Hi all! Due to life events, I will not be posting or reupping albums in the future. Some of the albums might be available on the Facebook group mentioned below. Thanks for understanding!

For Facebook users, please check out and join my new sharing group Trashy Treasures, featuring 70s, 80s and 90s music pleasures!! A lot like the Isle, but with everyone able to contribute and discuss the tasty old music we love!!!

For all you pop lovers on Facebook, you should join the Pop Rush Community Facebook page immediately. Lots of amazing shares of great pop music from the 1990's and 2000's!!

And don't forget to follow the Isle on Facebook and Twitter!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Maria Vidal - Maria Vidal (1987)

I recently bought the vinyl of this for $1 and was going to rip it, but luckily I managed to find a copy of the Venezuelan CD release, so the quality is that much better. Born in 1960, Maria Vidal's first taste of the musical limelight was in 1973, when she joined prolific producer and songwriter Desmond Child's girl group Rouge in Miami (though she would have only been 13...). The group moved to New York soon after and released two well-received albums as Desmond Child & Rouge in the late 1970's. Their sound was a blend of rock and disco, and they had a disco hit with "Our Love Is Insane". After the group broke up, Maria kept herself busy doing backing vocals for other artists and dabbling in songwriting. Luckily, in 1984, she was tapped to record the theme song to the Lorenzo Lamas movie Body Rock. Though the movie was a bomb, the song was an instant hit, reaching the top ten of the Billboard dance charts and almost making it into the Billboard Top 40. The song is considered a dance classic. However, the album she began working on with Jellybean was shelved, so Maria went back to session work and songwriting, contributing to songs by Stevie Nicks and John Waite, among others. Then, in 1987, A&M Records decided to sign her on for an album deal. Her self-titled album remained in the vein of her work with Desmond Child & Rouge, mixing rock and dance music to create a pop sound. Child even produced the album's first single, "Do Me Right". The song wasn't a hit, and a second promo single was released, "House Of Love". It too did not hit, and her deal with A&M was over. But she retained close ties with Child and her other producers, Robbie Seidman and Rick Nowels (who she later married). With their help, Maria once again went back to session singing with even greater success, appearing on albums by acts as diverse as Cher, Bette Midler, Celine Dion, The Smithereens, Seal, Clay Aiken, Kiss and Real McCoy. She also continued to write songs, and was responsible for Belinda Carlisle's hit "Summer Rain" and Ace Of Base's "Everytime It Rains". Thankfully Maria recently headed back to the studio to record music of her own again, and in 2009 she released the album Living In Radical Radiance, which is available through her website. But her 1987 debut also remains a pleasure. I had never heard it in full until recently, and it just keeps growing on me. And there were two surprises for me on it. First, the song "House Of Love", which was originally recorded by Blue Yonder the same year, was also covered by two acts in 1989 - Animotion and French-Canadian singer and Isle postee Véronique Béliveau. It was Veronique's first English single, and has always remained a fave of mine. I had no idea Maria did a version of it first. And even better, the song "Angel", which was co-written by Maria, was also remade, this time by Exposé on their final album in 1992. It has always been my favourite Exposé song, and I had no idea it was a cover either. This album is worth it just for these two songs alone! And luckily the Venezuelan version of the CD includes Body Rock and it's dance mix, which were not on the original release! Enjoy!

Video for Do Me Right

Video for Body Rock

Download Maria Vidal

1
Angel

2
Soul Love

3
Sleep Won't Come

4
Make Believe

5
Life On The Train

6
Bridges Of Innocence

7
The Real Feel

8
Do Me Right

9
I Am A Girl In Spain

10
House Of Love

11
Body Rock (Version Radio Edit)

12
Body Rock (Version Disco)

15 comments:

  1. I love this album!! Maria did have a record deal as a result of Body Rock, but halfway through the making of the album (which was being produced by Jellybean), it got shelved. Would love to hear those tracks. She is also married to Rick Nowels. There is a pretty informative long interview with her here:
    http://www.henhousestudios.com/wp-content/uploads/media/podcast/Radio_Maria_Vidal_Hen_House_Studios.mp3

    ReplyDelete
  2. Grant, where did you find the Venezuelan (!) edition of this album?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Actually House of Love was written by Sandy Stewart of the defunct group Blue Yonder, a self titled album with bandmate David Munday House Of Love is on that album and is just as good, also Sandy released an album called Cat Dancer which is good as well, if you like Maria you would like them, i own both on vinyl.

    ReplyDelete
  4. One of my fav albums of the late '80s, and I've struggled to find it on CD. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Since Maria Vidal sang the very competent lead on 1979 hit "Our Love Is Insane" (as part of Desmond Child and Rouge, why isn't this even mentioned in her Wikipedia Bio.?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I LOVE that song! No idea, but anyone can edit Wikipedia, so maybe you should add it. ;)

      Delete
  6. Hi, can you refresh the link please! This is the only place where can I find this albun cd riped.

    ReplyDelete
  7. LOVE the song she does with Desmond Child "Obsession"

    ReplyDelete
  8. Her song Do Me Right was a big success here in Venezuela.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Please can u upload your cdrip in flac with scans? Uts very hard to find this album in good quality.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't actually have the CD. I found the files online a long time ago.

      Delete
  10. A lot of Stevie Nicks connections with her. She sang backup on Stevie's 1985 album 'Rock A Little' and Sandy Stewart (Blue Yonder) wrote 'House of Love' and Sandy also has worked with Stevie and Rick Nowels (Maria's Husband) has also worked with Stevie & Belinda Carlisle; in which both Maria and Sandy Stewart appear on her 1989 album 'Runaway Horses'.

    ReplyDelete