My introduction to Cyndi Lauper came courtesy of Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China). I was so excited when I Drove All Night came out. (I have heard the Roy Orbison version too). A Night To Remember was my first Cyndi Lauper album. I imagined the introduction to the album was what Cyndi heard on the radio as she drove all night. Like A Cat is written by Christina Amphlett [RIP], lead singer of legendary Australian band Divinyls and Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg. They would go on to write the global smash I touch Myself (the Divinyls biggest hit). I remember seeing the video for My First Night Without You and loving the song. I couldn't understand why it wasn't a hit. As an Australian, I did see the A Night To Remember video at least once too. Having since read her autobiography, I get why this album became a night to forget. Unconditional Love was written for the movie Vibes but the record company wanted an up-tempo track. Out came Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China) instead. Susanna Hoffs (of the Bangles) would go on to record her own version of Unconditional Love for her debut solo album My Side Of The Bed only her version has different set of lyrics. Diane Warren isn't apparently a fan of Cyndi's take on her I Don't Want To Be Your Friend. I feel Cyndi made it her own.
Unabbreviated Love!! Another B-side superior to most of the album. I used to play this in my car on cassette (!) and friends would ask me, "What the hell are we listening to??" LOL. Cyndi!!!
Where to begin. Originally the title was to be Kindred Spirit (don't know what the original cover art would have been). It was originally slated to be released in 1988 and include Hole in My Heart. In 1988 Sony was purchasing CBS Records and many of the managing folks that worked with Cyndi on the first two albums were sent packing. Cyndi was also separating from her Manager / Fiancé while writing the album. Thus all the sadness. The new suits wanted Cyndi to write with pop mainstream writers. Take a peek of top 40 in 1989; very sappy overly produced music. When the dust settled and Sony / Epic was established, the album had a different title, Hole in my heart was axed, a release date of 1989 and the original production and song choices were rearranged / replaced / rerecorded - much to Cyndi's dismay. This also sparked the feud between Cyndi and record label suits which resulted in very little label support for all releases that followed. After this album fell off the charts Cyndi walked away for a while to reevaluate her career. 1993 was the rebirth of a new Cyndi. And although the charts didn't respond in her favor, the critics did.
@@SalRocha The concept of the album was about the ups and downs of love and relationships. During the recording of the album she realized her personal life was becoming the album. Also the new heads at Epic (enter Tommy Matola - Mariah's Ex) his team was doing the "Why can't you be like Madonna?" argument with her. Cyndi and Epic were constantly battling each other. A critic of the album stated that it felt like Cyndi was asking for help while someone else was driving her career and ideas. I think you picked up on that towards the end. Oh, and Cyndi stated in her memoir that Diane Warren did not like how her song was recorded. Eek!
Someone has already mentioned Cyndi's troubles at this time, like breaking up with David Wolff and Sony undergoing management changes and them trying to get her to change her image. They basically stopped supporting her career at this time and so I Drove All Night was her final top ten hit. I still love this album, especially songs like Heading West and My First Night Without You, as well as I Drove All Night. I think this album is better appreciated the more you listen to it as well, like True Colors. It's not Cyndi's favourite, as we know, I think probably later albums like Hatfull Of Stars, Sisters Of Avalon and Bring Ya To The Brink were better, her music kept on maturing and she followed her own path as an artist, no longer a pop star and she maintained a loyal fan base, although was seemingly forgotten by the mass public. More people should have "seen the magic in her hatfull of stars" , maybe they would have if Sony had properly promoted it. At least she had the support from fans to allow her to carry on recording what she wanted to as an artist. Sisters Of Avalon was the last full album she recorded with Sony, fulfilling her contract with Merry Christmas...Have A Nice Life as her last Sony release. By the way, Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China) {From the movie Vibes}, which was originally going to be on A Night To Remember, was a big hit in Australia and New Zealand, where it peaked at no. 8 in both countries, it didn't enter the top 50 in the US, UK or Canada though. But it also did well in Finland, where it peaked at 10 and Switzerland, peaking at 13.
Well, tastes are relative, this album is one of my favourites album from the 80's and my favourite album from her. I love every song (except "dancing with a stranger"). I never get tired to revisit it.
