Description
Mary J. Blige – Give Me You / Let No Man Put Asunder – 12-Inch Vinyl Single Record
The last two tracks on Mary J. Blige’s 1999 album Mary share this MCA twelve-inch. “Give Me You” is the slower of the two, and “Let No Man Put Asunder” takes Blige into a song with a long history on dance floors. Each side pairs the album recording with a remix, so the record gives both songs a little more room than they had at the end of the LP.
“Give Me You” begins with the directness of a ballad whose singer has a specific person in mind. The arrangement builds behind her, and the space at the beginning makes it easy to hear the way she controls that rise. The strongest moments come when a slight delay in the delivery does more work than an extra bit of volume.
The Niño remix is on the same side. Putting it right after the LP version makes the changes in setting easy to follow. The words and the voice are still the most recognizable elements, but a different rhythm changes how long the listener expects Blige to hold a phrase or how quickly an emphatic line seems to arrive.
“Let No Man Put Asunder” was originally recorded by First Choice. Blige brings the song into her own repertoire while retaining its clear invitation to move. It’s a substantial change of pace from “Give Me You,” and the shared album source makes the pairing more interesting. The two tracks had already been placed next to each other before the remixes gave each one a side of its own.
Timmy Regisford’s remix takes the final slot. Its place after the LP version lets the listener hear how a song with that much history in clubs can be extended into another setting without losing its identity. The point of comparison is as much the placement of the vocal as the beat, since Blige’s delivery gives both versions something to work around.
This is the four-track U.S. MCA single, catalog 088 155 708-1. It’s an especially good format for hearing the relationship between the originals and the alternate versions. Turn the record over and the second side offers the same kind of comparison with a song built around an entirely different pace.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
- A1. Give Me You (LP Version)
- A2. Give Me You (Niño Remix)
- B1. Let No Man Put Asunder (LP Version)
- B2. Let No Man Put Asunder (Timmy Regisford Remix)
