The 10 Worst Albums Of 2010

There really was no shortage of shit to choose from when it came to selecting 2010's worst albums. Kings Of Leon's "Come Around Sundown", MGMT's "Congratulations" and all 147 of Tea Tea's mixtapes deserve recognition for lowering the standard of modern music but I decided to stick with mainstream pop acts for this countdown. It's a bit of an odd bunch - bad albums from acts I usually love, crap albums from crap artists and just about everything in between. I know some of these disasterpieces have been massive sellers and spawned numerous hit singles but that doesn't make them good. It just makes us gullible and record companies even more sinister than we give them credit for. As for the year's worst album - I'm sure we can all agree that pop music has finally scraped the bottom of the barrel. So what other stinkers are missing from the list? Who have I unfairly written off as gutter trash? Let me know what you think!

10. Speak Now - Taylor Swift

I really don't care if 3 million devout teenage Christians hocked their commitment rings to buy "Speak Now" for Christmas. It's a breathtakingly self-indulgent, monotonous vanity project plagued by trite Hallmark card lyrics and the inescapable fact that Taylor can't really sing. The admittedly cute and surprisingly catchy "Mine" is the standout track but it's hard to pick a 'lowlight' because all the songs sound the same to me. If pressed, I'd have to go with "Innocent" - her delusional response to Kanye. Bitch, please. The man stole your fucking microphone at a pointless awards ceremony. He didn't run over your dog or break up with you via Facebook. Get a fucking grip and move on!

9. Body Talk Parts 1 & 2 - Robyn

Robyn is so frustrating. When the Swedish eyesore gets it right, she lifts pop music to previously unimagined heights. The rest of the time I just want to slap her and ask for a refund. Her 2005 masterpiece was always going to be a hard act to follow but lowering expectations by releasing a trilogy of dodgy EPs wasn't exactly a masterstroke. "Body Talk Part 1", in particular, is a hot mess. How can you go from the sublime "Dancing On My Own" and beautiful "Cry When You Get Older" to try hard electro rubbish like "Fembot" and "Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do"? I hoped the sequel would be an improvement but it turned out to the musical equivalent of "Sex & The City 2". Sure there are some good moments ("Love Kills" and "Hang With Me") but it's mostly just embarrassing shit tailor made for non-discerning gays. The "Body Talk" era ended on a high with the fabulous third instalment but why didn't she just spend a year getting the album ready instead of tarnishing her legacy with these glorified demos?

8. The Beginning - Black Eyed Peas

I love the Black Eyed Peas and worship at the Fergalicious alter of Stacy Ferguson but even I have to draw the line at "The Beginning". This shit sounds like it was thrown together in 2 days on Skype. The band has a knack for clever hooks and catchy samples but the laziness on display here is mind-boggling. "The Time (Dirty Bit)", for example, is shameful on so many levels but mostly for the fact that it could have been brilliant if they had treated the original with a bit more respect. And then there's my other major gripe - Fergie's suspiciously minor contribution to proceedings. Is will.i.am pressed that The Dutchess is an global phenomenon while he's been reducing to working with Cheryl Cole? Or did they just jazz up his shelved solo album to save time? Whatever. I'm unimpressed and want my money back.

7. Can't Be Tamed - Miley Cyrus

This sad flop needs to pull the plug on her pop career. Miley's attempt at reinventing herself as a dance diva was an epic fail on every level. Her voice and autotune do not mix and she lacks the attitude and sex appeal to sell the songs, which, admittedly, were pretty shit to begin with. Seriously, Lisa Scott-Lee called (reverse charges) and wants her B-sides back! I don't get it. Her Hannah Montana sidekick Emily Osment pulled together a fun pop album on the fumes of an oily rag. Yet Miley has more money than anyone and still can't buy herself a hit. Time for an album of duets with daddy, I think.

6. Sweet 7 - Sugababes

I'll let Mutya take this one:



5. Tapestry - Marcia Hines

I LOVE Marcia Hines and pretty much stan for everything she has ever released including her hysterical album/self-help book of inspirational ballads "Life" but this shit is on the nose. There's nothing wrong with the individual songs. Marcia sounds amazing as always and has been covering some of the tracks at gigs for years but the sheer audacity required to re-record one of the greatest albums of all time is staggering. Seriously, who listens to "Tapestry" and thinks Hmmm, nice but I could do it so much better!

4. The Power Of Madonna - Glee

Urgh. Madonna's music is painful enough without those sad cunts from Glee rubbing their dirty spirit fingers all over it. Kudos though to Kurt and Mercedes for making "4 Minutes" an even more hellish experience than it was to begin with. Seriously, this shit is evil.

