| Stretched on your Grave Presents.... |
| Suzanne VEGA |
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| Suzanne Vega was born in 1959, in Santa Monica, California. She grew up in a Hispanic neighbourhood In New York City. Suzanne believed she was half Puerto-Rican until her novelist father, told her that he was, in fact, not her biological father, and that her biological father was white and had not had contact with her since she was an infant. Understandably, this sparked, in Suzanne, somewhat of an identity crisis, which eventually culminated in a reunion with her biological father some years later when she was 19 years old. She later discovered that her paternal grandmother had also been a musician, a drummer, in fact, with the 'Merry Makers' Ladies Orchestra' in the 1920's and 30's. As a teeager, Suzanne Vega attended the High School of the Performing Arts, where she studied Dance. She began teaching herself to play the guitar, and was writing her own songs. She abandoned her plans of becoming a dancer and began playing her own folk tunes on the Greenwich Village scene. Suzanne worked as a receptionist whilst strongly building a fllowing for her folk circuit performances. After numerous unsuccessful attempts at interesting several major labels, glowing reviews from music critics wooed A&M Records into offering her a recording contract-despite having turned her down twice beforehand. In April of 1985, her self titled debut album was released, produced by Lenny Kaye and her co-manager Steve Addabo. It's collection of self-penned literate, poetical and understanding songs, showing only a passing resemblance to neo-folk, recieved universal critical acclaim and Suzanne Vega came to be regarded as the vanguard of a new generation of female singer/songwrighters. The album reached number 11 on the UK album chart provided her first major singles hit, 'Marlene on the Wall'. The release of her 1987 follow-up album, 'Solitude Standing', was helped along by the huge success of 'Luka', which was a huge singles hit and was written from the viewpoint of an abused child. The song brought her numerous awards from organizations fighting child abuse, for the recognition it brought to the issue. It garnered a Grammw nomination and an MTV award for 'Best Female Video'. Suzanne's 1990 album, 'Days of Open Hand', co-produced by Suzanne Vega and Anton Sanko, was released to mixed critical reception-- while experimental musically, it moved the focus away from the more introspective viewpoint of the last two albums, to obvservations of the external world. Later that year, a British dance duo, by the name of DNA, remixed the opening track of 'Solitude Standing', the accapella 'Tom's Diner', and made into an international dance hit, reaching number 8 on the Australian charts, and other high positions on charts around the world. In 1991, Suzanne compiled, 'Tom's Album', a quirky collection of unsolicited versions of 'Tom's Diner' which she had been sent by friends, fans and musicians, in the wake of DNA's experimentation. The album featured REM, under the name of 'Bingo Hand Job'. She also contributed two tracks, 'China Doll' and 'Cassidy' to 'Deadicated', a Grateful Dead tribute album. She began working on material for her 1992 album, '99.9F', which was produced by her new amour, Mitchell Froom. It was more technicalogically innovative that her previous albums, relying heavily on percussion and synths. Her concert appearances included the Woody Guthrie tribute concert in New York, and a benefit for Italy's Berloni foundation organised by Luciano Pavarotti. She also appered at a concert in aid of Amnesty International, in London. In 1995, Suzanne and Mitchell's working relationship turned into marriage and a child, Ruby. In 1996, Vega released another Froom produced album, 'Nine Objects of Desire'. A few years later the marriage crumbled. This and many other events inspired Suzannes 2001 album, 'Songs in Red and Gray', produced by Rupert Hine, and returning to her more folky roots, But with a more poppy and mature edge. Suzanne continues to tour extensively, aswell as being involved in the release of a 'Various Artists' album named 'Vigil', inspired the septemberr 11 tragedies. |
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