By popular demand, I present Lisa Lougheed, a Canadian pop singer who had brief success in her native land and then seemed to turn her back on it. As a young teenager, Lisa was chosen to be the voice of Lisa Raccoon, one of the main characters on the soon-to-be popular cartoon series The Raccoons from the mid 1980's. The theme song of that show, "Run With Us", was a huge hit with its young Canadian audience. (I must confess, I had never heard the song until recently, as I was too old to get into the cartoon. But after reading about the track, I downloaded it out of curiousity. Little did I know that several of my friends, who are quite a bit younger than me, would go absolutely insane with pleasure when this track randomly came on on my computer!) That track, as well as several others from the show (which were originally recorded by another Canadian pop singer, Luba), were pulled together and released on an indie label in 1988 as Evergreen Nights under Lisa's name (and for which she was nominated for her first Juno award, as Most Promising Female Vocalist). Lisa wouldn't get a major label deal until a few years later, and her first proper solo album, World Love, was released in 1991. Her sound had changed from new-wavey pop-rock to more soulful dance-pop, a la her contemporary, the pre-Jagged Little Pill Alanis! The title single was a success on the Canadian pop and dance charts, as was it's follow-up, "Love Vibe". Both songs were nominated the same year for the Juno for Best Dance Recording (though neither won). On the album she had worked with local unknown producers Darrin + Tone Z, and it's success had remained limited to the Canadian market. But on Peace + Harmony, in what most definitely was an attempt to break her into the international market, she was produced by world-renowned house and R&B producers such as Mike "Hitman" Wilson, David Morales (who here produced her remake of Cheryl Lynn's disco classic "Got To Be Real"), Andy Marvel and Christopher Max. The Hitman-produced track "I Won't Give Up My Music" was the first single, and it was also nominated for, but did not win, a Juno. (Go HERE for the maxi-single.) But the track didn't make much of an impact outside of Canada, and the more downtempo follow-up "Little Things" did not maintain the momentum. Lisa disappeared from the spotlight after that, and has only popped up as a session singer since. There is a Myspace fan page for her, and there it claims that she now lives in Chicago with her husband Johnny Rutledge and son. I wonder if perhaps my dear Chicagoan friend Bunny might want to do some investigating on her for us there, hmmm? ;)
**UPDATE: Lisa is alive and well and indeed living in Chicago. She is also now my Facebook friend! :) Haven't heard back from her as to what she's up to currently, though from her profile it appears that she is still involved in music, fortunately.
Video for Run With Us
Download Evergreen Nights
1 Run With Us
2 Ain't No Planes
3 Here I Go Again (feat. Curtis King Jr.)
4 Stop The Clock
5 Stephen Lunt - Don't Fear The Fire
6 Growing Up
7 All Life Long (feat. Curtis King Jr.)
8 Hold Back Tomorrow
9 Curtis King Jr. - New World
Video for Love Vibe
Video for World Love
Video for Love You By Heart
Live performance of Love Vibe
Download World Love
| 1 | Better 4 Me | |
| 2 | World Love | |
| 3 | Change Takes Time | |
| 4 | Love Vibe | |
| 5 | Real Time | |
| 6 | Intimidate | |
| 7 | Lead Me On | |
| 8 | Love Me One More Time | |
| 9 | Love You By Heart | |
| 10 | A Long Time |
Video for Won't Give Up My Music
Download Peace + Harmony
| 1 | I Won't Give Up My Music | |
| 2 | What'Cha Gonna Do? | |
| 3 | You Remain (On My Mind) | |
| 4 | Peace + Harmony | |
| 5 | Got To Be Real | |
| 6 | Little Things | |
| 7 | Kiss N' Tell | |
| 8 | Just Be My Friend | |
| 9 | Closer To You | |
| 10 | Days Of Sunshine |