3. Loud - Rihanna

Oh look. There's Rihanna with her stupid fucking red wig and crap songs about oral sex and bondage. Isn't she just the hippest ho in the game right now? But wait. Isn't this the same pretender, who tried to reinvent herself as a dark and edgy anti-popstar on her last album - only to pull the plug when no one bought it? Yes, Riri is a big, fat fake. There's nothing wrong with being a product but it irks me that people buy into this shit when the poor man's Shontelle is actually the biggest puppet in pop. To be fair, she is a one woman hit machine. Her label has a knack for buying her hits from the hottest producers but they should ask for a refund this time around. Apart from "Only Girl" and the Eminem-lite version of "Love The Way You Lie", this is a stinking mess. I don't care what her name is or if she's a firecracker in the bedroom. Her voice is grating and she has less charisma than a roll of toilet paper. Rihanna is, without a doubt, the most overrated pop star on the planet.

2. Wall Of Soundz - Brian McFadden

This foul expulsion of noise should come with a warning sticker. Something along the lines of 'Buying this album means you're a cunt'. Brian was shit enough when he was marketed as a Mother's Day artist but his tragic electro makeover is a crime against humanity. "Just Say So" somehow topped the charts - I think Dulta opened 5,000 iTunes accounts and downloaded multiple copies - but the rest of the singles tanked and Brian was reduced to teaming up with his repugnant wife. To no avail as it turned out. If you're gagging for a bunch of autotuned to the point of parady pop tunes sung by a fat Irish bastard wearing eye make-up, then this is the album for you!

1. Messy Little Raindrops - Cheryl Cole

Amogbokpa's ruthless tormentor dropped her heinous sophomore album in 2010, lowering the bar for popular music even further in the process. I thought "3 Words" was a musical abortion for the ages but the abusive racist from that flop girlband that no one gives a shit about somehow managed to serve up an even less appealing mix of mind numbingly boring ballads and unconvincing mid-tempo urban pop tunes. Seriously, were the producers taking the piss? Upbeat tracks like "Promise This" and "Amnesia" are stomach churningly bad enough but who really thinks balladry is Cheryl's calling? She makes Uffie sound like Maria Callas on "Raindrops", while I'm convinced she phoned in her "Happy Tears" vocal while pouring over the latest copy of KKK Weekly. Even more astounding was her decision to release "The Flood" as a single. Who was she kidding? This exercise in aural torture is a definite contender for worst song of 2010 with its migraine inducing vocal and so bad they're just hideous lyrics. Although seeing it stall at number 18 on the UK singles chart did amuse me. Now that the British public has finally woken up to Cheryl's evil ways and dismissed her as a diabolical abomination against all that is good and holy, can she just fuck off? Please?Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Marcia
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Life According To Marcia Hines

Marcia Hines is one of my all time favourite singers. I've worshipped Marcia for as long as I can remember and recently named her one of my top 10 pop trash divas. Naturally, I was rather excited when my signed copy of Marcia's new album, "Life", arrived in the post yesterday. Marcia's last album was THE trashy pop moment of 2006 and I expected this collection of covers to have a similar flavour. It's something of an understatement to say that I was wrong. "Discotheque" had the humble goal of getting you on the dancefloor. "Life", however, boldly aspires to be the musical equivalent of a self-help book. It even comes with a booklet of life lessons penned by Marcia herself! Putting the CD into my stereo, I expected the worst but "Life" is a spiritual experience. I decided to put my cynicism aside for an hour and immerse myself in the Marcia Hines guide to happiness and enlightenment.

Preface - Listen

"Life" works on two separate levels. There is a written booklet with Marcia's words of wisdom and an accompanying song on the album. Marcia's musical self-help book kicks off with "Listen", a bizarre one minute intro that involves a lot of chanting. In the booklet, Marcia introduces the album by setting out her life philosophy ("I allow my spirit to create my imagination") and describes the album as a celebration of "love, loss, family, friends, strength and survival". So far, so good!

Chapter 1 - No Need To Fear

"Everybody Hurts" has to be one of the most grating songs ever recorded. REM's original makes me gag and I didn't expect much from Marcia's version. Therefore, it came as a massive surprise that the track not only works, it sounds rather lovely. Marcia writes "if we weren't meant to cry, we wouldn't have tear ducts" and recounts her battle with diabetes. I'm beginning to feel strangely emotional.

Chapter 2 - Mr And Mrs Each Day

The album continues with an astonishingly beautiful cover of Lisa Stansfield's "All Woman". Few songs written after 1970 capture as much soul as Lisa's modern classic and Marcia does the song proud with one of her finest vocal performances. Marcia singing "I may not be a classy lady but I'm all woman" gives me chills. A definite album highlight. Marcia writes "one man's trash is another man's treasure". Amen, sister! Marcia also notes that she's been married 4 times and engaged another two times.

