Chasing Keedy

It was the summer of 1991 and a new voice was taking the Billboard charts by storm with her debut single Save Some Love. That singer was Keedy who after cracking the Top 20, released a follow-up, Wishing On A Same Star. Both these songs were featured on Keedy's debut album Chase The Clouds which was released on Arista Records in 1991. Like many acts of this era, it seemed as if Keedy had quietly faded away into pop obscurity. Now let me just say that Keedy holds a special place for two of our contributors (myself and ChicagoSexBox) , because just like Keedy we all hail fom Milwaukee, WI and grew up listening to her. On a personal note I am beyond geeked to be bringing you this Milk Carton Pop Stars exclusive interview. So what is Mootown's First Lady of Song up to these days? Well let's find out! Without further ado...

10 QUESTIONS WITH KEEDY



Keedy Arista Records promotional picture circa 1991 (Photo courtesy of Keedy & Royce Hall)

1. Welcome to Milk Carton Pop Stars Keedy! We are honored to have you here. Your debut single "Save Some Love" became a Top 20 smash during the spring of 1991. It remains one of my favorite songs of all time, tell us how this song came about.

Thank you it’s great to be here. I love reading about other artists and their stories, so it’s fun to be a part of the gang.

Well… “Save Some Love” was written by Greg Gerard during a time when I was in the Milwaukee based band GERARD. Greg and his brother Bill Gerard had been recording songs with a number of different singers in the band and the idea was if one of us could get a foot in the door we could help the rest of the gang. “Save Some Love” and “Lazy Day” were the songs that caught the ears of record industry people.



“Save Some Love” was written about two members in the band that had an on-again off-again relationship. I always loved the solo and the bridge section in that song and to this day it still makes me happy to hear it.

2. Two of our contributors (myself included) are from your hometown of Milwaukee. Tell us about growing up & how music played a part in that.

I grew up all over the place because my dad worked for UPS and we were transferred every 5 years it seemed. Music was my one constant friend that I had wherever I went. I would sit in my room for hours listening to my latest favorite records or the radio count down and I would play piano and guitar dreaming about playing for people. My uncle Buddy who played guitar with guys like Don Rich (Buck Owens) was my first influence with music. I believe Buddy had the greatest impact on my journey in music. Milwaukee was the last stop on the UPS transfer program for me, my parents had to move onto Connecticut but I was in Gerard and doing what I loved, so I considered Milwaukee my home even though I was born in Texas.

3. What led to you getting a record deal w/ Arista?

Lisa Wells at Geffen Publishing heard “Lazy Day” and loved it. She flew to Milwaukee and came to a Gerard performance and signed Greg and I to a publishing contract. She then contacted Mitchell Cohen at Arista and said you have to hear this… at that point (I’m not sure if this is true or not but it’s what I was told) Mitchell was playing “Save Some Love” and Clive Davis walked by his door and heard the song and said who is that… go find her… within a few months I was signed to a record deal with Arista.



4. You also released a second single which also charted on the Billboard Hot 100, "Wishing On The Same Star". After your debut album reached it's peak, so to say, fans were naturally expecting a follow up to "Chase The Clouds". What happened?

Diane Warren wrote “Wishing On The Same Star” and I was asked by Clive to give it a chance. The week it came out Bryan Adams’s song “(Everything I Do) I Do For You” was being played and a number of the radio stations went with the Bryan Adams song as there wasn’t enough room in their play lists for another new ballad. My manager (at the time) and I took off on a radio road trip and hit every radio station we could from Milwaukee to Florida trying to get support for the record but we kept running into the same questions “why should we play your record when your own home town’s Top 40 radio station isn’t playing it. The main radio station in Milwaukee decided they weren’t going to play it because it wasn’t “Sorry” which was the song THEY liked and if we could get the record company to release that one they would lend their support (nice of them huh?). After a couple of weeks I was told that support for “Wishing On The Same Star” was being pulled because Whitney Houston’s new record was having trouble, and all the label’s resources had to go to helping her record out. “Wish On The Same Star” fizzled out and the end of “Chase The Clouds” came shortly after.

