Renée Geyer

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Renée Geyer (born September 11, 1953) is one of Australia's most respected singers, most often identified with soul music,blues & jazz. However she also achieved several hit singles as a mainstream pop singer.

Contents 1 Early career 2 Australia's Queen of Soul 3 The U.S. sojourn 4 Renée hits a peak 5 Living in the U.S.A. 6 Re-establishment in Australia 7 Back on top 8 Album discography 9 External links

[edit] Early career

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Geyer's singing career began in the early 1970s as a vocalist with Dry Red though she soon left for the more accomplished jazz band Sun. The group released one album before Geyer departed in 1972. She next joined Mother Earth who's R & B/Soul Music style was more in keeping with the style Renee wanted to pursue.

RCA who had released Sun's album then signed Renee to a solo contract however when it came time to record her 1st solo album, Renee, already showing signs of her self proclaimed "Difficult Woman" tag, insisted that Mother Earth back her on the album. This first release mainly consisted of R & B/Soul covers of O/S hits but Renee & the band nonetheless excelled, stamping them as their own in most cases.

[edit] Australia's Queen of Soul

Her follow up album It's A Man's Man's World was released in 1974 and became Renee's first charting record. It featured the cream of Australia's musos at the time including members of Chain, Kahvas Jute, The Groop + Bobby Bright of Bobby & Laurie and Mike Brady. The title track, her classic rendition of the James Brown hit from 1965 also became her first hit single.

She then formed her own band Sanctuary to promote the album. At the time Renee had become disinchanted with RCA and their refusal to let her record more original material. She was prepared to wait out her contract if necessary but Australia's up & coming and most respected independent Mushroom Records, were able to strike a unique deal where they would record her and RCA would release the albums and singles with a Mushroom logo stamped on the label.

The arrangement lead to what some believe is the finest soul album ever released in Australia, Ready To Deal. By this stage Sanctuary, who co-wrote most of the material for the album with Renee, were renamed the Renee Geyer Band which was the credit on the album cover. It spawned another of Renee's signature songs "Heading In The Right Direction" which reached the top twenty in 1976.

During this time, Geyer also participated in the 1975 Election Campaign of the Liberal Party, singing the party's campaign theme song "Turn On The Lights", the second most known Australian political song behind the 1972 Labor Campaign theme song, "It's Time". However in recent years, Geyer has distanced herself from the Liberal Party and politics in general stating she had only done the campaign to earn money for her album recording in the United States, where she had recently signed a contract with Polydor Records.

Before departing for the US however, the Renee Geyer Band released a live album Really Really Love You, recorded at the bands farewell concert at Melbourne's Dallas Brooks Hall. It truly showed the great raport that Renee has always had with her bands, and emphasised her excellence in live performance as well as that of the musicians her support her.

[edit] The U.S. sojourn

Again credited as a solo release, Renee's first US-recorded album Moving Along was produced by famed Motown Records, producer Frank Wilson and saw her own musicians supplemented by members of Stevie Wonder's band, as well as Ray Parker Jr. and other noted US session stalwarts. Released in late 1976, it provided her with her biggest Australian hit to date with the single "Stares and Whispers". It also attracted considerable attention in the United States when radio stations began playing several of the album's tracks, in particular a re-recorded version her Australian hit "Heading In The Right Direction" which was issued as the first US & UK Single.

Geyer's record company were aware that her vocal style had led many listeners to incorrectly assume that she was black, and they urged her to keep a low profile until her popularity had grown, even suggesting that the American release of the album should not include her photograph. Known for her uncompromising and direct personal manner, Geyer refused to allow this deception and insisted on marketing the album complete with a cover photograph of what she later referred to as "my big pink face". With the album's release, interest in Geyer subsided in the United States, an event that Geyer would later blame on her headstrong decision in regard to her marketing. She did earn respect within the recording industry and for several years worked in Los Angeles as a session vocalist.

