Cyndi Lauper to release a blues record six years in the making


The fact that ’80s icon Cyndi Lauper is releasing a blues record (aptly titled Memphis Blues) next month is enough to elicit an eager response from fans of the woman who penned the theme song to The Goonies. Throw one lucky Lauperette in a room with the songstress for an album preview, and you’ve got yourself a pretty serious time—seriously awesome. In talking about her upcoming release, a work six years in the making, Lauper spoke lovingly about ducks, breaking her diet and, of course, the blues.

In person, Cyndi Lauper is nothing and everything you’d expect. For one thing, she’s tiny. At no more than 5′2″, the 56-year-old (!) entered the studio at Downtown Records decked out head-to-toe in black: platform boots, metallic leggings, etc. You’d overlook her if not for the ridonkulous, fire-truck-red Afro atop her head. However, unlike Carrot Top, the lady made it look damn good. At first seemingly reserved, the Ozone Park, Queens, native reminded us why we love that she blurts out “How aw ya?” at the first familiar face.

From there on out, Lauper recounted the steps that led her to make Memphis Blues: “I was hungry for real, live music…and [in Memphis], it felt real. This is the music we cut our teeth on as singers.” Lauper fell in love with life down South, from the food (”How many times can you say, ‘No thanks; I’m not eating carbs’?”), to the people, to an unlikely section of the community: the ducks. “There were ducks everywhere. Just all over the place. What can I say? They love their ducks.”

Over the course of six years, Lauper fought to get the album made, finally partnering with Downtown Records and teaming up with the likes of B.B. King, Ann Peebles, Allen Toussaint and even Jonny Lang. As for Lauper, her range fits perfectly with the genre—even the songstress professes, “I really feel like I was born to sing this stuff.” On tracks like Lowell Newsom’s “Shattered Dreams,” the mezzo-soprano exhibits discipline, sliding up and down the scale in the span of a line and never missing a note. Still, when it comes to howling wildly and tackling riff after riff, she shows zero inhibition. The artist even puts her own comic spin on things, with lines like “I’m gonna call Jackie Chan/And come for you” on “Just Your Fool.” Memphis Blues is scheduled for release on June 22, and—wouldn’t you know it—Lauper turns 57 the same day.

Read more: http://www3.timeoutny.com...z0mUl00PRj

1) I love and adore Lauper's At Last album

however

2) What Bring Ya To The Brink proved is not that Lauper is great at "concept" albums (which appears to be her creative modus operandi of late) but how iconic her sound is when she creates fun pop ala her debut.

As one who appreciates the struggle to grow as an artist, I still groan at the thought of enduring a Lauper "creative indulgence" album yet again. Especially when Brink proved once and for all that she is the artist Madonna (Confessions On The Dance Floor) dreams of being.

Hope Patti Labelle come in and they just do a rendition of Time After Time for 10 minutes at the end of the album...

I think this will be great. I've heard clips here and they sound great:

http://cyndilaupernews.com/index.php
[Edited 5/5/10 10:49am]

Might have 2 get this