Sheena Easton was one of the worst commercial pop singers

I'm actually surprised she hasn't shown up one of those singing competition shows. She had a great voice and some catchy songs. Too bad she burned out so quickly. I enjoyed her music in the 80's, but I haven't thought about her in years.

Totally agree, OP. But DL seems to love her.

This is my favorite Bond song after Goldfinger.

As long as she stayed in that very safe middle range, she was fine. It's when she tried songs like you posted, OP, where she sounds horrid. "You could have biiiiiiiiin with meeee" - ugh.

I did like 9-5 Morning Train when I was a little kid, though!

You're an asshole, OP. Are you proud of yourself? You just string together whatever kindergarten snark you can manage to make a provocative statement.

I never liked Sheena but she could carry a tune. Which places her at least MIDDLE of the pile of "commercial pop singers" whatever the fuck that means. "Commercial"? Do you mean SUCCESSFUL? Fucktard.

R5 You seem way overly triggered for someone who never liked her.

It's the very low level of rhetoric that triggers me.

I wouldn't say Sheena burned out quickly. She had a solid decade of hits, then moved on to doing theater. 10 years of scoring hits is pretty uncommon for the average pop star. Paula Abdul certainly didn't last more than 4 years.

R8 Paula is best known as a cheerleader, dancer, choreographer. This is a stupid comparison.

R7 Got it !

R5 is batshit.

*

R12 Horrid

[quote] [R8] Paula is best known as a cheerleader, dancer, choreographer. This is a stupid comparison.

First, I used Paula Abdul as an example because OP referenced her. Second, the woman had 8 Top Ten hits in the space of three years with SIX consecutive #1's. If you truly think she was best known as a cheerleader, dancer and choreographer, you're even dumber than Jabba. So please go fuck yourself til you bleed.

For all those who claim Allan Carr’s 1989 Oscars opening number or the Teri Garr and/or Ann Reinking debacles were the most jaw-droppingly bad Oscar performances… check this out!

I saw Sheena Easton in 42nd Street on the West End a few years ago. I mainly went to see the show because it's getting rarer and rarer to see full blown productions of musicals on either the West End or Broadway but I she was good in the show.

That sounds fun

Op

EAT SHiT

My baby takes the morning train

straight out of Eastonville.

R18 You post a lot of stupid stuff

[quote]I think Paula Abdul could have done better.

Hi Paula.

She had a strong voice and a lot of passion

I enjoy her very early stuff. 1980-1983 or so.

R15 the production is craptastic!!! but Sheena sounds fine.

She performed at Market Days, the large GAY street festival in Boystown/Northalsted Chicago a few years ago. Good performance, but she started out the show by saying "Boys, Mama's got her SPANX on!" . The crowd loved it.

I thought we were talking about pat benetar, I honestly don’t know the difference

But you did, R26

FYEO was at the beginning of Sheena's career. Funny you should complain about it, because her oeuvre got so much worse.

I'm not even a big fan - I only like 2 of her songs - but it's silly to say she's worse than Paula Abdul. She could sing circles around Paula

Boy George was once mean to her. He was asked in an interview why he was wearing so much makeup and Boy answered something along the line "I put on all that makeup for the same reason Sheena Easton puts on so much makeup: some faces are just better hidden than seen."

R26 that’s because you’re stupid.

R30 George is and was so ugly he couldn’t hide it with latex house paint.

OP? She had Sugar Walls.

I’m sure Prince sang with her because she was a bad singer.

Or fucking her.

I’ve always loved Sheena, especially during her “edgy” Do You period. I think she still looks & sounds great!

She still sounds decent - not spectacular, but it works.

That TJ Maxx dress is not flattering, however.

She had a great instrument, but didn’t know how to rein it in.

Sheena did some good songs but For Your Eyes Only wasn't one of them. It's like a dirge, not a Bond theme

I can think of plenty of others who were worse singers. Um, how about Madonna?

I think the For Your Eyes Only song was put together quickly after the Blondie Bond theme was rejected.

Prince was infatuated with her. Her turn on You got the look was fantastic. She went full Babyface pop with The Lover in Me, which has one of my favorite songs Prince wrote for her called 101.

I remember her doing a lot of commercials for 21st century fitness with this song

Bill Conti, who co-wrote the song, originally envisioned either Dusty Springfield or Donna Summer (who he previously worked with) to sing the song.

The studio, United Artists, wanted Sheena instead.

Adrian Paul when he was hot!

I like Sheena in her bull outfit.

She's OK. I neither loathe her nor particular enjoyed her work. She was perfectly acceptable background noise for her era.

Sorry OP. Prince seemed to disagree.

How have her "sugar walls" held up?

R47 Like Cheryl's.

