Lena Horne

Artist: Lena Horne

LP: Lena Horne

Song: "Just Squeeze Me"
[ listen ]

Born in Brooklyn on June 30, 1917, Lena Horne celebrates her 92nd birthday today! She appeared in Hollywood musicals of the 1940s like the wacky Red Skelton/Ann Sothern vehicle PANAMA HATTIE in 1942 and the wonderfully strange CABIN IN THE SKY in 1943 (which blew me away when I absent-mindedly stumbled upon it playing in the ship-board cinema during a family cruise vacation back in 1984). You can read about the exciting life and career of Lena Horne here, see her perform "Stormy Weather" from the 1943 film of the same name here and you can watch her sing the ABCs with some Muppets right here. Notes from the back of this 1958 LP:

LENA HORNE — With orchestra conducted by Phil Moore

There are some who will heatedly argue that Lena Horne
is the greatest entertainer in show business today. This
may very well be so. But no one can deny that Miss
Horne is something very, very special. From New York
to London, from Las Vegas to Paris, all have thrilled to
the artistry of this beautiful and elegant lady.

The star was born in Brooklyn. At sixteen, she got her
first singing job in the chorus of the legendary Cotton Club.
Noble Sissle played there, heard Lena, and immediately
hired her as vocalist for his band. Two years later, she
auditioned for Charlie Barnet and got the job. Miss Horne
sang her way across the country and in Hollywood, L.B.
Mayer signed her to do two pictures—first "Panama Hattie"
and then "Cabin In the Sky." These pictures won for Lena
a national prominence and she has gained a larger following
each year since. Now one of the best known entertainers
in the world, Lena Horne is at the pinnacle of her fame.
This album amply demonstrates what put her there.

[ Happy Birthday, Lena Horne! ]

Brown Banana

The other day I bought some bananas to have on hand for a healthy snack, but they started turning brown right when I got them home so I had to eat them really fast.

side one:
01. New Osage Stomp - Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
02. Nine Little Teardrops - Sue Thompson
03. Duermete, Hijo - Los Bocheros
04. Santa Fe, New Mexico - Sons of the Pioneers
05. Crying In the Chapel - Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra
06. My Last Gold Dollar Is Gone - The New Christy Minstrels
07. The Game of Triangles - Bobby Bare/Norma Jean/Liz Anderson
08. Lay Some Happiness On Me - Nancy Sinatra
09. Mr. Jackson - Rose Maddox
10. Kieler Sprotten - Egon Walter's Tanzkapelle German Dance Band
11. Shenandoah - The Browns
12. Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying - Olivia Newton-John
13. Buenas Noches Mí Amor - Los Tres Diamantes
14. Little Joe the Wrangler - Marty Robbins
15. Polynesian Baby - Bobby Austin
16. I Walk the Line - The Robert DeCormier Singers
17. Number Two Girl - Betty Jean Sites
18. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo - Ethel Smith
[ listen ]

side two:
01. End of Track - Lorne Greene
02. Swamp Girl - Frankie Laine
03. To You Sweetheart, Aloha - Tennessee Ernie Ford
04. Panamama Tombe - Count Desire Steel Pan
05. Teddy Bear Song - Tanya Tucker
06. The New "Frankie & Johnnie" Song - Greenwood Country Singers
07. Kites Are Fun - Tony Mottola
08. Evil On Your Mind - Dinah Shore
09. A World I Can't Live In - Claude Gray
10. Barco Negro - Amalia Rodrigues
11. My Old Man - John Denver
12. Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair) - Gale Garnett
13. High Noon - Duane Eddy
14. Mountain of Love - David Houston
15. High Level Hornpipe - Carl Elliott and His Nova Scotians
16. You Little Devil - Jimmy Dean
[ listen ]

Zack Attack—"Flip Me Over!"

This "unauthorized" biography I found on the book-sale donations table at Safeway last night evidently exposes Zac Efron as a submissive bottom who enjoys being "taken" by surprise. I was shocked to find this kind of smut for sale at my local neighborhood supermarket—and right out in the open where children could see it! I haven't yet dared to peek at the color photos inside.

