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Eurythmics and Annie Lennox

I was listening to a playlist when "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" came on and I remember the first time I heard it. It was one of those songs that make you drop what you're doing and actively listen. The ominous bass synth played against the sound of traditional strings, the mysterious lyrics, and who the hell is that singing? A man or a woman?

Then we all saw the glorious video: Annie in high chairman-of-the-board drag with a dominatrix vibe, the mysterious guy with sunglasses, the fucking cows. Brilliant surrealism.

Annie could sing rock, pop, blues, any genre, just a crystalline and perfect voice. All her videos are great but I loved "Little Bird," where she played an ominous cabaret emcee struggling to get all her personae to behave.

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by Anonymousreply 75July 10, 2025 8:04 PM

Medusa is one of my favorite albums of the 90s. Every track is fantastic. No filler. Her song for Bram Stokers Dracula was also amazing

I also adore her performing style. Glamorous and terrifying. Any drag queen worth their salt would do well to study her

by Anonymousreply 1July 8, 2025 8:05 PM

Wish she would do a tour. I know she's 70 - but so what?

She was so bold and creative - all of the videos and the different characters and styles. It was sometimes shocking - and way before others who want to claim they did it first.

She went to an awards show as a man. She wore a mouseketeers outfit. She had a man's haircut dyed bright red or white. Then she would be a vestal virgin type in Here Comes the Rain Again.

Such range and so entertaining. She does NOT get the credit she so deserves.

by Anonymousreply 2July 8, 2025 8:06 PM

I love how she's just so - fuck it - I'm a mom and grandma - when she's in pics with her daughters.

This woman looks like she used to be a librarian and would like a cuppa - not on stage singing Would I Lie To You in a leather outfit.

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by Anonymousreply 3July 8, 2025 8:11 PM

I don't know why she didn't have a big acting career. That beautiful face is made for the screen. In "Walking on Broken Glass," she's in the video with Hugh Laurie and John Malkovich and she's the only one you watch.

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by Anonymousreply 4July 8, 2025 8:13 PM

I love her!

I remember watching her on some talk show (ages ago), she was so reserved (almost shy) but so intelligent. Then you had this larger-than-life persona as a performer. It was so beautiful to see the stark difference in her "real self" and her performer self.

by Anonymousreply 5July 8, 2025 8:28 PM

Huge fan here as well. Few singers could write a duet with Aretha and then hold their own right beside the Queen of Soul. Annie and George (Michael) both did that so perfectly.

by Anonymousreply 6July 8, 2025 8:38 PM

DIVA is a perfect album and still sounds amazing.

by Anonymousreply 7July 8, 2025 8:43 PM

The bassline on this is incredible.

by Anonymousreply 8July 8, 2025 8:58 PM

R6 - to be honest, they were doing Aretha a favor. She was trying to extend her popularity after the Freeway of Love hit. Yes of course they were honored to sing with her - but Aretha's team knew what they were doing.

Also Annie is an unflinching activist for women's rights and many other issues.

by Anonymousreply 9July 8, 2025 8:59 PM

Annie Lennox ruined Christmas.

by Anonymousreply 10July 8, 2025 9:02 PM

R9, not sure on the timing but I think Sisters was recorded with Aretha before Freeway of Love was a hit single. Probably a half-year apart or so. And yeah, at that time Aretha definitely had a few blocks open on her schedule.

by Anonymousreply 11July 8, 2025 9:05 PM

R11 - Freeway was first, then Sisters - but they were both on Aretha's album.

Sisters is a great women's anthem.

by Anonymousreply 12July 8, 2025 9:10 PM

R12, check again... Sisters came out on Eurythmics' album in April '85 and then on Aretha's album in July. They recorded it the previous winter, half a year before Freeway of Love became a pop hit in Summer '85.

by Anonymousreply 13July 8, 2025 9:24 PM

When she came out as a hot sleazy Elvis at the 1984 Grammy Awards, I imagine some gay men and straight girls got some feelings they weren't used to.

She had rehearsed as a woman, so everyone at the Grammys was taken by surprise.

by Anonymousreply 14July 9, 2025 12:20 AM

For R14.

It was shocking then - imagine the reactions today. It wouldn't be good.

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by Anonymousreply 15July 9, 2025 12:25 AM

Unlike today’s “gender fluid,” she did it with wit, style, and powerhouse talent.

by Anonymousreply 16July 9, 2025 1:21 AM

No one likes her now. Even the far left progressives make fun of all her charity nonsense. She basically had one hit solo album and became a total insufferable bore.

by Anonymousreply 17July 9, 2025 1:40 AM

[quote]This woman looks like she used to be a librarian and would like a cuppa

Gross.

by Anonymousreply 18July 9, 2025 1:42 AM

Yeah, I find her underrated, too. She had a great, great voice with lots of talent for performance and extraordinary range. Her wit, fuck-it attitude added to it. Love her.