R43 this was a bop. I loved Adrian Paul. He was married to one of the “uh-huh” girls.

Sorry, but the spectacle posted at R15 is fucking fantastic

There were others far worse than Sheena in those years.

Juice Newton comes to mind.

I think she's adorable and pretty and I'm glad she exists. I'm glad she's still working, too.

Oh and I love "Sugar Walls," "You Got The Look" and "The Lover In Me" - basically her entire Prince era was super fun

God bless you, Sheena Easton

R51 I like Juice Newton as well!

MARY!

Juice Newton sucks

Oh I forgot about Juice Newton. She was great

No she wasn’t

Sheena Easton was one of THE BEST of the commercial pop singers.

R57 She sure was!

I would love to see Sheena in concert - still sounds lovely

I remember when “Morning Train” was released to the airwaves. College guys, the straight ones, HATED that song. Being gay, I liked the song, but I preferred “I’m Almost Over You” and “For Your Eyes Only.”

She's dead, you know.

Keep up.

[quote] Sheena Easton was one of THE BEST of the commercial pop singers.

MARY!

R61 I loved Morning Train, but hated both I'm Almost Over You and For Your Eyes Only!

R62 You wish

Sheena was very beautiful and sexy

R65 no disrespect but FUCK JUICE NEWTON!

R67 No thank you

Nicolette Larson Rules!

Be gone JN Stan! Start your own thread on JN!

Why the Juice Newton hate?

I took a singing class in college and one of the students, Claudia Kraskie, sang "Almost Over You." I remember thinking it was a lovely tune (even in Claudia's off-key voice), but never knew until years later that it was a Sheena Easton song.

OP Sheena was able to act and sing in Les Miserables, Man Of La Mancha and Grease. She also headlined in vegas for a good amount of time. Additionally she played Don Johnson's gf on Miami Vice. How has your pop career treated you?

I loved the fabulous album. Sheer crap & a sad play for the gays - yet i loved it (teena marie cover! The three degrees cover! Ooh. Ahh )

She has NEVER been to ME!

I fucking love her, warts and all.

“Only for YUH” And yuh and yuh and yu-uh !

I've always liked "Modern Girl".

"Do It For Love" had the very fuckable Billy Zane in the video and she scores a lot of points with me for that.

"Sugar Walls" mixes brilliantly into "The Glamorous Life", which keeps the dance floor moving on retro night.

Easton always reminded me of a less talented version on Lulu.

Someone compared her to Pat Benatar. They are nothing alike. Benatar had a much stronger voice and still does. Benatar sounds thr same now. In that recent casino clip, Sheena looks bloated and her singing voice isn't great anymore.

I don't see the Lulu comparison at all. Lulu never needed to fuck Prince to get exposure.

Strut!

For r70, with love.

Smooches!

[quote] the woman had 8 Top Ten hits in the space of three years with SIX consecutive #1's

This is the most amusing thing about Paula for me. Who was it who came closest to tying Whitney's record? No, not Madonna, Celine, Mariah or Janet. Nope. Paula freaking Abdul. Someone who is more remembered today as being one of the original hosts of American Idol than for her actual singing career.

Paula couldn't sing worth a damn.

[quote] Paula couldn't sing worth a damn.

She ain't shit! That girl was singing off-key ON THE RECORD!

I wonder how Paula felt judging contestants for their vocals when she basically had none. Maybe it’s why she was always so nice to most of the contestants? I only remember her going off on a couple of occasions. Some of them were being really rude and obnoxious.

For Your Eyes Only is the only Bond movie where I fast forward through the credits, in order to avoid seeing and hearing SE.

I totally agree, OP. I never understood her popularity/media airtime at all. I just assumed she was fucking everyone necessary.

[quote]Easton always reminded me of a less talented version on Lulu.

Cider for Sheena.

Where is all this bitterness towards Juice Newton coming from?

Och well I keep getting these Joabs and it’s enough for some Bonnie frocks

R86, Chris Rock made that joke at some awards show. I forget which one. She also made a joke about how Hilary Duff couldn't sing.

Back in her day I'd love to have squeezed Juice

Paula Abdul cannot sing.

[quote] Paula Abdul cannot sing.

We covered that, thank you.

No comparison between Paula and Sheena. Sheena CAN sing. Paula needs help singing.

Sheena can sing some songs. She seems to try to sing way out of her range, and ends up sounding very whiny (For Your Eyes Only).

Oh wow. Cool.

When it was a hit, "My Baby Takes the Morning Train" would often be played on my local radio station when I was driving home from teaching. It was a happy song that washed away the day.

Paula Abdul was a nothing.

Paula Abdul was a dancer and choreographer who they turned into a forced outcome. Straight Up and Cold Hearted were fun for those of us who know how to have a sense of humor about music and all.