Farrah Fawcett [1947-2009]

Artist: Farrah Fawcett & Jean Paul Vignon

LP: actually, I stole this one from my friend John's blog
Song: "You"
[ listen ]

One of Charlie's original Angels, Farrah Fawcett got shafted with only about 5 hours of media coverage and memorial tributes yesterday before someone a lot more famous suddenly died and stole all her headlines (see below). Read about Farrah's life and career here, see her complete filmography here [just be sure to avoid this one. trust me.] and there are lots of nice Farrah Fawcett images to be found here.

Farrah Fawcett

[February 2, 1947 - June 25, 2009]
We will miss you, Farrah.

Michael Jackson [1958-2009]

Artist: Michael Jackson

LP: Off the Wall
Song: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
[ listen ]

The King of Pop, and probably the music industry's biggest superstar ever, suddenly up and died yesterday. I still find it hard to believe. If you ask me, his #1 1979 hit "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is one of the best dance songs ever.

Michael Jackson tributes like this really nice one you can hear on NPR have been pouring in from all directions today. You can read about Jacko's wonderful-yet-troubled life on Wikipedia here, check out the Michael Jackson Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page here, view photos of the legendary singer from throughout his career here and watch Michael's influential music video for "Beat It" right here.

Michael Jackson
[August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009]
We will miss you, Michael.

Seattle Helps the Hungry

Artist: Seattle Helps the Hungry

LP: 7" single
Song: "Give Just a Little" [care version]
[ listen ]

Song: "Give Just a Little" [share version]
[ listen ]

I was supposed to be locked inside the Space Needle for charity today, but I had to cancel because I've been too distracted to raise my bail money. Feeling guilty, I'm listening to this local 1985 benefit single on auto repeat as punishment. "Give Just a Little" would have been good advice for the singers featured in both versions of this horrible song... but no, they're giving everything they've got. Some of them sound like they're going to explode! Listeners are left with the impression that these folks weren't really thinking of starving children, but of major-label talent scouts waving blank contracts while eagerly clustered around the office turntable.

Jacques Foti

Artist: Jacques Foti

LP: I Wish You Love

Song: "If You Want This Love of Mine"
[ listen ]

This terrific 1965 LP by debonair European bon vivant Jacques Foti is one of the treasures I picked up while dashing in and out of record stores between films at the recent Seattle International Film Festival. Born in Hungary, Foti has evidently been called the male "answer" to Zza Zza Gabor (a question, if ever a woman was), but with this song in particular, it's Eartha Kitt who comes pleasantly to mind. You can read about Jacques Foti's interesting life here (where you can also hire him to speak at your upcoming function.... just don't expect him to look anything like that picture when he shows up), you can see a list of Jacques Foti's film credits—including this one—here, and you can buy an autographed copy of this very LP (with a note that looks like, "Kenny! You're a tiger! & a nice guy!") for twenty bucks on eBay here. Now living (and hopefully still performing) in the L.A. area, yesterday was this continental song-purrer's 85th birthday. Happy Birthday, Jacques Foti!

Intimate Love Songs by the International Favorite
JACQUES FOTI with the Joe Leahy Orchestra.

Jacques Foti, a debonair European bon vivant who wears
a silver ascot in place of a tie, has the continental charm
that has made women sigh for Frenchmen ever since
those attractive Gallic gentlemen invented romance.

An accomplished night club performer who made a name
for himself in Europe before coming to the United States
to capture American femmes, Jacques has been described
by a possibly jealous newsman as "Hungary's
serious male answer to Zza Zza Gabor."

The same critic, somewhat less cryptically, went on to
acclaim his performance as "strictly a heart-flutterer,"
and to Foti as "exactly what women expect
in a continental song-purrer."

A little more basically, another reviewer simply stated that
Jacques Foti "could make even 'Jingle Bells' sound sexy."

Call him sexy, call him romantic, call him charming—and
he is definitely the epitomy of all three—Jacques has an
intimate and unique styling that bids fair to make him a
welcome and appealing addition to the ranks
of singing heart-throbs.

For your listening enjoyment, Vee-Jay recommends
wine glasses for two, soft lights, a cozy sofa...and the
intimate, romantic phrasing of Jacques Foti.

Like Jacques, we wish you love.

