10¢ a Dance

THE FLIRTS are a female trio from NEW YORK that had several dance hits and music videos in MTV in the early 80’s. The group was created by American producer BOBBY ORLANDO. They are best known for their high energy tunes "Passion", "Danger", "Helpless", and "Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime)". "Jukebox" received significant airplay on MTV and is featured on the popular 80’s New Wave compilation VALLEY GIRL film soundtrack. The Flirts released six studio albums from 1982–1992 and numerous singles and completed several international tours. In 1985, The Flirts had a number one U.S. dance track, "You and Me". Their songs continue to receive radio airplay and are included in various CD compilations.

Given the cold shoulder Madonna's 2003 album American Life received by critics and audiences alike – it may have gone platinum, but apart from the Bond theme “Die Another Day,” released in advance of the album, it generated no new Top Ten singles (in fact, its title track barely cracked the Top 40) – it's hard not to read its 2005 follow-up, Confessions on a Dance Floor, as a back-to-basics move of sorts: after a stumble, she's returning to her roots, namely the discos and clubs where she launched her career in the early '80s…

Given the cold shoulder Madonna's 2003 album American Life received by critics and audiences alike – it may have gone platinum, but apart from the Bond theme “Die Another Day,” released in advance of the album, it generated no new Top Ten singles (in fact, its title track barely cracked the Top 40) – it's hard not to read its 2005 follow-up, Confessions on a Dance Floor, as a back-to-basics move of sorts: after a stumble, she's returning to her roots, namely the discos and clubs where she launched her career in the early '80s. It's not just that she's returning to dance music – in a way, she's been making hardcore dance albums ever since 1998's Ray of Light, her first full-on flirtation with electronica – but that she's revamping and updating disco on Confessions instead of pursuing a bolder direction.

Bouncing between tracks that take great liberties and ones that simply update and stretch the originals, Life Is a Dance (The Remix Project) is a respectful and joyous celebration of Chaka Khan's solo output. The big hits are treated well, with Paul Simpson's softening of the rough edges in "I Feel for You" making it more of a rolling groove, while Marley Marl presents a minimal house take on "This Is My Night." Richard Tee's glistening piano is pumped way up on Dancin' Danny D's mix of "I'm Every Woman," and the lone Rufus track, "Ain't Nobody," gets a slight update by Frankie Knuckles.