you're favorite era of Cher...



Era 1: Sonny & Cher part 1 (the original run, mid to late 60's)
Era 2: Sonny & Cher part 2 (early to mid 70's, the tv years plus hits plus several solo hits)
Era 3: Disco queen (late 70's)
Era 4: movie Cher (80's)
Era 5: rock chick (late 80's/early 90's)
Era 6: infomercial Cher (plus her soft 1996 album)
Era 7: modern: dance/club queen.
[This message was edited Thu Dec 4 10:37:40 PST 2003 by AaronUniversal]

mine's #5, followed closely by #7

Era # 2. I was a huge Sonny and Cher fan. I can remember wearing a long towel on my head and pretending it was my hair and swinging it back and forth and singing in front of my mirror acting like Cher. I know Aaron, I'm old

I'm ashamed to say that my first encouter with Cher was #4. only after a few years I've been informed of her music career.

Actually, my favorite is post Sonny but pre disco.

Dark Lady
Gypsys Tramps & Thieves
Carosel Man
etc.

It's amazing during this period how many people died on her records. A lot of them basically were, "some crazy stuff happened, and then I shot him!"

I think I'm era #2. I remember my mom used to read Rona Barrett's (sp?) Hollywood and Gossip (Before the Star and the National Enquirer) and I was always skimming the pages for stuff on Cher!

I used to watch the S&C show and remembered how Chastity would come out to close the show.

I remember how Cher would sing "Half Breed" wearing the Indian head dress and outfit (probably designed by Bob Mackie and not from some Cherokee reservation.) I REALLY thought she was half Indian (as was the term back then). That song was some tragic mulatto type stuff!

Later I learned that her dad was Armenian, hence her dark features. She used to wish that she was fair and blonde like her mother and sister. (I wondered by Chastity was blonde.)
[This message was edited Thu Dec 4 12:52:03 PST 2003 by UptownDeb]

AaronUniversal said:

Me too I guess. I'm only old enough to remember those anyway. I think I would have liked 2 though. She released two great albums in the mid-seventies ("Stars", "I'd Rather Believe In You") that really tanked but are really popular among fans (mostly "Stars", which I think is all covers from around that time).

Excuse me while I puke at the thought of her zombified visage...

I'm still waiting for my favorite "Cher-a". The one when she dies and we don't have to hear that wail of hers anymore! Seriously folks, I think she sounds like Bill Murray's character from "Caddyshack". She should stick to acting.

TheGillman said:

you must be talking about how she sings out of the side of her mouth, right? That's always annoyed me about her as well! I guess I just don't get it! Maybe 'cuz I'm straight?

Even though I like Cher, she is and always has been a horrible singer. She's a very good entertainer and a smart business woman, but she can't sing a lick.

theblueangel said:

oh please you're among friends, you don't have to pretend to be tough...

kisscamille said:

you're joking, right? she's got one of the best female voices in pop music for 4 decades.

era 3.

bob mackie worked her ass out!

AaronUniversal said:

2 and 3.

I have to go with era #6. Not the infomercials though. She did a smarmy thing.

But her Not.com.mercial and especially Man's World album are really amazing. The latter being the best of her career. All of the songs are tight. And it's Cher without the frills relying only on her talent. No fancy beats, no trendy styles. Just soulful music. If you haven't heard that record, you should definitely check it out. If you don't like at least something on it, then there's something wrong with you. Try to find the European version though.

Cher is obviously the main influence of bands like Creed, Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, Theory of a Dead Man etc. Just listen to their lead vocals.

garnis said:

Except more talented, meaningful and manly than all of 'em.

TRON said:

No, but seriously, those groups all have singers who's vocal style is very similar to Cher. Its not a joke at all. And yes, she is more manly!

Era 7.Her 1999 'Believe' CD is the first album I bought by her,and I love the follow-up 'Living Proof' even more.I do like some of her older recordings,just never felt compelled to go out and buy them.

Her 1979 Disco hit "Take Me Home" is another favorite.I'd be interested in hearing some of her other Disco songs from this period,when she was signed to Casablanca Records.
[This message was edited Fri Dec 5 4:29:35 PST 2003 by DavidEye]

theblueangel said:

AaronUniversal said:

I assure you, I'm not putting on any airs...Cher literally scares me down to the bottom of my queer soul. That DVD I keep seeing at the video store with all the crazy colors on it...she looks like a drag queen zombie, and I think she wants to snack on my flesh. I can't understand for the life of me why anyone would be interested in her...but then, I've got some shitty taste too sometimes.

DavidEye said:

Get "The Casablanca Years" (which still might be in print) which contains both of her disco albums for that label (released in the same year). It isn't bad but nothing great. There are a lot of ballads and the second half was little less commerical (and sold poorly if it all) but contains some more rock oreinated stuff and a slightly politcal side. It is also worth noting that she made a rock album for Casablanca with a band called Black Rose (and actually, her name might not even appear on the original album's jacket but I think the album was released by Black Rose and self-titled). It rocks much harder than her Geffen stuff ever could and was a pretty big leap in a very short time from her disco albums (although "Prisoner" had a rock twist in some of its songs).
[This message was edited Fri Dec 5 6:44:22 PST 2003 by VinnyM27]

VinnyM27 said:

Did you know that Donna Summer (another Casablanca artist at that time) played one of her new songs for label president Neil Bogart and he told her "Great song,but I think it's more suitable for Cher to record".Donna was pissed and she told him that only SHE would record the song,not Cher...lol...depending on whose version of this story you believe,the song in question was either "Hot Stuff" or "Bad Girls".

AaronUniversal said:

No, I'm not joking and I sincerely hope you are! Cher has a terrible voice.

DavidEye said:

Me too.

kisscamille said:

TRON said:

I'll agree with you about the voice - UP UNTIL I heard her cut loose at the end of "If I Could Turn Back Time" and suddenly, my appreciation for Cher rose above her unitard collection.

She can REALLY belt that Tom Jones style of singing - but she rarely does. Songs like Half-Breed and If I Could Turn Back Time - those are maybe the only ones where she whipped it out like that.

Maybe lip surgery had something to do with it.

TRON said:

I'm nuts?? I don't think so! You're probably one of those that think Britney can actually sing too.
As I stated, I like Cher a lot and have been a fan for many years, but she can not sing at all.

DavidEye said:

I know. That story changes all the time. As you probably know, Donna wrote (and even recorded any early verison of) "Bad Girls". It was pretty much her song while "Hot Stuff" came from Pete Bellotte and a few others that worked on the album. It might have been a case where Neil saw "Hot Stuff" and thought it was for better for Cher (at first blush, it more suited Cher than Donna, who did very little rock before BGs) but Donna was probably offered it first (since those were her people that wrote it) and refused to let go. I'm pretty sure the song must have been "Bad Girls" as it came out of Donna's mouth and it sounds like a werid story to make up (I think she would know better than us). Also, I heard the same story about "Bad Girls" the song on Oprah. Maybe "Hot Stuff" was just a rumour (Donna sure has a lot around here). Heck, maybe it was both!

I even heard that the song in question might have been..."My Baby Understands", Donna's self-written Janis tribute! I think that song would have sounded good out of Cher but Donna sang the hell out of it and she desreved it.

VinnyM27 said:

interesting story. all parties interested should look for the Cher track "Bad Love" she did with Georgio Morodor from the movie Foxes... it's like a cross between "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls"