Claudya - Straws & Candy (1990)

So, Adriana never fails to please, and this week she sent me the only album by Claudya, an artist I have never heard of but most definitely enjoyed.  As always, I am intrigued by these obscure ladies and I just HAD to find out more.  I immediately went to Discogs, which gave me nothing as per usual (though I was sure to update her page there after I did my research. ;)  A little poking around revealed that Claudya is Claudia Soumeru, an Indonesian lovely from The Netherlands.  While I can't find out much about her beginnings, at some point she was signed by Indisc Benelux.  In 1989 she released her first maxi-single, the dance-poppy "Saturday Night", which also included the ballad "Let's Not Begin".  Her oddly titled album appeared the following year and followed the same dance-pop formula.  One other single was released, the mid-tempo "I Wanna Go There", but neither the singles nor the album were a success.  It seemed that was the last of Claudia, but in 1994 she teamed up with two other Dutch-Indonesian ladies, Selina Loupatty and Tosca Aijal, to front the group Clau-Dya's.  They had some local success with their first single, "Tudeletutu (Wish We Were Lovers)", and released their second, "Round & Round", in 1995.  In 1996 the ladies competed in the Dutch Nationaal Songfestival, the preselection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, where they performed a few other songs, but apparently they broke up after they weren't selected for Eurovision.  Claudia mostly left music to pursue stage production, but in 2002 she rejoined former Clau-Dya's producer and bandmember Michiel Eilbracht to form funk-metal band Bagga Bownz.  The group released their debut album Done With The Pain in 2008 and continue to record and perform.  You can download some of their tracks for free at their Bandcamp page should you wish.  Thanks again to Adriana for the album, especially since I enjoy hunting down such obscure artists on the internet (when I have the time!) and discovering that they are still alive, well and making music! :)

UPDATE:  Just got a message from Claudia herself!  Thanks for writing, Claudia!!  Here's her message:

"Hi Nasty G, Nice to read about myself!!! Currently we 're on the latest album of Armin van Buuren, and busy recording Acoustic Dance Music, and of course new Baggabownz songs. thnx…and I'll keep you posted. Claudia Soumeru  (Never stop singing)

Claudia's Official Facebook Page

Download Straws & Candy

1		Don't Push Me
2		Back To The Beat
3		Everything In Me
4		Anywhere You Go
5		Let's Not Begin
6		I Wanna Go There
7		Always Be Waiting
8		Good Side
9		Tell Me Baby
10		Saturdaynight
11		Saturdaynight (Extended Dance Version)

FMT Featuring Camilla - So Into You (1992)

Thanks to the extreme generousity of Isle fan Robert G., I can offer you another album off of my want list. This is another gem I had only on cassette and had trouble locating the CD for, but Robert just bought and ripped it for me and I had to share with you immediately. Thanks a million, Robert! FMT was essentially Frank Meyer-Thurn, a German songwriter, musician and producer, and his wife, singer and songwriter Camilla Hüther. After working in the band McScrooge in the late 1970s, Meyer-Thurn met Camilla in Mannheim and they formed the new wave group Camilla Motor (originally known as Camilla Motor & Die Sexzylinder). They released two German albums, Camilla Motor in 1981 and Ein Neues Glück in 1982. They married in 1984, and carried on working together throughout the 1980s, writing, producing and performing with and as part of European dance acts such as Rewind, Crack Express, Amati and Private Blue. These were all single releases on smaller labels but they soon got a deal with a major label, EMI Electrola. As FMT, they mellowed out their sound, which had been primarily HiNRG and italo-disco, and explored house, hip hop, 70s psychedelic rock and soul. The closest comparison to their sound would be DNA's hit remix of Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner", which was clearly an influence. In fact, their first single was a remake of Leonard Cohen's moody "Suzanne", an obvious tribute to the singer. The single was successful in Europe and was followed by a remake of Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover". The success of both singles caught the eye of Capitol Records in North America, and an album was issued. The lead-off single was a remake of Atlanta Rhythm Section's "So Into You". While also a hit in Europe, it failed to generate interest in North America. The FMT project was dropped, with none of their original tracks having been released, including a tribute to Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. But the two carried on, producing, writing, remixing and performing throughout the 1990's and 2000's under different aliases - Camilla as Jean Bronte, and Frank as FMT Posse, John Ritt, and Zed Lovedust, among others. Unfortunately Frank died in January 2009, and Camilla (who is not the woman pictured on the cover, BTW) is missing in action...

