Elouise takes on Tainted Love

Elouise has been winning hearts and steadily building a loyal fanbase over the last couple of years with her big ballads and camp covers. With a little help from Kylie's long-time collaborator Steve Anderson and Bobby from Don't Stop The Pop, the stunning English rose has single-handedly revived the torch song and carved a niche that is very much her own in a market otherwise flooded with soulless clones. I admire that she's taking things slowly and perfecting her sound before churning out a studio album. The world's first taste of Elouise was her lovely Stardust EP, which was followed by another mini-album and now a soon-to-be-released album of covers based on the music she performs in "Little Belter", her monthly residential at Madame Jojo's in London. The show celebrates female divas like Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, Barbra Streisand and Dusty Springfield - making it, quite possibly, the gayest production on earth! I'd kill to see it but I guess I'll have to make do with the soundtrack for now.

The first cut from "Little Belter" - now available on iTunes - is a stunning rendition of "Tainted Love", made famous by Soft Cell but covered by everyone from Marilyn Manson to The Pussycat Dolls. Needless to say, Elouise's version is by far the most theatrical. From the fabulous brass in the intro to the big band, swing sound of the chorus, this is a dramatic tour de force that should be appreciated in a dark room with mood lighting, dusty chandeliers and crushed velvet curtains - preferably with a martini in one hand and a cigarette in the other. You don't have to inhale. It's just for effect! As usual, Steve Anderson's production is exquisite and Elouise has never sounded lovelier. The initial reaction to "Tainted Love" has been amazing with the song swiftly becoming the most requested on OutQ - the largest gay radio network in the world. Check out the song below to see what all the fuss is about and sign up to the diva's Mailing List to get a free mp3 of her radical improvement on Gaga's hideous "Born This Way" and a new jam called "The Lovers' Rumba". It's every bit as camp as the title would suggest and comes highly recommended.