It is with a very heavy heart that I make this latest post. In case you haven't heard yet, my idol Vanity aka Denise Katrina Matthews passed away at the age of 57 due to kidney failure on February 15, 2016. It has taken me a few days to deal with this, but now I feel I must honour her with a (very lengthy) post, a post that has been requested by several of you over the years. Vanity was the reason I started this blog nine years ago. Like so many featured on this blog, Vanity was an unsung pop star who was forgotten over the years yet deserved recognition. She did have a higher profile, at least in the 80s, than many acts featured here, which is why I resisted doing a post on her then. But she was my initial motivation, as I was a huge fan of hers from the moment I saw her and she remained my ultimate diva. I had even originally named this blog after her first major film, Tanya's Island, which she made before she was known as Vanity and was using the moniker D.D. Winters. Even my 'Nasty G' name comes from the Vanity 6 song "Nasty Girl". Much has been written about her over the past few days, so her past is well documented on the internet and I won't go into too much detail here. For that you can also check her
Wikipedia page. But I do want to share my personal memories of her. The first time I laid eyes on her was in 1984 when I was 14 and she appeared on the Canadian music TV show The New Music. They were doing a feature on Prince's female protegees. At the time I was a casual Prince fan and had just become a Sheila E. fan, so I was curious about these other women. The moment they showed an image of Vanity I was smitten. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes upon (and still is) and she had an irresistible magnetism just through that one image that drew me in forever. Then they showed some clips from her music videos and I was all hers. The fact that she was a fellow Canadian was a huge bonus. This was around when she released her first solo album
Wild Animal, and it was the only thing I cared about receiving for Christmas that year, which I did. I adored the album (despite family and friends insisting that she couldn't really sing) and I practically wore out the cassette the first week! I was consumed with finding images of her after that and snatched up every magazine that she was in, from
Right On to
Playboy to
Creem, The photos went on my wall immediately. I also scoured the television for appearances by her, though back then we had limited channels and only video cassettes to capture things on. But I wore out those video tapes as well whenever I was able to capture anything Vanity, especially her "Pretty Mess" video. She was always a coquettish and magnetic presence in both her performances and interviews, with undeniable charisma. Soon after a family friend managed to find a vinyl copy of the Vanity 6 album and I was in heaven! The sexuality and naughtiness of both albums were just the kind of rebellion I needed as a lonely, overweight, awkward teen. I delighted in shocking everyone around me with her lyrics and image. Her outlandishness empowered me. I remember my father watching the "Nasty Girl" video and dismissing her after she claimed that she needed "seven inches or more", clearly intimidated by her beauty and sexuality, as he fancied himself a Casanova but knew he'd never have a chance. This pleased me even more. Soon her movie
The Last Dragon was being promoted and I longed to see it, but living in a small town with a two cinema theatre, it was never shown, so I had to satiate myself with the soundtrack and
soundtrack poster, which I begged to have from the only record store in town. Obviously I immediately adored the song "
7th Heaven" from it. Luckily our theatre did show Purple Rain and I had become a bigger Prince fan because of it, as well as a fan of Apollonia, who had replaced Vanity in the movie after Vanity, having realized that Prince would never love and focus only on her, pursued the independence that could make her career flourish. Unfortunately
Apollonia (who is also featured on the Isle) paled in comparison to Vanity in my eyes, lacking her extreme magnetism and sensuality - though I do still adore Apples. As Apollonia herself admitted this week,
Vanity was a tough act to follow. ;) I wished at that time that Vanity had stayed with Prince, as everyone's career who was connected to him was blowing up. (Though she managed to do quite well on Motown and had two Billboard Hot 100 hits.) Teenagers being complicated and fickle, I was soon distracted with my awkward social world. That, combined with the extreme difficulty in tracking anyone's career in those pre-internet times, led to my surprise when I came across her second album
Skin On Skin. Of course I snatched it up, though while I adored the first single "Under The Influence", the rest of the album was a bit of a let down. It lacked the extreme electro-funk and sexuality of
Wild Animal, and while she wrote and co-produced all of the material on
Wild Animal, she was barely present in the creation of
Skin On Skin. Though her vocals had noticeably improved, it seemed a lot less personal. Of course, I still loved the album, and songs like "Animals" and "Ouch!" kept up that sexy silliness. The album didn't seem to get as much attention, however, and Vanity showed up on TV less and less. During that time she was also starring in many movies like
Never Too Young To Die and
Action Jackson (I adored the Jesse Johnson produced track "
Undress" from it and was thrilled she was in the video for the Pointer Sisters' "
He Turned Me Out", also featured on it), though of course they never made it to my two cinema town, and it took years before anything new came out on video back then. These things combined to take my focus off of her. There was one time in 1989, however, when she was filming an episode of the Friday The 13th TV series in Toronto entitled '