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by Anonymousreply 19July 9, 2025 2:00 AM

Annie still sounds fantastic. My best friend and I had a whole dance routine to "Would I lie to you?" that was absolutely hilarious . I will always adore Annie .

by Anonymousreply 20July 9, 2025 2:12 AM

That performance wasn't gender fluid, it was transvestism.

by Anonymousreply 21July 9, 2025 2:19 AM

R17 is laughably stupid.

by Anonymousreply 22July 9, 2025 2:20 AM

Plenty of people love Annie Lennox r17 what are you nattering in about ?

by Anonymousreply 23July 9, 2025 2:22 AM

I saw Eurythmics, the first song Annie came on the stage singing Would I Lie to You in a black bra, love her!

by Anonymousreply 24July 9, 2025 2:29 AM

Dave Stewart is a musical genius. I saw him tour with Stevie Nicks. His guitar playing was unalike anything I have ever seen live.

by Anonymousreply 25July 9, 2025 2:41 AM

R17 is Adele drunk posting.

by Anonymousreply 26July 9, 2025 2:51 AM

The late Eurthymics album, Peace is also worthy of mention.

by Anonymousreply 27July 9, 2025 3:29 AM

[quote]No one likes her now. Even the far left progressives make fun of all her charity nonsense.

Ah, yes, the nonsense of helping to raise millions of pounds for HIV charities.

by Anonymousreply 28July 9, 2025 3:38 AM

Whomever said that Medusa is the perfect album, I agree. In fact, I slightly prefer the early 90s material by Annie.

by Anonymousreply 29July 9, 2025 3:53 AM

This guy tried to duplicate the instrumentals using modern technology.

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by Anonymousreply 30July 9, 2025 3:54 AM

I was obsessed with the Eurythmics and Annie- the only woman who could have a bright orange crewcut and look amazing. Her Elvis performance was hypnotising to me.

by Anonymousreply 31July 9, 2025 3:59 AM

Sweet Dreams is one of the most repetitive songs ever produced and the video is quirky for the sake of being quirky. I loved it when I first saw it, but it really does wear out its welcome quickly. There Must Be An Angel is superior in that regard.

by Anonymousreply 32July 9, 2025 4:28 AM

I distinctly remember being a kid and seeing Sweet Dreams video for the first time on MTV.

It was hypnotizing. And it was like who is that? A woman?

by Anonymousreply 33July 9, 2025 5:54 AM

Bare is her best album. My least favorite is Songs of Mass Destruction (stupid title).

by Anonymousreply 34July 9, 2025 6:11 AM

I've never sung karaoke, but if I'm ever drunk enough to do it, I would pick Sweet Dreams. It only uses 4 notes and they are in a narrow vocal range.

by Anonymousreply 35July 9, 2025 6:59 AM

Unmentioned here, Right By Your Side is one of my all time favorites....Delightful. Makes me happy every time I play it.

by Anonymousreply 36July 9, 2025 7:40 AM

I love George singing along from the wings.

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by Anonymousreply 37July 9, 2025 9:28 AM

Be Yourself Tonight is their best album. Wish they had done better in the US. So many great songs on all their albums.

Diva is a masterpiece. Not a clunker. Medusa is great with the exception of Something So Right. Wish she would've kept Heaven and made Something So Right a Japan bonus track.

by Anonymousreply 38July 9, 2025 9:35 AM

r16, 100%. Well said (written).

by Anonymousreply 39July 9, 2025 10:53 AM

So many great songs, and I love her smooth voice

by Anonymousreply 40July 9, 2025 10:57 AM

R38 Be Yourself Tonight and Revenge are awful.

They were much better being arty and weird with In The Garden, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) and, especially, Savage.

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by Anonymousreply 41July 9, 2025 11:02 AM

R30, he’s hip

by Anonymousreply 42July 9, 2025 12:21 PM

R41, I actually really like Revenge and the like for background 80s music playlist purposes. The songs are... nice. But yeah, Touch and Savage were more interesting.

by Anonymousreply 43July 9, 2025 1:00 PM

Man Bowie is so effortlessly cool in r37's link. Not bagging on Annie, but it shows you the power and range of Freddie's voice.

by Anonymousreply 44July 9, 2025 2:05 PM

r37 that is a great clip. God, Bowie was so talented. Too bad he died relatively young. Fucking cigarettes.

by Anonymousreply 45July 9, 2025 2:46 PM

Some great covers I discovered of the band just the other day...

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by Anonymousreply 46July 9, 2025 4:55 PM

Who's That Girl...

