Amii Stewart, a Washington native was in the touring company of the stage production Bubbling Brown Sugar in 1975 in Miami, Broadway, and eventually London’s West End, where she met Barry Leng, a record producer for Hansa records. Her first single release, YOU REALLY TOUCHED MY HEART a Barry Leng/Simon May composition produced by Leng, appeared in 1978. An album followed which contained two notable cover versions. • Amii first hit with a disco cover version of the Eddie Floyd hit KNOCK ON WOOD, which reached number one in the U.S. in April 1979, earning her a platinum record and Grammy nomination. It also reached number 6 in the UK, and number 2 in Australia. Later in the year she followed it with another disco cover version of The Doors’ LIGHT MY FIRE, as a medley incorporating 137 DISCO HEAVEN. In early 1980 Amii released a further medley of the two Motown classics MY GUY and MY GIRL – which charted in the UK top 40 – as a duet with Johnny Bristol. • “FRIENDS” returned Amii to the UK chart in 1985. On the back of this new success Leng decided to issue a double A-Side single featuring KNOCK ON WOOD and LIGHT MY FIRE/137 DISCO HEAVEN in brand new 1985 remixes. The single was a huge success in the UK where it peaked at number 7. Leng then set about creating a whole album of new mixes of his Amii Stewart productions which was released as “The Hits” in late 1985. • New mixes of other earlier hits such as JEALOUSY and PARADIDSE BIRD sat alongside further new remix singles. The re-titled YOU REALLY TOUCH MY HEART made UK number 89 and a brand new recording of MY GUY/ MY GIRL, this time with Deon Estus as duet partner which made number 63 in the UK in early 1986. • Cherry Pop is proud to announce the release of this newly remastered edition of THE HITS: REMIXED which features two bonus track 1985 12? mixes of KNOCK ON WOOD and LIGHT MY FIRE/137 DISCO HEAVEN as well as brand new 2016 art work and liner notes.