Mesmer's Bauble' (in which she starred alongside Isle postee
Robey), that a friend's brother was lucky enough to be at the filming, and he came back regaling me with stories of her. I was extremely jealous. She had been so close! But soon I was off to university and was distracted by my new academic and social life and all that that entailed. I thought of her occasionally (like when I randomly scored a publicity poster of her as "
Miss Audio-Visual 1984", and when I used "Strap On Robbie Baby" to shock a sociology class), but she fell to the back of my mind and became a bit of a teenage embarrassment. In 1990 I did hear that she was filming a movie called Lambada: Set The Night On Fire and was extremely excited about the new song she was to record for it, but it was soon revealed that she dropped out of the film, and the song, "
Gotta Lambada", ended up being recorded by female duo Absolut instead. She did appear in the TV movie
Memories Of Murder that year, which was the first Lifetime movie ever, but of course I didn't get Lifetime. After that she was totally off my radar until 1992, when she appeared in the Jackie Collins TV mini-series
Lady Boss, which I watched with a sort of sentimental melancholy. Around that time rumours were surfacing that she was a born-again Christian, and she then shockingly (to me, at least) appeared on
The Joan Rivers Show that same year, renouncing her past and emphatically preaching the word of God. It was very jarring and, I confess, made me very uncomfortable. She talked about how she detested her carnal identity as Vanity, and discussed her addiction to smoking crack, which led to extreme kidney damage, a kidney transplant, and almost death! It all came as a shock to me, though looking back it suddenly seemed obvious that she was on drugs in many of her early interviews and performances. I have to admit that this new Vanity, or Denise Matthews, as she now wanted to be called, frightened me, and like one of Joan's audience members suggested, it seemed to me that she had just substituted one drug for another. She was an extreme literal bible thumper and even spoke in tongues! It was all too much for me, though I felt ashamed for wishing that the old Vanity would return. It seemed like a freak show, and I chose to turn my back on it. Then, in the later 2000s, I started to feel nostalgic and began listening to all of the older music again, Vanity most of all. Now that the internet was everywhere, I sought out copies of her old movies and finally saw many for the first time, including the extremely controversial
Tanya's Island - now I finally knew what the song "Wild Animal" was about! I introduced her into my new world and forced her on my friends and especially my boyfriend, who was (and still is) a huge Madonna fan, but he eventually warmed up to her as well. I pulled out old pics and posters and put them up. I joined forums and met friends while talking about her, and created several monikers for websites derived from her various aliases, songs and films. I made her my computer and phone wallpaper and screen savers. I was again entrenched in the world of Vanity. Only after she passed this week did I realize just how much of her physically surrounds me in all aspects of my world. I did check up on the real Denise Matthews at times, visiting her
website and
Facebook page, and I was happy that she had found happiness through religion, even if I didn't get it myself. I felt horrible for her continuing illness, and the revelations of her abuse as a child and adult. I read Nikki Sixx's
Heroin Diaries, about his drug addiction in the year 1987, when he was dating Vanity and she was going through an equally destructive drug addiction. She wrote several passages in the book, and I got a better idea of what she went though. But, though Denise preferred it, I couldn't let Vanity go, and I created a Facebook page dedicated to her. I was thrilled at the response from followers and realized that I was far from alone in my love for Vanity. Then a year or two later, I got a Facebook message from Denise Matthews herself! In it she asked that I take the page down, as she no longer wanted her old self to be celebrated. She asked me to call her so we could discuss it and gave me her phone number. You can imagine my delight and horror! Out of respect I immediately removed the page, but I could never call her. I don't want to meet my idols, and I was also wary of her possible attempts to "convert" me. Now that she is gone, I regret that decision. I had no idea that she was so ill in the past months, and though I knew she was lucky to have lived this long, I was still so saddened by her death. And though I know that she did not want people to celebrate Vanity, and I do also celebrate the amazing woman that was Denise Matthews, I need to post this tribute to her and share the music that made me so happy all of these years. As I told her when we corresponded about the Facebook page, though she was regretful about her personal life the years she was known as Vanity, she should not dismiss or forget the joy that her music and films gave so many of us. Without her, I would not be who I am today, which I'd like to think isn't so bad, as for some undefinable reason she instilled in me a strength and sass that I desperately needed as a teen, and I'm not sure that I would have discovered that without Vanity. I am sorry that her life was often so sad, but I think in the end she was truly happy to go to the God she loved so dearly, and that is how I'll remember her. Please celebrate and enjoy her work and life!
