The song, “Instant Replay”, was originally recorded by Dan Hartman in 1978

Singer, songwriter and producer Dan Hartman (1950-1994) did all three of those things on his song, “Instant Replay”, the title track of his second studio album, released in 1978. The song was the lead single released in August and became his breakout hit, topping the US dance chart and peaking at No.29 on the singles chart. It fared even better internationally where it made No.6 in Australia and No.8 in the UK.

The track was recorded by British duo Yell – Paul Varney and Daniel James – in late 1989 and released as their debut single in January 1990. The song was produced by Stock Aitken Waterman and it peaked at No.10 the following month, although success with this version was limited only to their home country. The pair would revisit another classic with “Let’s Go Round Again” later that year.

But which version is the best? DAN HARTMAN’s original or YELL’s cover?

Take a look at some of the other posts in this series and don’t forget to follow the playlist.