Song Of the Day: January 10, 2005
Ellen Foley - Sad Song
Cleveland International Records 45, 1979
To the extent that Ellen Foley is remembered at all these days, it's for two odd little footnotes: she spent a season as the public defender on the '80s sitcom Night Court before she was replaced by Markie Post, and she was the centerpiece of the weirdest Clash offshoot ever, the over the top, artsy Spirit of St. Louis, produced by Mick Jones (listed in the credits as "my boyfriend") and written by Jones, Joe Strummer and Clash entourage member Tymon Dogg. A respectably weird bit of art-rocky new wave, Spirit of St. Louis really needs to be heard in full to be appreciated. So here's an earlier Ellen Foley single, from her 1979 debut Nightout. Produced by Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter, "Sad Song" is part of that whole neo-Spector movement that was so big in the New Wave around this period. (see also: Blondie's "In the Flesh," or Little Hits' song of the day for November 10, 2005, "Girls' Night Out" by Karen Lawrence and the Pinz) Foley was a commanding, if slightly overdramatic, singer with some obvious talent and a rather appealing New York Bad Girl look vaguely reminiscent of the Shangri-Las, but she was forever overshadowed by the company she kept.
-Stewart Mason
13 Comments:
Foley was also a singer in Meatloaf's band in his "Bat Out of Hell" glory years. Which, um, probably means something to someone who remembers (Meatloaf fans, I guess, though I'm not one).
-- James
...although Ellen did sing on "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", she did not appear in the video for same. That was Karla DeVito who went on to become Mrs. Robbie Benson.
She was also a backup singer on the fantastic "Welcome to the Club" tour & album by Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson which was recorded live at the Roxy in Los Angeles. Her first solo album, "Night Out" features the Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson band as well. She was amazing live!
Ellen was also a 'mob wife' in Jonathan Demme's movie "Married to the Mob'.
She also provided vocals on "Hitsville
UK" which was very new wave for the Clash at that time.
Don't forget her role on Night Court (pre-Markie Post)!
Thanks for posting this, haven't heard it before.
However, I have to say I prefer Rachel Sweet's version.
You mentioned Ian Hunter. He had an FM hit with the song 'We Gotta Get Out Of Here' around ... let's call it '82? A fantastic piece of vinyl - her vocals all but steal the show - a must listen. Contains the classic line "What are we gonna do - sit around and watch the Super Bowl?" A nice commentary on a woman being bored.
She also had 'What The Matter Baby'. Unfortunate that she didn't get the material her voice needed.
Good song - unexpected information. I now gather that it is her performance in "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" that is reference in The Hold Steday's "Certain Songs": "Ellen Foley gives us hope/ certain songs they get scratched into our souls."
I love the other record that members of the Clash guested on at around the same time as the Ellen Foley disc -- Pearl Harbour's album "Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost Too".
And don't forget Ellen's cameo, along with Pearl Harbour and the boys from The Clash (credited as "street scum"), in The King Of Comedy.
Does this explain the Taxi Driver quotes on Combat Rock...?
She also contributed backing vocals on the Joe Jackson album "Body and Soul".
Robert H.
On the subject of Ellen Foley, she recorded a great song called 'Young Lust' (one wouldn't name a song Young Lust these days anymore...). Again it featured a guitar-heavy wall of sound. 'Young Lust' appeared on the flipside of 'What's The Matter Baby', a minor hit in the late 70s.
Roger Grund
She was also a member of Jim Steinman's late 80s girl group "Pandora's Box" on their single album, Original Sin. She sang lead on a couple of amusing but fair updates of the Doors' 20th Century Fox and Manfred Mann's (Bacharach and David's) My Little Red Book. She really shone, however, as the narrator of a Steinman-penned skit about a girl who's gone on too many blind dates. You want dramatic?
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