Video for
He's So Dull
Video for
Nasty Girl
Video for
Drive Me Wild
Download
Vanity 6
1
Nasty Girl
2
Wet Dream
3
Drive Me Wild
4
He's So Dull
5
If A Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up)
6
Make-Up
7
Bite The Beat
8
3 x 2 = 6
Video for
Pretty Mess
Live performance of
Samuelle
Live performance of
Pretty Mess & Wild Animal
Download
Wild Animal
1
Flippin' Out
2
Pretty Mess
3
Samuelle
4
Strap On "Robbie Baby"
5
Wild Animal
6
Mechanical Emotion
7
Crazy Maybe
Video for
Under The Influence
Live performance of
Romantic Voyage
Live performance of
Under The Influence & Animals
Download
Skin On Skin
1
Under The Influence
2
Manhunt
3
Romantic Voyage
4
Confidential
5
Animals
6
Skin On Skin
7
Gun Shy
8
Ouch
9
In The Jungle
Recently I downloaded the 12" single mixes of the song "Right And Hype" by R&B trio Abstrac'. I had not heard the song in a very long time and was surprised by how good it was. I was curious to hear the album again, so I searched furiously through my collection and finally located the CD. One listen convinced me that I had to share it on the Isle. The trio consisted of Alvina "Topaz" Del Bettis, Mary Brown and Marsha McClurkin, and was formed by Gene Griffin and Teddy Riley. In the late 80's, Griffin and Riley started perfecting what would become known as the New Jack Swing sound, which took the popular-at-the-time pop-funk R&B sound of producers like L.A. Reid & Babyface and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and gave it a more street sound, mainly by adding hip hop flourishes. Encouraged by their extremely successful collaboration with Johnny Kemp, "Just Got Paid", they started working, both separately and together, with different acts. The first all-female act that they worked with together was Abstrac'. (Riley had had experience producing another female trio the previous year on the track "Wishing You Were Here" by The Gyrlz.) The three ladies of Abstrac' were unknowns, yet they managed to get an album deal with Reprise Records. The self-titled album was mainly written and produced by Griffin along with Riley's brother Markell, with three tracks written and produced by another New Jack pioneer, Bernard Belle. Riley focused on the keyboards, mixing and arranging. The first single was "Right And Hype", and it managed to dent the Billboard Hot 100 at #89. A promo was released for the second single, "You Are The Party (I Am The Fun)," but it failed to make an impact and the group was dropped. However, three years later, Marsha and Mary reemerged as the duo M&M and released the album Get Ta Know Ya Betta on Atlantic Records. By now the New Jack sound was in full swing (pun intended) and while Abstrac' had still held on to the dance-funk sound, M&M was full on New Jack R&B. The ladies also had a lot more involvement in the writing of the album's material, along with its main producer, Herb Middleton. Unfortunately for the ladies, their new incarnation was even less successful and their two singles, "Talk To Me" (which was remixed by Markell Riley) and the album's title track, floundered on the charts and they were again dropped from a major label. (As a side note, two of the ladies from the aforementioned trio The Gyrlz also later formed a New Jack duo a year later, Terri & Monica, and they were moderately more successful. Perhaps they will be featured in the Isle at some point in the future...) The writing experience on the M&M album ended up being a godsend for Mary Brown, however, as she later found great success as a songwriter, most notably with Destiny's Child's "No No No". Fortunately I have been meaning to feature the M&M album for a couple years now and had it on hand, so when I unearthed the Abstrac' album I thought it was finally time to share it with you all as well, and therefore I've presented them together. Enjoy!
Surprise!! Finally, a new post after forever. Luckily I have a spare moment, and thought you all deserved a little Valentine's Day "treet". While most of you likely remember the theme to the children's show Sesame Street, how many of you remember the rave remix by Smart E's? In 1992 their song "Sesame's Treet" hit #2 on the UK charts and managed to hit #60 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying in the charts for 16 weeks. The group was formed by DJs Christopher Howell (aka Luna-C) and Tom Orton (aka Mr. Tom) and producer Nick Arnold. The three were heavily into breakbeat hardcore music, the music of choice at raves, which were huge at the time. The boys decided to take samples from the film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and put them over a breakbeat track, releasing "Bogus Adventure," backed with "Fuck The Law", which took samples from the film Nightbreed. "Bogus Adventure" caught the attention of local DJs and this encouraged the trio to record another sampled novelty track, this time using the theme from Sesame Street. This was one of the first "happy hardcore" tunes, which focused on upbeat and childlike themes and samples, which appealed to the drug fueled rave crowds. The song quickly caught fire and ended up debuting at #2 on the British charts, which was a first at that time. The boys were snatched up by Big Beat Records and quickly put together an album. Most of the album maintained a similar vibe to their previous tracks, using fast techno beats and many samples. They also enlisted vocalist Jayde to add diva vocals on some tracks, including the next single "Loo's Control". The album failed to capitalize on "Sesame's Treet"'s success, however, and it was largely panned by critics as garbage. It also led to many copycat acts who used samples from various child-centric sources, and the influx of similar tracks is said to have hurt the rave scene as a whole. They did release one other song from the album, "Love Is Blind," though this was released under the moniker Echora, likely to distance themselves from the Smart E's name. Also, the track was quite different from the rest of the album, as it was a straight-forward house number featuring the soulful vocals of Jayde. It was also given many R&B remixes to appeal to the urban market. It didn't do well on the charts, however. The group split after this and all went their separate ways, though they all continued to release their own spin on dance music. Howell probably had the most success, both with his solo music as well as numerous releases under different aliases, and also ran his own record labels. Arnold released music under several aliases as well, the most successful likely being the happy hardcore group Bang!, who released two albums. Initially Orton assisted with Bang! and then also went on to release tracks under different aliases and as part of various groups. But they will all likely best be remembered for "Sesame's Treet," for better or for worse.