Just a note on "Boy Blue". The album track is so watered down as to be worthless. Check out the live performance from "Lauper Lauper in Paris". As far as this album, 1988 was one of the worst years of her life. At war with the label, her relationship falling apart. She was near suisidal, depressed and isolated. She had the smarts to go to therapy, may have saved her life. She did say "I wasn't going kill myself because I could see the headline, "Girl who just wanted to have fun, just didn't." She felt that everything she had tried to accomplish would have been discounted. She wasn't going to let that happen.
This Album was so much better than "True Colors", i love Songs like "My First Night without you", "Heading West", "Unconditional Love"and "I don't want to be your friend". I think it's a shame that you find these songs so weak. I loved the album as a teenager and listened to it dozens of times.
I think Heading West turned out to be about the people escaping from East Germany to West Germany bc the Berlin Wall came down a bit later and Cyndi Performed at the Wall Concert (she sang Another Brick in the Wall There), and Cyndi is part German (On her father's side).
Insecurious was co written by Desmond Child and Diane Warren... two writers that wrote some of Cher's 80s content like 'Just Like Jesse James', 'We all Sleep Alone', and If I Could Turn Back Time. It's amazing that they couldn't write a strong pop hook with Cyndi. Sometimes people are talented, but their energies don't align. Hence why Cyndi collabs with Kelly/Steinberg and Child/Warren didn't result in power house ballads or pop songs.
The third album was okay, some songs I did like and others just average, but didn't like 'Primitive', 'Like a Cat' and ' Dancing with the Stranger'. One of my favorite albums by Cyndi is her 2008 dance album ' Bring ya to the Brink'. This 2008 album got a Grammy nomination for best dance album.
@@SalRocha - Two of her songs became #1 dance club hits in the USA charts. Both songs with many remixes. She should've released one dance album in the late 90's as well. I like dance music. Cyndi delivers on this 2008 album.
Cyndi was sad when she did this album bc she just broke up with here long-time boyfriend David Wolff after 7 years, also all the people on her label left after Sony bought CBS/Epic so she was sad about that too, I like the ballads but I agree there were too many sad ballads it could have used a few more fun songs and so I do wish they had included the bonus tracks on the album to balance the album out and make the album less sad and more happy (like a Cyndi Lauper album should be).
I actually like all the ballads on this album but I think it was just too ballad heavy had Cyndi put 2 or 3 more fun songs on this album it would have been a big success bc on her first 2 albums she mixed ballads and fun songs well (perfectly on She's So Unusual) but on this one except for Insecurious and Primitive it was all ballads other than those 2 so really this album need a few more Fun songs (not so many ballads even though I like all the ballads on it) and they should have included Hole in My Heart and Love Unebrivated and mixed those 2 into the album, but I think her record label wanted her to do a more Mature (grown up) and sexy album and they were pushing for that so this album was less a Cyndi Lauper type album than her first 2 albums (that was one reason she was unhappy at the time (record label interference) the other reason she was unhappy is she had just broken up with her longtime boyfriend David Wolff), etc.
Always thought that her record company messed up the singles released from this album. My first night without should have never been a single, it's too repetitive and she sounds like she's screaming. I Don't Want To Be Your Friend should have been the second single as it is very catchy.
I think the record buying public had the same reaction as you did…too many ballads and not what people expected from her. That being said, I enjoy the ballads a lot more than you did. IMO “My First Night,” “Heading West” and “Unconditional Love” are all very good songs. I like that you appreciated the title track though, which I think is a beautiful track and one of my favorites from her. Both of the bonus tracks should have been on the actual track list. Really the only track here I flat out dislike is “Dancing With a Stranger” which I think is just kind of an aimless mess. “Like a Cat” is questionable too.. maybe it could have been saved with better production.
So excited to watch this! Also don’t forget about the hat full of stars Bside ‘Cold’ !
Don't worry I didn't!
My introduction to Cyndi Lauper came courtesy of Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China).
I was so excited when I Drove All Night came out. (I have heard the Roy Orbison version too).
A Night To Remember was my first Cyndi Lauper album. I imagined the introduction to the album was what Cyndi heard on the radio as she drove all night.
Like A Cat is written by Christina Amphlett [RIP], lead singer of legendary Australian band Divinyls and Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg. They would go on to write the global smash I touch Myself (the Divinyls biggest hit).
