Cyndi Lauper: C or D?

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
I've only heard She's So Unusual, but based on that I'd say classic all the way. If only she'd been Madonna instead of Madonna.

Justyn Dillingham, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

then who would madonna be?

Sterling Clover, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Suzanne Vega

Steve K, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

And maybe Suzanne Vega could be Cher. And Cher could be Morrissey. And Morrissey could be Jim Nabors. And Jim Nabors could be Steve Tyler. Steve Tyler could be quiet. Yeah. That would be nice.

Dave225, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Madonna is wonderful, and so is Cyndi Lauper. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is a glorious pop record. Her cover of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On is magnificent too, though when I taped it for all my friends they looked at me as if I were retarded.

Martin Skidmore, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Total total classic. I heard that Cyndi Lauper dissed Madonna recently in some big high-profile way but the details escape me...

Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Sometimes I'm just really glad a record sounds the way it does - "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" is one of these records. Men, are we supposed to find this....touching? Because I do.

Keiko, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Cyndi Lauper possesses an excellent voice and has recorded some fantastic songs. Her wacky persona sometimes gets in the way of these facts.

bris, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

classic for her music, but also the shredded newspaper skirt she wore in the vid for "true colors".

di, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

First album and the "True Colors" single = enough to rank her high in my book at least. I remember when there was a time when the Madonna/ Cyndi Lauper 'who will last/which is better' war rivalled that of Debbie Gibson/Tiffany or is that Britney/Christina/Pink?

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

First album - music, cover tunes, persona, videos, - classic. After that she moved into adult contemporary mode, which seemed like a smart longterm move at the time, but never paid off due to poor sales and, primarily, inactivity, which is a shame because she'd've been a great adult contemporary star. Still classic - bonus points for "Goonies R Good Enuff", her part in "We Are the World", and maybe "There's A Hole In My Heart (That Goes All the Way to China)" although I can't remember if I really like or really hate that song, it's been fifteen years.

J Blount, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is easily one of my favorite vocal performances by anyone. She wore such great clothes, too.

Justyn Dillingham, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I so have to get the debut, given I think 4 songs are among the best of their era. Best is "Money Changes Everything", slightly better than the orignal. Still, whole career-wise Madonna clearly wins, as Pink no doubt will.

B-Rad, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

the big critical thing at the time was, 'madonna will go nowhere because she can't sing, cyndi lauper will have the long term career' because they were very much seen as doppelgangers when they appeared, with madonna being the 'fake' cyndi. it was in Time magazine. i prefer 'she's so unusual' and 'time after time' to anything madonna's done, but at the same time, in a certain sense, i think madonna had better taste. but i HATE taste, i absolutely despise it, and i love the terrible orchestration and use of synthesizers on side two of 'she's so unusual' so that you have to listen THROUGH the songs, you have to put in an effort, to really cry over 'witness' and so on. some of madonna's early stuff is a bit like that, but basically it's so bland you can become attached to it with an act of will, but not a very difficult one. and as for madonna's later stuff, like kylie's new stuff, it's so french, in such good taste. and of course you like it.

maryann, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

If any serious musicians need convincing of her talent then Miles Davis' version of "Time After Time" is wonderful, as is the original.

Winkelmann, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Winkelman do you write for time magazine?

maryann, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

No - why?

Winkelmann, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

oh cyndi. syndii. cydndni . cy.dni vcynnnndy ccyndddddddd ... icynd icyndi I LOVE HER

bob snoom, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Gibson won then, Tiffany in the long term. Pink beats Avril, but Britney?

Sterling Clover, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Eugene Chadbourne in loves Cyndi Lauper shockah!

Sean Carruthers, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...
Cyndi Lauper is the better singer. Her songs have always had such strong emotional messages. She's also a great live performer. I just love her to death. I like Madonna, but I'm mad about Cyndi.

Alex Robert, Wednesday, 18 September 2002 22:58 (twenty-three years ago)

people look at me like i've just shit on their birthday cake when i say pink's 'get the party started' + 'don't let me get me' = 'girls just wanna have fun' x the '00s.

