Cyndi Lauper, Erasure, Debbie Harry, Margeret Cho

Xstr8guy · 03-12-2007, 09:29 PM

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.

**DonMike** · 03-13-2007, 12:42 PM

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.

**SPACE GLIDER** · 03-14-2007, 02:46 AM

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.

**DonMike** · 03-14-2007, 12:58 PM

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.

**SPACE GLIDER** · 03-15-2007, 05:16 AM

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"

**DonMike** · 03-15-2007, 12:42 PM

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.

**SPACE GLIDER** · 03-15-2007, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by DonMike

Blue Angel

Ordering ....

**SPACE GLIDER** · 03-21-2007, 02:18 AM

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

**DonMike** · 03-21-2007, 12:33 PM

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).

**SPACE GLIDER** · 03-22-2007, 03:11 AM

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.)

**IntenseCash.com** · 03-22-2007, 04:36 AM

Should be a great concert already got tickets.

Mark

**DonMike** · 03-22-2007, 12:55 PM

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.

**SPACE GLIDER** · 03-23-2007, 02:03 AM

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.

**DonMike** · 03-23-2007, 12:41 PM

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.