Some songs arrive with a spark. “Relight My Fire” arrived with enough electricity to power the entire dance floor. Written and originally recorded by Dan Hartman in 1979, it combined romantic desperation with disco’s glorious gift for making heartache sound like a celebration.
Fourteen years later, British boy band Take That introduced the song to another generation, bringing Scottish powerhouse Lulu along for the ride. But those two recordings are only part of its story. Other performers have also taken a turn at keeping this particular fire burning.
Dan Hartman Lights the Match
Hartman was already an accomplished musician before “Relight My Fire.” As a member of the Edgar Winter Group, he wrote and sang “Free Ride,” then found solo disco success with “Instant Replay” in 1978. “Relight My Fire,” the title track of his next album, continued that transformation from rock musician to dance-floor favorite.
The song’s emotional premise is simple: a relationship has lost its heat, and Hartman wants the love back. The recording turns that plea into something grand, with driving percussion, sweeping orchestration and a chorus practically designed for a roomful of people to sing together.
Dan Hartman (1979)
Then Comes Loleatta Holloway
Her enormous, gospel-charged voice supplies the original recording’s climactic female vocal passage. Hartman gives the song its urgency; Holloway makes it sound as though the roof might lift off. Her contribution is essential to the record’s identity, even though she was not consistently given prominent featured billing on its early releases.
For listeners who know only the shorter single, the extended “Vertigo/Relight My Fire” offers another experience entirely. Its instrumental opening builds anticipation before the familiar song bursts through—a reminder that disco records could be dramatic musical journeys rather than merely three-minute singles. The recording became a No. 1 American disco-chart hit, although Hartman’s original failed to enter the UK singles chart.
Dan Hartman feat. Loleatta Holloway (1979)
Take That and Lulu Turn Up the Heat
In 1993, Take That were becoming one of Britain’s biggest pop sensations. Gary Barlow, Robbie Williams, Mark Owen, Howard Donald and Jason Orange had the choreography, the charm and a rapidly expanding army of devoted fans.
Their version of “Relight My Fire,” included on Everything Changes, paired Barlow’s lead vocal with Lulu’s powerhouse guest performance. Lulu took the vocal role associated with Holloway, bringing her own unmistakable rasp and theatrical force. The production updated the song for the 1990s while preserving its disco spirit.
It was an inspired combination: youthful boy band glamour meeting a veteran singer who could match the entire group’s energy with one vocal entrance.
The single reached No. 1 in the UK in October 1993 and stayed there for two weeks. It became Take That’s second British chart-topper, following “Pray,” and gave Lulu her first UK No. 1 single—almost three decades after her breakthrough with “Shout.”
Take That ft. Lulu(1993)
Who Else Has Covered “Relight My Fire”?
Take That recorded its best-known pop remake, but several other artists have interpreted the song. Notable examples include:
- Café Society — 1984: The South African group recorded an early cover featuring singers Anneline Malebo and Lolly Peterson, years before Take That’s version. Its release appears in contemporary British music-trade listings from late 1984.
- Julian “Jumpin” Perez — 1989: The Chicago DJ and producer released a house treatment, carrying Hartman’s disco composition into another era of club music. Recordsale
- Chuck Jackson — 1989: The American soul singer also recorded the song, adding another established R&B voice to its cover history.
- Hermes House Band — 1992: The Dutch party band released a live rendition on Thuis, preceding Take That’s hit by a year.
- Ricky Martin featuring Loleatta Holloway — 2003: Martin’s club-oriented version, produced by Hex Hector, incorporated Holloway’s original vocals. Released promotionally with several dance mixes, it reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart.
- Gary Barlow featuring Nicole Scherzinger — 2013: Barlow revisited the song in a separately released live performance with Scherzinger taking the female vocal spotlight.
- Cascada — 2024: The German dance act added its own recording, extending the song’s cover history into another decade.
A Flame That Keeps Finding New Fuel
“Relight My Fire” works because its emotions are as immediate as its rhythm. It is a plea for another chance delivered with the confidence of a celebration.
Hartman and Holloway created the original disco blaze. Take That and Lulu turned it into a defining 1990s pop moment. The subsequent covers show how easily that combination of longing, release and sheer vocal excitement travels between generations.
The fashions change. The choreography changes. That chorus still knows exactly what to do.
