Of a great thing (I can hardly type I'm so excited about this!) - I went into town today to spend the record vouchers I was given for Christmas and I found... GRRR! It's Betty Boo on CD! I am, as I type, listening to one of the finest recordings ever made, a deeply misunderstood work which saw her dropped by her record company... Betty has of course made a recent comeback under her real name (Alison Clarkson) as a song writer for Hear Say. This should come as no surprise as there are hooks, melodies and sounds galore in her two albums that keep cropping up in 'cooler', more contemporary songs. For example "Catch Me", if given a slightly more modern arrangement could easily slip onto a Kylie album, "Close The Door" onto any attractive young popstrel's album. She was ahead of her time, and after years of having to listen to her second album on dodgy cassette I can now listen to it on my Japanese Import CD (I now also own the lyrics in Japanese, and the spine writing is in Japanese too!!!) When things get me down I can now listen to classics such as "Hangover", "Let Me Take You There" and that sublime closing trio of "Skin Tight", "Catch Me" and "Close The Door". Rumour had it that Madonna signed Betty Boo to the Maverick label at one stage - I only wish it had been true... So now I have the guitarist (L. Buckingham) and vocalist (B.Boo) for my supergroup, further additions will be added in due course.
Incidentally, one of my earliest moments of heart quickening infatuation was Betty Boo. Loving Boomania and hearing that she might be on Children in Need I watched with anticipation and was delighted to see her answering the 'phones in an all denim outfit that I can remember to this day. I'm not as such a big fan of denim but I often look back to that image with enormous fondness. Talented and stunning...wow...Betty Boo/Alison Clarkson - you are a star, and I'd close the door and lay there next to you any day...
PS - I do know I am very sad...