Tina B. - Honey To A Bee: The Best Of Tina B. (1995)

Generally I would not post a "Best Of" collection here, as the title would imply that the artist has a lot of popular material to their credit. In the case of Tina B., however, that's not entirely the case. While she did indeed have a few dance hits (the first three songs on here and "Nothing's Gonna Come Easy" all made the Billboard Dance Charts and are considered freestyle classics), she only released one self-titled album in 1984. I have that album on vinyl and perhaps will one day post it when I get the ability to rip vinyl, but I think this is a more enjoyable example of her work anyway. It pulls together all of her singles as well as random tracks from other unknown sources. Not much info can be found on Tina Baker. I do know she is (was?) married to 80's electro uber-producer Arthur Baker and that he produced her solo album as well. She was also part of his Goon Squad and Rockers Revenge groups and did back-up vocals on many of his productions and lead vocals on the track "Jazzy Sensation" by The Kryptic Krew . She also participated in the Artists United Against Apartheid "Sun City" project, the video for which likely gave her her biggest exposure. Other than writing for other artists (including West End Girls, whose collection is also posted here), I can't find out much else about her. Unlike most freestyle divas in recent times, she does not have a Myspace site that I can find. Which is a shame, as her songs "Honey To A Bee" and "January February" helped to define the freestyle era for me, and I would welcome her return to the scene.

**UPDATE: Thanks yet again to Consolecharlie, I have more info on Tina's whereabouts. She actually does have a website which outlines her entire career and includes samples of her music. Go HERE. And she DOES have a Myspace page HERE. Apparently she recorded an album called Artful Dodger that was never released and was part of a duo called A Man And A Woman with Mitch Kaplan, who also worked with Sandra Bernhard on her album also posted here. More recently she has been living in London and has recorded two albums, OperaTronix and Ker, that explore a new type of music, mixing electronic beats with operatic vocals, which is Tina's latest passion. She has also released a DVD of herself performing these albums live (there are clips posted on Youtube). All of these albums can be purchased through her website, along with a singles collection of her own that features more tracks off of her self-titled first album. Go to both websites for much more info on the lady. I'm thrilled to discover that she is indeed still recording and has a considerable web presence!! Thanks again, Cc! :)

Video for Bodyguard

Download Honey To A Bee: The Best Of Tina B.

1		Honey To A Bee
2		January, February
3		Miracles Explode
4		Something's Gotta Give
5		Bodyguard
6		Give It All For Love '87
7		Give It All For Love '90
8		Testimonial
9		Every Time I Look At You
10		Fools And Angels
11		How Can A Heart
12		Each Time You Go
13		Hang On Baby (Wild Wild World)
14		Count My Blessings
15		Don't Tell A Soul
16		Nothing's Gonna Come Easy