Cyndi Lauper, Erasure, Debbie Harry, Margeret Cho

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03-12-2007, 09:29 PM
Xstr8guy

Cyndi Lauper, Erasure, Debbie Harry, Margeret Cho

HRC has just announced the True Colors Tour featuring a homolicious bunch of performers. Check it out here... http://www.hrc.org/truecolors/

If you go to ticketmaster do the HRC presale and enter 'hrc' in the promotion code box to get your tickets early. Tickets are going fast... I just got the email a few hours ago and when I bought tickets, I was already in row X.

Btw, I know this sounds kinda spammy but I don't benefit in anyway from posting this. I just thought my buds here on GWW might want to know.
03-13-2007, 12:42 PM
DonMike

You know, I've been a huge fan of Cyndi Lauper for as long as I can remember. How wonderful that she is doing this. :)
03-14-2007, 02:46 AM
SPACE GLIDER

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonMike

You know, I've been a huge fan of Cyndi Lauper for as long as I can remember. How wonderful that she is doing this. :)

I recently listened to that 80's album "She's So Unusual" again ... I think it deserved a lot more credit than it received. Even though it sold well and made her a star, I don't think it was given the critical respect and acclaim it deserved. Mainly because folks were maybe subconsciously dismissing Cyndi's talents because of her new wave/punky image.
03-14-2007, 12:58 PM
DonMike

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPACE GLIDER

I recently listened to that 80's album "She's So Unusual" again ... I think it deserved a lot more credit than it received. Even though it sold well and made her a star, I don't think it was given the critical respect and acclaim it deserved. Mainly because folks were maybe subconsciously dismissing Cyndi's talents because of her new wave/punky image.

Did you know that many of the songs on that album were actually covers? But she totally made them all her own in a very unique way. Money Chances Everything was by The Brains (I actually have the 45). When U Were Mine was by Prince, All Through The Night was Julian Cope (have that on a cassette somewhere) and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun was an unreleased demo by new wave artist Robert Hazzard. For Girls she changed some of the lyrics. He originally sang "Some boys take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world, well all my girls are gonna walk in the sun". His song was a little more about seeing girls as being just pretty trophies, but Cyndi's turn of phrase claimed the song as her own and it became a battle cry for girl power (years before the Spice Girls ruined that phrase for good).

An overlooked gem was Cyndi's Sisters of Avalon album, and (in my opinion) her best album so far. If you haven't heard it, I highly recommend it.
03-15-2007, 05:16 AM
SPACE GLIDER

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonMike

Did you know that many of the songs on that album were actually covers?

I had no idea most were covers. I only recognized Prince's "When You Were Mine"
03-15-2007, 12:42 PM
DonMike

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPACE GLIDER

I had no idea most were covers. I only recognized Prince's "When You Were Mine"

Well, a lot of them were demos that were unreleased at the time. I've never heard Hazzard's version of Girls, just a little snippet. Lauper's version was a huge improvement.

She's really come a long way in her songwriting. I mean, She's So Unusual is really good, and she did write some of the songs, but her stuff recently is just amazing. And if you are a fan, try to find yourself a copy Blue Angel. It was the band she was in before she went solo. They were a 50's style band that had some amazing songs. You can order it at http://www.hip-oselect.com.
03-15-2007, 10:56 PM
SPACE GLIDER

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonMike

Blue Angel

Ordering ....
03-21-2007, 02:18 AM
SPACE GLIDER

BLUE ANGEL is great. I especially love "Everybody's Got an Angel". Surprised the band only released one album.
03-21-2007, 12:33 PM
DonMike

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPACE GLIDER

BLUE ANGEL is great. I especially love "Everybody's Got an Angel". Surprised the band only released one album.

That's my favorite track on the whole album. I remember seeing her in concert when I was in high school back in (get this) 1984 (yikes, yes, I really am that old) and she sang "I Had a Love" from Blue Angel. I eventually found the record in a cut-out bin. I've been waiting for them to release this on CD for ages. I'm gonna have to get it.

If you are a big Lauper fan you'll recognize another song off of the Blue Angel CD. "Maybe He'll Know" also appears on the True Colors album. A lot of people don't know that was originally a Blue Angel song. Only on True Colors she re-recorded it and had Billy Joel do the background vocals. I still like the original much better (sorry Mr. Joel).
03-22-2007, 03:11 AM
SPACE GLIDER

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonMike

Billy Joel do the background vocals. I still like the original much better (sorry Mr. Joel).

Yeah, I can't imagine a time when Billy Joel could ever IMPROVE a song that isn't his.

(And I still say he stole "We Didn't Start the Fire" from R.E.M.)
03-22-2007, 04:36 AM
IntenseCash.com

Should be a great concert already got tickets.

Mark
03-22-2007, 12:55 PM
DonMike

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPACE GLIDER

Yeah, I can't imagine a time when Billy Joel could ever IMPROVE a song that isn't his.

(And I still say he stole "We Didn't Start the Fire" from R.E.M.)

Heh heh, he did write some great songs back in the day. But even R.E.M. weren't the first ones to write "list" songs. Anyone here remember "Live is a Rock (but the radio rolled me)? I have no idea who sang that but it was one of those that just spewed a list of rock n roll band names. Sounds pretty cheesy by today's standards but at the time it was really cutting edge.
03-23-2007, 02:03 AM
SPACE GLIDER

When i first heard of Billy Joel he was in what I would say is a shallow period. His songs on the charts were things like "Tell Her About it" and "Uptown Girl". At the time I thought he was a NEW artist.
03-23-2007, 12:41 PM
DonMike

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPACE GLIDER

When i first heard of Billy Joel he was in what I would say is a shallow period. His songs on the charts were things like "Tell Her About it" and "Uptown Girl". At the time I thought he was a NEW artist.