*poop*

i haven't heard anything more than '...fun', though - which is definitely classic - what other songs should i seek?

brian badword (badwords), Thursday, 19 September 2002 02:12 (twenty-three years ago)

people look at me like i've just shit on their birthday cake when i say pink's 'get the party started' + 'don't let me get me' = 'girls just wanna have fun' x the '00s.

Well, the videos are all excruciating, but at least Cyndi had Lou Albano in hers.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 19 September 2002 05:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Pink+Gwen Stefani=Cyndi Lauper. End of arg. Easy.

or is it...

Charlie (Charlie), Thursday, 19 September 2002 05:14 (twenty-three years ago)

I think you mean Cyndi > Pink and Gwen. Yes, that works.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 19 September 2002 05:23 (twenty-three years ago)

sorry ned, yes you're right. my maths ain't wot it used to be...

Charlie (Charlie), Thursday, 19 September 2002 05:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes but now Cyndi just sits around singing strummy ballads to herself on guitar. The Cyndi role needs to be filled. No one does it, quite.

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 19 September 2002 07:01 (twenty-three years ago)

There's a band called, er, Ciccone. You should see them.

Charlie (Charlie), Thursday, 19 September 2002 07:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Pretty good but I wouldn't say classic. I do remember her songs being very much part of the atmosphere when I was in college. Oddly anthemic for me at the time. I needed to be reminded at times to just have fun. (I wasn't a girl, however.)

DeRayMi, Thursday, 19 September 2002 10:58 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...
Didn't Cyndi Lauper and Roy Orbison both release versions of "I Drove All Night" at about the same time?

I just remember her having this kind of 1949 Andrews Sister v. 1989 fashion victim thing going on in the video. Regardless, it's still one of my favorite songs of all time.

Celine Dion's version made me hate her even more -- as if such a thing were possible.

Cyndi = classic.

Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 8 November 2003 18:58 (twenty-two years ago)

she does a really great version of Joni Mitchell's "Carey"

gabbneb (gabbneb), Saturday, 8 November 2003 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Really cool voice, and a great production on that debut album too. I can't help but liking her stuff, but the fact that she didn't write her own songs is a major drawback.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 November 2003 00:46 (twenty-two years ago)

cyndi's version of "I drove all night" was released a couple of years before roy's

cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 9 November 2003 01:47 (twenty-two years ago)

classic for the "she bop" video alone with all of its gary panter art.

jack cole (jackcole), Sunday, 9 November 2003 01:50 (twenty-two years ago)

All I know is the radio singles. They are so classic. Shebop- Money changes everything, and girls for sure. I looove the shebop video. I also know she did a video with an animated cat (voiced by skatman crothers wasnit?) Aand I soooo want to see it. Bonus points to her for having for a writer, for Girls: Robert Hazard, who I don't know much about except he's super obscure, and never broke out of local philly scene though he was on the verge, but he had one classic synthpop new wave song "escalator of life" which kicks serious ass. And makes me want to get Cyndi Lauper's debut even more.

sucka (sucka), Sunday, 9 November 2003 02:44 (twenty-two years ago)

"True Colors" was the first album where I felt utterly abandoned and betrayed by a pop star. I loved (and still love) "She's So Unusual" and nothing about "Goonies (R Good Enough)" led me to believe Cyndi would break my heart the way she did.

Keith Harris (kharris1128), Saturday, 15 November 2003 03:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Still, "True Colors", although I agree the album as an entirety is a dud, included the title track - her best ever song.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 15 November 2003 03:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Ugh. Maybe it'll sound that way to me when I'm fifty.

Keith Harris (kharris1128), Saturday, 15 November 2003 04:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe I have nothing in common with you all,,,, DUD all the way.

Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Saturday, 15 November 2003 04:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Generally classic, but she helped re-popularize professional wrestling (Captain Lou Albano), and that is dud.

nickn (nickn), Saturday, 15 November 2003 04:43 (twenty-two years ago)

You know, I can't answer this question; I actually don't have an opinion! She seemed great and wacky at first singles videos etc, and then got dud so fast I just forgot about her. Betcha I can get her debut in the dollar bin... should I?

Sean (Sean), Saturday, 15 November 2003 08:45 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...
classic of course. i have loved "all through the night" for almost 20 years.

Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 12 May 2005 07:21 (twenty-one years ago)

"i drove all night" is my favorite thing she's done.

cindy williams permafrost (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 12 May 2005 07:29 (twenty-one years ago)


I've only heard She's So Unusual, but based on that I'd say classic all the way. If only she'd been Madonna instead of Madonna.
-- Justyn Dillingham

EXACTLY what I was gonna say! Ya just KNOW that in an alternate universe, it's not Madonna but Cyndi who...etc.

Well, the videos are all excruciating, but at least Cyndi had Lou Albano in hers.

-- Ned Raggett

Sorry Ned, couldn't disagree more. I hated "Girls..." and Cyndi herself when I first heard her, mostly because she didn't sound like Black Sabbath. But the video for "Time After Time" was quite moving, and won me over. Utterly Charming & Disarming: The bit right at the start when she awakens her boyfriend by allowing a ceramic dog (modeled after RCA Victor's "Nipper", I think) to "lick" his cheek. And later, in the "She Bop" video, she endeared herself to me all over again with her fairly clumsy (and so what!) top-hat-and-cane soft shoe number. And there was even a little animated bit accompanying the synth-break! I was always fairly indifferent to video - most of 'em were forgettable, which means that I've forgotten them! Cyndi Lauper's videos I never forgot.

Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 12 May 2005 09:20 (twenty-one years ago)

i still say madonna is a better madonna than cyndi. cyndi got all boring and ballady too quickly (maddy did boring ballads too but she at least still TRIED to make pop songs for the kids to dance to).

cindy williams permafrost (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 12 May 2005 09:31 (twenty-one years ago)

As silly/DUH! as it might seem today, nevertheless the great rockcritics' battle of 1984 was TS: Madonna VS Cyndi. You know, acquisitive yuppie materiali$t plugging herself VS haircolor feminist who sings empoweringly about masturbation, etc. I think Cyndi was basically a novelty artist, a one hit album wonder who got elevated way beyond her station. At least Christgau came back a few years later and admitted just how spectacularly wrong he'd been. And that Capt Lou video was the EXACT moment Cyndi became insufferable.

m coleman (lovebug starski), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:19 (twenty-one years ago)

"Really cool voice, and a great production on that debut album too. I can't help but liking her stuff, but the fact that she didn't write her own songs is a major drawback."

Er, it's when she started to write ALL her songs that she started to suck! (and when we realized she had nothing to say).

Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:51 (twenty-one years ago)

b-b-but your true colors are beautiful like a rainbow!

cindy williams permafrost (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:55 (twenty-one years ago)

i still say madonna is a better madonna than cyndi.

Image-wise, and somewhat musically too, Cyndi was the blueprint for what Madonna would do.

But Madonna seemed to be able to do it with more artistic control and more longievety.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, the videos are all excruciating, but at least Cyndi had Lou Albano in hers

CAPTAIN Lou Albano

Vinnie (vprabhu), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:34 (twenty-one years ago)

GO

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 23 August 2013 16:35 (twelve years ago)

sorry, didn't mean to post the same thing to two cyndi threads!

flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 24 August 2013 03:55 (twelve years ago)

That's TONY-AWARD-WINNING-COMPOSER CYNDI LAUPER to you, bub.

Set the Ctrl-Alt-Del for the heart of the sun (SlimAndSlam), Saturday, 24 August 2013 12:58 (twelve years ago)

I got a nice copy of She's So Unusual at the record sale today :D

no fomo (La Lechera), Saturday, 24 August 2013 21:06 (twelve years ago)

:D

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 24 August 2013 22:02 (twelve years ago)

I just bought two tickets to see her in November. This is the 30th anniversary She's So Unusual tour, so I think you can be safe assuming she will do all the hits from that and more.

something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 24 August 2013 22:42 (twelve years ago)

she should just do the whole damn album. more than 1/2 of it is hits anyway, right?

flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Sunday, 25 August 2013 00:02 (twelve years ago)

Yeah I'm wondering if it'll be an album-straight-through deal. I sort of hope not, I'd be happy to hear all the songs but mixed into a full set with other stuff.

something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 25 August 2013 01:24 (twelve years ago)

Setlist.fm says she's been doing the whole album straight through, and then mixing up the encore with 3-5 other songs.

