Sandra Bernhard - Excuses For Bad Behavior, Part 1 (1994)

I'm sure most of you know Sandra Bernhard, the comedian/actress probably best remembered in the music world as Madonna's gal pal for awhile. I have been a huge fan of her pop-culture based comedy since before she met Madonna, mostly due to her hilarious appearances on talk shows in the late 1980s. She has always included music in her stand-up act, and she has released several live recordings of her act before and after this release. But this album was her only one recorded in the studio and not based on her stand-up performances. It includes a few remakes and many new tracks, and is mostly comprised of songs, with a few short comedy bits. All of the songs are meant to have a sense of humour and/or social relevance. The album was produced in part by frequent collaborator Mitch Kaplan, who also produced a lot of the Sofia Shinas album also posted here. This music has that vibe, incorporating synth-pop, R&B and house elements. Her voice is quite powerful, if sometimes out of pitch. Her remake of Sylvester's disco classic "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" was a hit on the Billboard dance chart. But otherwise the album went mostly ignored. Though she was hoping for pop stardom, it didn't happen, unfortunately. She also released "Manic Superstar", which is an interesting combination of Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression" and "Everything's Alright" from Jesus Christ Superstar, but it failed to hit. She has continued with her successful comedy/music shows (I've seen her perform three times and loved all the shows) and, as I mentioned, has released several live shows on CD. She even had another minor dance hit with "On The Runway". But I eagerly await her return to the studio for Excuses For Bad Behavior, Part 2. Please? (Oops, I stand corrected! She HAS released a Part 2, available from her website. But what I want is an all music studio album!!)

Video for Manic Superstar

Download Excuses For Bad Behavior, Part 1

1		Excuses For Bad Behavior
2		You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
3		Manic Superstar
4		(I'm Waiting)
5		Who Knew?!
6		Innocence
7		The Letter
8		Lonely Town
9		Christmas
10		Prophecies
11		Sympathy For The Devil
12		Manhattan
13		Phone Sex (Do You Want Me Tonight?)
14		(I'm Waiting)
15		50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
16		La Lupe
17		The Woman I Could've Been (Dedicated To Laura Nyro)