Kevin Paige

Another post?? Yes! Another male pop singer?? Why yes! Today we bring you late 80s/early 90s pop singer Kevin Paige. Born October 10, 1966 in Memphis, TN. According to All Music Guide I was able to find the following info about his beginnings:

The youngest of nine children, his father was a radio singer for NBC during the 1940s. After earning consecutive All-State drummer honors in high school, Paige gigged with a number of local bands, includingthe Press, Xavion, and Finger Print before mounting a solo career and signing to Chrysalis in 1989 to release his self-titled debut LP

Kevin's debut single was Don't Shut Me Out. With it's mix of dance, pop, r&b, funk, etc. it was destined to be a hit. It was. It peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the fall of 1989.

The 2nd single was Anything I Want and was just as eclectic as his debut. By spring of 1990 Kevin scored his second Top 40 hit with the song peaking at #29. For whatever reason a third single never saw the light of day. If it did I certainly don't remember it. What little info I could find only mentioned these two singles. The success of these two singles was enough for this self-titled debut album (did I mention he wrote, produced and arranged it?) to peak at #107 on the Billboard 200. Apparently he also opened for Deborah 'Debbbie' Gibson back in the day. On a side note, I saw both the Out Of the Blue and Electric Youth tour and I don't ever remember him opening for her. Milwaukee (my hometown) must have gotten jipped!

So after making a sizable dent on the charts, you'd think a follow-up was inevitable. So the google search began. What do you know.

WE FOUND HIM!

Turns out he's still performing. He and his wife, Bethany Paige, perform every Friday & Saturday at Alfred's On Beale in Memphis! So what has Mr. Paige been doing w/ himself all these years? Turns out he's been writing songs for other acts (i.e. Martina McBride) as well as releasing several Christian albums. The duo has released their latest Dangerous Kind which can be purchased via the duo's official website. Who knew?

Let's take a trip back in time and revisit Kevin's two top 40 hits. First up Don't Shut Me Out:

Anything I Want...

Def Dames

To make up for lack of posts lately I'm trying to do several today. Up next is another group I didn't discover until recently. The neon pink and green of Def Dames's album cover 2-4 The Bass literally screamed at me while I was at a music store not too long ago (they are a dying breed so I try and support them when I can). The cheap price and the even cheaper cover was all it took to purchase the album. The release is from 1989 on the indie label Sedona Recording Company. Def Dames (not to be confused with 90s Euro dance act Def Dames Dope) were Kandy Kane and Special T (which by today's standards sound like either stripper or porn star names...actually they probably sounded this way in 1989). From what little I could find (mostly via billboard.com) the album peaked at #76 on the R&B Album Chart. It also spawned two singles that charted on the Hot Rap Singles Chart. 976-Boom peaked at #19 while Set It Off (wonder if Peaches was a fan?) peaked at #20. The album is über cheesy bass/electro rap which was never really taken that seriously back in the day, but it's cheesiness lives on. Of note the song Work It even pokes fun of Salt N Pepa and L'Trimm (which is quite ironic since this album doesn't sound that far off from L'Trimm at times).







(L-R; 2 4 The Bass CD; Set It Off 12"; 2 Large CD; The King Of Romance 12")

They followed up their debut with 2 Large. This album failed to chart but yielded at least two singles The King of Romance (which peaked at #20 on the Hot Rap Singles Chart) and Whip It, which you can guess samples Devo's hit heavily. After this album came and went it seems like the ladies of Def Dames pretty much disappeared. What little info I was able to find was via this myspace page which seems to be run by their old producer/discoverer DJ Sparkle. Not much is said about the two ladies that made up the duo, but apparently two new ladies (Tish 'n' Playette) are now part of Def Dames and have a new album coming out soon. That's all fine and dandy, but what about Kandy Kane and Special T? Faithful readers I'm hoping someone can help us out or even give more insight into the group. In the meantime I was able to find the following videos on youtbe. God bless the internet.

