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What can i say about this song, that's not been said. I wrote it about a real situation in my life. Where lack of self-esteem moves you to keep looking for assurance in your object of desire. The projection thus bestowed upon this person however led them to withdraw and be the classic unavailable partner. Hence i learned lessons the hard way, but they were learned. The demo of the song which I'd produced at Warner Chappell's little studio just off Oxford Street (oh the wonderful days in there) with sound engineer Andy Fryer) was eventually taken to the Grid, who enhanced, worked their magic. I freely and unashamedly admit that I played them 'What is Love' and said that we must do an unaplogetic pop production. No protest was uttered and they instantly got it. I spent two years taking the songs to record companies, who all declined, in the UK, US. I got signed after I'd put on my own showcase at a sold out Jazz Cafe. Mark Dean signed me days later and then... big budgets, big studios. Sound engineers with attitudes, producers with occasional attitudes, little me in the middle of it, feeling the pressure.
But.. it got done. And here it is. PS. The Spanish version was done for a laugh and ignored by the US company.
One other thing to mention is how grateful i am to Junior Vasquez for bringing me and my song to the United States and making it all happen for me there. Without him I would have never had the career I've had so far nor have the wonderful experiences travelling the states, experiencing the crowds and what a song can mean to people. Walking through NY or Miami, hearing my song from every window, every shop, every corner of every street. I am still humbled and happy when i think back. And the first night at Sound Factory, when i was dragged out of my hotel bed at 5 in the morning, and limo'ed off to do my first US performance. A glass of champagne and a banana in the dressing room to wake up, Frankie Knuckles waiting for me there, wishing me luck. And then, with no idea what would happen, going, or let's say dragging that massive train of my sequinned dress, along that catwalk stage and experiencing an eruption I'd never seen before, wondering if it was really for me. I had arrived. But the eruption happened the minute Junior's chords started so it was also for him. A remix is normally a remix and has a life span which may not be all that long. This was a re-imagining of my song and it has lasted and stood the test of time. Thank you Junior. For all of this, and the systems of silence mix too :)
A funny anecdote. The first mix that was commissioned by Mark Dean of East West Records was the Dis-Cuss Mix.When the mixes had arrived Mark Asked me to come into his office to take a listen and tell him what i thought. He was unsure. I listened and really liked both the vocal mix and the dub but asked why on earth the vocal sample throughout the song kept saying: Bonsoir, Bonsoir.. Laughter erupted in the office, and Mark , my manager and the club guy there fell about. I was informed that the vocal sample was indeed 'Don't Stop' and not Bonsoir.

"Billie Ray Martin is one of the living legends in modern music history and one of the best voices on planet earth."
DJ Hell
"Billie Ray Martin is an absolute revelation."
K.Hollings, The Wire
Billie Ray Martin: "I'm a kid from Hamburg’s red-light district, who wanted to be a soul singer, but ended up playing repetitive machine music, while still trying to be a soul singer"

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