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Sunday, 25 August 2013 01:31 (twelve years ago)

goddammit how did I miss this tour uuuggh

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 25 August 2013 01:44 (twelve years ago)

Huh, that totally frontloads her biggest hits -- really just leaving "True Colors" for the end. Oh well, I'm sure it'll be a good time.

something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 25 August 2013 01:51 (twelve years ago)

Setlist.fm says she's been doing the whole album straight through, and then mixing up the encore with 3-5 other songs.

― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Saturday, August 24, 2013 8:31 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

that's not a very long concert

flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Sunday, 25 August 2013 12:59 (twelve years ago)

one year passes...

I want to be the one to walk in the sun

socki (s1ocki), Wednesday, 15 October 2014 13:32 (eleven years ago)

cosigned

I dunno. (amateurist), Wednesday, 15 October 2014 15:54 (eleven years ago)

is THAT what she says?

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 15 October 2014 15:56 (eleven years ago)

KISS U KISS U I KISS U

a drug by the name of WORLD WITHOUT END (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 15 October 2014 15:58 (eleven years ago)

is THAT what she says?

― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, October 15, 2014 10:56 AM (13 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

well I think she says "wanna"

I dunno. (amateurist), Wednesday, 15 October 2014 16:09 (eleven years ago)

I've always heard the song as a K-Pop ancester, so I just hear and love the rush of words ands sounds.

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 15 October 2014 16:11 (eleven years ago)

*ancestor

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 15 October 2014 16:11 (eleven years ago)

well that line that slocki quoted is key b/c she added it and it's one of the way she seems to completely transform the meaning from the original

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aLNwOxPsjg

I dunno. (amateurist), Wednesday, 15 October 2014 16:16 (eleven years ago)

she actually changed it i think? from "i want my girls to walk in the sun"?

anyway... that line... is my favourite thing ever right now. it's like a rift briefly opening up to a dimension of pure joy

socki (s1ocki), Wednesday, 15 October 2014 16:37 (eleven years ago)

Some guys take a beautiful girl
They try to hide them away from the rest of the world
All my girls have got to walk in the sun
Because girls just want to have fun
Yeah, girls just want to have fun

socki (s1ocki), Wednesday, 15 October 2014 16:39 (eleven years ago)

"all my girls"

ew

I dunno. (amateurist), Wednesday, 15 October 2014 16:54 (eleven years ago)

HAVE GOT TO

let's all have a moment's silence to thank Cyndi

difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 16 October 2014 04:14 (eleven years ago)

one year passes...

I dont'...even understand.

her Christmas single with the Hives is freakin amazing.

campreverb, Sunday, 18 October 2015 14:23 (ten years ago)

she posted on Instagram that she's in Nashville recording with country producer Tony Brown. I'm intrigued...

Flamenco Drop (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 18 October 2015 14:44 (ten years ago)

three years pass...

Ok so I just watched VIBES for the first time --
-- loooved it
-- <3 <3 <3 Cyndi
-- am I crazy or was there a scene with a longhaired guitar player who was also in the video for madonna's "la isla bonita"?

i always wondered who that guy was and now i am even more curious because i previously thought he was a resident of la isla bonita

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 4 February 2019 22:47 (seven years ago)

ha, I have and have enjoyed the film score to Vibes but have never seen it, this is a failure of character on my part which i'll remedy

valet doberman (Jon not Jon), Monday, 4 February 2019 22:49 (seven years ago)

i felt like a dummy for not watching it -- when it came out i probably thought it was too goofy and i was in that phase where i wanted to talk about nuclear annihilation

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 4 February 2019 22:56 (seven years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-yis9av6xc

Cyndi on Johnny Carson

Watched it a couple weeks ago and was blown away. What a performer. Plus a great talk show couch guest.

A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Monday, 4 February 2019 23:01 (seven years ago)

Yay! It was one of my fave movies as a kid & I still love it to this day.

Cyndi said in her memoir that shooting it was a pretty bummer experience though :/ Dan Aykroyd was supposed to costar alongside her & he quit when she got signed on (was v dismissive of her lack of experience in the rehearsal) and her & Goldblum didn’t get on much better, she was pretty miserable.