There was enough interest for a 2nd album, again recorded with Frank Wilson but this time Renee was not entirely happy either with the mix or the support from the record company. So she negotiated a release from her contract but managed to bring the album tapes home to Australia where it was remixed and released as "Winner". Though Renee herself, perhaps a little unfairly, says it should have been called Loser as much of the material was not up to standard. She toured the country promoting it but neither the album nor the 2 singles released from it enjoyed the same success as previous releases.

Renee's next release "Blues Licence" is unique in her entire catalogue. On this album she teamed up with Australia's premier guitarist Kevin Borich to record an album of straight blues material. The added fire in her vocals being sparked by the harder edged backing from Kevin's band Express and other Aussie notables of the genre, it was not a huge seller at the time but quickly became a personal fave of fans and has remained so, and in print ever since.

[edit] Renée hits a peak

In 1980, now finally free of her original RCA contract, Renee signed direct with Mushroom Records in Australia and they released her next album So Lucky, as well as re-issuing all her previous albums on the Mushroom label. Helmed by Rob Fraboni who's resume included with with The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, The Band & many others, the new album had again been recorded in the US with musical backing from the Bump Band, who also supported Bonnie Raitt on her albums at the time. With their mutual love of the great black blues and R & B performers, Renee and Bonnie formed a friendship that continues to this day.

The album took her slightly away from the soul style that Renee had been so closely identified with and added a slightly tougher, rootsy rock/R & B style, while incorporating a bit of salsa and reggae. The single "Say I Love You" became the biggest hit of her career when it reached number 5 on the Australian singles charts. It also spawned 2 further Australian hits and was issued in the US on the Portrait Records label.

By this stage Renee was at the peak of her Australian popularity and headlined Mushroom's 10th Anniversary Concert celebration, The Mushroom Evolution Concert in 1982. The following year she released a 2nd live album "Renee Live", which again showed the dynamic Renee in her natural element and produced a hit duet with Glenn Shorrock on a sublime version of the old Dusty Springfield standard Goin' Back.

[edit] Living in the U.S.A.

Having enjoyed a career peak at home in Australia, Renee now based herself in Los Angeles to concentrate on breaking into the musical scene there. She continued to record and perform as a solo artist over the next decade though with less chart success in her own country due to her lack of profile there. Although her one 1985 album for (WEA), Sing To Me & it's accompanying 1st single "All My Love" enjoyed some success it was not deemed to be one of her best and was not given a Stateside release. Nor were the follow singles successful and Renee & WEA parted company soon after.

Back in the US Renee looked like she was finally making some headway as she formed the band Easy Pieces with Hamish Stuart and Steve Ferrone, both former mainstays of respected white soul pioneer and 1970s hitmakers The Average White Band. They signed to A & M Records, but the timing couldn't have been worse. The band's self titled album was released in 1988 to excellent reviews however the label changed distributors just as it was released. Therefore music stores couldn't order copies in, and with no copies on the shelves unfortunately the Easy Pieces album sank without a trace.

Meantime Geyer continued as an in demand session vocalist, something that she had also done in Australia. She was most notable and prominent on Sting's "We'll Be Together" though her name was mis-spelled on the album cover, much to her consternation. She was also clearly audible on Toni Childs hit "Don't Walk Away" which was virtually an uncredited duet. She did perform a credited duet with Joe Cocker on one of his biggest albums of the 80's, Unchain My Heart. Following the album's release Renee also toured Europe as backing vocalist for Joe. Other notable sessions included working with Neil Diamond, Julio Iglesias, Buddy Guy and her old mate Bonnie Raitt. Renee also recorded a song for the soundtrack of the film Mystic Pizza, best known now as being Julia Roberts' screen debut.

Back in Australia in 1993 to record songs for the ABC-TV mini series "The Seven Deadly Sins" she met with one of Australia's most respected songwriters Paul Kelly, who offered to produce and help write a new album for her. Her first solo studio album in 9 years, it was one of her very best and although not a hit at the time, the renewed repect and exposure it brought Renee ecouraged her to move back home and the album has become a cult fave, staying in print for many years. She later named her autobiography, Difficult Woman after the album.