Paul Parker

Artist: Paul Parker

LP: Too Much to Dream
Song: "Baby You Can Have My Lovin' Anytime"
[ listen ]
Song: "Too Much to Dream"
[ listen ]

Song: "Nighthawk"
[ listen ]

It took three gay disco songs to wake me up this morning. Paul Parker's invigorating LP was produced by Patrick Cowley and released on Castro Street's Megatone Records in 1983. You can read a little about Parker's music and career here and then read a lot more here, while listening to some auto-play '80s radio. You can visit Paul Parker's webpage and hear samples of his new songs "Don't Stop (What You're Doing to Me)," "I'm Letting Go" and "I'll Be That Man" by clicking here. LP cover photo by Garry Gay.

Poon Sow Keng

Artist: Poon Sow Keng

LP: Popular Songs In Mandarin Chinese by the Orient's Favorite Vocalist

Song: "I Could Hardly Give Him Up"
[ listen ]

Here's a pretty song from a 1960s Poon Sow Keng (or "Pan Xiu Qiong") record I found at a shop just a few blocks from my house. You can read a little about Poon Sow Keng in this blog tribute—where the author calls her ugly and says her songs are popular in Chinese restaurants. Now retired from the limelight, Poon Sow Keng invites senior citizens to volunteerism, as you can see here, and performs at poorly-videotaped Christian festivals like this one. To see Poon Sow Keng lit from head to toe by the aforementioned limelight, go here, where you'll see her perform her beautiful hit, "A Lover's Tears," in the 1964 movie THE LARK. Notes from the back of the LP:

A MALAYAN by birth, the beautiful and immensely popular Poon
Sow Keng has been singing since she was 12 years old.

At 17, she recorded for the first time. Within weeks, her name
was known throughout Southeast Asia.

But for all her popularity, and today she is unquestionably
one of the most popular singers in the entire area, Poon Sow
Keng has never had a lesson in singing. What talent
she has is God-given.

She sings in Mandarin Chinese. She is particularly successful
in Singapore and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.

Here are brief notes on each song, all of which were
recorded by EMI in Asia:

I COULD HARDLY GIVE HIM UP—She longed to see him,
yet when she did she was unable to say anything—and
when she eventually spoke, he failed to respond.
A song of frustration.

Christophe

Artist: Christophe

LP: 7" single

Song: "Aline"
[ listen ]

"Aline" was French pop star Christophe's first big hit, back in 1965. He's evidently had numerous comebacks over the years as well as the requisite drug problem in the 1970s, which you can read all about here. Click here to see him perform "Aline" back in the early days, and if you want to watch Patrick Sebastien doing a flamingly pink take on the song with a half-dozen limp-wristed backup dancers, go here.

35: Totally Tetrahedral

35 is a very special number. 35 is a tetrahedral number. know what's three degrees above freezing? 35. this lady is 35. 35 millimeter... a film gauge! the number of minutes on each side of this mix? 35. plus 10. join... the 35 club.

side one:
01. Toreador's March [from "Carmen"] - James Last
02. Superman - The Clique
03. Laugh Track - Dengue Fever
04. Love Is a Song - Walt Disney Studio Orchestra
05. Why Do You Want Me Around (Ononkisakae) - The Manhattan Brothers
06. So You Are a Star - Hudson Brothers
07. The Arms of Orion - Prince w/ Sheena Easton
08. Magic - Richard Hayman & His Orchestra
09. Klapste Ourani Ki'asteria - Stavros Xarchakos
10. 'O Surdato 'Nnammurato - Gino Del Vescovo
11. Tapioca Tundra - The Wichita Train Whistle
12. Cheerleader - Grizzly Bear
13. C'mon Every Beatbox - Big Audio Dynamite
14. Why I Went Missing - The Style Council
[ listen ]

side two:
01. Come Together - Diana Ross
02. Even Though - Rejoice!
03. Fresh Blood - Eels
04. How Do You Stand - Symphonic Slam
05. Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight - Eddie Rabbitt
06. Pacho Galan - Las Estrellas De Acapulco
07. Oye Negra - Sy Mann & Nick Tagg
08. Stasou - Litsa Diamadi
09. The Exciting Mister Fitch - Marian Montgomery
10. Somebody Loves You - Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra
11. He Ono La - Sam Kapu
12. Black Satin - The Raveonettes
13. Make the World Go Away - Donny & Marie Osmond
14. Hot Hot Hot!!! - The Cure
[ listen ]

Van McCoy

Artist: Van McCoy

LP: The Disco Kid

Song: "The Disco Kid"
[ listen ]

Van McCoy, mostly known for his instrumental disco hit "The Hustle," wrote for many legendary R&B acts of the 1960s and '70s and was responsible for forming the popular singing duo Peaches & Herb. Sadly, McCoy died of a heart-attack when he was only 39 years old. You can read about Van McCoy here and go here to see more pictures and to find out how he is still touching the world with his music.