Greg and I then moved to Los Angeles and wrote and demoed over 100 songs for the follow up to “Chase The Clouds”. Arista had to accept 6 songs before they would start recording the second record. They would like 4 and then say you need 3 more like this one and so on and so on. Then we found out that there was a shift in management at Arista and we were lost in the shuffle. My new A&R guy didn’t believe in what we were doing and hip-hop was taking off as was Nirvana and grunge. After trying to get the second record off the ground for several years it was apparent that I needed to be released from any dealings with Arista. It was a liberating feeling and the end of that chapter of my life. “And what an amazing chapter it was!”

5. What little info I was able to find out about your whereabouts, I see you used to perform w/ a band called The Orphans in Milwaukee. Were you involved w/ any other groups and/or projects over the years?

I have been involved with lots of projects over the years. Mostly involving writing and recording but for a number of years I played with The Orphans and had a great time doing 70’s folk, country and rock tunes. I really learned how to play rhythm guitar in that band. During that time I wrote with two of my friends Mykl Stanley and Alec Miller. We wrote every week for a couple of years and I felt real growth as a writer.

A current photo of Keedy & her husband Royce Hall (photo courtesy of Keedy & Royce Hall)



6. I was very happy to find out that you are still making music. Can you tell us about your current project?

For the last six years I have been writing, recording and playing with my husband Royce Hall. We write and record when inspiration hits us and then post the songs on myspace. One thing I wouldn’t do again is get mixed up with a major label and have them get between me and my feelings for music. (You know… no suits in the art department!)

7. Are there any upcoming gigs that fans can check out? Any plans to release any new music?

We aren’t doing any gigs right now as we have multiple things on our plate but we are thinking of doing a video podcast or something of that nature in the future. As for new music we are always writing and recording but only some of it makes it to myspace.

If we had the inclination to pursue music full time we would want to put out CDs and end up on Austin City Limits with radio airplay on The World Café. But to do that you have to work so hard that all other areas of your life get put on hold and life’s just too much fun right now to do that.

8. Other than music is there anything else that you are passionate about?

Royce & I have an antique business and we go out treasure hunting for collectibles. I have also been making art out of buttons and newspaper and taking photos.



9. I finally just saw the video for "Save Some Love" after all these years! Itunes has it for purchase and I immediately purchased it. You were rockin' the early 90s fashions like there was no tomorrow! Any stories you'd like to share about the filming of the video?

The director wanted it to be a take on the 1954 Fellini film “La Strada”. It was shot in LA at the Sepulveda dam, where a lot of movies were and are shot. It was a two-day shoot. And it may seem crazy when you watch it but the day outside at the Sepulveda dam it was freezing cold. There is also a part where I’m roller-skating but you can’t see my skates… J The zebra and camel had a little fight. Oh and the day before we started shooting I thought I would be really cool and go and get the longest red finger nails I could, when I walked in and the stylist saw them I thought she was going to faint. So it was a seriously nutty time just like the video.

10. Keedy thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions. Any final words for your fans and our readers?

Thank you for keeping “Chase The Clouds” alive, you have been a beautiful light in my life for a long time and I thank you for giving me so much.

I'd like to give a huge thanks to Keedy and her hubby Royce for being so generous in helping get this interview done. For all you fans out there, make sure and visit Keedy and Royce's myspace page @ http://www.myspace.com/roycekeedy. Tell 'em Milk Carton Pop Stars sent ya!

New features

If you look to your right you will see we've added a shout box. Please leave us feedback (as well as in our comments section), ideas on artists you'd like to see featured, etc. We have an exclusive interview w/ a lost pop star coming very soon. Thanks for visiting!

Technical Difficulties

We have a few bugs to work out. Mainly noticed that no one could leave comments. Thought it was strange that we hadn't gotten any new comments on any of our pieces in the last month or two. Comments are working now. Just working out some bugs w/ the template. The main graphic will be back soon. Thanks for your patience!

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!)

Chris Cuevas

Many times while researching a lost pop star, we come to find that an artist is still performing. Such was the case w/ early 90s recording artist Chris Cuevas.