First up is Whip It:




Next up, The King Of Romance:

We're JJ Fad and we're here to rock...

As a child the opening lines of J.J. Fad's (Just Jammin' Fresh and Def) lone hit Supersonic will forever be etched in my brain. The late 80s were a fun and carefree time in popular music and J.J. Fad certainly fit the bill. J.J. Fad was comprised of 3 female rappers: MC J.B. (Juana Burns), Baby-D (Dania Birks) and Sassy C. (Michelle Franklin). Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, the ladies were signed to Ruthless Records and their debut album was produced by Dr. Dre and Yella. While there seems to be some confusion as to who the original members were of this all female rap group, according to a visitor of discogs.com here is a little background:

JJ FAD does not mean "Just Jammin Fresh And Def"; that was a revision. Originally, there were 5 girls in the group, and JJ Fad was an acronym of their names:

Juana, Juanita, Fatima, Lady Anna, and Denea (JJ FAD).

The original version of Supersonic had this spelled out in to beat-box intro, which was revised later when remixed, and the group reduced to a trio (and adding DJ Train to replace Lady Anna

But before we get to Supersonic, it must be noted that their first single was actually Another Hoe released in 1987 which took many jabs at fellow female MC Roxanne Shante. Unlike many West Coast rappers of the day, their producers made J.J. Fad's sound easily accesible to a pop audience by including many electro elements throughout (fabulously displayed on my personal favorite track Blame It On The Muzick).






(L-R: Supersonic CD, Supersonic 12", Not Just A Fad CD, We In The House 12")

Their lone hit was the aforementioned Supersonic. While this song is fondly remembered by many (inspiring Fergie's recent hit Fergalicious) I was quite surprised to see that it only peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 & #22 on the R&B charts. Two more singles were released from their debut album, Is It Love (#92 Hot 100) and Way Out (#61 Hot 100), but neither did much chart-wise. All three singles were pulled from their debut album Supersonic: The Album which peaked at #49 on the Billboard 200 Album Charts and #20 on the R&B album charts.

After being away for a few years, the ladies returned in 1991 with their follow-up album Not Just a Fad. Unfortunately the album flopped. Two singles were released from this album, Gold and We In The House. The latter heavily using the house music sound which was oh so popular during the early 90s. A year after this album was released the trio disbanded and have yet to be heard from. According to wikipedia the ladies are likely to be featured on Dr. Dre's upcoming album Detox.

We couldn't leave you without sharing some videos now could we? First up an old promo for J.J. Fad's 1-900 line!



Of course the infamous Supersonic video:



And did I mention I found a recent interview / the ladies? Grimmie Wreck TV recently interviewed the ladies but not once did they talk about what they are up to. Hmmm...at least we get to see what they look like now!

Teen Dream

I really don't know much about this group. I vaguely remember seeing the album back in the day. I picked up this CD at a flea market for a mere $1...boy am I glad I did! This is a funky r&b/dance/pop girl group that should have been huge! This is what little info I could found out about the group was from the actual CD. The three ladies that made up Teen Dream were Lisa, Nikki & Terri and they hail from Columbus, Ohio. For whatever reason they are constantly referred to as bitties and phrases like throwin' down, get live, mixin' 'n' relaxin', fresh, hittin' hard & freeze it are sprinkled throughout. Basically the artwork (and even the font) looks like an 1987 issue of Seventeen magazine.

Anyhoo back to the gals. Their debut single was Let's Get Busy which featured Valentino. From what info I was able to gather, Valentino is indeed actor Michael DeLorenzo. (Source) According to Billboard.com the group never even charted w/ any of the singles released from this album (something I find a little hard to believe...so if anyone has any other chart facts let us know).

