And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going

Single infobox|
Name = And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going


Artist = Jennifer Holliday
from Album = Dreamgirls (Original Broadway Cast Album)
B-side = "Fake Your Way to the Top" by Cleavant Derricks, Loretta Devine, Jennifer Holliday, and Sheryl Lee Ralph
Released = 1982
Format = 7" single
Recorded = 1982
Genre = Show tune
Length = 4:08
Label = Geffen
Writer = Tom Eyen, Henry Krieger
Producer = David Foster
Certification =
Last single =
This single = "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"
(1982)
Next single = "I Am Changing"
(1982)"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is a torch song from the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls", with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger. In the context of the musical, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is sung by the character Effie White, a singer with the girl group The Dreams, to her manager, Curtis Taylor Jr., whose romantic and professional relationship with Effie is quickly ending. The lyrics to "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," often considered the show's signature tune, describe Effie's love for Curtis, both strongly devoted and defiant. She refuses to let Curtis leave her behind, and boldly proclaims to him, "I'm staying and you ... you're gonna love me."

In addition to its presence in the musical, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is also notable as the debut single of two women who portrayed Effie. Jennifer Holliday originated the role on Broadway in 1981 and won a Tony Award for her performance. In 1982, Holliday recorded a number-one R&B hit version of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going". Jennifer Hudson portrayed Effie in the 2006 film adaptation of "Dreamgirls", winning an Oscar for the role. Hudson's version became a Top 20 R&B single, and a number-one dance hit.

Jennifer Holliday version

In 1982, Jennifer Holliday, the actress who portrayed Effie in the original Broadway production, released the song as a single. It was her first single release and it met with great success, topping the Billboard R&B charts and attaining top forty positions on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. In 1983, Holliday won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for the single.

"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was designed as the closing number of "Dreamgirls first act. Holliday's performance of the song, in a style owing much to gospel music singing traditions, was regularly staged to thunderous applause; it was hailed as the highlight of the show in several printed reviews of the musical ["Dreamgirls: Your Virtual Coffee Table Book of the Musical" (Broadway:Press). Retrieved from http://www.dreamgirlsthemusical.com/ on March 1, 2007.] . In his review of "Dreamgirls' "opening night performance, "New York Times" theatre critic Frank Rich referred to Holliday's "And I Am Telling You" as "one of the most powerful theatrical coups to be found in a Broadway musical since Ethel Merman sang "Everything's Coming Up Roses" at the end of Act I of '" [ Rich, Frank (Dec. 21, 1981). " [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?html_title=&tols_title=DREAMGIRLS%20(PLAY)&pdate=19811221&byline=By%20FRANK%20RICH&id=1077011429808 Stage: "Dreamgirls", Michael Bennet's New Musical, Opens" [Review] . "The New York Times". Digital version retrieved July 15, 2007. ] "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" remains Holliday's signature song.

Rosabel remix

In 2001, Rosabel remixed the song and released their version (credited as Rosabel with Jennifer Holliday) as a single. It performed well on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart, peaking at number six. In 2007, it reappeared on the same chart, with additional, promotional-only remixes by Jody Den Broeder, and reached number 10 (this time credited to Jennifer Holliday with Rosabel). Coincidentally, the 2007 remix was climbing the U.S. dance chart at the same time as Jennifer Hudson's cover version with both songs appearing in the top ten simultaneously in February 2007.

Jennifer Hudson version

Single infobox|
Name=And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going


Artist=Jennifer Hudson
from Album= & Jennifer Hudson
Released=December 5, 2006
Format=Paid download
Recorded=The Underlab, Los Angeles: March 2006
Genre=R&B, soul
Length=4:43
Label=Music World/Columbia
Producer=The Underdogs
Certification=
Artist=Jennifer Hudson
Type=single
This single="And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"
(2006)
Next single="Spotlight"
(2008)"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was recorded in 2006 by former "American Idol" contestant, Jennifer Hudson, who portrayed Effie White in the DreamWorks/Paramount motion picture adaptation of "Dreamgirls". Her recording of the song, the "Dreamgirls" film soundtrack's second single, peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 14 on the R&B chart. Hudson won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "Dreamgirls"; she thanked Holliday in her acceptance speech.

Hudson's version has been well-acclaimed, receiving outstanding reviews from multiple movie and music critics, which have highlighted her strength as both a vocalist and an actress. "New York Observer" described Hudson's performance as "five mellifluous, molto vibrato minutes...." [ Vilkomerson, Sara (Dec. 4, 2006). "The Observatory" (column). "New York Observer". Retrieved from http://www.observer.com/20061204/20061204_Sara_Vilkomerson_culture_observatory.asp on February 19, 2007.] "Newsweek" said that when moviegoers hear Hudson sing the song, she "is going to raise goose bumps across the land." [ Ansen, David (Dec. 11, 2006). Review for "Dreamgirls". "Newsweek". Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15994165/site/newsweek/ on February 19, 2007.] "Variety" wrote that Hudson's performance "calls to mind debuts like Barbra Streisand in "Funny Girl" or Bette Midler in "The Rose", with a voice like the young Aretha." [ Rooney, David (Nov. 20, 2006). Review for "Dreamgirls". "Variety". Retrieved from http://www.variety.com/VE1117932225.html on February 19, 2007.]

On June 26 2007, the 7th Annual BET Awards opened with Jennifer Holliday and Jennifer Hudson performing "And I Am Telling You" live in their first duet together.