Chris released his debut album in 1991 on Atlantic Records. Some of you may remember his singles Hip Hop, Somehow, Someway and his duet w/ Deborah "Debbie" Gibson Someday. After wondering whatever happened to him, we recently found him on myspace.

With that said, I decided to try something new here at Milk Carton Pop Stars...our first ever interview! I'd like to say a big thank you to Chris for taking the time to answer our questions. Without further ado...

10 QUESTIONS WITH MILK CARTON POP STARS



1. Hi Chris, welcome to Milk Carton Pop Stars. Tell us where you are from and where you grew up?
Long Beach, Mississippi... Lived there until 1990

2. How did you get started singing?
I grew up in a musical family, so I started out singing at birth I think...

3. Who were your musical influences growing up?
Journey, Hank JR, Waylon Jennings, Inxs, U2

4. In 1991 you released a pop album on Atlantic Records. How did that come about?
My dad got intouch with Diane Gibson, Deborah's Mom. At the time Diane was her manager. She liked what she heard so I played for Atlantic and the relationship started.

Chris & Deborah's video for "Someday"...




5. "Someday", the duet you did w/ Deborah Gibson is a gorgeous song. What was it like working together and do you still keep in touch?
Thank you, It was a honor working with her on that song. I'll never forget the first time I played it for her. She loved it, we then played it for Atlantic and it was included on the record. We catch up every once in while.

6. You've been under the pop radar for quite some time, what did you do after you debut album?
I went on a world tour with Deborah, reaching from NY to LA, and Europe to Asia. Once the record reached it's peek, I decided to pursue writing because of the change in pop music at the time.

7. Can you tell us about your new musical direction and where you are based nowadays?
My new music is where my hearts always been, Country Pop. I'm based out of Mobile, Alabama.

8. Do you play any regular gigs? I am sure some of our readers would love to check out your act live!
I do play spot gigs from time to time. Just check out my myspace page...

9. Do you still have any diehard fans from back in the day?
I really don't know. But would love to hear from them.

10. What's the wildest rumour you've heard about yourself over the years?
Can't really recall any.....that wild...........

Any final words for our readers and your fans?
Yeah, To those who read this...Thank you for your support over these years and believing in my music. Who knows, maybe real soon I'll have another shot at the dream I've always been chasing.

Thanks again,

Chris Cuevas

Don't forget to check out Chris's myspace page! Tell him Milk Carton Pop Stars sent ya!

PC QUEST

I had been planning on doing a piece on early 90s teen pop act PC Quest for a while. Remember them? Probably not. They had 1 song chart on the Billboard Hot 100 called After The Summer's Gone. They were kinda like a knock off of The Party imo. Anyhoo...here's what they looked like back then:



But today while browsing through wikipedia I came across an astonishing fact! Turns out the lead singer (he's the blonde boy in front) is now the frontman for Shiny Toy Guns! Holy crap! His name is Gregori Chad Petree.




That's him, second to left.



His brother Steve who was also in the band is now a Christian singer and even has his own myspace page. You can purchase his latest cd on cdbaby.com.

As for the other two members, Drew has a myspace page and continues to perform with other acts. And Kim? Hmmm...from what little info I could find seems she's a married woman and a mom now.

Who knew?

Turn around make your move

A quickie update on one of our more popular profiles. While I still haven't found out a lot of info on what Denise Lopez is doing now, I did obtain the video for her 1990 dance classic Don't You Wanna Be Mine!!!!

My obsession for all things Ms. Lopez has even led me to start a myspace page for her, which you can find by find by clicking here. WIthout further ado, here is the video. Enjoy!

Denise Lopez 'Don't You Wanna Be Mine'
Uploaded by bomitoni

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

HWA: All That (Just A Little Action)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanks to youtube.com I bring to you a video from one of our first artists to be featured. This video was originally banned in 1993 so this was the first time I was able to see it too! Enjoy!


"what's that stuff running down your leg?"

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:

Love her all up

During the late 80s and early 90s, a slew of female pop singers infiltrated the pop charts. While a few survive, may have fallen into the black hole of pop stardom. The latter could not be any truer for today's topic. Ladies and Gents...I give you Stacy Earl.

