"Fame": Oh, baby, remember that name? " If the original song had a wink and a nod to Donna Summer, our song has a wink and a nod to Lady Gaga, maybe Katy Perry, or Keri Hilson. But what really makes it special is Naturi's delivery. You hear those vocals, and you really believe."

— Brian McNelis, soundtrack producer

It's a new class, but the remake of "Fame" is keeping some of its music old-school.

The revamped version of the 1980 movie about kids struggling for perfection at a performing arts high school in New York features a different cast of characters but brings back that signature title song — the one that proclaims "I'm gonna live forever!" (It was co-written by 1968 St. Louis High School grad Dean Pitchford. For more on the connection see Wayne Harada's blog on page 38).

"I think the song is iconic because it touches the heart of so many people's dreams and aspirations," says soundtrack producer Brian McNelis. "The lyrics of the song are the stories of the characters in the film, the aspiration to make it as a performing artist."

The film opens today, but the soundtrack came out last month.

The original "Fame" theme with its disco-infused soul became a hit single and claimed an Oscar for best original song. The new version gravitates toward glossy hip-hop but retains the soul. It's performed by Naturi Naughton, who is in the new film as Denise, an aspiring singer and classical pianist.

"When we went in to re-imagine the song, we found out there were certain elements of the original, particularly that very-disco synthesized bass line, that were difficult to translate into a contemporary format," McNelis says.

"The strength of the song was in the vocal delivery, the melody line and the lyrics. So when you're dealing with somebody as talented as Naturi is, we let her sit with the song and find her own place with it."

In the original film, the song is blasted from speakers atop a taxi driven by the father of the songwriter, who tries to boost his son's confidence by pulling up in front of the school and coaxing scores of dancers into the street merely by turning up the volume.

That scene won't be in the new movie because director Kevin Tancharoen says it was too memorable to try to redo. But it was re-created for a separate music video.

There are song-and-dance numbers in the movie, but only when the students are actually singing and dancing. "The characters never bust out singing out of nowhere, and they don't turn to the camera and sing to the audience," Tancharoen says.

The music video is more in line with a traditional fantasy sequence, with Naughton, in a frilly purple skirt, rainbow sequined jacket and one glittering eyelid, emerging from a taxi to lead her own dance on a New York street, complete with erupting fire hydrants.

"If the original song had a wink and a nod to Donna Summer, our song has a wink and a nod to Lady Gaga, maybe Katy Perry or Keri Hilson," McNelis says. "But what really makes it special is Naturi's delivery. You hear those vocals, and you really believe."

On the soundtrack, Naughton sings two new songs ("Can't Hide From Love" and "Get On the Floor") as and "Hold Your Dream" with co-stars. She also sings the melancholy piano ballad "Out Here On My Own," sung in the original film by Irene Cara.

Naughton, 25, was also seen this year as Lil' Kim in the Biggie Smalls biopic "Notorious."

Standing on a faux New York street in the sunny glare of the Southern California sun on the Paramount Studios lot, Naughton prepares to shoot the "Fame" music video dance scene. She says the theme song lyrics, "Fame! I'm gonna live forever/ Baby, remember my name ...," may be almost 30 years old, but still speak for her and many others.

"Living forever is something we all really crave. You want to feel like you're contributing something during your time on Earth. That you're worth it.

"Hopefully this will be that moment for me, when people finally remember mine," she says, adding with a laugh as she pumps her fist in the air: 'Remember Naturi!"'