Download So Into You

1		50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
2		Jimi & Janis (A Tribute!)
3		Oasis
4		I Want U, Baby
5		No Better Lover
6		Suzanne
7		So Into You
8		Crank It Up
9		U Can Touch Me Anywhere
10		I Want U, Baby (Humpty Dumpty Remix)

Curtie And The Boombox - Black Kisses (1985)

I have had this album on cassette and vinyl forever, but aside from the first single, "Let's Talk It Over In The Ladies' Room", I never gave it much of a listen. I decided to rip the vinyl for ya'll, and I was amazed at just how fun and danceable the rest of the album is. It's now one of my faves! From what I can gather from the bit of info available on the web (most not in English), the act was formed by Dutch producer Peter Koelewijn. After he met Curtie Fortune, who came from a small island in the Caribbean, he decided to form a group around her, obviously enchanted by her Caribbean accent. He enlisted fellow Caribbeans Judith Landry and "the Wilson sisters" to be 'the Boombox' (essentially her back-up singers), a name he saw on a small recording device in the studio. Along with Dutch engineer Albert Boekholt he produced their first single, "Let's Talk It Over In The Ladies' Room", released on RCA in 1984. It was an upbeat, Caribbean flavoured pop song similar in style to groups like Boney M. or Luv'. It was a small hit in the Netherlands and the success led to the recording of their next single, "Black Kisses (Never Make You Blue)", a more italo disco flavoured track released in 1985. The song made it into the top 20 in the Netherlands, and it soon got attention worldwide, with it's biggest claim to fame being that it made it into the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching #81. This created a demand for an album, which had already been in the works for the past year and a half. By the time the song hit in the US the Wilson sisters had left and were replaced by Dutch singers Patricia Balrak and Denise van der Hek, who was previously the lead singer for another Dutch girl group, Risqué. Though Curtie was still the main lead singer, each of the other ladies was given a song apiece on which to sing lead. The album contained other songs with the Caribbean vibe, like the single "A Bachelor's Bed (Is A Dangerous Place)", but also incorporated songs with Hi NRG and italo disco elements similar to The Flirts or Fun Fun. Overall it's a surprisingly diverse album and a lot of fun, but neither of the other two singles, the aforementioned "A Bachelor's Bed..." and "Chinchilla", caught on with audiences in the US or anywhere else, for that matter. Curtie soon left the group, along with producer Koelewijn. The remaining three ladies made one last attempt and released the new single "Killing Love", as simply Boom Box, on the Injection Disco Dance label, but the song went unnoticed and they split. All of the ladies apparently kept busy as session singers after that, and Denise was briefly one half of pop duo Chess. Patricia Balrak has continued to sing, but now primarily in gospel music, as her Myspace page will attest. No sign of what Denise van der Hek and Judith Landry have been up to recently, but I did find unfortunate news about Curtie Fortune: she passed away on March 5, 2003. A tribute page has been set up for her by Peter Koelewijn. But perhaps the best tribute to her is listening to this wonderful, upbeat 'lost' pop gem that she was the focus of.

Video for Black Kisses

Download Black Kisses

1		Black Kisses (Never Make You Blue)
2		Chinchilla
3		Shocking
4		My Book Of Love
5		Let's Talk It Over In The Ladies' Room
6		A Bachelor's Bed (Is A Dangerous Place)
7		Help Me To Help You
8		Hoochie Coochie Boogie
9		Slowstarter

Loïs L. - Precious (1993)

Being the Prince protegee freak that I was (and still am!), I leapt on this album as soon as I noticed he produced some of the songs. Loïs L. were better known in their native Amsterdam as Loïs Lane, and consisted of sisters Suzanne and Monique Klemann. They had begun their career in 1984, and had had hit songs and two hit albums in their native land. They were virtually unknown outside of the Netherlands, however. It appeared that this was about to change once Prince set his sights on them after meeting them as an opening act on his Nude tour, no doubt drawn to their dark exotic looks and outright sexuality (his favourite type of woman!). Inviting them to his Paisley Park studios, he worked on the first three songs on the album, one of which he previously recorded, "Sex". His assistance added a funky and fun element lacking in their previous music. In order to avoid a lawsuit from DC Comics, they had to rename themselves Loïs L in North America. The first single released was "Qualified", but despite Prince's involvement, it flopped and the girls had to return to Amsterdam with their tail between their legs. But they continued successfully there, releasing a few more albums, appearing on television both acting and hosting, and even posing for shocking photos in Playboy in 2004. Both were also later part of all female group Girls Want To Have Fun. Monique released a solo album in 2006, and Suzanne came out as a lesbian and married a woman. I always wondered if the song "I Love A Woman" on this album was literal, and now I have my answer! They are reportedly working on a new album as well.

Video for Sex

Video for Qualified

Live performance of I Wanna Be

Download Precious

1		Qualified
2		I Wanna Be
3		Sex
4		I Love A Woman
5		I Oh I
6		Forever
7		Need A Little Space
8		Crying
9		Precious
10		She Came By
11		Make Way

Daisy Dee - Daisy Dee (1992) & I Am (Who I Am) (1996) DOUBLE POST!!