I think the fact that they kinda hate each other makes for funnier moments between them in the movie

Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 4 February 2019 23:07 (seven years ago)

bummer :( didn't know people were so snobby to her but i am not surprised. those were messed up times. i thought jeff goldblum seemed like just the right sort of weirdo for her but he was high on the fly and probably wanted to be more serious. it was a much better movie than i expected it to be!

watching that johnny carson video reminded me of how much i LOVED cyndi as a kid.

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 4 February 2019 23:12 (seven years ago)

Vibes is great! I treasure the DVD I bought for like $3. Good to pair with Transylvania 6-5000, although Vibes is a superior film. Cyndi Lauper shoulda been in more movies.

the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Monday, 4 February 2019 23:19 (seven years ago)

Yeah I read that Ron Howard was originally signed on to direct & I wonder if she wouldn’t have had a better experience if he had been behind the camera. Who knows tho.

It’s a shame ppl were kinda jerky to her because she’s great on camera. i think she could have done some really great projects with the right people and/or more encouragement

Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 5 February 2019 01:04 (seven years ago)

Transylvania 6-5000 is my wife’s favorite movie

valet doberman (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 5 February 2019 03:00 (seven years ago)

It's the best movie ever made by a chemical company with money they couldn't expatriate from behind the Iron Curtain

the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Tuesday, 5 February 2019 03:17 (seven years ago)

Like that Tonight Show clip. Wondering who is in the band. It’s not the guys from The Hooters, is it?

Only a Factory URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 5 February 2019 05:41 (seven years ago)

Don't see the Hooters there. Wiki lists the band for her Fun Tour as Kenni Hairston – Keyboard & Vocals, Sandy Gennaro – Drums, John Kumnick – Bass
John McCurry – Guitar & Vocals. It's probably that band.

Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 5 February 2019 06:34 (seven years ago)

three years pass...

Just watched Vibes for the first time last night. I won't go so far as to say that it was good, but Cyndi Lauper and Jeff Goldblum were very good.

Anyway, I thought that Hole In My Heart (All the Way to China) was a weird choice of an end title credits song for a movie that takes place in Ecuador, but I highly recommend it. Don't recommend the music video though.

peace, man, Monday, 7 March 2022 14:36 (four years ago)

apparently they didn't get along on set at all!

Jaime Pressly and America (f. hazel), Monday, 7 March 2022 15:28 (four years ago)

I can definitely imagine that, but I don't think it reflected in their performances at all.

peace, man, Monday, 7 March 2022 15:37 (four years ago)

two months pass...

Just found this - from Lauper's appearance of The New Show, which was another sketch show Lorne Michaels produced for NBC. (Broadcast on Friday nights, it lasted only one season. He returned to SNL the following year.)

Lots of fun, especially when Lauper gets on the camera crane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xZtdcgS27o

birdistheword, Sunday, 5 June 2022 07:00 (four years ago)

Lol thank you for not spoiling the guest dancer at the end there

covidsbundlertanze op. 6 (Jon not Jon), Sunday, 5 June 2022 21:17 (four years ago)

Incognito Cyndi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geovHVnj42Y

When the Pain That You Feel is the Bite of an Eel, That's a Moray (Old Lunch), Sunday, 5 June 2022 21:26 (four years ago)

Speaking of incognito Cyndi, I assume I am the last person on earth to find out she sang the pee wee’s playhouse theme?

covidsbundlertanze op. 6 (Jon not Jon), Wednesday, 8 June 2022 14:38 (four years ago)

Second last.

Les hommes de bonbons (cryptosicko), Wednesday, 8 June 2022 18:24 (four years ago)

two years pass...

i'd never seen the goonies music video until today and that thing is in a whole separate tier of music videos.

Western® with Bacon Flavor, Friday, 4 October 2024 05:37 (one year ago)

Yeah, I never saw it in the 80s, but I wish I had.

peace, man, Friday, 4 October 2024 12:05 (one year ago)

Third last

xxxpost

m0stly clean (Slowsquatch), Friday, 4 October 2024 13:07 (one year ago)

ten months pass...

Saw her Farewell Tour in Sacramento tonight - she still sounds incredible. And i got so emotional! I teared up over almost every song <3 Love her so much

werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 24 August 2025 08:09 (nine months ago)


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.