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by Anonymousreply 47July 9, 2025 4:56 PM

Thorn In My Side

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by Anonymousreply 48July 9, 2025 4:57 PM

Why

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by Anonymousreply 49July 9, 2025 4:58 PM

Love Is A Stranger

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by Anonymousreply 50July 9, 2025 5:01 PM

I Saved The World Today

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by Anonymousreply 51July 9, 2025 5:02 PM

Love Song For A Vampire

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by Anonymousreply 52July 9, 2025 5:03 PM

Love is a Stranger was the one that got my attention

by Anonymousreply 53July 9, 2025 5:07 PM

I have a fondness for her album 'Nostalgia,' a collection of covers of classic jazz songs.

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by Anonymousreply 54July 9, 2025 5:21 PM

[quote] Be Yourself Tonight and Revenge are awful.

I completely disagree. It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back), There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart), Would I Lie To You? Adrian, Conditioned Soul , The Last Time, A Little of You, Take Your Pain Away, When Tomorrow Comes, Let's Go, The Miracle of Love are all great

by Anonymousreply 55July 9, 2025 5:25 PM

The dog I had back then loved There Must be an Angel.

by Anonymousreply 56July 9, 2025 5:39 PM

I love Who’s That Girl. Annie in the blonde wig looks a lot like Carly Simon

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by Anonymousreply 57July 9, 2025 6:44 PM

To be honest - Sweet Dreams Are Made of This is their weakest song in my opinion. So repetitive and not much to it - except that it did have some great and new sound effects for the time.

They did so many different sounds. And I love when she did the combo I Love to Listen to Beethoven/

by Anonymousreply 58July 9, 2025 7:04 PM

R58 - sorry - here's the video about a mad housewife losing control. Then in the video album it goes right into I Need a Man.

I think they may have been among the first to record a video album. I can't think of anyone else who has done that (?).

It was nominated for awards for best short film.

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by Anonymousreply 59July 9, 2025 7:07 PM

We had a friend who would only listen to black female singers. So we told him “Sweet Dreams” was the first release from a new black singer named Anita Cleveland.

by Anonymousreply 60July 9, 2025 7:08 PM

This is one of my favorite live songs from her - she brings the fucking. house. down!

This is just a gem - please watch it if you haven't.

River Deep Mountain High

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by Anonymousreply 61July 9, 2025 7:10 PM

Not to put down her performance, but from my pure amateurish perspective I don't feel like River Deep Mountain High is a very demanding song. It's a great drunk-karaoke song. As long as you're expressive you can go as wild as you want with the song and get the audience easily with you. It's a great song for that.

by Anonymousreply 62July 9, 2025 7:44 PM

I have always loved this song, the melancholic mood, blending synth and strings...

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by Anonymousreply 63July 9, 2025 11:17 PM

Man, music WAS better back then.

by Anonymousreply 64July 10, 2025 12:46 AM

Eurythmics were great, jumped the cool shark with Revenge, but jumped back with Savage, and then Clive got his hooks in and it was We Too Are One, which was an odd one to go out on. Peace had two great songs, and a lot of squandered opportunities.

Her early 90s solo career has Clive's fingers all over it. Great singles though.

by Anonymousreply 65July 10, 2025 2:06 AM

[QUOTE]I think they may have been among the first to record a video album. I can't think of anyone else who has done that (?).

R59 - Blondie did it first with Eat To The Beat in 1979.

by Anonymousreply 66July 10, 2025 7:36 AM

R51 Fuck me, that cover was horrendous.

by Anonymousreply 67July 10, 2025 8:44 AM

Love Is A Stranger is a masterpiece.

by Anonymousreply 68July 10, 2025 8:47 AM

[quote]and then Clive got his hooks in and it was We Too Are One, which was an odd one to go out on.

[quote]Her early 90s solo career has Clive's fingers all over it.

So true. Every goddamn artist on Clive's label had to do the power ballad MOR shit because of Whitney. There wasn't much diversity because all Clive wanted was other artists to emulate Whitney becuase she was so successful at it.

I think Annie Lennox went the adult contemporary/covers route too early in her solo career.

by Anonymousreply 69July 10, 2025 9:56 AM

I agree. While it was good, her second solo album shouldn't have been covers.

by Anonymousreply 70July 10, 2025 4:49 PM

I think she said at the time of Diva she was finding it hard to write because she was happy. Writers block might account for Medusa.

by Anonymousreply 71July 10, 2025 5:49 PM

Stay By Me (on Diva) is absolutely transcendent.

by Anonymousreply 72July 10, 2025 7:25 PM

That insufferable brat in R59 looks strangely familiar

by Anonymousreply 73July 10, 2025 7:52 PM

Little Bird is the perfect pop song.

by Anonymousreply 74July 10, 2025 8:00 PM

Side note: River Deep Mountain High was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and latter day murderer, Phil Spector.

by Anonymousreply 75July 10, 2025 8:04 PM
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