Gala 'Freed From Desire'

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Gala's 'Freed From Desire' was probably the biggest dance hit of the summer... Firstly it was a hit all over Continental Europe and then a No.2 monster hit in Britain.

One of the bigger dance hits of the era, though I remember it mostly for a slightly awkward Top Of The Pops appearance which demonstrated why energetic choreography and live vocals don't always mix. When she had her second hit she just stood at the microphone. In case you're scratching your head there, 'Let A Boy Cry' peaked at 11 and sold one copy to my brother, who had a habit of buying the follow-ups to big dance tracks. She even snuck a week at 38 with the title track of her album, which isn't a bad run for a Eurodance act from this era.

Back to 'Freed From Desire', it's a song that teeters on the very edge of irritation, and if you dislike the phrase "na-na-na" it'll tip right over that edge. The melody is quite minimal and her voice rather different from typical dance-diva stuff, whilst those lyrics that aren't "na" seem to be aiming for some sort of Zen ideal. There's something insistently unforgettable about it though.

In case you were wondering, this was the start of Side 2 on the cassette version, so I've taken the opportunity to include a photo of the CD. Yeah, I know that doesn't make a lot of sense but it seemed the least bad place for it.

Available on: Come into My Life (10th Anniversary)