Gloria Gaynor vs. CAKE | Head 2 Head 🗣️

In the 15^th edition of Head 2 Head (2022), Gloria Gaynor and CAKE contend for the best rendition of “I Will Survive.”   

Welcome to Head 2 Head 🗣️! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  In the 15^th edition of head-to-head (2022), 🎙 Gloria Gaynor and 🎙 CAKE contend for the best rendition of 🎵 “I Will Survive”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Gloria Gaynor, “I Will Survive”

💿 Love Tracks • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 1978

“At first, I was afraid, I was petrified / Kept thinkin’ I could never live without you by my side…” Yaaasss!!! Those timeless lyrics hail from one of the best disco songs of all time, 🎵 “I Will Survive”.  Not only is “I Will Survive” an elite, 🏆 Grammy-winning disco song, but it’s an elite song regardless of genre.  It spent three weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. This is the record that 🎙 Gloria Gaynor will be forever remembered for. “But then I spent so many nights thinkin’ how you did me wrong / And I grew strong, and I learned how to get along.” #Classic!

“I Will Survive” appears on Gaynor’s 1978 album, 💿 Love Tracks.  It was an accidental hit – a B Side that was better and far more successful than the A Side. As the excerpted lyrics and title suggest, it’s about surviving and overcoming; EMPOWERMENT. Specifically, the lyrics are crafted from a romantic angle – overcoming a bad relationship: “Weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye? Did you think I’d crumble? Did you think I’d lay down and die?” That said, the empowering message of survival, over the years, has been applicable to any number of adverse situations.

“Oh no, not I, I will survive

Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I’m still alive

I’ve got all my life to live, and I’ve got all my love to give

And I’ll survive, I will survive!”

For one of the songwriters, 🎼✍ Dino Fekaris – a former Motown hit maker – he’s survived and overcame adversity after being fired from Motown.  For the LGBTQ+ community, this is a certified gay anthem. Gaynor performs it brilliantly.  The production is stellar, incorporating both minimalism and the grandiosity of disco. It should come as no surprise that “I Will Survive” is one of the most covered songs of all time, including a notable cover by 🎙 CAKE.

Appears in 🔽:

• Gloria Gaynor, “I Will Survive”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 28 (2022)
• Gloria Gaynor vs. Destiny’s Child: Head 2 Head 🗣️ 14 (2022)

2. CAKE, “I Will Survive”

💿 Fashion Nugget • 🏷 Zomba Recording LLC • 📅 1996

Covering one of the best songs of all time is an elephantine task. 🎙 Gloria Gaynor absolutely killed the original version of 🎵 “I Will Survive” – NO CAP! That said, Sacramento rock band CAKE dropped their own impressive rendition.  “I Will Survive” in the band’s hands appears on their 1996 album, 💿 Fashion Nugget.  While CAKE transforms the disco cut into rock, they manage to make it incredibly funky rock.

“I should have changed my fucking lock / I would have made you leave your key / If I’d known for just one second / You’d be back to bother me.” Woo! Gaynor certainly avoided the f-bomb in the original but singer 🎙 John McCrea slips it in like it’s nothing! The thing is, it works perfectly, adding a degree of anger following a bad situation.  Something else that stands out beyond the funky instrumental approach (rhythmic guitar, robust bass line, and trumpet solo) and the distinct f-bomb line is McCrea’s phrasing.  He intentionally approaches phrasing and the rhythmic identity of “I Will Survive” differently than the original. He lays back a bit, further distinguishing this rendition.  Furthermore, running a more ambitious five-minutes-plus at a slower tempo, there’s no rush and more room for the band to shine, particularly the guitar.  For those who aren’t fans of disco and desire to hear a disco joint successfully transformed into a funk-rock gem, look no further than CAKE’s masterful interpretation.

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️ 

So, it comes down to this! 🎙 Gloria Gaynor vs. 🎙 CAKE for the best rendition of 🎵 “I Will Survive”! Give CAKE mad props for a superb cover of this Dino Ferkaris and Freddie Perren penned classic – they totally rock! That said, much like her duel with Destiny’s Child in the previous edition of Head 2 Head, the surefire winner is and will always be Gloria Gaynor.

Gloria Gaynor vs. CAKE: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 15 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, Layers, The Musical Hype, Pexels, Pixabay, RODNAE Productions, UMG Recordings, Inc., Valentin Tikhonov, Zomba Recording LLC]