Oh yeah, that was a slippery slope for him. I mean, he was this great badboy or pop in the 70's. "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me", "You May Be Right". I mean, he's written some great songs. I even liked the New Wave intensity of "Pressure". But then he got all gooey when he started dating that model.

But I do have to admit, I'm one of the few people I've ever known who absolutely hates "Piano Man". Like fingernails on a chalkboard that one is.
03-24-2007, 04:36 AM
SPACE GLIDER

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonMike

But I do have to admit, I'm one of the few people I've ever known who absolutely hates "Piano Man"

Oh wow, that's one of his that I really like. Even that video that takes place in the bar.
03-27-2007, 12:33 PM
DonMike

Oh my God, Oh my God, oh my GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was just caller 20 at Star 98.7 radio on Los Angeles and won tickets to the show!!!!!!!!!

They were announcing that tickets go on sale this Saturday and after the whole issue of having to pay for my car repairs and bills and stuff I was thinking that I couldn't afford to buy them this Saturday. And if I waited too long they'd either be sold out or I'd get really crappy seats. Then they said, "but you can get your tickets right now by being the 20th caller!!!".

The funny thing is that I was saying to someone the other day that after all the shit that happened to me the past weekend it's time that something good happens. Woo hoo.

I've also learned a valuable lesson. I used to be one of those people who always said "I never win things like this". Well, the lesson learned is that people who say, "I never" all the time... well, they never. The really do. It's all a matter of thinking positively. Sure shit happens but wonderful things happen to. Yay!!!

Okay, I'm going to be in an obnoxiously good mood all day today. :bunny:
03-27-2007, 03:17 PM
XXXWriterDude

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonMike

Oh my God, Oh my God, oh my GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was just caller 20 at Star 98.7 radio on Los Angeles and won tickets to the show!!!!!!!!!

Hey Don,

That's awesome! I actually JUST interviewed Cyndi this morning. It may have even been at the same time you were calling the radio station (9:15-9:45???). She was very cool to talk with, by the way.

I can't wait for the show myself. Looks like it's going to be a good one. Besides Cyndi and Debbie, I LOVE the Dresden Dolls, so it'll be great to see that show. I might even get to go backstage and meet them all! :)

Congrats again!

KK
03-27-2007, 04:05 PM
DonMike

Quote:

Originally Posted by XXXWriterDude

Hey Don,

That's awesome! I actually JUST interviewed Cyndi this morning. It may have even been at the same time you were calling the radio station (9:15-9:45???). She was very cool to talk with, by the way.

I can't wait for the show myself. Looks like it's going to be a good one. Besides Cyndi and Debbie, I LOVE the Dresden Dolls, so it'll be great to see that show. I might even get to go backstage and meet them all! :)

Congrats again!

KK

You talked to her? Awesome. My two absolute favorites growing up were Cyndi and Blondie, so seeing Debbie and Cyndi on the same night is going to be amazing for me. I saw Blondie a few years ago at the Grove in Anihiem and was squished right up against the stage. Someone gave Debbie a rose and she bit the flower off and spit it into the audience. My friend caught it and I put it in a frame with the concert ticket.

I got to see Cyndy a few years ago at the Roxy. It was set up like a cabaret, with tables and stuff, as she was previewing her album of standards, and our table was close to the stage. At one point she stepped off the stage onto the table in front of us, then onto our table and I helped her down as she used my chair to get to the floor.

Yes, I swooned.

Now if I could just get to meet Stevie Nicks my dance card will be complete. The only other band I love as much as those mentioned were Cocteau Twins, but I have no interest in actually meeting them. I hear they're kinda jerks.
03-27-2007, 04:58 PM
SPACE GLIDER

That's fan-freaking-tastic! What a lucky break! Hope you can take pictures
03-27-2007, 08:15 PM
Xstr8guy

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonMike

... But even R.E.M. weren't the first ones to write "list" songs...

Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan is the first list song I can think of. But he probably just 'borrowed' the idea from Woody Guthrie just like everything else he did in the early years. ;)
03-27-2007, 08:20 PM
Xstr8guy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xstr8guy

Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan is the first list song I can think of. But he probably just 'borrowed' the idea from Woody Guthrie just like everything else he did in the early years. ;)

Gotta love the WIKI! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subterr...Homesick_Blues

Haha, I was right!

Quote:

[The song] was, in fact, an extraordinary three-way amalgam of Jack Kerouac, the Guthrie/Pete Seeger song "Taking It Easy" ('mom was in the kitchen preparing to eat/sis was in the pantry looking for some yeast') and the riffed-up rock'n'roll poetry of [Chuck] Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business".

Another interesting tidbit...

Quote:

In the November 2006 issue of the popular Dutch music magazine OOR, R.E.M.'s singer Michael Stipe admits to having written the lyrics to the bands 1988 single "It's the End of the World as We Know it (And I Feel Fine)" in the same (random-sounding) style as this song.
03-27-2007, 08:34 PM
DonMike

Wow, how could I forget the biggie of them all. Yeah, that's a great Dylan song. Right on.

Found an interesting tidbit about the song I mentioned earlier. I wonder if I can track this down somewhere.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_is_a_rock