[ Van McCoy: January 6, 1940 — July 6, 1979 ]

Botti Endor Quartet

Artist: Botti Endor Quartet

LP: Souvenir of M/S Victoria

Song: "Oh, Baby, Kiss Me"
[ listen ]
Song: "I Love Paris"
[ listen ]
Song: "Pullechinilla"
[ listen ]

Ahh, the memories came flooding back to me last night as I listened to this record in the privacy of my home. My folks were actually on the M/S Victoria in July of '69, a few weeks before I was born, and according to witnesses I was still humming "I Love Paris" as I sprang from my mother's womb.

Souvenir of M/S Victoria—1969 Edition
A MUSICAL MEMENTO OF YOUR VICTORIA CRUISE

Weeks from now, months from now, ten years from now,
as you play this record in the privacy of your home, wonderful
memories will come back to you. You will recall, once again,
the music you danced to, the songs you hummed, the
congenial friends you met...the grand and glorious time
you had on your cruise...and wish you were
back aboard the VICTORIA.

We, too, would love to see you back again...soon!
—Incres Line Luxury Cruises—

[  The Botti Endor Quartet ]

Tristar

Artist: Tristar

LP: 7" single

Song: "TV's OK"
[ listen ]

TV's not OK. Ever since all the stations went digital last Friday, Edwardo's been whining that he can't watch his fuzzy South Park episodes anymore.

John & Anne Ryder

Artist: John & Anne Ryder

LP: I Still Believe In Tomorrow

Song: "Don't Forget to Remember"
[ listen ]

War has been declared. Five hundred years after the historic

Wars of the Roses, they're at it again in the north of England.
Yorkshire and Lancashire, friendly foes for centuries, are battling
once more. But this time, not for the Crown of England. Sights
are set on the world...and a Pop Crown.

Until now, Lancashire has had things all its own way. The
Red Roses, the Liverpool Brigade, have scored numerous
victories for the Lancastrians. But their successes have
rocked the White Roses, of Yorkshire, into action. And just
as Liverpool was HQ for the Lancastrians troops, Sheffield
has become base for the Yorkists.

And Sheffield's musical army is already off to a good start.
Joe Cocker is just one who is collecting laurels on their behalf.
And John and Anne Ryder are on the warpath. Hot on the
heels of their hit I Still Believe In Tomorrow.

This album, named after their big seller, shows that future
combats in the new Wars of the Roses will be tough ones.
And there is still plenty of fight in reserve, because the
Ryders have committed themselves to putting Sheffield,
their home town, on the Pop Map.

Yorkshire expects it. Lancashire knows it. The world is
beginning to. The Ryders know the going might be hard.
But they are used to ups and downs. For them the turning
point came when they abandoned their solo careers and
married. They haven't looked back.

And when tomorrow comes, they'll be riding higher than ever.
--Roger Woodcock

This update from a set of notes discovered tucked under the mattress of the unfortunately-named Roger Woodcock following his untimely death in late autumn of 1977: John & Anne Ryder had no sooner set out on the warpath when they were besieged by a band of ruthless Lancastrians who chopped off their heads and stuck them atop poles at the Sheffield city gates. This effectively wiped John & Anne's names off the Pop Map forever, while sending a formidable message to cheeky Yorkist musical upstarts throughout the land.

The Cuban Orchestra

Artist: The Cuban Orchestra

LP: Authentic Latin Rhythms

Song: "La Cucaracha"
[ listen ]

The Halo label based in Union City, New Jersey released this LP by The Cuban Orchestra back in 1957. Unfortunately, looks like the folks at Halo had a little marihuana que fumar before adding the tracklist to the record label; side one lists the same title for tracks #2 and #5 (but the songs are different) and eight titles are listed for the six tracks on side two. I've posted track #2 from side two, which the label lists as "La Cucaracha." It's not the cucaracha we've all come to know and love, but I bet lots of lesser-known regional folksongs have been written about cockroaches over the years, so maybe this is one of those.

