Tramaine Hawkins – Fall Down (Spirit of Love) [12-inch Maxi-single]

Description

Fall Down (Spirit of Love) is a five-track 45 RPM 12-inch vinyl Maxi-single by the American contemporary gospel singer Tramaine Hawkins, released on A&M Records in 1985 (catalogue number SP-12146). The single features an extended vocal remix (plus four additional versions) of a track included on her up-coming full-length album The Search is Over released on A&M Records the following year. The tracks were recorded by Tom Roberts at Mediasound in Manhattan, New York; with Robert Byron Wright producing for Ivory Palace Corp. in association with MediaMax Corp. 12-inch mix by Robert Wright and Larry Patterson. The song was co-written by Robert Wright and Vassal Benford.

The single made it to No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance Chart for one week in the fall of 1985. It as well reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s Soul Singles Chart, peaking at No. 7.

Extended Vocal Version, 12″ single, A&M

A single further from the controlled sweetness of Cynthia Clawson than Tramaine Hawkins would be hard to find. Here’s a singer who subscribes to the hallowed black gospel belief that the only way to sing a song is to shriek it into shreds and proceeds to savage Robert Wright’s exhortation for the Spirit to descend. As if Tramaine’s screams, gasps and gargles weren’t electrifying enough, the track, a full-tilt piece of dance funk, is something else. Synth bass and percussion positively crunch the bones, though to get the full effect you need to search out this 12-inch (the mix on ‘The Search Is Over‘ just isn’t as hard). No wonder this was a US dance monster in ’85. Gospel funk rules. [Tony Cummings, Cross Rhythms]

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12-inch Vinyl Single tracklist:

Side A.
A1. Fall Down (Spirit of Love) (Vocal) – 8:17
A2. Fall Down (Spirit of Love) (A Cappella Vocal) – 1:07

Side B.
B1. Fall Down (Spirit of Love) (Instrumental) – 4:45
B2. Fall Down (Spirit of Love) (Wind Dub) – 0:59
B3. Fall Down (Spirit of Love) (Dub Version) – 5:48

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