Lonnie Gordon
Encyclopedia
Lonnie Gordon is a female Hi-NRG
, house
and soul
singer-songwriter
from New York's
Bronx
, who has scored many chart
hits
during the 1990s and 2000s.
area in clubs as the lead singer of a band called Nythjar. After meeting her husband, she relocated to England
in the late 80's, and retired from the music scene a few years to take care of her daughter, Ricki.
Gordon retook her singing career in 1988, singing lead vocals for club-oriented acts, among them Offshore, Deja Vu and most notably, House ensemble Quartzlock, releasing the singles "No Regrets", "Love Eviction" or "You Make Loving Fun". In 1989, she contributed lead vocals to Simon Harris
' cover of the On the House
song "(I've Got Your) Pleasure Control", which became her first charting single in the UK. The record brought her to the attention of Supreme Records
, who offered her a deal in 1989.
The first single on the Supreme label, a cover of First Choice
's "Let No Man Put Asunder" (re-titled "It's Not Over (Let No Man Put Asunder)"), was a club hit but did not translate into pop success. For her next single, "Happenin' All Over Again
", Gordon collaborated with British hitmaking team Stock Aitken & Waterman. The song had originally been written for Donna Summer
., but Gordon recorded it instead and released the single in January 1990. It became an instant smash, peaking at #4 in the UK and becoming a big hit around Europe.
The planned follow-up single, the uptempo "How Could He Do This To Me" , was scrapped (and was never released until years later), and the ballad "Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
" was released instead in August 1990. The single peaked at a disappointing #48. In November 1990, Gordon released the single "If I Have To Stand Alone", which had a more similar sound to "Happenin' All Over Again". The single however charted even worse, peaking at #68. As a result of the singles' undereperfomance her debut album
, If I Have To Stand Alone
, was never officially released in the UK, and only received a limited release in Europe
and Japan
.
In 1991, Gordon flew to Italy and recorded the song "Gonna Catch You
", written and produced by the Italo House
group Black Box
. It was released as a single in the UK where it became her second top 40 hit, peaking at #32. Due to its inclusion in the Vanilla Ice
film Cool As Ice
, the song became her debut release in the USA, where it peaked at #1 on the U.S. Dance charts and at #79 on the Billboard Hot 100
. This was Gordon's last release with Supreme Records. Around this time, Gordon changed her image radically, shaving her head and dying her hair blond, a look she has sported ever since.
Signed to SBK Records
, Gordon released her second album Bad Mood
in 1993. The album included two further U.S. #1 Dance singles, "Bad Mood", and a re-recorded "Happenin' All Over Again", which also peaked at #98 in the Billboard Hot 100
. A follow up single, "Do You Want It", also did well on the dance charts in 1994.
Gordon has hit the U.S. dance chart two more times in 1996, with the songs "Dirty Love" on Geffen Records
, which peaked at #6, and "If You Really Love Me" released on Big Bang Records, which peaked at #42. In 2000, she released the compilation album No Regret, which included many of her singles and album highlights, as well as two new songs. A cover of "He Lives in You
", was released as its lead single.
In 2002 Gordon starred as the lead vocalist and narrator for "Zumanity" another side of Cirque du Soleil
, in Las Vegas. Working with Cirque du Soleil and moving to Las Vegas, was a bold career move that provided an opportunity for Gordon to showcase her strong vocals and incredible stage presence. After leaving Cirque du Soleil, Gordon made her way back to London
, England and constantly toured.
In 2007, Gordon established her own label Gordon Records, from which she released four compilation albums including several new songs. These albums can be acquired through CDBaby or iTunes
. She also exhibited her paintings around this time in Las Vegas.
A remastered Special Edition CD of her UK-unreleased 1990 album recorded at PWL, If I Have To Stand Alone, was released in April 2009 on the Cherry Pop
record label with additional un-released mixes from PWL's vaults.http://cherryred.co.uk/cherrypop/product.php?display=lonniegordon
In 2009, "Catch You Baby", a re-recording/reworking of the 1991 hit, "Gonna Catch You", was released by Positiva/EMI as a digital-only download in early August 2009, with a host of mixes, including by a PWL-retro-style mix by Pete Hammond.
1 Offshore featuring Lonnie Gordon.
2 Quartz Lock featuring Lonnie Gordon.
3 Simon Harris
featuring Lonnie Gordon.
4 Love Inc.
featuring Lonnie Gordon.
5 Touch of Soul featuring Lonnie Gordon.
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
, house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
from New York's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, who has scored many chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
during the 1990s and 2000s.