Was reading the Paula things to my co-worker. He just told me a Kylie Minogue song Spinning Around was written for a Paula album that didn’t happen. Kinda fitting - they both were /are studio artists / video pop girls. He’s playing the spinning song now. It’s kinda catchy. Boy Kylie can’t sing. She squeeks. At least paula could dance.

La Mancha

[quote]Boy Kylie can't sing.

Now we know why Kylie never caught on in the States.

R102 Once you know “Spinning Around” was meant for Paula Abdul, you can totally hear Paula singing it.

I’ve always enjoyed Kylie Minogue, but even I’ll admit she’s not the best vocalist in the world. Get Outta My Way is one of my favorites from her. Especially this video.

R104 i did say the song is catchy. What else do we want from a pop singer?

Gaga's Telephone was originally for Britney Spears -

Paula Abdul could have sung it better, OP? Oh my sides. That is funny.

R102 and R105 the kicker is that Paula Abdul *wrote* “Spinning Around” and ended up passing it along to Kylie.

And, now back to your regularly scheduled SheenaTastic programming!

[quote] I wonder how Paula felt judging contestants for their vocals when she basically had none. Maybe it’s why she was always so nice to most of the contestants? I only remember her going off on a couple of occasions. Some of them were being really rude and obnoxious.

I can't remember which season it was, but one year on American Idol, the contestants either had a Paula Abdul night or at the beginning of the elimination show, they did a Paula Abdul medley. (I think it was that.) At the end of the performance, they all tried to get Paula to come up and sing with them and she refused. They kept insisting and it was getting super awkward and you could see how nervous she was that she might have to sing live. In the end she was able to wiggle out of it, but it was a pretty funny moment.

I remember Paula performed on American Idol and it was completely lip-synced. And that's the woman who was judging the show lol. It makes completely sense that someone as vocally untalented as Katy Perry filled the Abdul role years later.

Paula Abdul's vocals have always been over-produced and sound completely manufactured.

So true r111.

Paula can't sing and is an unstable substance abusing train wreck.

I hope Katy Perry saved her money or she'll end up like Janet.

I also can't understand all the hype for Taylor Swift. Time will tell with that one.

Sheena by all accounts is lazy and only works when she has to. And being on Broadway isn't proof of much.

Ricky Martin was in Les Mis and he is a Paula A. level singer at best.

That's cool R107. But it seems kind of weak next to Gaga's version.

[quote] I also can't understand all the hype for Taylor Swift.

Me neither. I must've heard her music dozens of times on the radio but it is so unmemorable. Same with Adele. Over-hyped mediocrity.

R107, that is WEAK.

Here is the American Idol performance. I cannot believe she wasn't MORE criticized for this dreck.

Nice of them to turn on her microphone AFTER the song was done. What a bullshit performance that was for the judge of a singing comp.

Sheena certainly wasn't as terrible as that fucking dreadful Kim Carnes.

[quote] I also can't understand all the hype for Taylor Swift. Time will tell with that one.

I'll give her that she seems to be able to sing, to some degree, and can play instruments. Her songwriting is repetitive and often needs assistance. She's hyped to the max, a product and a brand.

It's crazy to think that Taylor may overtake Madonna in a decade or so to become the most successful female artist ever.

OP eats old people’s excrement - and loves it.

[quote] wasn't as terrible as that fucking dreadful Kim Carnes.

Or the even more execrable Bonnie Tyler......

Bonnie Tyler was better than Carnes. A couple of her songs are still very well-liked today which can't really be said about Carnes, not even Bette Davis Eyes.

No, Kim Carnes had a much better voice than Bonnie Tyler. Yes, they were both raspy, but Carnes stays on key, knows her range and makes for a much more pleasant sound. Tyler frequently would go beyond her range and sound like she was screaming off key.

They both sounded like drunken frogs being fucked in the ass with a sharp stick. NO.

R126 You say that like it’s a bad thing.

Britney doesn’t sound as terrible as you might expect in the Telephone demo because her vocals sound auto-tuned on purpose. That said, I’m glad Beyoncé did the collab. Britney was past her prime at that point.

Britney sounds flat in the demo because 1) she can't sing 2) she was probably heavily drugged up at the time.

SE sucks donkey cock!

Bonnie Tyler, Kim Carnes and Rod Stewart should perform a cover of "Lady Marmellade" at the next Grammy awards.

Bonnie's voice is superior to Carnes' but her records almost always suffer from over-production. This would have been a great cover but for the weird, operatic ad-libs laid over every moment without a lyric and the return of the Total Eclipse backing chorus. Her voice is enough.

[quote]Gaga's Telephone was originally for Britney Spears -

W.A.P. was originally War Axis Pilots written for an Andrew Sisters Bond Tour, but the acetate was tossed into a desk drawer and forgotten until discovered by a cleaning woman. Who had a son name Kayne West.