Randy Pie

Artist: Randy Pie

LP: Kitsch

Song: "Dancing Shoes"
[ listen ]

I've always preferred strawberry-rhubarb, but this has a pretty nice flavor too. You can read about short-lived band Randy Pie here and watch them perform "Goin' Through the Motions," another track off this 1975 album, in a boxing ring here.

Eddie Layton

Artist: Eddie Layton

LP: Great Organ Hits

Song: "Patricia"
[ listen ]

And now for some more Monday morning organ music. Eddie Layton played the Yankee Stadium organ for the team's baseball games for more than three decades! You can read more about Eddie here and here and find some Eddie Layton interview bits and info about other ballpark organists here. Here are the liner notes from the back of this 1961 LP:

When Eddie Layton makes his version of "Greatest Organ
Hits," he packs behind his ideas of the finest in his repertoire,
audience reaction from famous hotel lounges, such as the
Mermaid Room of the Park Sheraton, New York, and other
smart boites of the Sheraton chain. And more importantly,
he's the only Hammond organist currently who gets a real
feel of the European market, for Layton's been the ambassador
of good music to the British Isles and western continental
Europe for the past two years. His benefactors for this
unusual professional experience (and they'll admit they've
benefitted from Eddie's great demonstration of their electric
organs) are executives of the Hammond Organ Corp., Chicago.

For Eddie once said that if he could devote his lifetime to
developing new sound effects from his Hammond keyboard,
he felt the number would be limitless. And he's proven it in
albums like Organ Moods (monaural MG 20208) and Caravan
(MG 20426 monaural and SR 60098 stereo). And for melodic
and commercial presentation, truly characteristic of American
taste, Europeans definitely relished live in-person samples of
albums like In the Mood (done in conjunction with accordionist
Dick Contino) (MG 20471 monaural and SR 60153 stereo.)

Layton's "Greatest" selections are also his most varied.
The sensual "Grenada" captures all the tempestuous romance
of Spain. "The Perfect Song" re-lives nostalgically the many
years of "The Amos and Andy Show," for which an organist
provided this song nightly as theme. "You Can't Be True,
Dear" is Layton's tribute to probably the greatest all time
organ bestseller done by the late, immortal of the organ,
Ken Griffin. Milt Herth, now a fixture on the Strip in Las Vegas,
would be delighted with Eddie's version of his "Dipsy Doodle,"
The same for Ethel Smith for Layton's handling of her topnotcher,
"Tico-Tico." And the now defunct video vehicle, "Mr. Lucky,"
almost perks up on the TV screen with the layton style. No
organ album would be complete without a bow to Jesse
Crawford, dean of them all, in "The Organ Played at Twilight."
The Three Suns rate a bow from Layton with his inclusion
of "Twilight Time," their much requested theme.

[ Eddie Layton: October 10, 1925 — December 26, 2004 ]

Eavesdroppings

Overheard when: 9:16pm on Thursday, June 4, 2009
Overheard where: at the Uptown Theatre, located at 511 Queen Anne Avenue North in Seattle, WA [map]
Overheard who: a man and woman in their mid-to-late 30s who were conversing in the row behind me before the movie started.
Overheard what:
She: "...and I've realized that that's the missing piece, that I am a total commitment-phobe. I feel like I just don't care enough about people."
He: "I know what you mean. I had the same problem and I had to force myself to change. I was just relying on my charm to get me through life and I didn't really care about people; like as far as dating girls, I'd always just rather go out drinking with my buddies. You know—and I don't say this at all in jest—but one thing that really helped me change is hanging out with a lot of Canadians. They are just such warm and caring people, and I was like, 'I want to learn how to be like them.' Suddenly it was like, 'Wow! There really are good people in the world!'"

Jo'el

Artist: Jo'el

LP: Both Sides of Love

Song: "The Way We Were"
[ listen ]
Song: "God Made the Sea"
[ listen ]

With her haunting, mournful voice wafting through the halls and all eight decks of the s/s Monarch Star, I imagine Jo'el luring joyful travelers to the observation lounge, where they would immediatly fall under her spell and then solemnly throw themselves into the sea. This souvenir album was autographed by Jo'el in June of 1977; she wrote, "May the sun always shine on you + yours." Here are some notes about Jo'el and cruise ships from the back of the LP:

JO'EL WELLS' first album, "Songs of Love," was recorded
in the Observation Lounge of the S.S. MONARCH SUN a
little over a year ago and was an instant success. Since
that time, JO'EL has moved to the Observation Lounge of
the S.S. MONARCH STAR, where this second album was
recorded in response to the instant demand of passengers,
many of them having heard her on the MONARCH SUN, bought
her album and wanted more songs of this fine young artist.

