Whatever Happened To Patty Smyth and Lisa Stansfield?

DAILY MUSIC TRIVIA QUESTION:  What mega-selling hard rock band was Patti asked in 1985 to be the new lead singer but she declined?  Yesterday:  Semisonic

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO PATTY SMYTH?

One of my guilty pleasures of the 80's was the music of Patty Smyth and Scandal.   I saw them on Halloween at the historic Orpheum Theare in Minneapolis.   Patty dressed as a witch for the encores, "The Warrior" and "Goodbye To You".   Between her work with Scandal and her solo CDs, it's unbelievable to note her discography is just 4 cds total, Scandal (2 cds) and solo (2 cds). 

It's been 20 years since her last CD, she has since married tennis legend, John McEnroe and has been raising six children. People Magazine ran an article stating in the early 00's, one of Patty's daughters said to her , "Mom, you don't sing anymore not even around the house".  Patty said that haunted her.  Not long after, Bands Reunited, a VH1 show, contacted her, they got Scandal back together!

Scandal produced a new single "Hard For You To Love" in 2009.  I've searched but haven't found it (yet!).  Patty joked her next single will be "The Worrier" since her attitude has changed raising six kids, recording new music while her youngest kids are in school, rocker mom!  Here's three favorites:  Hands Tied (Scandal), Downtown Train (sorry Tom Waits and Rod Stewart, this is the best version),  The Warrior from June 2012!

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO LISA STANSFIELD?

You all remember her striking brunette hair with the signature curl, chiseled looks, and those eyes that dominated MTV in the late 80's/early 90's.   Lisa said she wasn't prepared for such sudden success when her smash "All Around The World" literally went #1 globally.    Her debut sold 5 million copies but her follow up CD's didn't sell anywhere near that amount.   She continued releasing music, dabbling in different genres including jazz until her last CD, The Moment, in 2004.

Ever the artist, Lisa has taking up acting and was prominently featured in the London stage production of The Vagina Monologues and a Keira Knightly movie, The Edge Of Love.   She said she's like a gypsy who can't stay in one place too long.   She, with her husband, have kept low profile lately and were living in a six million dollar castle in Dublin, Ireland.   Here's her big hits:  All Around The World, Change, and the most recent performance of Never Gonna Give You Up from 2009. 

PETA Warriors: Third Eye Blind, Rise Against, Patty Smyth, Dead Milkmen

"DEEP INSIDE OF YOU" (Live)         THIRD EYE BLIND

Intense relationship lyrics on this song!  Those moments when you can't decide if you love them, hate them, lust, lasting memories, secrets, dreams, passion, sex, doubts, so many complex emotions exposed in these amazing lyrics.


When we met light was shed
Thoughts free flow you said
You’ve got Somethin’
Deep inside of you


A wind chime voice sounds
Sway of your hips ‘round rings true
It goes deep inside of you
These secret garden beams
Changed my life so it seems


A Fall breeze blows outside
I don’t break stride
Thoughts are warm
And they go deep inside of you
Oh yeah    And I never felt alone
Alright  Ohhh ohhh ‘til I met you


Friends say I’ve changed
I don’t listen   ‘Cause I live to be
Deep inside of you
Slide up her dress
Shouts in darkness
I’m so alive
I’m deep inside of you


You said boy made girl feel good
But still Deep inside still
I never felt alone
‘Til I met you
I’m alright on my own
And then I met you
And I’d know what to do if I just knew what’s comin’


I would change myself if I could
I would walk with my people if I could find ‘em  And I’d say that I’m sorry to you
I’m sorry to you
And I don’t wanna call you
But then I wanna to call you
‘Cause I don’t wanna crush you
But I feel like crushin’ you
And it’s true
I took for granted you were with me
I breathe by your looks and you look right through me


P.S.  Props to Stephen Jenkins for dating Charlize Theron! 

  
"SAVIOR"       RISE AGAINST
 

Fun Fact:   Punk rockers, Rise Against, were named PETA's Most Animal Friendly Band for their support for animal rights.   They've been around for about 10 years and their sound reminds me of Social Distortion and Bad Religion.   "Savior" is probably the first "love song" I've heard from them and it's currently rising up the rock charts, love their energy here!  Great lyric:  "I love you but I'm not the answer for the questions that you still have." 

"ISN'T IT ENOUGH"  (Letterman)      PATTY SMYTH

First saw Patty Smyth in concert on Halloween night at the Orpheum in downtown Minneapolis when Scandal opened for John Waite.   Patty was dressed in a witch costume and blasted out "The Warrior", "Hands Tied" and all of Scandal's first two albums.    Mrs. John McEnroe turns up her feisty NYC attitude with this straight ahead rocker from an early Letterman Show.  There is something so sexy about women rockers!   I can see why the girls fall for the bad boys in the band.

"PUNK ROCK GIRL"                    DEAD MILKMEN

Early MTV favorite from this humorous punk band from Pennsylvania.   This was a college radio staple and featured in a Beavis and Butthead episode.    Ignore the simple chords, the off-key vocals, and the rambling silly lyrics about Minnie Pearl and Zipperhead.   At the core of this song, it's a root for the underdog silly love song!  If you know it, you love it and it'll be stuck in your head again!  If you've never heard it before, hopefully you'll smile at what kind of music,  crazy people in the 80's listened to.