Dance remix

A club remix was created for this single, engineered by Richie Jones and Eric Kupper, and appears as a bonus track on the "Deluxe Edition" of the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack album. This version of Hudson's "And I Am Telling You" was a chart success, reaching the top of "Billboard's" Hot Dance Club Play songs chart in early 2007. A shortened edit of the full remix appeared on a Columbia Records promotional-only CD accompanying the Jones & Kupper remix of another "Dreamgirls" song, the Beyoncé Knowles/Anika Noni Rose/Sharon Leal/Tiffany Hudson rendition of "One Night Only". Also included were the Freemasons remixes of Beyoncé's singles "Déjà Vu" and "Ring the Alarm".

Rowetta Satchell version

Single infobox|
Name=And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going


Artist=Rowetta
from Album=Rowetta
Released=2005
Format=Paid download
Recorded=
Genre=R&B, Dance
Length=3:05
Label=Music World/Columbia
Producer=The Underdogs
Certification=
Artist=Rowetta
Type=single
This single="And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"
(2005)
Next single= N/A"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was also recorded by former X Factor contestant Rowetta Satchell. A music video was shot for the song.

Other performances

In the 1989 Asia Pacific Singing Contest, Regine Velasquez sang this song as her contest piece. She won the contest and gave her the title of Asia's Songbird.

Siobhan Fallon performed a snippet of the song as part of the 1992 Saturday Night Live sketch, "Chris Rock's White Person's Guide To Surviving The Apollo", to raucous applause from the "audience". Her character's original choice of Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue merely got her booed at and pelted with various items.

Will Smith lip-synched to Holliday's version of "And I Am Telling You" in a 1995 episode of the TV show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". Jennifer Hudson says this was where she first discovered the song. [Debruge, Peter (Sep. 28, 2006). "Jennifer Hudson (10 Actors to Watch: Film Class)". Retrieved from http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117950892.html?categoryid=2169&cs=1 on March 1, 2007.]

In 1994, Donna Giles scored a minor club hit in the US and UK with her rendition of the song. The track remained a sleeper club hit in the UK throughout 1995, prompting a spate of re-releases and remixes, including Stonebridge, culminating in a major release on Ore Records in 1996. This last release would finally take the track to number 27 on the UK Singles Chart in February of that year. On November 20 2007, the original master, Produced by critically acclaimed Eve Nelson, was released digitally by Breaking Records and is available on all major download sites.

Whitney Houston performed this song at the 1994 American Music Awards.

On an episode of Martin, Gina (Tisha Campbell-Martin) performs "And I'm Telling You" on Martin's show "Word on the Street." She and Pam (who sings the song "Home" from "The Wiz") are trying to win a chance to sing back up for The Notorious B.I.G., and nearly come to blows onstage while outsinging each other for the part. Ultimately, Biggie announces on television that Sheneneh has won the part, who then proceeds to exclaim her excitement, and then sings "And I'm Telling You," much to Gina's and Pam's disgust.

Jim Carrey performed a version of the song in the final episode of "The Larry Sanders Show" in 1998.

Comedienne Judy Gold performed a conspicuously lip-synched version of the song as part of a closing gag for her 2000 standup comedy performance for Comedy Central Presents. The song was played as if she were being "played off stage" as is done in awards shows, but she lip synched it and emphasized the lyrics that echoed her refusal to leave the stage.

In the 2001 movie Down To Earth, Phil Quon, played by John Cho performed it at the Apollo Theater on its closing night.

In 2002, "American Idol" contestant Tamyra Gray performed this song during the Top 30 and in an International H&M Commercial in 2005. Also, in 2007 contestant LaKisha Jones performed this song during a Top 24 performance just days prior to Hudson's Academy Award bestowment. She received considerable praise for her performance, with judges Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell stating that her performance and musical talent was out of the league of fellow competitors that were on the program. Cowell's praise went so far as to practically predict her the winner of the season.

Also in 2002, Bonnie Tyler recorded this on her "Heart Strings (Bonnie Tyler album)" album.

In the 2003 musical drama "Camp (film)", the character of Ellen Lucas (played by Joanna Chilcoat) sings a powerful (if visually comic) version of this song that unfortunately did not make it on the soundtrack.

On a fourth season episode of the UPN/CW TV show "Girlfriends" ("You Ain't Gotta Go Home but...You Know the Rest") "And I Am Telling You" if featured heavily throughout. The main character Toni's brother (portrayed by Darius McCrary), who is in love with other leading lady Maya, locks himself in her bathroom, belting out this song, after Maya rejects his request for long-term commitment after only one night together.

In 2004, "Star Search" winner Tiffany Evans recorded the song for her debut.

Rowetta performs a dance version of the song on her self-titled 2005 debut album.

On the 2006 TV contest "America's Got Talent", eventual winner Bianca Ryan sang this song as her audition performance. The song is also on Ryan's debut album.

Southern rap group Da BackWudz sampled Holliday's version for their hit song "You Gonna Luv Me". Their song uses the famous "You're gonna love me" lyric as a repeated loop through the song, which the duo raps over.

Jake Gyllenhaal performed it on Saturday Night Live shortly after the films release in a mock performance of Jennifer Hudson. He wore a wig, black heels, and a black sequin dress. Three of the regulars on SNL were his "backup singers", also dressed in a black dress, heels, and wigs.

Jasmine Trias performs the song at the Flamingo Hotel as the first American Idol finalist to hold residency on the Las Vegas Strip in 2007. Trias states that she was intimidated to take on the song after hearing Jennifer Hudson's version.

On December 19 2007, 14 year old Filipino Charice Pempengco performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She had also sang it earlier in the year in the Korean show Star King. In 2008 she flew to London,U.K she was given a standing ovation from the audience after performing the same song on Paul O'Grady Show. This was her first performance and appearance on the show.

Chart positions

Jennifer Holliday version

Notes