I remember seeing the video for My First Night Without You and loving the song. I couldn't understand why it wasn't a hit. As an Australian, I did see the A Night To Remember video at least once too.
Having since read her autobiography, I get why this album became a night to forget.
Unconditional Love was written for the movie Vibes but the record company wanted an up-tempo track. Out came Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China) instead.
Susanna Hoffs (of the Bangles) would go on to record her own version of Unconditional Love for her debut solo album My Side Of The Bed only her version has different set of lyrics.
Diane Warren isn't apparently a fan of Cyndi's take on her I Don't Want To Be Your Friend. I feel Cyndi made it her own.
Thanks for sharing all that!
Unabbreviated Love!! Another B-side superior to most of the album. I used to play this in my car on cassette (!) and friends would ask me, "What the hell are we listening to??" LOL. Cyndi!!!
I sure hoped they loved the song as much as I do!
Where to begin. Originally the title was to be Kindred Spirit (don't know what the original cover art would have been). It was originally slated to be released in 1988 and include Hole in My Heart. In 1988 Sony was purchasing CBS Records and many of the managing folks that worked with Cyndi on the first two albums were sent packing. Cyndi was also separating from her Manager / Fiancé while writing the album. Thus all the sadness. The new suits wanted Cyndi to write with pop mainstream writers. Take a peek of top 40 in 1989; very sappy overly produced music. When the dust settled and Sony / Epic was established, the album had a different title, Hole in my heart was axed, a release date of 1989 and the original production and song choices were rearranged / replaced / rerecorded - much to Cyndi's dismay. This also sparked the feud between Cyndi and record label suits which resulted in very little label support for all releases that followed. After this album fell off the charts Cyndi walked away for a while to reevaluate her career. 1993 was the rebirth of a new Cyndi. And although the charts didn't respond in her favor, the critics did.
It's a shame that with the breakup from her manager/fiance this album wasn't marketed as a slower/ballad heavy album.
@@SalRocha The concept of the album was about the ups and downs of love and relationships. During the recording of the album she realized her personal life was becoming the album. Also the new heads at Epic (enter Tommy Matola - Mariah's Ex) his team was doing the "Why can't you be like Madonna?" argument with her. Cyndi and Epic were constantly battling each other. A critic of the album stated that it felt like Cyndi was asking for help while someone else was driving her career and ideas. I think you picked up on that towards the end. Oh, and Cyndi stated in her memoir that Diane Warren did not like how her song was recorded. Eek!
Someone has already mentioned Cyndi's troubles at this time, like breaking up with David Wolff and Sony undergoing management changes and them trying to get her to change her image. They basically stopped supporting her career at this time and so I Drove All Night was her final top ten hit. I still love this album, especially songs like Heading West and My First Night Without You, as well as I Drove All Night. I think this album is better appreciated the more you listen to it as well, like True Colors. It's not Cyndi's favourite, as we know, I think probably later albums like Hatfull Of Stars, Sisters Of Avalon and Bring Ya To The Brink were better, her music kept on maturing and she followed her own path as an artist, no longer a pop star and she maintained a loyal fan base, although was seemingly forgotten by the mass public. More people should have "seen the magic in her hatfull of stars" , maybe they would have if Sony had properly promoted it. At least she had the support from fans to allow her to carry on recording what she wanted to as an artist. Sisters Of Avalon was the last full album she recorded with Sony, fulfilling her contract with Merry Christmas...Have A Nice Life as her last Sony release. By the way, Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China) {From the movie Vibes}, which was originally going to be on A Night To Remember, was a big hit in Australia and New Zealand, where it peaked at no. 8 in both countries, it didn't enter the top 50 in the US, UK or Canada though. But it also did well in Finland, where it peaked at 10 and Switzerland, peaking at 13.
Thanks for sharing all that info! What a shame her label treated her so poorly!
This my favourite Cyndi Lauper album
Good for you!
Well, tastes are relative, this album is one of my favourites album from the 80's and my favourite album from her. I love every song (except "dancing with a stranger"). I never get tired to revisit it.
Just a note on "Boy Blue". The album track is so watered down as to be worthless. Check out the live performance from "Lauper Lauper in Paris".
