"Salva Mea" (faux Latin for "save me") is a song by British electronic band Faithless, released in 1995 as the group's first single and became a hit on the Dance Charts, and then, following its re-release in 1996, #9 in the UK. The album version is more than ten minutes long and contains Maxi Jazz's distinctive rapping. The female vocals on all versions are by Dido (Faithless founding member Rollo is her brother). There is also a Way Out West remix which can be found on Reverence / Irreverence set and in 2015 to mark 20 Years of Faithless. British based DJ and production trio Above and Beyond left their mark on this track and gave it a massive boost for the clubs.
"Salva Mea" | ||||
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![]() UK CD 1 | ||||
Single by Faithless | ||||
from the album Reverence | ||||
Released | July 1995 | |||
Recorded | 1995 | |||
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Length | 10:47 | |||
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Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Rollo | |||
Faithless singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Salva Mea" on YouTube | ||||
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![]() UK CD 2 | ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
![]() European cover | ||||
The song topped the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart twice—during its first chart run in 1996 and again in 1997 when the track was remixed and reissued.[1]
Part of the song is sampled in the Enrique Iglesias song "Dirty Dancer".
In a retrospective review of the Reverence album, Justin Chadwick from Albumism commented, "While “Insomnia” is phenomenal, it was primarily the epic grandeur and sinister soundscape of “Salva Mea” that blew me away and made me fall madly in love with Faithless’ transcendent sound. Among the group’s myriad standout songs, it’s still my most beloved."[2] Upon the 1995 release, Alan Jones from Music Week called it "the piece de résistance" of the album, noting that "the severely under-rated single" marked Rollo as "the Jim Steinman of dance music."[3] In 1996, a reviewer from the magazine rated it three out of five, adding that "this pizzicato synth-driven floorfiller, with its distinctive changes in tempo and vocals, should emulate their recent number three hit Insomnia."[4] Jones said, "Finally, the inevitable has happened and Faithless's finest recording Salva Mea is back with even more new mixes. As far over the top as Rollo & Sister Bliss have ever got, it's an epic tune and every inch a Top 10 hit."[5]
A black-and-white music video was produced to promote the single, directed by British director Lindy Heymann.[6] It was later published on Faithless' official YouTube channel in November 2009. The video has amassed more than 2,3 million views as of October 2021.[7]
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