(L-R: Let's Get Busy LP; Slip-Slide 12"; Let's Get Busy 12", Toy 12")

But back to their debut album. It was executive produced by Chris Powell & Benny Medina (Medina as you may or may not know has gone on to represent people like Jennifer Lopez & Tyra Banks) and released by Warner Bros. Records. Subsequent singles were released, Slip-Slide and Toy, but failed to do anything chart wise. By 1990 the group was signed to the label Muscle Shoals Sound Records (huh?) and released a single entitled Games which spent 4 weeks on the Billboard R&B charts peaking at #90. Needless to say the label went under and so did this project. Though it seems an album did get released and is deemed very rare. Only one of the original members remained for this release with 2 new replacements. As to who stayed and who left remains a mystery. So what's become of the ladies of Teen Dream? Who knows!!! But that's why wer'e here to found out. So if you're out there ladies let us know what you're up to! BTW...they would be perfect for our sister blog, The Isle of Deserted Pop Stars run by our very own Grant.

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...

It's hammer time...part 2!

Awhile back we featured one of the artists spawned from MC Hammer's incredibly successful career in the late 80's/early 90's, B Angie B. Well, she wasn't the only act to gain notoriety thanks to the Hammer. Oaktown's 357 were MC Hammer's answer to Salt-N-Pepa.

Oaktown's 357 debuted in 1989 with their album, "Wild And Loose". The original line up consisted of Terrible T, Sweet LD and Lil'P. All three had been back up dancers for MC Hammer and were featured in his 1988 video, "Pump It Up". However, when it was time to film the video for the first single, "Yeah Yeah Yeah", Lil'P left the group to get married. Two new members were added, Sweet P and VC, making the group a quartet. After that first single, VC broke her leg and never returned while Sweet P left to replace Sassy C of JJ Fad. Despite experiencing more line up changes than Destiny's Child, by the time the second single was released, "357 Straight At You", the group (now a duo consisting of Terrible T and Sweet LD) were starting to get heavy video and club play. This prompted two more singles to be released, the now old school classic "Juicy Gotcha Krazy" (featuring the unforgettable guest vocals of B Angie B) and "We Like It". Both songs were remixed for their single releases much to the dismay of the fans who bought the album. Neverthless, Oaktown's 357 were gaining visibilty and momentum in the hip-hop community.



After a brief hiatus the girls returned in 1991 with their sophmore effort, "Fully Loaded". This album saw the girls taking more control over their image and music. Long gone were the MC Hammer parachute pants as the girls ushered in a brand new sexy look and sound. The first single, "Turn It Up" wasa Top 20 dance and RnB hit. The video boasted elaborate sets and stunning choreography which helped it gain immense popularity on the now defunt video channel, "The Box". Two more singles were released, "It's Not Your Money" and "Honey". Both enjoyed minimal success but "Fully Loaded" failed to really break these girls into the mainstream. In 1993 there was tentative release date for a follow up EP, "Fila Treatment" but for reasons unknown here at Milk Carton Pop Stars, this release sadly never saw the light of day.

In 2005 both albums were remastered and reissued. The big bonus though was the DVD that came with the reissue of "Wild & Loose" that featured all 7 of their music videos!

Very little information is out there about Oaktown's 357. However, this is one of the reasons why we do this blog. We hope someone out there can tell us what ever happened to the fabulous and fierce ladies known as Terrible T and Sweet LD! Until that happens though we leave you with two of their best videos.

Juicy Gotcha Krazy




Turn It Up

L'Trimm

Tigra and Bunny, better yet L'Trimm! It's time to celebrate THE sexiest rappers to ever bring their rhymes to the mic.

Miami-based teen rap duo and best friends Lady Tigra and Bunny D (real names still unknown!) were discovered and signed by Paul Klein (of production trio Davis Stone Klein aka DSK) at Hot Productions studios when he heard them fooling around with raps in a recording booth while waiting for a friend.