[edit] Re-establishment in Australia

Following the release of the Difficult Woman album in Australia and now again basing herself from there, Geyer then spent time re-establishing herself on the live circuit. These performances showed Renee to be far more relaxed on stage than she'd ever been at her peak when her innate shyness was often cleverly disguised. Now a confident, mature woman she showed off a hitherto hidden wicked sense of humour, often at her own expense, but nobody was safe.

She then re-signed with Mushroom Records for a new single which was included on the excellent retrospective "The Best of Renee Geyer 1973-1998" Now things were moving & although not a chart buster it did respectably well. It also introduced Renee to a new, younger audience due to a bonus disc included with initial copies. The disc featured some of her earlier singles and album tracks, remixed by some of the best up and coming DJ's at the time.

The compilation's success led to the recording of a full length album and another of her very best, Sweet Life. As was expected now Renee was surrounded by the cream of Australia's most respected musos who had reportedly queued up to offer songs and record with the diva. A fine showcase with great production by Paul Kelly and Joe Camilleri, the album showed that she was also at the very peak of her exceptional vocal abilities and again it sold resepectably well. However it was to be her last for Mushroom as label owner Michael Gudinski's sold the company soon after.

[edit] Back on top

2003 found Renee signed to the new ABC Records imprint, First Edition and recording her individualised interpretations of favourite soul/R & B songs. The subsequent album Tenderland, critically lauded as was usual now, was also the one that put Renee back on top with the public again, reaching a very respectable #11 on the ARIA Charts and gaining her a much deserved Gold album award. It also gained Renee her first ARIA Award nominations for Best Female Vocalist as well as Best Adult Contemporary Album. A live album of the subsequent Tenderland tour was was also included as a bonus disc with later copies of the album but for those who had already purchased a copy, "Live At The Athenaeum" was released as a separate budget priced, low key release in 2004.

Fully revived, invigorated by her last studio album's success and not willing to rest on her laurels, the next official album Tonight was a completely contemporary album. Her choice of producer surprised many as Magoo was better known for his work with alternative rock bands Regurgitator and Midnight Oil. Nonetheless, the match was a total success and it saw Renee continue her run of brilliant acclaimed albums since her return home. It also scored Renee a 2nd consecutive ARIA Nomination for Best Adult Contemporary Album.

Renee and her band continue to thrill audiences at her live shows, and more recently she has become a familiar face on television without singing a note. Whether as a guest panelist or sought after commentator on the state of the music industry, she's always ready with a caustic quip. And as of this writing she's readying yet another album for release mid 2007.

[edit] Album discography

• Sun 1972 (1972) (RCA)
• Renée Geyer (1973) (RCA)
• It's a Man's Man's World (1974) (RCA Australia)
• Ready To Deal (1975) (RCA/Mushroom)
• Really Really Love You: Live At The Dallas Brooks Hall (1976) (RCA/Mushroom)
• Moving Along aka "Renee Geyer" (1977) (RCA/Mushroom) / (Polydor)) (US/UK)
• Renée Geyer At Her Very Best (1977) (RCA/Mushroom)
• Winner (1978) (RCA/Mushroom)
• Blues License (1979) (RCA/Mushroom)
• So Lucky aka "Renee Geyer" (1981) (Mushroom) / (Portrait) (US/UK)
• Renée Live (1983) (Mushroom)
• Faves (1984) (Mushroom)
• Sing To Me (1985) (WEA)
• Renée Live at the Basement (1986) (ABC Records)
• Easy Pieces (1988) (A&M Records)
• Seven Deadly Sins (1993) (ABC Records)

 Shared w/ Paul Kelly), Deborah Conway & Vika Bull of Vika and Linda

• Difficult Woman (1994) (Larrikin Records)
• The Best Of Renée Geyer - 1973-1998 (1998) (Mushroom)
• Sweet Life (1999) (Mushroom)
• Classic Collection (3CD Box Set) (2001) (Rajon)
• Tenderland (2003) (ABC Records)
• Live At the Athenaeum (2004) (ABC Records)
• Tonight (2005) (ABC Records)

[edit] External links

• Renee Geyer official site