Despite the flood of damaging comment that had been threatening her career, it was also one of her most successful singles, reaching No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Only two of her singles ("BOMT" and "Womanizer", both of which topped the chart) have placed higher. On the other hand, its opening placement at No.3 in the UK chart was something of a disappointment by Britney’s standards.

The video did not in any way match up to the quality of the song, and could, wiithout injustice, be considered to be her worst. Initial rumors suggested that a melodramatic, indeed tragic, story line had been developed, and fans did indeed crave a story-based video. But in the end, any such ideas were abandoned and all that remained was some footage of a sad-looking, brunette Britney dancing rather listlessly around a pole, watched by a blonde Britney and some pals.

It later emerged that Britney had been topless (apart from some temporary tattoos around her nipples) for part of the shoot. If these scenes had been included in the final cut, it would doubtless have provoked considerable interest and - of course - outrage. But, for better or worse, they were not.

The poor video and lack of enthusiastic promotion were especially disappointing because “Gimme More” deserved so much better. Written by Nathan "Danja" Hills, James "Beanz" Washington, Keri Hilson and Marcella “Lago” Araica (the team responsible for “Break The Ice” and "Perfect Lover"), produced by Danja and engineered, programmed and mixed by Lago, it’s quite a complex creation. Jim Beanz was responsible for the vocal production and added some additional backing vocals along with Keri Hilson, but as usual, most of the vocal lines are sung by Britney herself.

As is often the case with Britney tracks, the instrumental parts programmed by Lago seem perfunctory in that no real instruments or instrumentalists are involved, but they are nevertheless effective. “Gimme More” kicks off with a powerful synth riff, boxy bass drum sound, and a one-or-two-note bassline. Discreet keyboard squiggles can be heard here and there and a 3-note keyboard figure enters the fray at 2:10. Warbly synth strings join at 2:50 and the opening synth riff reappears at the end.

It sounds sketchy but it’s adequate because this track is basically a vocal-fest, with numerous alternating, intertwining and overlapping vocal lines. An attempt to describe the song’s structure in standardised terms might go as follows: 1. Opening speech “It’s Britney, bitch... I hear you and I just wanna dance with you...”) 2. Verse 1 Part 1 (“Every time they turn the lights down...”) . 3. Verse 1 Part 2 (“Working it down...”). 4. Chorus (“Gimme, gimme more...”) 5. Verse 2 Part 1. 6. Verse 2 Part 2. 7. Middle eight (Ooh-ooh-ooh chanting and whispering) 8. Coda on chorus. 9. Bridge (Oooh-ah, ah-ah-ah...) 10. Variant on chorus. 11. Danja’s announcement. 12. End and fade (Ooh-ooh-ooh chanting)

In part 1 of each verse, Britney sings in high register. And, if you wear headphones and imagine your head to be a soundstage, you can hear that her vocal is placed centrally. In Verse 1 Part 1, there are also staccato interjections at left and right. In part 2 of each verse (which Britney sings in middle register) her vocal is split into a double-tracked stereo pair at extreme left and right with her whispered interjections at center. “Feels like the crowd are saying...” is back at center and introduces the chorus “Gimme gimme MORE gimme gimme MORE....” which is, once again, a stereo pair at extreme left and right.

The construction, mixing and assembly of the track are as intricate as the innards of an old-fashioned Swiss watch. Observe, for example, how the background chanting is presented as a narrow stereo pair and thus does not interfere with the more-widely-positioned chorus when it returns. Meanwhile, Britney’s extemporisations on the coda are at center, so they are also kept distinct from the basic structure of the chorus. Note how the chorus alternates “Gimme gimme MORE” by Britney and “Gimme more” by a deep male voice. Note also how the same 3-note ascending figure recurs continually in different forms, both instrumentally and vocally, lending coherence and tying the whole thing together.

But what about Britney’s vocal performance? I consider her to be one of the great pop voices of all time, and a remarkable studio performer. Many agree that she USED to be that, yet it was fashionable, when “Blackout” was released, to talk as if Britney’s vocals were “phoned in from her crack den” or magicked into being in the studio from digitised samples of her voice. But such ill-considered opinions can only have arisen from negative bias and prejudice. There is no point in “Gimme More” at which her vocals sound either robotic or synthesized, nor anything less than committed. Jim Beanz noted at the time that none of the drama in her personal life played out when the two were working together. "Britney is amazing. Everyone has personal stuff, but a true professional doesn’t bring it into the studio,” he said.

Britney sings the verses with her usual graceful smoothness and elegant vibrato, but still manages to inject considerable attack and edge where required. She is assertive in the chorus and almost pleading in the coda, all the while adding her characteristic whispered asides, gasps, sighs, squeals and laughter. The track is full of her personality and charm above all else, and if I were Britney, I would consider it somewhat insulting that Danja credited “the incredible Lago” before “the legendary Miss Britney Spears”. On the other hand, he gave her the line “It’s Britney, bitch!” And it most definitely is.

Comments (0)