Loving their girlish, unpolished rhyme flow, and riding the wave of success of female hip hop groups like Salt 'N' Pepa and JJ Fad, DSK produced and released their first single "Grab It", a 'response' to Salt 'N' Pepa's mega-hit "Push It", released in 1987. After the song drew attention, they were signed to Atlantic Records and released an album with the same name. An even bigger hit was soon released off the album in the form of "Cars With The Boom", a bass heavy ode to the bass. Some versions of the single also included remixes of the track "Don't Come To My House".

Thanks to the magic of Youtube, you can watch the "Cars With The Boom" video and see the girls in action.

One more poppier single was released, "Cuttie Pie", but it didn't receive much fanfare. By this point, L'Trimm were beloved by fans, but ridiculed by critics and hip-hoppers alike as talentless fakes.

The girls perservered, however, and released their follow-up album "Drop That Bottom" in 1989. The album continued with the miami-bass sound, pushing the bass even deeper, especially in the title track, which was released as the first and only single. At this point the miami-bass sound was losing it's appeal with the public, however, and the girls were eager to work on a new album that would hopefully extend their career beyond being a novelty. They wanted to expand their musical palette, and hit the recording studio with a direction that was poppier but also delved into the house sound of groups like C&C Music Factory that was all the rage.

They left the label during the recording of this third album "Groovy" after disputes with their production crew and label owners over the direction of their sound, and the album was completed with half-finished vocal tracks the girls had previously recorded. The album was released in 1991, however. Two singles were also released. "Get Loose" heavily imitated the C&C sound and some versions of it had Techno mixes of another track, "We Got Da Beat" on the B-Side. "Low Rider" was a remixed version of a track carried over from the "Drop That Bottom" album that utilized War's funk hit of the same name. Both singles failed to have any success, however, and the duo broke up soon after and left the music biz.

And that is where the story seemed to end. Other than a couple remixes of "Grab It" and "Cars With The Boom" in later years, the girls were never heard from again. It was said that Lady Tigra went on to manage a club, while Bunny D became a stay-at-home mom. The L'Trimm sound was echoed in newer groups like FannyPack and Gravy Train!!!, but the ladies themselves seemed to fade into obscurity...

Until now! Lady Tigra is BACK and hotter than ever! She is expected to release her new album, "Please Mr. Boombox", sometime in 2007. Check out her website and myspace page for more info on her exciting new direction. We can only hope she can convince Bunny D back to the mic as well, but until then, her new solo album looks very promising. Always imitated but never duplicated. Welcome back, Lady T!

http://www.theladytigra.com/

http://www.myspace.com/theladytigra

The Lady Tigra Live + Interview (outrageous!)

Graffiti artist spray paint mural of The Lady Tigra (features a new track!)

I Like It

Ok peeps...we've been MIA for too long. Sorry. Since it seems we've done features only on females (What do you expect...this bitch is run by gay men)...I decided to break the trend and feature a gasp male singer.

So ladies & gents...I give you...

Dino was a former DJ who made a splash on the music scene in 1989 w/ the singles 24/7 (Billboard Hot 100 #42), Summergirls (Billboard #50), Sunshine (Billboard Hot 100 #23) and the smash hit I Like It which went top 10 peaking at #7.

His debut album 24/7 peaked at #34 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.

Dino's 2nd album Swingin' was released in 1990 (again on Island Records):



Three singles were culled from this album: Romeo (Billboard Hot 100 #6), Never 2 Much Of U (Billboard Hot 100 #61) and Gentle (Billboard Hot 100 #31). Next a performance of Romeo on the Arsenio Hall Show...



A third album was released in 1993 entitled The Way I Am:



This album was released via East/West Records and spawned 2 singles. The first, a cover of The Five Stairsteps 70s hit Ooh Child (which peaked at #27) would be Dino's last appearance on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single Endlessly failed to chart.

So not much has been heard about Dino for awhile. But after some further research, turns out Dino is alive and well. Seems producing is his thing now:

Under the Island Record label he formed his own production label: ONID Productions, which is his name spelled backward. After his singing career he began producing other artist songs such as Watch Me Shine by Joanna Pacitti, which was released on the Legally Blonde soundtrack, and other songs by artists such as Tonya Mitchell and Paul Taylor.

