"Just Be" is a song by Tiësto, featuring British singer and songwriter Kirsty Hawkshaw.
With its first appearance being the title track of Tiësto's album Just Be, the song was released as the album's third single on 11 October 2004. The single was promoted with a remix by Antillas, which also became the selected track for the official music video. Antillas' remix was also the featured radio promo, while the original version of the song remained exclusive to the album. The Antillas' remix was made popular by John Garabedian, host of the syndicated Open House Party, as a frequent close out song to his program which he still plays to this present day.
The song was eventually reissued under a new title, "Just Be Me", produced by Jimmy Gomez. The alternative production made its debut on the 2004 drama series soundtrack ', compiled by American DJ duo Gabriel & Dresden. It eventually saw a second appearance the following year, being featured as the opening track on Kirsty Hawkshaw's second album, Meta-Message, released on 10 October 2004.
In a 2013 Reddit AMA, Kirsty Hawkshaw explained the creation and production of Just Be, where originally it was written by her friend Judie Tzuke, who also wrote the song "Dreaming", which Hawkshaw performed with BT. Hawkshaw had been a fan of TzukeâÂÂs work since the 1970s and encouraged her to write lyrics and melodies for dance music tracks.
Hawkshaw recorded a version of the song, titled Just Be Me, with Jimmy Gomez and Judie Tzuke, who co-wrote the original instrumental backing. This version eventually appeared on HawkshawâÂÂs second album, Meta-Message. Both BT and Tiësto heard this version on HawkshawâÂÂs website and expressed interest in including the track on their albums. Hawkshaw initially hesitated but eventually agreed, citing the common practice in the dance music industry where DJs typically only play vocal tracks they own the rights to. She also commented on the tendency for vocalists in the genre to be treated as featured performers rather than full artists, which she found frustrating.
During the recording process for Tiësto's album Just Be, Hawkshaw said she worked in a studio in Eindhoven with friends known as Warm, including Dennis Waakop-Reijers, a co-producer on many of TiëstoâÂÂs classic tracks. Hawkshaw described Dennis as extremely talented and said she felt a strong musical connection with him. She recorded the vocals for TiëstoâÂÂs tracks there and sent them to his production team for further work. Hawkshaw described her relationship with Tiësto as limited but positive, including social meetings such as dinners near Breda. She characterized Tiësto as a production director who contributed ideas and direction rather than being a traditional musician. Hawkshaw regarded working with Tiësto as an important step in her career but publicly expressed disappointment at not being included in his tour and being replaced by session vocalists, a decision she found offensive.
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Magik Muzik, Media Records, Kontor Records 12" Vinyl
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Wally Lopez Remixes