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| parmeda |
SCIALFA DELIVERS LONG-AWAITED SECOND ALBUM
By LARRY McSHANE, Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK - Rising before the sun rose over New Jersey, sitting alone with a barely tuned guitar, Patti Scialfa conjured the songs for her second album while her husband and three kids slept.
"For writing, I get up early in the morning — 5 o'clock, 4:30," Scialfa said. "I'm a morning person. ... So I try to do it while people are asleep. The mornings are the nicest."
But it wasn't until one evening when Scialfa ran into an old friend that she was able to turn those songs into a new album, "23rd Street Lullaby." Drummer Steve Jordan, known for his work with Keith Richards and others, met Scialfa at a recent benefit and asked when her next album was due.
More like overdue. Scialfa's solo debut, "Rumble Doll," came out in 1993. But with Jordan's assistance and gentle prodding, album No. 2 was finally completed. It comes out Tuesday.
"What sparked the whole thing for me was hooking up with Steve Jordan," Scialfa said, sitting in a Manhattan recording studio. "That was really important. He said, `Let me come down and help you.'"
The pair were once neighbors in Manhattan's Chelsea section, a connection that proved perfect for this project. Scialfa, now 50, had written a series of songs about her life in the neighborhood during the '70s and '80s.
"I realized as I started putting the songs together that a lot of the songs had to do with that time period," the redheaded singer-songwriter related. "I like writing a body of music that has a cohesive, emotional thread through it."
From the title track through album closer "Young in the City," Scialfa provides a tour of the hideaways and hangouts of a transplanted Jersey girl in the Big Apple.
"I had a very naive, romanticized vision of the city," she recounted. "Definitely. But that's what you do when you're young."
Scialfa can provide a good explanation — several, in fact — for the delay between albums. There were the three kids; she was pregnant with No. 2 when "Rumble Doll" was released, and the oldest recently turned teenager.
Then there's her husband of 13 years: Yes, that would be Bruce Springsteen. She joined him and the rest of the E Street Band for a pair of world tours in the last five years.
Fitting in her album around birthdays, and sick kids, and playing sold-out shows from Boston to Barcelona ... well, it got a bit tricky.
"It's matter of finding the time," Scialfa said with a laugh. "That was not easy."
The new album is populated with characters drawn from her past: a motherly waitress named Rose, a street corner preacher working Salvation Park, a lost love dubbed Romeo.
But songwriting is not a competition in the Springsteen house, and Scialfa bristled slightly when asked if working around the man responsible for "Born to Run" and "Born in the USA" can get intimidating.
"It's a silly question, because you can broaden it," Scialfa said. "So why write music when Bob Dylan (news) has written all the great songs? It doesn't have to be your husband."
And besides, there's the occasional unexpected bonus when you're married to the Boss. Working on the track "Rose," Scialfa decided the song could use a B-3 organ riff — but she was alone in their home studio.
She picked up the phone and put in a call to Springsteen next door.
"So it was, `Could you do me a favor and run over?'" she recalled. "He'd come over and put something down."
Springsteen contributed a guitar solo to another song, "Love (Stand Up)," but the band's core came from Scialfa's decade of Manhattan living.
Drummer Jordan, keyboardist Cliff Carter and violinist/vocalist Soozie Tyrell were friends from her early days in Chelsea, when the young musicians forged a bond.
She and Tyrell somewhat famously began performing outdoors in Greenwich Village, earning their dinner money a cappella in Sheridan Square.
"I was drawn to the city for the reasons people are always drawn to it: to test yourself, find yourself, lose pieces of yourself," she said. "You come to the city, and you have a chance to find out who you really are."
The Asbury Park High School grad grew up in a home where the radio played Sinatra on Sunday, received a degree from New York University and studied jazz in Florida.
But she wound up singing in rock 'n' roll bands, doing backing vocals in the studio or onstage for the Rolling Stones, Buster Poindexter, and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
With her new album, Scialfa hoped to tour as a solo act for the first time; tentative plans call for a 15-to-20 show itinerary starting in September.
Expect things to stay a lot more low-key than on her first major tour. In 1984, she joined the E Street Band just in time for the "Born in the USA" extravaganza, recruited as a vocalist when guitarist/singer Nils Lofgren came down with laryngitis.
Reminded it's been two decades since then, she laughed in disbelief and shook her head.
"These things always seem like yesterday," Scialfa said. "But then, on the one hand, it's another life. ... From my end, it just feels like, `Who are those people?'"
