A good song never goes out of style and luckily Stock Aitken and Waterman wrote many a good song that are still revered and enjoyed a good 20-25 years later. Last Christmas, many a pop lover was seen shaking their thang at the Hit Factory concert in London, getting their groove on to timeless, enduring songs performed by Kylie, Jason, Lonnie, Sonia, Bananarama, Steps, et al (where the freaking heck were Big Fun and Yell?! :D) However, one young newbie took to the stage and blew everyone away with his stunning cover of the late Donna Summer's Love's About To Change My Heart. James Graham is Pete Waterman's latest discovery and what a voice he has found in this one. James has a gorgeous, expressive resonant tone that sounds like it has been classically trained yet fits well into the world of pop. He is able to tap into heavenly nuanced emotions that seem to belie his youthful age & delivers with a passion and conviction that is hard to resist. Taking on such a beloved song is a tough challenge for one so young yet James is more than up to the challenge. His live version had such an impact that it's been made available on iTunes (purchase here, 99 of your earth pennies well spent methinks) and captures the sentiment of the moment perfectly. It keeps the ballad opening of the original track (which of course was reminiscent back then of some of Donna's biggest disco hits from the 70s) throughout, transforming it into a flawless slow song that Westlife would reform for in a jiffy. Elegant, elegiac piano melody and chords are the perfect canvas for James to craft his striking & often poignant sounding vocals to; when a shimmering orchestral accompaniment blends in, it gives the song added tenderness and warmth. There's a certain longing in James' voice that repositions the song from a celebratory anthem to an almost Broadway-esque story - as if the impact of this sudden revelation that this love will change everything he knows has him reflecting on what he once thought was vibrant and beautiful now seems just little greyer in his memory. There's a wistful regret evident but as the song adds drums and James' soaring vocal powers to that dramatic finale, it's all optimism, hope and potential. The listener is left wanting more, knowing they are on the precipice of a new chapter and James becomes the most able narrator of this story. Utterly flawless and a simply lovely interpretation of the tune. Am more eager than ever to hear new original music from this ridiculously talented chappie...
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