Monday, March 03, 2008

Baby love

Ok so we've been pretty slow in our posts of late. I apologize. To make it up, I offer not one lost pop star, but 2 lost pop stars! First up...Regina scored big in 1986 with her Madonna-esque hit Baby Love. Produced by Stephen Bray (who worked with Madonna during her early days up until Like A Prayer) the song instantly became a smash and peaked at #10 in the US. (Source)

Regina didn't just come out of nowhere. She had previously released an album on A&M Records fronting the band Regina & The Red Hots in 1981. Prior to signing with Atlantic Records, she released a single independently entitled Deep Dreaming. While the Madonna comparisons were inevitable, if anyone listened to Regina's debut album Curiosity one would know that Regina was no Madonna clone.



While Regina here undeniably employs the chirpy tone and coquettish nuances Madonna had become known for, a few listens to Curiosity demonstrate who's the better vocalist of the two. (All Music Guide)


Released in 1986 the album peaked at #102 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. While subsequent singles came and went (Beat Of Love peaked at #40 on the Dance Charts but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100), Regina was able to stay in the public eye. Thanks mostly in part to this PSA:



Thanks to Regina and her crazy hair, what child of the 80s does not remember that Users are losers!


A second album, Best Kept Secret, was planned but after the 1st single bombed, the album was scrapped. That single Extraordinary Love did however peak at #11 on the club charts. Her last known recording was released in 1990 on the small label Centurion entitled Track You Down. She is not to be confused with a Brazilian singer also named Regina who scored a club hit in 1997 with Day By Day. Of note, in 1991 Dannii Minogue covered Baby Love where it made the UK Top 20.

So readers we ask you, where is she now? Any leads would be greatly appreciated. But before we leave, let's take a trip down memory lane...

8 comments:

Maxwell K said...

All I know about this chica is that her full name is Regina Richards. The Curiosity album is so fantastic!

I do remember seeing a post on her VH1 page back in 1999 by a user that said, "Hey, this is my mom!" I sent him a message asking him what his mom was up to and never got a response.

Anonymous said...

I have the cassingle to "Extraordinary Love" and it's got a pretty fun dub version on the flip side. I saw her on some show (Dance Party USA?) singing "Extraordinary Love" at the beach and the waves kept coming in while she was singing and the water was hitting the backup singers and their microphones (which were on stands in the sand). I thought for sure someone was going to get electrocuted.

michael said...

Someone I know used knew her and he told me she married a doctor. I think she lives in New Mexico or Arizona.

Kyleigh said...

I love Regina's song "Baby Love." It reminded me of what Madonna could've sung back then. But Regina sounds so amazing!!!

Jonathan said...

Can anyone help me find mp3s of her other stuff besides Curiosity? I'm on her Facebook page thats ran by her kid, but no leads on finding her singles and unreleased lps!

jettnjettnow@yahoo.com

Thanks in advance

Jonathan

Anonymous said...

I Love Regina! I have her 45's of "Baby Love", "Beat Of Love" & Extraordinary- Love and her Lp Curiosity. she's sooooo cool. I have always been a fan and always will be. she was different but similar and is missed from a music lover like me. music isn't the same anymore. everyone who came out in the '80's was awesome. boy have times changed. but I'm a Regina fan! and my 45's have the picture sleeve of her too and has dust covers on them as do all my records. :-)

hmb111 said...

she DID marry a doctor and she still has an amazing voice! she sang at my friend's wedding a few years ago.

Diverso Magazine said...

Her last recording isn't from 1990. Her last recording was a single released in Europe at 1995 called Mira Me. You can check here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fxKP2SX0TY

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