Award for Remixer of the Year. Due to his importance in the genre, Knuckles is often referred to as "The Godfather of House Music”. He was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2005. He died in 2014 from complications to his Type II diabetes.
“Frankie and Eric Kupper’s Director's Cut mix of ‘Over Me’ is perfection,” declares Inaya Day. “It is soulful, musical, and it’s classic.” She makes it clear that she and Ultra weren’t looking to top the original with the new remixes. They simply wanted to build a package of fresh interpretations of the track that could play on different dance floors. “We brought together an amazing collection of producers who cover different sub-genres of house. Each remixer brings their own perspective and rhythmic forte to the song.”
The brand new versions are by Quentin Harris, Yass, Louis Benedetti, Eddie Thoneick, Guy Scheiman, David Harness, Sean Finn, and Rossell & Richard Vasquez.
Inaya Day and Ultra Naté perform “Over Me” at The Standard, High Line (848 Washington St, New York, NY 10014) this Friday at 10pm. For additional information, visit inayaday.com and ultranate.com. Follow Inaya Day on Facebook @ InayaDayOfficialPage, Instagram and twitter @inayaday. Follow Ultra Naté on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @ Ultranatemusic.
