I Am What I Am (Broadway musical song)

"I Am What I Am" is a song originally introduced in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical La Cage aux Folles. The song is the finale number of the musical's first act, and performed by the character of Albin Mougeotte, first played by George Hearn.[1] His version appears on the original cast album released in 1983.[2] The song was composed by Jerry Herman, an openly gay man.

Gloria Gaynor version

"I Am What I Am"
Single by Gloria Gaynor
from the album I Am Gloria Gaynor
B-side	More Than Enough (7")
Released	1983
Genre	Soul, disco
Length	5:56 (album version & 12"), 3:51 (7")
Label	Chrysalis
Songwriter(s)	Jerry Herman
Producer(s)	Joel Diamond
Gloria Gaynor singles chronology
"America" (1983) "I Am What I Am" (1983) "Strive" (1984)

The song was released as a single by Gloria Gaynor in 1983 and went on to become one of the singer's best known songs. Producer Joel Diamond recognized the song's disco potential when he saw La Cage Aux Folles on Broadway and arranged for Gaynor - whose 1978 ...Park Avenue Sound album he'd produced - to record it.[3] A club hit in America, Gaynor's version of "I Am What I Am" was a Top 40 hit throughout Europe, becoming established as a global gay anthem.

Track listing

• 7" single[4]

A. "I Am What I Am" – 3:51

B. "More Than Enough" – 4:46

• 12" single[5]

A. "I Am What I Am" (Extended Version) – 5:56

B. "I Am What I Am" (Dub Mix) – 5:10

Chart performance

Chart (1983–84)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	69
Belgium[6]	36
Germany[7]	35
Ireland (IRMA)[8]	18
Netherlands (MegaCharts)[9]	37
South Africa (Springbok)[10]	12
Switzerland[11]	20
UK Singles Chart (OCC)[12]	13
U.S. Dance Music/Club Play Singles (Billboard)[13]	3
U.S. R&B Singles (Billboard)[14]	82
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100[15]	102

Other versions

• Eddie Fisher recorded the song for his 1983 album The Best of Times - is Now!.
• Shirley Bassey recorded the song for her 1984 album I Am What I Am. That version was released as a single from the album, with "This Is My Life" as the B-side, but did not chart.
• In Argentina, singer Sandra Mihanovich recorded a Spanish language-cover of the song called "Soy lo que soy", released on an album of the same name in 1984.[16]
• Pia Zadora recorded "I Am What I Am" on her 1986 album of the same name and released it as a single.
• Marti Webb released a cover of the song on her 1989 album Performance.
• In 1998, Respect recorded a cover of the song featuring British singer Hannah Jones which was used in the British television series Queer as Folk. In 2004, Jones released a solo version of the song.
• Swedish artist Lars-Åke Wilhelmsson, performing under his drag queen name Babsan, released a Swedish language-cover of the song "Jag är som jag är" in 1999.
• Dutch model and singer Karen Mulder released a cover of the song in 2002. The single reached no. 13 in France, no. 22 in Belgium's Wallonia region, and no. 81 in Switzerland.[17]
• Ken Page recorded a cover of the song for a Jerry Herman tribute album Tap Your Troubles Away: The Words & Music of Jerry Herman released in 2003.[18]
• Linda Eder covered "I Am What I Am" on her 2003 album Broadway My Way and released it as a single. It peaked at no. 40 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs in the US.[19]
• Parody duo Amateur Transplants released a cover of the song on their 2008 album Unfit to Practise.
• John Barrowman recorded a cover of the song for his 2008 album Music Music Music.[20]
• Amanda Lear covered "I Am What I Am" on her 2009 EP Brand New Love Affair and released as a digital single in May 2010.[21]
• In 2011, Páll Oskar released an Icelandic version of the song called "Ég er eins og ég er".
• The song was used as the closing number of the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London sung by Beverley Knight.
• Anthony Geary (as his character Luke Spencer) performed a version of this song at the 2014 Nurses Ball in an episode of the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital on May 9, 2014.
• In the Philippines, the song was performed by Maricel Soriano in the 2015 TV series Inday Bote.
• Ginger Minj performed a version of this song at the 2016 Trailblazer Honors in tribute to Harvey Fierstein.

Other use

• The Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands, a former micronation that occupied the Coral Sea Islands off Australia, had adopted the song as their national anthem.[22]

References

1. Summers, Claude J. (2004). The Queer Encyclopedia of Music, Dance, & Musical Theater. Cleis Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-1-57344-198-8.
2. "La Cage Aux Folles (Original Cast Recording) by La Cage Aux Folles (Original Broadway Cast) on iTunes". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
3. Arena, James (2013). First Ladies of Disco: 32 Stars Discuss the Era and Their Singing Careers. Jefferson NC: McFarland & Company. pp. 108. ISBN 978-0-7864-7581-0.
4. "Gloria Gaynor - I Am What I Am (Vinyl) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
5. "Gloria Gaynor - I Am What I Am (Vinyl) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
6. "Gloria Gaynor - I Am What I Am". ultratop.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2018-05-28.
7. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts". offiziellecharts.de (in German). Retrieved 2018-05-28.
8. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Am What I Am". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
9. "Discografie Gloria Gaynor". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2018-05-28.
10. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
11. "Gloria Gaynor - I Am What I Am". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 2018-05-28.
12. "GLORIA GAYNOR | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
13. "Gloria Gaynor Chart History". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
14. "Gloria Gaynor Chart History". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
15. Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004
16. "Soy lo que Soy | 1984 archivos - Sandra Mihanovich | Sitio Oficial" (in Spanish). www.sandramihanovich.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
17. "Karen Mulder - I Am What I Am" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
18. "The Words and Music of Jerry Herman: Tap Your Troubles Away - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
19. "Linda Eder Chart History". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
20. "Music Music Music - John Barrowman Official Site". www.johnbarrowman.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
21. "I Am What I Am (TV Final Mix) - Single by Amanda Lear on Apple Music". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
22. "The Story Of The Gay & Lesbian Kingdom Of The Coral Sea Islands". henriettahudson.com. 2015-04-04. Retrieved 2018-05-28.