As far as this album, 1988 was one of the worst years of her life. At war with the label, her relationship falling apart. She was near suisidal, depressed and isolated. She had the smarts to go to therapy, may have saved her life. She did say "I wasn't going kill myself because I could see the headline, "Girl who just wanted to have fun, just didn't." She felt that everything she had tried to accomplish would have been discounted. She wasn't going to let that happen.
Thanks for sharing!
This Album was so much better than "True Colors", i love Songs like "My First Night without you", "Heading West", "Unconditional Love"and "I don't want to be your friend". I think it's a shame that you find these songs so weak. I loved the album as a teenager and listened to it dozens of times.
I think it flows better than True Colors, but the content of True Colors far surpasses it
This album is my favourite from her first 3 the vocals weren't as wonky and it was sad and emotionally and fun at times
Vocally this album is very strong! It showcases a lot of tones in her voice!
@@SalRocha yess
I think Heading West turned out to be about the people escaping from East Germany to West Germany bc the Berlin Wall came down a bit later and Cyndi Performed at the Wall Concert (she sang Another Brick in the Wall There), and Cyndi is part German (On her father's side).
I like the song more thinking about it that way!
ARIA - Australian Recording Industry Association.
Noted!
Insecurious was co written by Desmond Child and Diane Warren... two writers that wrote some of Cher's 80s content like 'Just Like Jesse James', 'We all Sleep Alone', and If I Could Turn Back Time. It's amazing that they couldn't write a strong pop hook with Cyndi. Sometimes people are talented, but their energies don't align. Hence why Cyndi collabs with Kelly/Steinberg and Child/Warren didn't result in power house ballads or pop songs.
So strange that their talents didn't mesh!
The third album was okay, some songs I did like and others just average, but didn't like 'Primitive', 'Like a Cat' and ' Dancing with the Stranger'. One of my favorite albums by Cyndi is her 2008 dance album ' Bring ya to the Brink'. This 2008 album got a Grammy nomination for best dance album.
I've been hearing a lot of good things about Bring Ya To The Brink!
@@SalRocha - Two of her songs became #1 dance club hits in the USA charts. Both songs with many remixes. She should've released one dance album in the late 90's as well. I like dance music. Cyndi delivers on this 2008 album.
Cyndi was sad when she did this album bc she just broke up with here long-time boyfriend David Wolff after 7 years, also all the people on her label left after Sony bought CBS/Epic so she was sad about that too, I like the ballads but I agree there were too many sad ballads it could have used a few more fun songs and so I do wish they had included the bonus tracks on the album to balance the album out and make the album less sad and more happy (like a Cyndi Lauper album should be).
I think I could have been okay with a more ballad heavy album If the cover artwork hadn't been so misleading
I actually like all the ballads on this album but I think it was just too ballad heavy had Cyndi put 2 or 3 more fun songs on this album it would have been a big success bc on her first 2 albums she mixed ballads and fun songs well (perfectly on She's So Unusual) but on this one except for Insecurious and Primitive it was all ballads other than those 2 so really this album need a few more Fun songs (not so many ballads even though I like all the ballads on it) and they should have included Hole in My Heart and Love Unebrivated and mixed those 2 into the album, but I think her record label wanted her to do a more Mature (grown up) and sexy album and they were pushing for that so this album was less a Cyndi Lauper type album than her first 2 albums (that was one reason she was unhappy at the time (record label interference) the other reason she was unhappy is she had just broken up with her longtime boyfriend David Wolff), etc.
I wouldn't have minded a more ballad heavy album if that's what the cover had sold me on!
Always thought that her record company messed up the singles released from this album. My first night without should have never been a single, it's too repetitive and she sounds like she's screaming. I Don't Want To Be Your Friend should have been the second single as it is very catchy.
Yeah, singles wise this album is confusing and the cover of the album so misleading!
I think the record buying public had the same reaction as you did…too many ballads and not what people expected from her. That being said, I enjoy the ballads a lot more than you did. IMO “My First Night,” “Heading West” and “Unconditional Love” are all very good songs. I like that you appreciated the title track though, which I think is a beautiful track and one of my favorites from her. Both of the bonus tracks should have been on the actual track list. Really the only track here I flat out dislike is “Dancing With a Stranger” which I think is just kind of an aimless mess. “Like a Cat” is questionable too.. maybe it could have been saved with better production.
I'm really enjoying "My First Night Without You" but it's such an unconventional ballad that it is so bizarre that they made it a single.