Daisy Dee is Daisy Rollocks, a dutch-born singer/rapper. Her first release was her version of Technotronic's "This Beat Is Technotronic". Soon after she released "Crazy", a song that not only featured her raps but her able singing as well. She, along with Technotronic and Snap!, was at the forefront of the soon to be huge euro-house movement. "Crazy" took off all over the world, and was a dance smash on the US Billboard chart as well. She released her self-titled album, a mix of dance-pop and pop-rap, in North America quite a bit after "Crazy"'s success. Her similar sounding follow-up single, "Pump It Up All The Way" didn't fare nearly as well, but her remake of Ruby Turner's more soulful and downtempo "It's Gonna Be Alright" made a dent on the Billboard R&B charts. She released other songs in Europe and abroad off of the album, but none clicked in North America. She would continue to release several euro-house singles over the years, both solo and as a featured artist, and she seemed especially beloved in Canada and Europe, where euro-house had a much longer lifespan than in the US. Songs like "Headbone Connected (Try Me)", "Dance If You Cannot" with Alter Ego, "Fly Away (Owner Of Your Heart)" with Starsplash, "Are You Ready" with Lovestern Galaktika, "Love Is The Answer" and her remakes of Robin S's "Back It Up" and Leila K's "Open Sesame" (Ms. K even appeared in the video!) were played constantly in dance clubs and appeared on many compilations. She also joined Technotronic for their failed 'comeback' album Recall in 1995. But alas, she never released another album - yet. Promo versions of the album I Am (Who I Am) from 1996 exist, but the album was never actually released commercially. Luckily I managed to get my hands on it and am featuring it as well. There was also a 'Best Of', but it was basically just a rehash of her debut. She's still active in entertainment, as a music and television producer, an actress and a television host on several shows. Here's hoping she gets back to recording, as she's a personal fave of mine. :)

(For more Daisy Dee, including non-album tracks and remixes, go to my sister site HERE.)

Video for Crazy

Download Daisy Dee

1		Crazy
2		I'm Real
3		Cool It
4		Let It Out
5		Walkin' On That Side
6		Pump It Up All The Way
7		Anything 4 You
8		What Is Dat?
9		It's Gonna Be Alright
10		I Got U

Video for Angel

Video for Just Jump

Download I Am (Who I Am)

1		Come Again (Radio Edit)
2		Just Jump (Single Mix)
3		Cool It Down
4		Natural High (Piano Mix)
5		'Till The End
6		Angel (Video Edit)
7		Go Bazurk
8		Delite
9		Information
10		Back To Basics
11		Heaven Says No

B.B. Queen - In The Mood (For Something Good) (1991) & Rhythm Religion (1993) DOUBLE POST!!

As promised, Isle postee Goddess aka Elvira Valentine's partner in crime in Say When!, B.B. Queen aka Ingrid Simons aka Inge Severijnse. Ingrid was born in Suriname and eventually moved to the Netherlands, where she pursued a career in music.  In 1986, while singing backing vocals for Dutch singer Rob de Nijs, she met Bernadette Kraakman, who had had an unsuccessful solo career after competing in Eurovision, and they formed Double Trouble.  Double Trouble proved equally as unsuccessful, and Ingrid then formed another pop duo with Elvira Valentine, Say When!, in 1987.  Say When! released four moderately successful singles - "Boys" (you can find it on my sister blog Lost Pop Treasures), "Qualify", "Love Me Or Leave Me", and "Save Me", which would end up being used for the verses of Corona's eurohouse smash "The Rhythm Of The Night".  When they broke up, Ingrid joined Jody's Singers, a group of backing vocalists, before embarking on her solo career in 1990.  Taking the name B.B. Queen (an obvious homage to blues legend B.B. King),  she released the singles "Blueshouse" and "Soultrain" on EMI, which were both Dutch Top 40 hits.  The singles were part pop-house and part pop-soul, with bluesy vocals, and their success led to an album release in 1991 that was distributed worldwide by Capitol Records. Two more singles were released, the album's title track and "(I Wanna Be) Next To You", and though they also hit the charts, they did not have near the same success, and she was dropped by EMI/Capitol.  The following year she appeared as Stylie Moore on a single by Marconic, "If Life Could Be A Dream". Then Polydor snatched her up and she released her second album as B.B. Queen in 1993, though it was only released in the Netherlands and was a much more soulful affair.  She  released the singles "Bring Love Into Your Life" and "I'm Gonna Live On My Own", but they didn't chart and Polydor dropped her. However, she also performed vocals that year on eurohouse act T-Spoon's "No Time 2 Waste", and managed to hit the charts again, reaching the Dutch top ten with it and again in 1994 with T-Spoon's "Take Me 2 The Limit".  In 1995 she released her last solo single, "Get Ready", to little fanfare.  After that she went back to mostly background singing under her real name, though she did feature again as B.B. Queen on The Force's remake of Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time" in 1999, and on "Changes" by Phonical Mass! in 2000. Also in 2000, she formed female trio Ebonique, who released a few singles and had some success in her homeland as well.  And her daughter Eva Simons has taken the reigns from her mother and is a singing success as well, having appeared on TV in the Dutch version of Popstars in 2004, where she became part of  successful girl group Raffish.  Eva then went on as a featured vocalist with huge acts like LMFAO and Will.i.am, with whom she hit the number one spot on the UK Pop charts with "This Is Love" in 2012.  That same year she hit the #1 spot on the US Dance chart with her solo single, "I Don't Like You".  And in 2010, Eva and her mother joined forces to write a song that Eva also did vocals on, "Take Over Control" by Afrojack, which brought both Eva and Ingrid to the highest they have been so far on the Billboard Hot 100, just missing out on the Top 40 at #41.

