August 8, 2001 9:04

CHER AND SOPHIE'S DOMESTIC!

Bextor's version of 'Take Me Home', released by Cher in 1979, is too 'overtly sexual' for the Oscar-winner...

SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR has fallen out with CHER after the Hollywood star said SOPHIE's new single 'TAKE ME HOME' was too dirty, NME.COM can exclusively reveal.

Cher originally released 'Take Me Home' in 1979, although it was written by LA songwriters Aller and Esty. Sophie Ellis-Bextor releases her version of 'Take Me Home' on August 13, but she's heard from Cher's "people" that the new lyrics are too "sexual".

Cher famously appeared in the video for her single 'If I Could Turn Back Time' in a barely there lace dress, suggestively sat legs astride the huge gunbarrel of a battleship.

Sophie told NME.COM: "I was told by my publishers that Cher heard my version and she doesn't like my new lyrics. She thinks it's too overtly sexual. But the original writers were happy for me to do that - Cher didn't actually write it so she didn't get approval about what happened to the song. Now apparently she's heard what I've done and she doesn't like it."

In the early version, Cher sings romantically about "makin' love", whereas Sophie is a bit more aggressive, saying "only fair I get my way".

Sophie admitted: "Sometimes when I listen to my version I do nearly blush because it is quite overt."

Her debut album, 'Read My Lips', is released on September 3. For more details on the album, her collaboration with Moby and her link to Michael Jackson, see this week's NME (August 11), in shops nationwide today (August 8).

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