(Source wikipedia)

So just when you thought your favorite pop star of yesteryear was off working some od d & random job, it's nice to know every now and then their creative juices are still being utilized to the fullest extent.

Links:
Dino myspace fan page
Dino fan site
Dino wikipedia entry

Found: The Boys

From time to time we here at Milk Carton Pop Stars are researching acts to profile, and we end up finding them. Kinda takes all the fun out of this site? That's beside the point. I thought I'd feature one of those acts today as they were a fave of mine as kid:



The time was 1988 and a group of 4 siblings tore up the Billboard Hot 100 w/ their Top 40 hit Dial My Heart and their debut album Messages From The Boys:



Their 1990 follow-up yielded another hit Crazy in which they spoofed many pop stars of the day (Milli Vanilli, Bobby Brown, Madonna, Janet Jackson, George Michael and Michael Jackson to be exact):



According to fan reports their family moved to Africa after their thrid and final album for Motown Records:

Three young African American brothers who in their youth were child pop stars ( Motown recording artist “The Boys” ) whom at the height of their success traded in the glamour and glitz of the music industry for the pursuit of spiritual truth, ancestral knowledge, and the discovery of their life’s true purpose.

They have recently reemerged and now record under the monkier Sons Of Light. Check out their website @ sunsoflight.com. Here is a recent video they did:

It's Hammer Time! (Part 1)

In the music world it seems to be obligatory that once an artist hits the big time, he/she must then discover a new talent or protegee. MC Hammer was no excpetion to this rule and after the worldwide success of his "Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em" album he began to create his own musical posse on the now defunct Bust-It Records

B Angie B was to MC Hammer as Michel'Le was to Dr. Dre/Eazy-E. She was Bust-It's premier RnB songstress. Angela Boyd was discovered by MC Hammer in the late 80's and went on to become one of his dancers. However, Hammer quickly realized girlfriend could sing like a natural born diva. Her vocals were featured on his "They Put Me In The Mix" single in 1988 and then in 1989 for Oaktown's 357's "Juicy Gotcha Krazy" remix (we'll get to them later!).



In 1991 B Angie B was finally ready to shine in all of her loudness with her self titled debut album. Many of you may remember her debut single, the 70's cover "I Don't Want To Lose Your Love". This song proved to be a minor hit. Angie made appearances on Arsenio Hall and BET. Unfortunately the next two singles didn't do as well. "So Much Love" and "Sweet Thing" were both beautiful ballads ignored by radio. The later suffered from beig released around the same time Mary J Blige's own version of "Sweet Thing" was released. In 1992 B Angie B released one final song/video, "Class Act". This was taken from the "Class Act" soundtrack. The video was hot and featured the chiseled and sleek B Angie B strutting her stuff in a skimpy Catholic school girl uniform (hmmm, perhaps Britney was a fan?). Unfortunately this song failed to light a spark in her career and she was subsequently dropped.

In 2005 Angie's album was remastered and re-released with a bonus DVD! The DVD not only contained two music videos but several tv performances. It is definitely a nice treat for fans of early 90's RnB! You can get a copy here!

B Angie B, we miss you gurfren!

Got to tell me something

Ana Rodrí­guez was born in Cuba in 1974 and came to the US at an early age w/ her family. Ana (as she is known) released her self-titled debut album in 1987 on Parc/Epic Records. That same year, 80s teen queens Tiffany and Debbie Gibson also debuted. Unlike the afore mentioned, Ana didn't become a household name.

She did, however, score a minor hit with Shy Boys (#94 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #23 on the Billboard Dance Chart). The album did go on to enjoy success in Japan even resulting in it being released w/ a different cover and alternate title, Shy Boys.



In 1988 a single entitled Before I Jump was also released inbetween albums (Thanks to Justin for this info).



