A blog about my favourite movies, music, and TV.

25 October 2008

Susannah Hoffs

Most famous as the lead singer of The Bangles, Susanna Hoffs has also tried her hand to acting and a solo career. The Bangles broke up after their 1989 album Everything. Susanna released her first solo single, the beautiful My Side of the Bed, in 1991. It flopped as did the album and she was pretty much dumped on the pop scrap heap. Presumably this gave her the freedom to make what is probably the best work, a self-titled CD released by London Records in 1996. The lead single, a cover of the Lightning Seeds', All I Want, was a minor Top 40 hit, although the album sank without trace. That in no way detracts from the quality of the songs, my personal favourites are collected in this little EP I put together. Including: Beekeepers Blues; All I Want; King of Tragedy; and a cover of Stuck in the Middle with You. All of the tracks have a great retro vibe and some even are a bit sad, but without being maudlin and dreary. The whole CD is well worth tracking down, but these tracks will tide you over. King of Tragedy is a bit 60’s, which is interesting as the next thing Susanna did was work on the Austin Powers soundtrack. Since reuniting with The Bangles in 2000 she has toured extensively and they scored a Top 40 hit with their 2003 comeback single Something That You Said in the UK. They released a live DVD, Return to Bangledonia, last year.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XkA7U1UHnsY - the video for All I Want

http://sharebee.com/731e04e7 - 4 tracks

http://seds.org/~michaelk/SAL.html - oldie, but goody! A fan discography.

She's a distinguished actress too....

Heart - There's The Girl

What’s not to love about 80’s Heart? I saw a Celine Dion TV special recently where she described her favourite things about them – their hair, their songs and their guitars! I couldn’t agree more. They’re a complete 80’s pop/rock package and their 1985 self titled LP is one of my all time favourites. This single is taken from their 1987 LP, Bad Animals. There’s The Girl was the follow up single to the smash hit Alone, and it’s a great single. Blonde sister Nancy is on lead vocals and these remixes are by Chris Lord Alge. The 7” Remix is barely any different to the LP version, but the 12” Remix adds some subtle funk into the mix. Heart are still around playing shows, in the past few years they’ve released a live DVD, a Christmas CD, and a new album, Jupiter’s Darling in 2004. Ann Wilson released a solo CD last year.

Check out the video - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MkSIq2VDLgM

Here are the mixes - http://www.zshare.net/download/50408698cabafa46/

Here's a sexy pin up of Nancy....