Early life and career
Born in Philadelphia, Gordon moved to the Bronx at an early age. In the early 80's, she started performing around the HarlemHarlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
area in clubs as the lead singer of a band called Nythjar. After meeting her husband, she relocated to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the late 80's, and retired from the music scene a few years to take care of her daughter, Ricki.
Gordon retook her singing career in 1988, singing lead vocals for club-oriented acts, among them Offshore, Deja Vu and most notably, House ensemble Quartzlock, releasing the singles "No Regrets", "Love Eviction" or "You Make Loving Fun". In 1989, she contributed lead vocals to Simon Harris
Simon Harris
Simon Harris , is predominantly known as the owner and founder of the record label Music of Life and writer/producer of most of its extensive catalog of songs, although he is also an influential DJ, award winning producer, remixer of several Grammy Award winning artists and pioneer of electronic...
' cover of the On the House
Marshall Jefferson
Marshall Jefferson is an American musician, working in house music, in particular, the subgenres of Chicago house and deep house.-Biography:...
song "(I've Got Your) Pleasure Control", which became her first charting single in the UK. The record brought her to the attention of Supreme Records
Supreme Records
Supreme Records was a cheaply produced record label subsidiary of Grey Gull Records of Boston, Massachusetts marketed in the United States of America in the late 1920s...
, who offered her a deal in 1989.
The first single on the Supreme label, a cover of First Choice
First Choice (band)
First Choice was an American girl group vocal music trio from Philadelphia. The group produced the disco hits "Armed and Extremely Dangerous", "Smarty Pants", "The Player", "Love Thang", "Let No Man Put Asunder" and "Dr. Love". They were signed to soul label Philly Groove Records and to disco label...
's "Let No Man Put Asunder" (re-titled "It's Not Over (Let No Man Put Asunder)"), was a club hit but did not translate into pop success. For her next single, "Happenin' All Over Again
Happenin' All Over Again
"Happenin' All over Again" is a song written and produced by Stock Aitken & Waterman for Lonnie Gordon's first album If I Have to Stand Alone . It was released as the album's second single in January 1990 and reached #4 on the main UK singles chart...
", Gordon collaborated with British hitmaking team Stock Aitken & Waterman. The song had originally been written for Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
., but Gordon recorded it instead and released the single in January 1990. It became an instant smash, peaking at #4 in the UK and becoming a big hit around Europe.
The planned follow-up single, the uptempo "How Could He Do This To Me" , was scrapped (and was never released until years later), and the ballad "Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
"Beyond Your Wildest Dreams" is a ballad written by British hitmaking team Stock Aitken & Waterman, which was recorded by three of their artists, Lonnie Gordon, Sybil, and Nancy Davis. The songwriters have cited this song as one of the best they ever wrote, and were dissatisfied with its poor chart...
" was released instead in August 1990. The single peaked at a disappointing #48. In November 1990, Gordon released the single "If I Have To Stand Alone", which had a more similar sound to "Happenin' All Over Again". The single however charted even worse, peaking at #68. As a result of the singles' undereperfomance her debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, If I Have To Stand Alone
If I Have to Stand Alone
If I Have to Stand Alone is the debut album by Hi-NRG and House singer Lonnie Gordon. It was released in 1991 on Supreme Records. It includes Gordon's breakthrough hit "Happenin' All Over Again", which was a top 10 hit in the UK and a big hit around Europe...
, was never officially released in the UK, and only received a limited release in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
In 1991, Gordon flew to Italy and recorded the song "Gonna Catch You
Gonna Catch You
"Gonna Catch You" is a 1991 single by Hi-NRG singer, Lonnie Gordon. The track is written and produced by the group Black Box. First released around Europe in April 1991, it became the singer's second top 40 hit in the UK. It would be Gordon's last release with her UK label, Supreme Records, who...
", written and produced by the Italo House
Italo house
Italo house is a form of house music popular in Italy, Britain and United States since the late 1980s. It fuses house music and Italo disco. The genre's main musical characteristic is its use of predominantly electronic piano chords in a more lyrical form than classic Chicago House records...
group Black Box
Black Box (band)
Black Box was an Italian house music group popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The members of the group included a trio made up of a club DJ , a classically trained clarinet teacher , and a keyboard and electronic music "wiz"...
. It was released as a single in the UK where it became her second top 40 hit, peaking at #32. Due to its inclusion in the Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
film Cool As Ice
Cool as Ice
Cool as Ice is a 1991 American musical romance film directed by David Kellogg and starring rapper Vanilla Ice in his feature film debut. The film focuses on the character of Johnny, a freewheeling, motorcycle-riding rapper who arrives in a small town and meets Kathy, an honor student who catches...
, the song became her debut release in the USA, where it peaked at #1 on the U.S. Dance charts and at #79 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. This was Gordon's last release with Supreme Records. Around this time, Gordon changed her image radically, shaving her head and dying her hair blond, a look she has sported ever since.
Signed to SBK Records
SBK Records
SBK Records was a record label of the EMI Group that was founded in 1988.Stephen Swid, Martin Bandier, and Charles Koppelman formed the production company SBK in 1989 after they purchased the music publishing division of CBS Records in 1986....
, Gordon released her second album Bad Mood
Bad Mood (Lonnie Gordon album)
Bad Mood was the second album by musician Lonnie Gordon. It was published in 1993 on SBK/Capitol Records. The album is her most commercially successful to date. It was produced primarily by the group Black Box...
in 1993. The album included two further U.S. #1 Dance singles, "Bad Mood", and a re-recorded "Happenin' All Over Again", which also peaked at #98 in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. A follow up single, "Do You Want It", also did well on the dance charts in 1994.
Gordon has hit the U.S. dance chart two more times in 1996, with the songs "Dirty Love" on Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, which peaked at #6, and "If You Really Love Me" released on Big Bang Records, which peaked at #42. In 2000, she released the compilation album No Regret, which included many of her singles and album highlights, as well as two new songs. A cover of "He Lives in You
He Lives in You
"He Lives in You" is a song written and performed by Lebo M and his South African Choir for the CD Rhythm of the Pride Lands. A shorter version of the song was used in the opening of The Lion King II. This song was co-written by Mark Mancina and Jay Rifkin...
", was released as its lead single.
In 2002 Gordon starred as the lead vocalist and narrator for "Zumanity" another side of Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
, in Las Vegas. Working with Cirque du Soleil and moving to Las Vegas, was a bold career move that provided an opportunity for Gordon to showcase her strong vocals and incredible stage presence. After leaving Cirque du Soleil, Gordon made her way back to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England and constantly toured.
In 2007, Gordon established her own label Gordon Records, from which she released four compilation albums including several new songs. These albums can be acquired through CDBaby or iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. She also exhibited her paintings around this time in Las Vegas.
A remastered Special Edition CD of her UK-unreleased 1990 album recorded at PWL, If I Have To Stand Alone, was released in April 2009 on the Cherry Pop
Cherry Red
Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
record label with additional un-released mixes from PWL's vaults.http://cherryred.co.uk/cherrypop/product.php?display=lonniegordon
In 2009, "Catch You Baby", a re-recording/reworking of the 1991 hit, "Gonna Catch You", was released by Positiva/EMI as a digital-only download in early August 2009, with a host of mixes, including by a PWL-retro-style mix by Pete Hammond.
Albums
- If I Have To Stand AloneIf I Have to Stand AloneIf I Have to Stand Alone is the debut album by Hi-NRG and House singer Lonnie Gordon. It was released in 1991 on Supreme Records. It includes Gordon's breakthrough hit "Happenin' All Over Again", which was a top 10 hit in the UK and a big hit around Europe...
(1991) Supreme Records - Bad MoodBad Mood (Lonnie Gordon album)Bad Mood was the second album by musician Lonnie Gordon. It was published in 1993 on SBK/Capitol Records. The album is her most commercially successful to date. It was produced primarily by the group Black Box...
(1993) SBKSBK RecordsSBK Records was a record label of the EMI Group that was founded in 1988.Stephen Swid, Martin Bandier, and Charles Koppelman formed the production company SBK in 1989 after they purchased the music publishing division of CBS Records in 1986....