And the rest, is history.

I said this in another Sheena Eason thread a year or two back.

One of the keys to her success was that her voice was a bit on the bland side, which in practical terms, meant that she could sing a variety of flavors of pop, and it would work...from light country (We've Got Tonight, Almost Over You), to New Wave-ish pop (Telefone), to R&B-lite (The Lover in You), it was one of those voices you could plug into nearly anything and make it work.

Although nobody was ever going to mistake her for Chaka Khan when it came to the hardcore funk...which is why she had Prince help her with the heavy lifting on those hits.

And to her credit, she wisely never tried to sound "country" or "R&B" or "New Wave". She just did her thing, and it seemed to turn out OK.

And I believe the reason Prince chose as his duet partner had a lot to do with the fact that she is tiny. A good 2 or 3 inches shorter than him, so he didn't have to worry about looking like a midget when they were onstage together.

Looking it up Prince was 5' 2". Sheena was shorter but that didn't stop him from being seen with Kim Bassinger or Vanity who both were noticeably taller.

As long as they put out and otherwise did as they were told he seemed satisfied.

I never cared for Sheena's music but I do think she looks amazing with the long, curly, auburn hair in the video R43 posted

I really am a Sheena Easton Stan. Have been since I was 11 yrs old (1984).

We've had enough threads on her that I think she has reached DL icon status - which when you think about isn't that high a standard to meet. Regardless I love Sheena. She was at Mount Airy Casino last month but I couldn't find a date and am not one to go to concerts alone.

She still seems to have a lot of fun in her concerts, so more power to her!

Anyway

Let’s get together and do what cums naturally

R141, I still love that song painful Princessa-, penned rap and all - she sounds horny and the production is solid despite being relatively no name

As I'm subjected to the Abdul run of hits at work daily, what stands out is the fact that despite the whole project's initial push to black radio via the LaFace song (Knocked Out),it was ultimately the Oliver Lieber and Elliot Wolf tracks that sold it, and they were much more (straight up) pop, unashamedly so.

Sheena should have starred in the remake of Sheena of the Jungle. It could have been a musical.

Kim Carnes had class. Bonnie Tyler just seemed trashy to me.

R144 what’s that got to do with SE? NOTHING

Let Marilyn show you how FYEO should be sung.

r146 That's actually much better than the Sheena version

R146 R147

For Your Eyes Only

Karen Eng performs

I wonder how much someone like her gets paid to do something like a casino gig for one show. Anyone know or have guesses?

R113, Ricky also was in "Evita." Now, he's no Pavarotti (who is?), but he's light-years better than Paula!

[quote[I think Paula Abdul could have done better.

By all means, somebody who literally could not sing at all would have done it better. Are you retarded? Even Janet Jackson was a better singer than Paula Abdul, and Janet Jackson can't sing for shit.

And r113, "Time will tell" regarding 20-years-in-the-Biz Taylor Swift?! Time has spoken, Honeychile!

r153 Anyone who uses the word "literally" has no room to question another as being "retarded."

(even though I don't totally disagree with you)

[quote] By all means, somebody who literally could not sing at all would have done it better. Are you retarded? Even Janet Jackson was a better singer than Paula Abdul, and Janet Jackson can't sing for shit.

LOL so true.

Well, r155, r153 might have meant a mute just for the hyperbole of it all.

Leave Paula Abdul alone! She's a chanteuse! We can only hope to sing as well one day!

Ummm, Company B's vocalists blow Abdul out of the water. Try again.

Even Britney Spears puts Paula Abdul to shame.

R160 Ok, well I wouldn't go THAT far

Strut pout put it out

Strut pout put it out

Isn’t it time you got your act together?

STRUT

You can talk about it

You can think about it

Or you can do it

R161, well, not today, but at some point, it was true (I think). Or maybe they are equals. I hope they caterwaul in a ditch in hell!

Why don’t you all get your shit together in here?

Her voice was quite shrill and didn't have a lot of fullness. Ironically, as she's aged and her voice has lowered, I think she's much more pleasant to listen to.

Her voice wasn’t shrill except in a handful of early tracks.

“I can’t imagine a world without U, sleepin’ without U next to me.

Won’t somebody tell me how 2 make this lover see”.

You know who was good was Haley ("Let's Get Together", "Johnny Jingo") Mills.

And Haley Mills didn't need to dance around in LINGERIE like a common tramp!

r165 as in... ?

As in you need to start working out

r172 Eh, you tried

r170 very true

The thing with Paula Abdul is that, weak though the voice was, she sang as if conveying a willingness to do anal if it would help her keep her man. I’m not sure that’s a nuance Sheena ever quite captured.