At first, it was planned to record another album of popular
love songs: but so many people asked that some of the
standard favorite hymns which JO'EL includes in her regular
show program, when requested, be recorded that she
decided to present what she calls appropriately, "Both Sides
Of Love." So here it is. We are sure you will enjoy it as
you have her first, "Songs Of Love."

* * * * * * *

As the afternoon sun lowers over Miami's skyline, the
Monarchs put out to sea for sunny ports of call in the
Caribbean. As they head toward the open ocean, it is a
time for high spirits and eager anticipations for everyone
on board—as it has been for the thousands who
have sailed on the Monarchs to date.

These majestic 23,500-ton oceangoing resorts make
their home at Miami's beautiful port on Dodge Island. But
they are also familiar visitors to such other exotic ports
as St. Thomas, San Juan, Aruba, Martinique, Grenada
and Port-au-Prince——just to name a few.

Monarch Sun and her sister ship, the equally-elegant
Monarch Star, are the noble rulers of Miami's cruise
fleet. Owned and operated by Monarch Cruise Lines,
Inc., a Holland America Company, these handsome
vessels were designed for extended ocean voyages.
And their accommodations and facilities reflect this role.
Spacious. Stylish. With many more comforts than you'll
find on most other Caribbean cruiseships. The vital statistics
of the Monarchs may also be of interest to you. The ships
are 617 feet long, 84 feet wide and can carry approximately
670 passengers. Average cruising speed is about 21 knots.
Each ship has eight decks featuring night clubs, duty-free
shops, game rooms, a wide-screen movie theater, a
swimming pool and a 350-seat Restaurant, serving superb
Continental dishes as well as other culinary specialties.
Each ship also has a host of other amenities including
beauty salon, gymnasium and sauna.

Passengers who have cruised on the Monarchs tell us
that they are most impressed with the friendly atmosphere
and hospitality shown by our officers and crew. Such
comments always make us happy. We pride ourselves in
the quality of our service and do our utmost to make
sure that every passenger who leaves the ship will
want to cruise with us again.

We hope you will enjoy the souvenir albums, "Songs
of Love" and "Both Sides of Love" by Jo'el——a truly
talented entertainer. And we hope you enjoyed your
cruise. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
On the Monarchs, of course.

The s/s Monarch Sun and s/s Monarch Star
are registered in Panama.

Cover photo by: Keith Vigow

Diez & Bischof

Artist: Diez & Bischof

LP: Daybreak

Song: "I Just Killed a Stranger"
[ listen ]

After leaving the German rock band Emergency in the mid-1970s, Frank Diez and Peter Bischof teamed up to record their "Daybreak" LP in 1975. Though a terrific album, it was a commercial flop and the two split up soon after its release. Bischof has since disappeared from the music scene, but Diez went on to form a band with actor Klaus Kinski and then released a solo record in 2000 called "Stranded On Fantasy Island." You can read about Diez & Bischof on allmusic.com here, then read more about Frank Diez, find out what he's up to nowadays and become his friend on MySpace here. It looks like the bottom of my copy of "Daybreak" has been eaten away by mold, but that's actually just some blurry bushes or rocks.

Hi-Fi Bros

Artist: Hi-Fi Bros

LP: 12" single

Song: "Punto Amaro"
[ listen ]

Here's one of a pair of Hi-Fi Bros 12" singles I found during my trip to New York a few weeks ago. The pictures below give you some idea what these three fellows look like, and I'll be back later with non-blurry versions of Roberto and Marco.

[ Roberto ]

[ Fabio ]

[ Marco ]

Lissette

Artist: Lissette

LP: Hablame De El

Song: "Todas Las Mañanas"
[ listen ]

Cuban singer Lissette Álvarez was born in Lima, Peru during her TV celebrity parents' South American tour. After a spell in the USA with her sister, Lissette ended up in Puerto Rico, where she went on to become one of the island's most popular singing sensations. You can read about Lissette in English here, then in Spanish here—where you'll also find her complete discography, more photos and a place where you can write to say hello—and then you can watch Lissette's dynamic music video for her 1985 Spanish-language version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" right here.