In 1992 Stacy Earl first appeared on the scene w/ her dancetastic hit Love Me All Up. (On a personal note I used to jam out to this song non-stop). The song peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was smash in the clubs.

Stacy's next single teamed her up w/ The Wild Pair and the result was the top 10 hit Romeo & Juliet.



Check out the video while you're at it...



The 3rd and final single from Stacy's self titled debut was Slowly which peaked at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100. All of these songs appeared on her debut album which featured production from the likes Glen Ballard, Walter Afanasieff, Oliver Lieber and Michael Sembello.

In 1993 Stacy released the Jellybean produced song Blood From A Stone which was featured in the film Untamed Heart starring Marisa Tomei and Christian Slater. Though the song failed to set the charts on fire, it did however feature the b-side The World Is Not A Stranger, which was a previously unreleased song.

So let's fast forward to present day 2006. Nothing has been heard or seen about the lovely Ms. Earl. That is until a quick visit to her wikipedia entry (God bless wikipedia) revealed the following:

In 2006, Stacy Earl played a cameo role in the independent film "Crazy" which starred Ali Larter (Final Destination)and Waylon Payne (Walk The Line). In one of the scenes, Earl performs the Hank Williams, Sr. classic "Honky Tonk Blues" on stage.

Holy crap!!! To top it off...Miss Thing even has her own myspace profile. As well as a recent photo:



She looks great! It's great to know that so many of these forgotten artists are still doing what they love.

UPDATE:

As of 12/16/2009 Stacy is curently working a new album according to her official myspace page.

Forgive us....

It seems we've all been so busy lately none of us has written in ages. We're not giving up! A minor setback if you will...just to let you know what's coming up I'm working on a piece on early 90s dance act Stacy Earl. Thanks for being patient!

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)...

Don't Walk Away Boy

Jade was one of my favorite girl RnB groups of the early 90's. Jade consisted of Tonya Kelly, Joi Marshall, and Di Reed. They debuted on the "Class Act" soundtrack in 1992 with the hit single "I Wanna Love You". With that success an album quickly followed. Although Jade was a "manufactured" girl group, one would have never known. The chemistry these girls had on record and video was undeniable.

The debut album was eventually certified Gold, thanks in part to the now classic singles "Don't Walk Away" (recently covered in 2004 by British flop reject singer Javine), and "One Woman". Jade capitalized on this success even further by releasing a live album the following year. With no break in between albums, Jade presented their sophomore effort in 1994, "Mind, Body, & Song". The second album had a more refined sound and definitely showed a lot of maturity. Over 12 years after its release it still sounds fresh. The girls not only improved their sound but also their image! Giant Records must have given them a new hairstylist because the girls embraced the album cover with some fierce weave! Maybe this is where all of the "Beyonce's" of today got their inspiration?

The first single, "5,4,3,2 (Yo Time Is Up!) failed to make a big impact at radio and a "sophomore slump" seemed imminent. However, the second single quickly changed that and saved the album. "Everyday Of The Week" was featured on the popular Fox television show "Beverly Hills 90210" and was subsequently placed on the "College Years" soundtrack. The song was a Top 40 pop hit and was all over radio and video stations. Jade couldn't be stopped....or so it seemed.

Jade abruptly split up while "Everyday Of The Week" was still on the charts and further promotion for the album was cancelled. I remember listening to Casey Kasem's weekly top 40 countdown and hearing the sad news. Very little explanation was given. I was heartbroken and for years wondered what went wrong. I have had a hard time finding information on these lovely ladies, but to my surprise Diva Planet caught up with Tonya a few years ago. In the interview she explains how the girls quickly became disillusioned with the music business and realized they would be better off financially pursuing normal careers outside of Hollywood. She claims the group didn't break up due to internal strife and there was even a brief reunion for a funeral in 2001.

I would be very curious to hear what the other 2 girls have to say! As I ponder that question, I leave you with their smash hit, "Every Day Of The Week".

Missing Times Three

Born 7 minutes apart to a Mexican father and an American mother, Vicky, Sylvia and Diana Villegas, aka The Triplets, are best known for their 1991 smash You Don't Have To Go Home Tonight.