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| jb |
When was she on stage with the Stones? |
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| Factory Girl |
Gee, I bet being Boss's wife really sweetened that record deal. I bet if I was married to the Boss, I too could get a deal. Its all in who you know, baby. |
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| jb |
quote:
Factory Girl wrote:
Gee, I bet being Boss's wife really sweetened that record deal. I bet if I was married to the Boss, I too could get a deal. Its all in who you know, baby.
She ruined him...just another Yoko... |
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| Gazza |
>When was she on stage with the Stones?
never. But she sings backing vocals on the "Dirty work" album
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| not bound to please |
quote:
Factory Girl wrote:
Gee, I bet being Boss's wife really sweetened that record deal. I bet if I was married to the Boss, I too could get a deal. Its all in who you know, baby.
Yeah, so? What are people to do - not work with people they know? |
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| Gazza |
Exactly
Do you honestly think Leah Wood would have got modelling work or got many gigs had she been anonymous and not had a famous father? Would Jade or Lizzie Jagger's modelling been so successful too?
I'm not really a big fan of Patti as a singer, but she was actually a backing vocalist for several bands, including Southside Johnny before she had a relationship with Bruce. Plus she was in HIS band for four years before they became an item anyway, so its far from a case of ONLY getting high profile work because of who her old man was. |
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| Gazza |
>She ruined him...just another Yoko...
he's far from being ruined. I only wish on current form the Stones were that "ruined" |
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| parmeda |
quote:
jb wrote:
When was she on stage with the Stones?
She is also credited with background vocals on the "Talk Is Cheap" album for the X-P Winos. |
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| corgi37 |
Who cares? She's a redhead. She has no rights. |
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| Factory Girl |
Well, if Patti got her contract b/c she sang back-up, I'd like to see Lisa Fischer get the same treatment by a major record company. Patti's marriage is fundamental to her record deal, imo. |
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| jb |
Gazza, the e-street band did not tour for a decade b/c of her influence over him....finally got back together when his solo career started to slow down... |
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| Snappy McJack |
quote:
Factory Girl wrote:
Well, if Patti got her contract b/c she sang back-up, I'd like to see Lisa Fischer get the same treatment by a major record company.
No way! You didn't finish your sentence!
It should read like this:
"Well, if Patti got her contract b/c she sang back-up, I'd like to see Lisa Fischer get the same treatment by a major record company so that her and those other 'backies' can finally leave the stage and let the Stones do their own work!" |
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| Snappy McJack |
quote:
jb wrote:
Gazza, the e-street band did not tour for a decade b/c of her influence over him....finally got back together when his solo career started to slow down...
Kinda like how Mick finally realized that he wasn't going to be the next Micheal Jackson and asked Micheal Cohl to "help out"!
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| telecaster |
Speaking of back up singers who are married to the leader of the band, has anyone heard that outake of Linda McCartney singing backup to "Hey Jude"
Some roadie zeroed in on her microphone at a show, recorded it and released it to some radio stations
She sounded like what a barn animal sounds like as it is being emasculated
I think Paul sued the guy |
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| not bound to please |
quote:
Factory Girl wrote:
Well, if Patti got her contract b/c she sang back-up, I'd like to see Lisa Fischer get the same treatment by a major record company. Patti's marriage is fundamental to her record deal, imo.
Not to sound like I'm flaming you, but you're pretty naive. Or bitter perhaps? Patti and Lisa are entirely different. Part of the reason someone gets a contract, whether record, book, etc - is because of an impression of probability of sales and interest. The same goes with modeling. Of course Jagger's daughter would be doing Wal-Mart ads if she was Joe Shmoe's daughter - but she has an interest aspect beyond the average giraffe discovered in a Nebraska mall. It's marketing and hype.
And why shouldn't it be?
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
telecaster wrote:
Speaking of back up singers who are married to the leader of the band, has anyone heard that outake of Linda McCartney singing backup to "Hey Jude"
Some roadie zeroed in on her microphone at a show, recorded it and released it to some radio stations
She sounded like what a barn animal sounds like as it is being emasculated
I think Paul sued the guy
Never heard it but I can believe it sucked. And I can believe that Macca sued the guy. I think Macca thinks he's God anyway. |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
not bound to please wrote:
Part of the reason someone gets a contract, whether record, book, etc - is because of an impression of probability of sales and interest. The same goes with modeling. Of course Jagger's daughter would be doing Wal-Mart ads if she was Joe Shmoe's daughter - but she has an interest aspect beyond the average giraffe discovered in a Nebraska mall. It's marketing and hype.