Here we have an artist who, like so many other lost pop stars, was a victim of record label turmoil and interference. Ruby Amanfu was born in Accra, Ghana, and as a small child moved to Tennessee, where she honed her songwriting and vocals and, while attending high school, recorded and released her debut album, So Now The Whole World Knows, on an indie label (Thanks Liz!). She then attended Berklee College Of Music in Boston, but soon moved back to Nashville to attend Belmont University and worked on promoting the album. Ruby was compared to artists like Tracy Chapman and Jewel due to her thoughtful lyrics and folk sound. She was soon snatched up by Polydor - but in the UK. It's actually not that surprising, as Ruby comes off as a cross between two once popular British singers, Gabrielle and Samantha Mumba. She was teamed up with a slew of popular Nordic producers, some who worked with artists like Britney, Dannii, Geri, and Sophie, and also on other albums featured here like Stella Soliel, Juliette, and Lene, who recorded Ruby's song "Surprise" for her solo album. The resulting album contained very soulful pop laced with rock. The first single "Sugah" became a huge hit in the UK and Europe. The second single, "Chocolate Pie", did not. But by this point Ruby was back in the US, tired of label pressure and strife. She asked to be dropped, and the album never made it over the pond. She then pursued an independent path, writing songs for others (one - The Duhks' version of "Heaven's My Home" - was even nominated for a Grammy in 2007) and also hooked up with longtime friend Sam Brooker for the folk duo Sam & Ruby in 2005. They have released one album on Rykodisc and two EPs since, and they also joined Nashville vocal group The Collective and appeared on Season 3 of The Sing Off, coming in eighth. In 2011, Ruby toured with Jack White and did vocals for his album Blunderbuss, and she released her EP The Simple Sessions the following year. She also sang co-lead vocals on the single "Love Interruption" with White, which they performed on the Grammy's in 2013. That year she also released the single "I Wonder" with Brittany Howard, the lead singer of Alabama Shakes, on Jack White's label. Most recently she appeared on Jack White's second album, Lazaretto, and has been touring with indie sensation Hozier and appeared with him on Saturday Night Live in 2014, so clearly she is still going strong and the best is likely yet to come...and it has! Ruby released a new album at the end of August, 2015! Check out Standing Still on iTunes!!
A couple of days ago a delightful friend of the Isle, Konstantin, sent me several albums off of my wantlist. Thanks a TON for that, K! One I was looking most forward to was the only album by Japanese-Swedish rapper Mayomi. And it does not disappoint. It was impossible to find anywhere when I first looked for it, but while researching Mayomi I saw that it was re-released in 2010 and several copies are now available on Amazon and eBay, and it's even on iTunes. Ah well, now you know where to go if you want high quality versions of your own. I didn't find out much else about Mayomi, unfortunately. I'm not even sure where I first heard about her, though it was likely due to her involvement on eurohouse act Melodie MC's track "Bomba Deng" from 1995. Three years prior she and a friend appeared on the The World Rap Contest as Sista's Of Soul. They didn't win, but ended up meeting Statikk, the producer behind Melodie MC and several other Swedish pop acts. He produced a track for them, "Make It Your Way", which was their only single before they broke up in 1993. Mayomi went solo and released "Whatever I" the following year. Apparently it had moderate success, and with the track's producers, Collén & Webb, who were collaborators of Statikk's, she recorded her debut album for Virgin. Three singles were released from the album in 1995 - "The Best A Man Can Get", "How Can I Get By" and the title track - and they met with some success as well. But she only released one other single, "So In Love" in 2006, and hasn't been heard from since. But if you enjoy other Europop rappers like Leila K, Leki, or Isle postee Daisy Dee, then you should get to know Mayomi.
