A TENNESSEE GODDESS

Dolly Rebecca Parton has had one of the most enduring and multi-faceted careers in music history. She is beloved for her iconic status as a pop culture legend as well as for her unmatched singing and songwriting abilities.

Dolly has moved effortlessly from country music to pop music and back again. Her forays into television with The Porter Wagoner Show as well as hit films such as 9 To 5 and Steel Magnolias, established her ability to sail across not only musical genres but also separate and distinct forms of entertainment. She seemed to reveal even more of her outsize talents with every endeavor.

COMING HOME

After nearly 60 albums, Dolly found herself in the same precarious situation as many other veteran country artists. She had been pushed aside and dropped from youth-obsessed country radio stations and their generic computer-generated playlists. Deciding that she was better off being true to herself rather than chasing after hits, she returned fully to her mountain roots and embraced the sound and history of bluegrass music. Critics and fans alike heralded a trio of releases on Sugar Hill Records in conjunction with Dolly’s own imprint, Blue Eye Records.

THE GRASS IS BLUE

Released in October of 1999, The Grass Is Blue is the first of three glorious bluegrass excursions. Dolly’s vocal performances are among the most energetic and soulful of her career and prove that this genre of music truly brings out the best in her considerable talents. Her choice of material is eclectic to say the least but that only serves to make the album that much more involving. You never quite know how she’ll interpret each song. Producer Steve Buckingham has stockpiled the band with world-class musicians including Stuart Duncan on fiddle and Bryan Sutton on guitar. Vocal harmonies are handled by none other than the divine Alison Krauss & Patty Loveless. To say that Dolly and her producer knew who to recruit for this record is a vast understatement. Despite, or perhaps because of, this illustrious company, Dolly still manages to shine brighter than anyone else. (more…)

Popularity: 10% [?]

“IS THAT GIRL SINGING AT THE MALL?”
Yes, she was. In 1987, Tiffany Darwish unleashed her self-titled debut album upon a world of dazed and confused teenagers swathed in stone-washed jeans, Day-Glo colors, and teased hair. Searching for unique publicity, she promoted her album by singing at shopping malls across America. Thousands of new fans fell in love with Tiffany at the food court.

Her first single, a peppy remake of Tommy James & the Shondells’ “I Think We’re Alone Now,” became a surprise number one hit. Tiffany was soon launched into stardom along with fellow teen titans like Debbie Gibson and Tracie Spencer.

A second single quickly followed: the earnest but cheese-tastic ballad “Could’ve Been.” Then another cover appeared, this time a gender-flipped take on the Beatles with “I Saw Him Standing There.” It was Tiffany’s perceived blasphemy toward the Fab Four that earned her blistering scorn from so-called “true” rock fans. She was never given proper credit for having a good voice or for working a denim jacket like nobody’s business.

THERE DOESN’T SEEM TO BE ANYONE AROUND
Just when it seemed that the hits would keep coming, Tiffany’s career took a wrong turn. Her second album, 1988’s Hold an Old Friend’s Hand, produced only one real hit, “All This Time.” During a subsequent concert tour her popularity quickly began to fade. She was informed that her opening act, New Kids on the Block, would be replacing her as the headliner and that she would be opening for them instead. Ouch! It seemed to be the beginning of the end of a brief career.

In 1990 Tiffany attempted to recover, and released the ill-advised “New Jill Swing” album New Inside. The general consensus of critics and even devoted fans was that it was contrived and robotic. New Inside bombed quickly and loudly. It was all but over for a singer who’d never truly been taken seriously; having her young fan base grow older and abandon her didn’t help. Tiffany’s radio romance had officially ended.

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Popularity: 12% [?]

The early musical output of popular artists is the stuff of semi-legend and fan obsession — Aretha Franklin’s Columbia recordings, Little Richard the blues singer, Madonna’s New York demos, and … Cyndi Lauper, retro chick?

BLUE ANGEL GETS ITS WINGS
Formed in 1977, Blue Angel featured John Turi on keyboards and saxophone, Arthur Neilson on guitar, Lee Brovitz on bass guitar, Johnny Morelli on drums and a certain Cynthia Ann Lauper throwing down major lead vocals. Bringing a full-on retro-rockabilly/girl-group vibe, Blue Angel were wrapped in a rapturous love for well-crafted early ’60s pop and rock. Groups with a similar aesthetic, such as some early B-52’s, also come to mind. Blue Angel, however, were much more easily appreciated than many other groups of their kind — making it all the more baffling that they were not nearly as successful as their counterparts. Where were the pop, new wave, and rock fans of the time who were screaming for something new and fresh?

Cyndi and bandmate John Turi wrote much of the group’s material. True to their roots, they also covered pop standards both on record and during their local New York club concerts. Cyndi and company would regularly deliver raw, rocking renditions of Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog,” Little Richard’s “Keep On Knocking,” and the Connie Francis confection “Lipstick on Your Collar.” It was a testament to their emerging talent that they could equal and sometimes surpass the fun of the originals. They were wildly popular in the clubs, where they even had one of their local concerts broadcast on the radio. It was looking like nothing but blue skies for Blue Angel. (more…)

Popularity: 19% [?]

I’m DJ D from Retro Remixes, and this is my shiny new column, fresh out of the bubble wrap. Pop! Pop! Pop!

This feature, a spin-off of my blog, will appear once in a great while, much like a Stevie Wonder album, then flame out as quickly as Michael Jackson’s hair during a Pepsi commercial. It’s called “Future Retro” because it’ll deal mainly with lesser-known releases from your favorite and your most-hated old-school artists. I’ll keep you posted on what they’ve been up to since they faded from the spotlight or what level they’ve sunk to in order to bolster a sagging career. Many of these artists were actually still sober at the time they recorded their more recent records, but some, sadly, were not. I’ll also focus on classic albums that have been reissued for the enjoyment of devoted fans and not — repeat, not — to line the pockets of greedy record executives.

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Popularity: 16% [?]