Well I think what you're saying is partially true. It certainly helps to be well connected,(W would never have been elected dog catcher on his own merits) but at the end of the day talent is more important. But then again I suppose it boils down as to how one measures success too. |
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| jb |
quote:
Snappy McJack wrote:
Kinda like how Mick finally realized that he wasn't going to be the next Micheal Jackson and asked Micheal Cohl to "help out"!
Absolutely correct |
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| not bound to please |
quote:
Ten Thousand Motels wrote:
Well I think what you're saying is partially true. It certainly helps to be well connected,(W would never have been elected dog catcher on his own merits) but at the end of the day talent is more important. But then again I suppose it boils down as to how one measures success too.
It's double edged sword. And the one side pointing inwards is often sharper. As many doors are swung open - just as many or more are opened to "Wal-Mart model" comments, for instance. And factory girl's attitude. I'm just trying to see where's she's coming from - because the comment seemed to come out of left field. I know there are a lot of bar band sorts who post on these boards - so...
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| Joey |
" I know there are a lot of bar band sorts who post on these boards - so... "
Ouch !
You make Joey Blanch .
Percee !
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| not bound to please |
quote:
Joey wrote:
" I know there are a lot of bar band sorts who post on these boards - so... "
Ouch !
You make Joey Blanch .
Percee !
meow....
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=11&u=/ap/20040617/ap_on_go_co/drug_imports_3
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| Joey |
You are SASSY !!!!
Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrry Sassy .
Percey ! |
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| Larry Dallas |
I have the Linda McCartney thing on cd. It's amazingly awful. |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
not bound to please wrote:
It's double edged sword. And the one side pointing inwards is often sharper. As many doors are swung open - just as many or more are opened to "Wal-Mart model" comments, for instance. And factory girl's attitude. I'm just trying to see where's she's coming from - because the comment seemed to come out of left field. I know there are a lot of bar band sorts who post on these boards - so...
You lost me. What's a "bar band sort"? I think walmart models do it for free....right? |
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| Gazza |
>Gazza, the e-street band did not tour for a decade b/c of her influence over him....finally got back together when his solo career started to slow down...
his "solo" career?? Absolute nonsense. Springsteen IS and always HAS been signed as a solo artist. HE and he alone chooses his backing band - if he needs one. He told the band in 1989 that he wanted to work with other artists and gave each of them a $2 million sweetener
He didnt put out a studio album for four years because of personal problems and writer's block. He then toured in 92-93 with a different band, which also included E-Streeter Roy Bittan. Practically all of the E-Street Band guested onstage with him at some point on that tour.
He actually reunited the E-Street Band in early 1995 to record a few new songs for the "Greatest Hits" album and a TV special.
If the two albums he released in 1992 didnt sell as well as previously as you seem to indicate, surely the next logical move for a studio album would have been to work again with the E Street Band. The next studio album he did was a solo acoustic album - and a solo tour followed. Hardly a move by someone so desperate for success he had to call on his old bandmates. Its not exactly the first time he's done a solo acoustic album either, as he put "nebraska" out in between "the river" and "Born in the USA"
The records Springsteen has chosen to make post-Born in the USA (which was 20 years ago) are hardly the work of someone desperate for commercial success - the same could be said for the frequency of their release.
I think he worked with the E Street Band again because of a long time connection and a bond. For me, it was too long a hiatus but it worked out ok. He hardly needed the money.
Oh, and recording sessions for the next album start in Atlanta in September 
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| jb |
Gazza, why won't you condem patti for breaking up Bruce's marriage? Stop protecting her!!! |
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| not bound to please |
Gazza - at least someone is keeping the sanity standard point steady here.
Anyone who thinks a rock star should behave the way they want them to - should seek professional help...
and Linda McCartney was a fine human being. She only worked in her husband's project because he insisted. Anyone who bashes her should be ashamed of themselves, if they are capable of it.
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| not bound to please |
quote:
Ten Thousand Motels wrote:
You lost me. What's a "bar band sort"? I think walmart models do it for free....right?
about 15% of the people who post here.
Walmart doesn't pay their "models"?????
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| jb |
Paul used Linda just like he used John and everyone else he ever knew....Macca has always been a self-promoting, jealous prick. |
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