Emotion (Samantha Sang song)

Background

Originally, the song "Emotion" was recorded by Samantha Sang for the Private Stock label. The song was Sang's only hit single, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Billboard ranked her version as the No. 14 song for 1978. There is a promotional video made for this song.

When Sang arrived in Miami, instead of recording "Don't Throw it All Away", Barry Gibb offered her a new song "Emotion". On this track, Sang sticks to a breathy, Barry-like sound. Gibb himself provided harmony and background vocals, using his falsetto on this track. The B-side was "When Love Is Gone," a Frances Lai composition. It was recorded around April 1977 in Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida around the same time as Barry contributed writing and producing "Save Me, Save Me" for the band Network. Blue Weaver identified the musicians as shown from memory. On the session, Joey Murcia plays guitar, George Bitzer on keyboards, Harold Cowart on bass and Ron "Tubby" Zeigler on drums. It was originally intended for use in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, but ended up being featured in the film The Stud (1978) starring Joan Collins. Also in 1978, Emotion was used as the B-side of Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams's single "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late", which reached number one in the US.

Personnel

Track listings and format

1. "Emotion" – 3:43
2. "When Love Is Gone" – 3:46

Background

In 2001, "Emotion" was recorded by American R&B group Destiny's Child for their third studio album Survivor (2001). Produced and arranged by Mark J. Feist, it features a slower tempo than the Samantha Sang original, although a more uptempo Neptunes-produced remix of the song was also produced and included in the band's remix album This Is The Remix (2002). Feist had previously produced the song for Filipino singer Regine Velasquez for her album Drawn in 1998 and used exactly the same backing track for Destiny's Child.

Issued as that album's fourth single, the song continued the group's streak of top-ten hits in the United States, peaking at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 on 20 November 2001. It was also a hit in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart and sold over 145,000 copies, and reached the top ten in several major music markets, including New Zealand, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

The single was accompanied by a Francis Lawrence-directed music video featuring a triple split screen effect. The song was heavily on radio station playlists during the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and eventually became a tribute song to the family of the victims. The group also paid tribute to late R&B singer Aaliyah, who died in August 2001 in a plane crash, at the Soul Train Music Awards with a performance of this song.

Music video

The music video featured a triple split-screen effect. Rowland on the left, Knowles in the center, and Williams on the right. Rowland is seen saying goodbye to her boyfriend before he leaves in a taxi. Knowles catches her boyfriend with another woman and runs around the house in tears. Williams is with her grandmother, who has died in her bed. At the end of the video Williams calls the other group members to her home. The three girls meet there and comfort each other. The screen returns to normal.

The music clip is featured as an enhanced video on the European editions of the CD single and on the 2004 Wal-Mart exclusive DVD titled Fan Pack.

Track listings and format

These are the formats and track listings of major single-releases of "Emotion."

1. "Emotion" (Album version) – 3:56
2. "8 Days of Christmas" – 3:29

1. "Emotion" (Album Version) – 3:56
2. "8 Days of Christmas" – 3:29
3. "Emotion" (Calderone Dub Mix) – 6:55
4. "Emotion" (Musicvideo) – 3:56

1. "Emotion" (Album version) – 3:56
2. "Bootylicious" (Rockwilder Remix)
3. "Bootylicious" (M & J's Jelly Remix)
4. "Bootylicious" (Richard Vission's V-Quest Mix)
5. "Bootylicious" (Ed Case Refix)

1. "Emotion" (Album version) – 3:56
2. "8 Days of Christmas" – 3:29
3. "Emotion" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix)
4. "Emotion" (Musicvideo) – 3:56

1. "Emotion" (Album Version) – 3:56
2. "Emotion" (Calderone AM Mix) – 10:13

1. "Emotion" (Album Version)
2. "Emotion" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix)
3. "Emotion" (Instrumental)
4. "Emotion" (Acapella)