Loleatta Holloway - Can't Let You Go (2LP) [Vega Records]

Tracklist:
A Can't Let You Go (Louie Vega Roots Mix)  
B Can't Let You Go (Yvonne Turner Main Mix)  
C1 Can't Let You Go (Yvonne Turner Dub)  
C2 Can't Let You Go (Louie Vega Truth Dub 2)  
D Can't Let You Go (Louie Vega Truth Dub 1)  

Format: 2x12".

Like having that extra scoop of ice cream for dessert, what do you do when you know something is bad for you, but its addictive nature makes it irresistible? Vega Records explores this dilemma in their latest release, “Can’t Let You Go” by the late, great Loleatta Holloway.

“Can’t Let You Go” is one of the last unreleased recordings Loleatta completed before her passing in 2011. On the main mix, she addresses a relationship she knows she should end, but can’t pull herself away from because the love is too good: “I keep coming back again and again,” she reflects with raw emotion. “We gotta make things right or do whatever to fix it… oh, let’s make it right, cause I can’t let you go.”

For those unfamiliar, Loleatta Holloway, also known as the “Queen of the Night,” is a legitimate disco and soul icon. The singer behind hits like “Hit and Run” and “Love Sensation” is one of the most sampled artists of the disco era.

The posthumous single was written and produced by the prolific Yvonne Turner, whose resume includes production and remixes for music greats such as Whitney Houston, Willie Colon, and Jeffrey Osborne, as well as mixes for Lenny Kravitz, Lalah Hathaway, Mica Paris, and more. Turner provides smooth and subtle background vocals to let Loleatta’s powerful vocals take center stage on the percussive house groove, while Vega Records head Louie Vega delivers a “Roots” mix and an emotion-laden “Soul House” style mix. Vega also brought in vocalists Tawatha Agee (of the emblematic R&B and soul group Mtume) and Cindy Mizelle (a long-time Louie Vega collaborator) to add powerful hooks and new background arrangements, reinforcing the track with calls and responses to Loleatta’s adlibs during the vamp. Gene Perez on bass, Axel Tosca on Fender Rhodes, and Roberto Quintero on percussion complete the lineup. All in all, the record is a cathartic, dancefloor-ready banger, made to dance all your worries away.

“Loleatta Holloway was one of the most dynamic vocalists of our time,” says Yvonne Turner. “She was blessed with the gift of song and her energy was electric. Loleatta’s passion and artistry are on full display as she masterfully interprets a lyric and then delivers her signature adlibs, which never disappoint. To describe her in a few words, Loleatta Holloway was the truth… my friend… extraordinary!”

Louie Vega adds: “Loleatta Holloway has had a tremendous impact on my life as a DJ, producer, and club lover. She touched me in so many ways through my music and even my DJ style; to this day, I still play many of her songs and acapellas. This is our small way of saying thank you for all you’ve done for so many lives with your beautiful voice, you’ve affected us all!”

The album artwork features a mural of Loleatta Holloway created by Richard Wilson, a London-based artist who draws inspiration from DJs and producers in the house and disco scene. Last month, Louie traveled to Liverpool, England, for the mural’s unveiling.