In 1990 at age 16 Ana released her second full length album, and probably her most known. Entitled Body Language (yes kiddies Ana did it before Kylie), Ana worked w/ a few different producers on this release and it was with this album that I became a fan.



With her trademark booming voice (if you've never heard her sing, you're missing out! think a Toni Braxton-esque voice) and w/ the help of the man behind NKOTB, Maurice Starr, one would have thought this album would have been a smash! But by the early 90s teen pop was already beginning to fade away. The music world's loss if you ask me.



Got To Tell Me Something, the albums only charting single peaked at #66.

Subsequent singles were released and failed to chart. A duet w/ then NKOTB hearthrob Jordan Knight entitled Angel Of Love received some airplay, as the record company was trying to repeat the success of Donnie Wahlberg's duet w/ Japanese pop singer Seiko. Deborah 'Debbie' Gibson wrote and produced 2 songs for this album including fan favorite Everytime We Say Goodbye. Several tracks were also produced by Hector Almaguer and Kiki Garcí­a, former members of Miami Sound Machine.

After this album failed to make a splash it seemed that Ana was destined to fade into pop obscurity...or so we thought.

Let me share a little story w/ you all now (the shortned version). My family used to own a Spanish language record store and back in early 2004 I was browsing through some promo cd's. I came across a single by a singer named Mia entitled Convencete. I popped it in because I was immediately drawn to the trampy girl on the cover.

I immediately liked it and said to my bf, God doesn't she sound like Ana?

So after some extensive research it turns out Mia is Ana!



Why the name change? I have no idea. With a new name, new sound and a new label, Ana/Mia returned! Released on Univision in the fall of 2003 Ana/Mia brought us Tentación:



During the time she was away Ana/Mia got married, had a child and then divorced. She felt she shouldn't give up her dream (thank god) and called long time friend Rudy Pérez to help her get back into music. While it wasn't a blockbuster success, it did garner Mia a nomination for Best New Artist at Premio Lo Nuestro.

It's been almost 2 years since Mia's Spanish language debut, and again she's missing! There is no sign of her on her labels website, and Tentación has since gone out of print. I think there still may be hope as lately Univision has been including Mia on many compilations. So while we wait for Mia/Ana to reemerge (again) let's check out her über hot video for Convencete (thanks to Chicago_Sexbox for ripping it from DVD to mpg)...

Just Call Her Nicety

Under the guidance of rappers Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, Michel'Le released her debut album in late 1989 on Ruthless Records. Her first single, "No More Lies" reached #7 on the Hot 100 and the album eventually was certified platinum after spawning 4 more pop/rnb hit singles (including her clever ode to girls that are "nice" and "nasty", appropriately titled "Nicety"!). In addition to her fierce music, Michel'Le was probably also remembered most for high pitched Betty Boop speaking voice. Her singing voice though was completely different. It was loud and distinct. Girlfriend could throw down like a veteran diva!

Now, after her debut album is when things got strange. I am hoping someone can fill us in here at Milk Carton Pop Stars as to what really happened. From what I gather, Dr. Dre and Michel'Le were romantically linked and had a child together. When Dr. Dre formed Deathrow Records with Suge Knight, there was a legal battle between him and Eazy-E to free Michel'Le (along with Dr Dre) from their Ruthless contracts. Ok, so all of this information is documented and well known. Dr. Dre won his court battle and they left Ruthless Records, but what I don't understand is why did Michel'Le wait until 1998 to release her sophomore album??????



"Hung Jury" barely sold 200,000 copies. I think this was an extreme case of too little, too late. The album was rather underwhelming and lacked the sassiness of her debut album. All remained quiet again with Michel'Le until 2003 when she performed a song on the "Dysfunktional Family" soundtrack, but as far as I am concerned she has been missing since 1998! Her Wikipedia entry says she is married to Suge Knight now with whom she has had several more children and that she is working on a new album. Can anyone confirm this? I have googled Suge Knight's name and I cannot find anything official to back this up.