/Capitol RecordsCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... - No Regret (2000) Centaur Entertainment
- Very Best of Lonnie Gordon (2002) Night & Day Records
- Looking Through Time (2007) Gordon Records
- Anthems, Vol. I (2007) Gordon Records
- Anthology Vol. 1 (2007) Gordon Records
- Anthology Vol. 2 (2007) Gordon Records
- If I Have To Stand Alone - Special Edition (2009) Cherry Pop/Cherry Red Records http://cherryred.co.uk/cherrypop/product.php?display=lonniegordon
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
U.S Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. Dance | ||
| 1987 | "Cinco De Mayo" | - | - | - |
| 1988 | "All Work And No Play" 1 | - | - | - |
| "Love Eviction" 2 | - | - | - | |
| "Don't Turn Around Don't Turn Around "Don't Turn Around" is a popular song written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond. It was originally recorded by Tina Turner as the B-side to the single "Typical Male" in 1986. Warren is said to have been disappointed that Turner's record company treated the song as a B-side and never included it on... " 2 |
- | - | - | |
| 1989 | "(I've Got Your) Pleasure Control" 3 | 60 | - | 23 |
| "Beat The Street" 4 | - | - | - | |
| "It's Not Over (Let No Man Put Asunder)" | - | - | - | |
| 1990 | "Happenin' All Over Again Happenin' All Over Again "Happenin' All over Again" is a song written and produced by Stock Aitken & Waterman for Lonnie Gordon's first album If I Have to Stand Alone . It was released as the album's second single in January 1990 and reached #4 on the main UK singles chart... " |
4 | - | - |
| "Beyond Your Wildest Dreams Beyond Your Wildest Dreams "Beyond Your Wildest Dreams" is a ballad written by British hitmaking team Stock Aitken & Waterman, which was recorded by three of their artists, Lonnie Gordon, Sybil, and Nancy Davis. The songwriters have cited this song as one of the best they ever wrote, and were dissatisfied with its poor chart... " |
48 | - | - | |
| "If I Have To Stand Alone" | 68 | - | - | |
| 1991 | "Gonna Catch You Gonna Catch You "Gonna Catch You" is a 1991 single by Hi-NRG singer, Lonnie Gordon. The track is written and produced by the group Black Box. First released around Europe in April 1991, it became the singer's second top 40 hit in the UK. It would be Gordon's last release with her UK label, Supreme Records, who... " |
32 | 79 | 1 |
| 1993 | "Bad Mood" | - | - | 1 |
| "Happenin' All over Again Happenin' All Over Again "Happenin' All over Again" is a song written and produced by Stock Aitken & Waterman for Lonnie Gordon's first album If I Have to Stand Alone . It was released as the album's second single in January 1990 and reached #4 on the main UK singles chart... " (1993 version) |
- | 98 | 1 | |
| 1994 | "Do You Want It" | - | - | 5 |
| 1995 | "Love Eviction" (1995 version)2 | 32 | - | - |
| 1996 | "Dirty Love" | - | - | 6 |
| "If You Really Love Me If You Really Love Me "If You Really Love Me" is the title of a song written by Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright. Wonder recorded the song and released his version as a single from his 1971 album Where I'm Coming From. The single proved very successful, peaking in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 , Billboard's R&B... " |
- | - | 42 | |
| 1997 | "No Regret" 2 | - | - | - |
| 1998 | "Beat The Street" (1998 version) | - | - | - |
| "A God That Can Dance" | - | - | - | |
| "Happenin' All Over Again Happenin' All Over Again "Happenin' All over Again" is a song written and produced by Stock Aitken & Waterman for Lonnie Gordon's first album If I Have to Stand Alone . It was released as the album's second single in January 1990 and reached #4 on the main UK singles chart... " (1998 version) |
- | - | - | |
| 1999 | "Everybody's Talking Everybody's Talking Everybody's Talking was a game show which aired on ABC from February 6 to December 29, 1967. Former dance-party host Lloyd Thaxton was the host; Wink Martindale and Charlie O'Donnell were the announcers... " |
- | - | - |
| 2001 | "He Lives in You He Lives in You "He Lives in You" is a song written and performed by Lebo M and his South African Choir for the CD Rhythm of the Pride Lands. A shorter version of the song was used in the opening of The Lion King II. This song was co-written by Mark Mancina and Jay Rifkin... " |
- | - | - |
1 Offshore featuring Lonnie Gordon.
2 Quartz Lock featuring Lonnie Gordon.
3 Simon Harris
Simon Harris
Simon Harris , is predominantly known as the owner and founder of the record label Music of Life and writer/producer of most of its extensive catalog of songs, although he is also an influential DJ, award winning producer, remixer of several Grammy Award winning artists and pioneer of electronic...
featuring Lonnie Gordon.
4 Love Inc.
Love Inc. (band)
Love Inc. was a dance music act from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The group was formed by DJ/remixer/producers Chris Sheppard and Brad Daymond, with Simone Denny on vocals. The Sheppard and Denny combination previously worked together in the Quality Records dance outfit BKS, an acronym using the...
featuring Lonnie Gordon.
5 Touch of Soul featuring Lonnie Gordon.
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart