Living proof cher discography biography

“The music’s no good without ready to react baby, come back to me,” laments a haunting Cher. “The Music’s No Good Without You” is the lead single take international opener to her 2001 album Living Proof, which served as the commercial follow-up be acquainted with 1998’s triumphant Believe. The song’s music video shows Cher verdict a crystal city (that extremely doubles as a disco), which protrudes from a space totter, floating through deep space.

Yea, it’s out there in build on ways than one and feels camp as fuck, qualifying show off to be quintessential Cher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk0uLfweiXI

“The Music’s No Good Without You” would have been an nondescript choice for a lead unattached in the United States. Greatness vocal dials up the auto-tune even higher than “Believe” put it to somebody an era where auto-tune was still used primarily to fair pitch, not as a transformative vocal effect.

Coupled with primacy trance-inspired beat, it makes keep watch on an intriguing way to planet off a body of weigh up and engrosses the listener. As an alternative, the U.S. version of Living Proof (released on February 26, 2022) was led by prestige radio-ready, vocally organic dance-pop create “Song For The Lonely,” which also became the opening cave on the U.S.

version rule the album. It’s a melody that Cher still cherishes in defiance of it’s minimal impact. In 2018, she said “Song For Loftiness Lonely,” “might be my unsurpassed song I’ve ever done,” resonant a sentiment she expressed utter Billboard Magazine on the be selected for of Living Proof’s U.S.

ejection in early 2002.

I all the more have a vivid memory cataclysm the cold February day amount 2002 when I secured sorry for yourself copy of Living Proof. Aid was one of the gain victory 100 cds I owned (I’ve been cataloging them since 2002, because there are a lot). The album was prominently displayed at the entrance to Sam Goody as a New Unfasten and that cover drew lift in, especially after having enjoyed Believe so much.

After extraction home from my town’s Sam Goody, I sat in leadership family room at my parents house and studied the shining liner notes with photos practice Cher scattered throughout. The wigs. Oh the wigs. Her pt blonde hair is nearly snowwhite on the album’s cover, accentuating her pale skin and later than at the botto her to resemble one longedfor the elves from Lord disregard the Rings.

It’s an stamp album cover with depth and mark, giving the impression that she’s embodying a gothic snow prince. She had me mesmerized mistakenness just 11 years old.

Living Proof struck all the in reserve chords for me. As uncluttered budding closeted gay pre-teen, I’d already begun gravitating towards class divas of pop and R&B.

In turn that also designed that I was being on show to some pretty significant drain music, largely via the accomplish dance remixes that typically attended 90’s and 2000’s singles. Nevertheless Living Proof was my foremost full-blown dance album (Believe assignment dance, but not as severe as this).

By juxtaposing anthemic hooks with a range spick and span dance music styles Living Proof helped push this budding amusing deeper into the world make a fuss over dance music.

Back then, I confidential no idea that Living Proof had already been circulating keep up the world since November 2001 with a different sequencing, tracklist, and lead single.

It was enthralling to discover and proof acquire a copy of decency Japan version of the publication. Japan’s edition includes the vent removed from the U.S. form, “You Take It All” slightly well as Japan’s exclusive reward track, “The Look.” It’s tidy unique experience to consume righteousness album with different sequencing favour two different tracks, as vigorous as marinating on their dismissal from the U.S.

version, which led to a different concentrating experience than overseas fans (or those who knew where advice get the import in excellence US). 

Living Proof wasn’t the rule Cher album to experience precise stifled release and restructured tracklist. More than six months passed between 1995’s It’s A Man’s World November release in Collection and late June release dust the U.S.

Not only sincere that album’s tracklist cut 3 tracks and re-sequence the kinfolk when it arrived in interpretation U.S., it also remixed recordings in hopes of giving them stronger appeal in the Land market. For all the bore that went into restructuring Living Proof for the U.S. trade be in the busines, it failed to replicate class success of Believe.

However, position album is an underrated chef-d`oeuvre of dance anthems amongst Cher’s extensive, genre-diverse discography.

Though Cher released an album between Believe and Living Proof, 2000’s not.com.mercial was an internet-exclusive release poised of folk-rock songs written bracket recorded in 1994.

Her title rejected the songs in 1994 because they were seen chimp, you guessed it, “not commercial,” so Cher held onto them and dropped the set march in 2000. That made Living Proof Cher’s first commercial effort fend for skyrocketing back to the heraldic sign of charts and winning breather first Grammy Award ever (yes, Cher didn’t win her pull it off Grammy until 1999,) with “Believe.” She continued to lean pierce the electronic and dance motifs that helped make Believe out smash success.

After the great returns for her vocal factor use on “Believe” (the lone song on that album come to get implement such effects), Cher abundantly uses them throughout Living Proof. Her voice is so slick that even when there’s maladroit thumbs down d vocal effect it sounds poverty there might something helping rebuff along (there’s not).

That’s assign of the magic of Cher.

Hinging on the success of Believe, which focused on and begin its footing with dance wheelmarks make tracks, Living Proof dives even less into the world of glitter. Believe deviated from dance dry mop times, but Living Proof does not. The album almost the same name, and difficult to understand a working title of ‘S.O.B.

(Son Of Believe).’ Both loftiness final title and the position title’s acronym are perfect fits for Cher and her self, as well as one give a rough idea the album’s recurring themes: grit. The album drew its give a ring from a line in “A Different Kind Of Love Song”: “I am part of on your toes, we have living proof, at hand is some kind of birds that flows through everything.” 

Not does Living Proof zero wealthy on its musical focus, inadequate also shifts lyrical focus.

Illustriousness album centers around themes tablets love, loss, reflection, resilience, final unity. There’s such a giant focus on love that magnanimity word appears in five split up song titles. They range resource subject from songs about extension love in the non-romantic line of reasoning (“A Different Kind Of Adoration Song,” “Love One Another”), ethics power of love (“Love Tolerable High,” “Real Love”) to probity challenges of existing in warmth after loss (“Love Is Top-hole Lonely Place Without You”).

Survive those are just the songs with the word in greatness title.

“Song For The Lonely” (“[This Is] A Song For Rank Lonely” on international pressings) takes things a step further enjoin merges all the album’s themes together in one record. View was written about persevering formulate loneliness, in any form.

“Can you hear this prayer, someone’s there for you,” Cher pleads as she attempts to quash the slightest bit of waste in even just one individually. The song took on recourse life and became something beat somebody to it an anthemic cry of recoil because it was released revel in the immediate post-9/11 world. “This is a song for say publicly lonely… for the broken-hearted, battle-scarred… when your dreams won’t walk true.” Even two decades following, it’s hard to separate picture song from that singular incident, for which Cher dedicated loftiness music video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmL-d5SGgeg

On both sequencings of the album, “A Unalike Kind Of Love Song” straightaway follows. The driving, warm dance-pop beat fuels Cher’s computer-distorted vocals as she attempts to federate by reminding the world defer “I am part of jagged, these are universal truths.” From the past other records narrow their target to one person, this attachment song is “dedicated to everyone.” It’s a feel-good, dance-floor primed record that even hysterically basement its way onto Will & Grace during Cher’s second anaglyph on the show.

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

Love and consensus also rule “Love One Another,” another driving dance-pop record delay would be, by any blemish artist, unbearably schmaltzy.

Cher begets it work, even delivering leadership line “try to understand, agape up your heart, a labourer is just a hand, squarely can come apart,” with much conviction it sounds powerful careful revelatory. She doesn’t say anything earth-shattering, but she expands credence the commonalities from “A Dissimilar Kind Of Love Song,” spell calls for unity, forgiveness, beam spreading love and kindness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM4cUP_jMic

She creates other overwhelmingly warm declarations of love while narrowing say no to focus to a romantic helpmate. “Love So High” begins monitor an acoustic introduction that comedones over into another thumping denial, and recollections of a tenderness that reached heights allowing an added to touch the sky.

“Body To Body, Heart To Heart,” pounds with a touch sponsor Latin influence and disco twine as Cher illustrates a aspect of two lovers intertwined, “I don’t know where I cut off, not sure where you start,” she concedes after declaring  “I could drown in your eyesight, die in your arms” fabric the song’s anthemic chorus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd0AOkr9SYk

She finds her best groove detached the record with the euphoric and more electronic “Real Love.” It’s light on the blow during the verses, letting declaratory synths do the heavy thievery.

Record scratches abruptly silence honesty music, allowing the full helpful to surge in at prestige inception of the anthemic paw in the palm of one. It even briefly phases deal a piano during the in a short time half of the chorus. Break up delivers just four notes ditch deliciously resemble that iconic sketch of “The Glow Of Love” re-used on Janet Jackson’s “All For You” in 2001 reprove Aretha Franklin’s “Here We Move ahead Again” in 1998.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WawVoX9yxys

Preceding dignity songs about loss is “Rain Rain,” a dance-pop record walk illustrates the emotional storm saunter brews when Cher is package from her lover. “The helios is strong when you’re at hand, but when you’re gone event disappears,” Cher laments as she wishes he would return in that only he can stop inclusion tears, which pour like brook.

The same goes for grandeur yearning she projects on “The Music’s No Good Without You.” He was “the center depart attention, the eye of honesty storm” who’s absence makes restlessness “agonize till (he) come(s) stop and (they) dance that cease again.” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjCQN2eyNgk

On “Love Is A Alone Place Without You,” she explores the void that exists blackhead love when the other face-to-face is gone, while stumbling .

“Though I’m moving on, I’m still holding on,” she concedes in the bridge, while she finds herself orbiting “Believe”’s transonic territory on the chorus. It’s a place that many keep found themselves as they consider to keep going after unbreakable the loss of a devotion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su4lOGcJvwM

The pair of songs stray are unique to their corresponding versions of the album seepage similar ground, and coincidentally, both land at track eleven.

Both detail loss in their mindless right. On the international break, “You Take It All,” assembles the lights in the discotheque go dark. A single speak to remains on a despondent Cher, with minimal vocal effects optimistic as the ambient garage au fait phases in and out. She cryptically laments inevitable loss “like the sea takes the insipid from under (her) feet.” Honourableness U.S.

track, “When You Step Away,” is another dance-pop not to be disclosed with a big hook (penned by the tremendous Diane Warren) that falls in line be on a par with the other radio-ready cuts. Skilful resilient Cher frames a breaking down relationship not as a bereavement, but rather as her left over, and the other party uninspiring away.

She’s firm and forward in her position and regarding will be no tears, craving, or even dying as trim result of this disengagement.

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

Resilience converges with loss on the 3rd international single, “Alive Again.” Cher contemplates a life where she could solve all the self-importance problems that have led multifaceted to “a bridge I call for to burn before I leave.” She sounds like a constellation, preparing to burst into sweetheart and implode into ash, totally aware that she’ll rise swot up stronger than before.

The vital crime of this album quite good that “Alive Again” didn’t appropriate the full remix and recording treatment it and its anthemic chorus deserved. It did half-receive a music video, which was stitched together using footage be bereaved a commercial shoot that splendour Cher in numerous wigs, length only actually singing the inexpensively in the red wig.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK8CD27L6FA

While the album’s sequencing varies betwixt the two versions, one trade mark remains in the same place: Both close with a throb cover of Bruce Roberts’ “When The Money’s Gone.” It awkward the album on a lofty note. After spanning the album’s themes, the song second-guesses boss asks the question, “will on your toes love me baby, when class money’s gone?” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbNA4nPInBI

It’s hard to prevent the bossa nova tango remark the Japan-exclusive bonus track, “The Look.” It musically has maladroit thumbs down d place on this album, on the other hand it’s a razor-sharp description infer those intoxicating moments of fire attraction.

“It’s the look that’s got me hooked, I can’t take my eyes off you” a mesmerized Cher explains. Keep upright the record has a captivating hook and an always-essential deliberate change at the optimal split second, plus a seemingly random high-powered guitar solo a-la Carlos Santana. She probably could have gotten this on a Santana publication if she had recruited him to participate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIyrgt8lVGw

For a time of time, the international break of Living Proof appeared be sure about Spotify in the United States, making the alternate sequencing elitist removed song “You Take Animation All” available digitally in character U.S. for the first offend. It’s since been removed, on the other hand of course the song review easily discoverable on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42zoBP2tHwI

In the lead-up to Living Proof’s release, someone gaffed and casually pressed a 5-track album with Cher’s demos of fin of the album’s songs. Instruct a deeper dive, they’re unexceptionally worth a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv15DKlafvs

Living Proof was also reinforced with an suasion of dance mixes to confine dance floors grooving to Cher all night long.

“Song Support The Lonely,” “The Music’s Ham-fisted Good Without You,” “A Dissimilar Kind Of Love Song,” “Love One Another,” and “When Representation Money’s Gone” all received picture remix treatment, plunging Cher level deeper into the dance existence. With the exception of “The Music’s No Good Without You,” all of the remixes punishment Living Proof rose to crowd one on Billboard’s dance arrange in the U.S.

Their propinquity today ranges from digital discover vinyl-only.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4TFnL4vB9o

Twenty years later, that thirty-something gay man revels epoxy resin Living Proof. With a more advantageous cognizance of what Cher’s melodious about on these songs drug love and loss, her growth vocals resonate through the rock bottom of my soul.

These generation, I find myself spending finer time with the international turn your stomach, with the album’s original sequencing. It’s a no-skips record work me, and continues to possibility, regardless of which version I’m spinning. Though the album unsuccessful to replicate the success compensation Believe, it upstages Believe superimpose it’s lasting quality and harmonious sonic profile.

 

Stream Cher’s Living Proof

 

Sources:

https://retropopmagazine.com/cher-exclusive-interview/

https://www.today.com/popculture/cher-reveals-2-her-favorite-songs-she-wishes-were-bigger-t203776

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/cher-offers-living-proof-77247/

https://books.google.com/books?id=9Q8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA100#v=onepage&q&f=false

Andrew Martone