Download In The Mood (For Something Good)

1		In The Mood (For Something Good)
2		Now Love Me
3		Blueshouse
4		Try To Find Me Back
5		No Time To Hesitate
6		(We Gonna) Rock This House
7		Love You Nights
8		(I Wanna Be) Next To You
9		Soultrain
10		Hey B.B. Be Careful Out There In The Jungle
11		Blueshouse Ballad

Download Rhythm Religion

1		Bring Love Into Your Life
2		Somewhere In The World
3		Spare Me The Time
4		I'm Gonna Live On My Own
5		Satisfy
6		Groove On (Saturday Night Part Two)
7		If This Is Love
8		Saturday Night
9		Better
10		Liberty
11		This Is The Place
12		Where On Earth

Goddess - The Sexual Album (1992)

Here we have one of my fave albums of all time. Pure cheese-pop delight!! I picked up this album solely because of the title. I had no idea what to expect, and I was more than pleasantly surprised. For years I knew nothing about Goddess other than this brilliant masterpiece. Obsessed with knowing more, I found out that Goddess is Elvira Valentine (awesome name!), a Dutch singer who used to do back-up for Falco, among others. Then to my delight I discovered that she became part of a pop duo called Say When!, along with Ingrid Simons, who later became known as B.B. Queen (her album will be up next!). They released a few fun pop singles in the late 1980s in Europe before they split, including "Save Me", large portions of which would later be used in Corona's massive eurohouse hit "Rhythm Of The Night". It was four years before Elvira would reemerge as Goddess with this, her only album as Goddess, unfortunately. The music here is best described as synth-rock. It's danceable, sexy and funny too. Goddess' voice has a sexy growl, and ranges from soft whisper to rocker wail. The album was produced by the Bolland brothers, Rob & Ferdi (who were successful as an act simply called Bolland & Bolland in the Netherlands). The Bolland brothers also produced Samantha Fox's "Love House", and this album is similar to that minus the house beat. Though to many it may sound dated, I cannot get tired of it! My goal is to remake the entire album one day! Not a dud in the bunch! "Sexual" made a dent in North America, reaching #74 on the Billboard Hot 100, but the even sexier follow up "In My Bed" fizzled, as did the ballad "Je T'aime". No other singles were released from the album, but I was delighted to discover that she released three more singles as Goddess after this in the Netherlands - "Get Loud (Racism Beat It)" in 1993 and the techno tracks "Tapdancer (I Wanna See You Mooove)" and "Spirits In The Night" in 1994. After her time as Goddess, further study reveals that she was also part of another duo called Club Risque, who recorded a single called "Beethoven Was Black" in 1996 on Mike Stock's Love This Records which was never properly released. And that is where her time in the pop spotlight seems to have ended. Which is a crying shame, as I would desperately love much more from this lady. Please come back, Ms. Valentine. I barely knew ye!

UPDATE: Sadly, Elvira passed away sometime in 2011, and though I'm not certain, I believe that she was battling cancer for some time. A truly sad loss and a talent I was looking so forward to hearing more from. R.I.P. :( (Go here to hear some other songs she recorded in the 1990s, "If You're Serious" and "Going Out".)

(For more Goddess, including non-album tracks and remixes, go to my sister site HERE.)

Video for Sexual

Download The Sexual Album

1		Sexual
2		Lingerie
3		X-Rated
4		Cleopatra
5		Erotic
6		In My Bed
7		Boyz
8		Je T'Aime
9		She's Wild
10		Sexual (Practice Safe Sex Version)