Prior to their breakthrough hit they released a little known EP in 1986 on Elektra Records entitled Break The Silence. Details about his release are really hard to come by, and as a long time fan myself I did not even know of it's existence until I recently stumbled upon it on ebay. It's nothing like their material recorded in the 90s, as it sound very typically 80s. Of note Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor plays on a few tracks.

What happened betweeen the 1986 EP and 1991 seems to be a mystery. So let's fast forward to 1991, shall we? Now signed to Mercuy Records, the Villegas sisters release their debut single You Don't Have To Go Home Tonight which quickly becomes a hit peaking at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100.




Their debut album ...Thicker Than Water was charted as well and peaked at #125 on the Billboard Album Chart.




A second single, the gorgeous Sunrise failed to chart. Though some of you may remember the title track being played during the final scene of the infamous graduation episode of Beverly Hills 90210.

While their full length debut was not the huge success it should have been, they were able to record and release a Spanish language version of their debut entitled Fuerza del parentesco which was released in 1992. Sombras y silencios (the Spanish language version of Dancing In The Shadows) charted at #11 on Billboard's Latin Singles Chart in 1992.

During the fall of 1993 the girls released their one and only album w/ EMI Latin entitled Algo mas que amor which billed them as Las Triplets.



By 1994 the title track peaked at #2 on the Billboard Latin Single Chart. The song was actually a Spanish language version of I've Been Waiting For You by the Guys Next Door. An English language version was also included on this release. The 2nd single to chart was Mi mundo entero and that peaked at #27.

Since 1994 little to no information exists as to the whereabouts of The Triplets. It's a shame they did not record more as they had gorgeous voices and if marketed right could have given Wilson Phillips a run for their money. So we contine to ask ourselves...where are they now? While we wait let's watch the video for You Don't Have To Go Home Tonight:

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!

HWA: Hoez With Attitude

These three lovely hoez burst onto the rap scene in 1990 with their independent album, "Livin' In A Hoe House" on Drive By Records. Originally from Chicago, they moved to LA to pursue a music career. The members were: Kim "Baby Girl" Kenner, Tanya "Jazzy" Kenner, and Dion "Diva" Devoux but like any good girl group there were some lineup changes later on. For the second album "Diva" was replaced by "Go-di", and when one of the girls got pregnant "Baby Girl's" cousin, Ty James took her place. Coincidentally, Ty was the daughter of the legendary Rick James!

The group's name was a take on NWA (Niggaz With Attitude) and much like fellow female rapper Choice, the hoez used explicit rhymes to combat all of the misogynist rap songs by men at the time. The hoez wanted it to be known that they were sexual predators and would not stand for men's shit!



Their debut album was nothing spectacular production wise, but lyrically HWA left a mark on the listener's brain. No topic was taboo, whether it be the struggles with a not so well endowed boyfriend ("Little Dick"), phone sex hotlines ("1-900-Bitches"), good pussy ("Tight"), cunninglus ("Eat This"), or the days in the life of a nymphomaniac ("Freaky Daze"). The album's first single and probably the least explicit song from the album, "Funk Me", received respectable radio airplay and video rotation on the Box.

In 1994 HWA returned with an EP titled, "Az Much Ass Azz U Want". The only single was "Just A Little Action". The hoez outdid themselves with the music video. Apparently the video was so raunchy that not even The Box would air it. Considering The Box generally aired all of the videos the other music stations wouldn't, one can only imagine how truly explicit this video must have been! I wonder if the album cover was any indication.........



Now under the supervision of rap legend Eazy-E on his Ruthless Records label, the hoez's second release boasted better production, lyrics and a nicer album cover! This EP has most definitely aged well like many of the other "West Coast" rap releases from the era. Lyrically, no new territory was explored, but the EP's purpose was to prepare the public for the upcoming full length album "Hoez In Training". Unfortunately with Eazy-E's untimely death the following year that album never happened and HWA split. Baby Girl went on to record a solo album on a Chicago independent record label but other than that, these hoez remain missing in action!

I wonder if I call 1-900-Bitches if someone will know the answer........


EDIT:

And look what I found on Amazon from 1997!!!!

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