Michel'Le, we miss you girl and we want a proper follow up to your debut album!

I leave you all with the "Nicety" video.

If You Feel It

Forgive me for my lack of knowledge on this next artist, but I honestly do not know much about her pop past. Regardless, today at MILK CARTON POPSTARS we've chosen to highlight one of Freestyle's loudest...Denise Lopez. I vaguely remember her back when I was a kid , but it wasn't until early last year when Chicagosexbox made me a copy of his freestlye DVD video collection that I really took notice. Upon viewing the videos over and over, I instantly fell in love w/ Denise's big hair and even bigger voice! Why on earth had I not been a fan of this woman before?

Let's watch the video shall we?



HOLY LOUD!!! She's up there w/ India as the loudest freestyle bitch ever! You know cause freestyle female singers only came in loud or tone deaf. It was very difficult doing research on Denise because there isn't that much info readily available. Let's take a quick look at her pre-A&M days courtesy of allmusic.com.

By the time Denise Lopez achieved success in 1988 with the dancefloor and pop-radio hit "Sayin' Sorry (Don't Make It Right)," she had already paid her dues via several earlier singles deals with TNT and RCA. Neither of those hit pay dirt, but one single ("If You Feel It") made its way onto this well-produced pop-dance set and became a semi-hit.

What little I was able to find was via this website. Denise Lopez released her debut album in 1988 on Vendetta/A&M records. It was entitled Truth In Disguise and was heavy on the dance (particularily freestyle) songs and the occasional ballad. This album has been out-of-print for quite some time and the asking price is usually $30+ for the CD.



There were three singles released from this album according to onamrecords.com. The pop/dance hit Sayin' Sorry (Don't Make It Right) peaked at #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a #6 hit on the Billboard Dance charts. Two other singles were released, If You Feel It (#94 Hot 100, #22 Dance) and Too Much Too Late (#21 Dance). The album itself peaked at #184 on the Billboard Album Charts in December of 1988.

Denise's second album was entitled Every Dog Has Her Day and was released in 1990. It did not chart...



It did however produce 1 single Don't You Wanna Be Mine which peaked at #86 on the Billboard Hot 100...



So we ask where has Ms. Lopez been for the past 16 years? Any info would be greatly appreciated. I've searched high and low and no one seems to know the whereabouts of Denise nor what she's doing now. All I do seem to find is a Swedish singer by the same name.

EDIT:

Thanks to Justin for giving me the heads up about Denise's earlier recordings as Neecy Dee! I was able to purchase the 12" on ebay from someone who is friends w/ Charley Marrota, the producer of her 1984 dance single Best Of Me. I inquired if he knew anything about Denise's current whereabout's and he was able to offer me this tidbit:

I believe she is now married and has a child or two, living in North Jersey somewhere.

Hey it's something!

Superwoman

Karyn White was a huge part of my childhood and was a huge part of what is now known as the New Jack Swing era. During the late 80s and early 90s Ms. White was all over the music charts. So we ponder...

Upon her debut she scored big pop & r&b hits w/ Superwoman, The Way You Love Me, and who could forget this one:



With her second release came the #1 hit Romantic and my personal fave The Way I Feel About You:



A third album came and went in 1994 entitled Make Him Do Right. A few years ago I remember some DJ did a new dance version of Superwoman w/ Karyn's vocals. But what's she up to now?

Aside from raising her family it seems she's working on a new album! I couldn't find more info but according to her wikipedia entry:

White left Warner Bros. Records in 1995 and dropped out of the music public eye for many years. She currently resides in Santa Barbara, California and will record her first album in well over 12 years. The album, Action Fighter is slated for release in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Not sure if I'm loving the title, but I'm so loving a new album. While searching I came across this recent picture:



She looks good! As we wait more info on Ms. White, I leave you w/ some links to futher your Karyn obsession:

A Karyn White fan page
Karyn White & Pebbles mailing list