Chapter 3 - The Path We Walk

The world doesn't need another cover of John Lennon's "Imagine" as Madonna aptly proved with her horrendous rendition. Marcia's beautiful voice does the song more justice but the choir backing is too over the top - even for me! "Some days are diamonds, some stone" muses Marcia in the booklet before describing being visited by spirits as a child. I'm serious!

Chapter 4 - No Matter What

Oleta Adams' "Get Here" is one of my all time favourite songs and its message of determination is the perfect choice to illustrate Marcia's lesson about overcoming the obstacles to love. This is a near perfect cover version, exquisitely produced and expertly performed. Marcia advises "if you inhale love, you will exhale love". I'm starting to get misty eyed again.

Chapter 5 - Unrequited Love

Marcia covers Toni Braxton and hilarity ensues. "Breathe Again" stands out from other 90s R'n'B ballads due to Toni's unusually deep vocal register and Babyface's deft production. Marcia's interpretation is too restrained. "Breathe Again" is a song for desperate lovesick whores, not classy ladies like Ms Hines. One of the album's few missteps. However, Marcia's advice is as admirable as ever, stating "you don't always get the relationship you want, you sometimes get the relationship you deserve". I must have done something bad in a past life to deserve the cast of clowns that I've dated!

Chapter 6 - Making Your Own Way

One of the highlights of "Life" is Marcia's version of "God Bless The Child". The song choice is particularly interesting because Marcia's superstar daughter covered Billie Holiday's classic on her recent "The Other Woman" album. Who wins the battle of the Hines? I'd have to give it to Deni's understated effort but this is fabulous too. Marcia writes "pick your mark, strike your pose and go for it!" Fierce! This chapter of the booklet is by far the most revealing. Marcia comments on bringing up Deni, addresses the criticism that has been directed at her judging style on Australian Idol and even takes Dicko to task on his treatment of Paulini for wearing that gold dress. Fascinating!

Chapter 7 - Through Thick And Thin

Few modern songs have been covered as often as The Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You". Most of them are god awful (the Girls Aloud abomination, for example) but Marcia's version gets it right. This is a lighter in the air anthem of the highest order. Marcia devotes this chapter to the importance of friendship, describing friends as "angels" and "treasure chests". Fabulously, Marcia manages to throw in a sly reference to her induction to the ARIA Hall Of Fame. By this stage, I had come to realise that Marcia speaks the truth and find myself well and truly under her spell.

Chapter 8 - The Inner Beauty Shining

Removing my tongue from my cheek for a minute, chapter 8 is truly inspiring. Marcia says "treasure the darkness and look towards the light" before commenting on her friendship with the recently deceased Belinda Emmett. The message couldn't be more beautiful but I'm not sure how Marcia's raunchy interpretation of Aretha's "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" is representative of it! I really hope Marcia's next album is a collection of soul covers. She breathes new life into this classic.

Chapter 9 - Leaving To Live

Marcia turns her attention to The Beatles with an inspired cover of "She's Leaving Home". This is perhaps the most adventurous song on the album. The production is intricate and really quite eccentric. "She's Leaving Home" is really quite epic. Marcia writes about Deni moving out of home and touchingly recounts sitting in Deni's empty room, wondering how "the years had passed so quickly". Awwww!

Chapter 10 - Words Unspoken

Mike & The Mechanics took "The Living Years" to number one in Australia in May 1989. I was too young to fully understand the lyrics at the time but I always found the song strangely confronting. As such, it's a perfect choice for Marcia's most confronting lesson - coping with death. Marcia recalls both her father's death and her brother's suicide. This is a heavy chapter but Marcia's direct approach is comforting.

Chapter 11 - Sex The Drug

From death to sex, Marcia's walk through the pitfalls and joys of life is nothing if not comprehensive. I have to say, reading Marcia's views on sex is the equivalent of watching porn with your parents (or so I imagine)! However, I was greatly amused by Marcia's reminder that sex isn't "just for the young folks" and her very rational advice of consulting a tarot reader when you have a new suitor! Marcia's sexual adventure is accompanied by a delightful cover of Sade's "No Ordinary Love". Hot!

Chapter 12 - Empty Hearts And Empty Rooms

The penultimate song in Marcia's musical self-help book is a cover of Dionne Warwick's "A House Is Not A Home". This gorgeous seven minute opus is the soundtrack to Marcia's chapter on forgiveness and saying sorry. I love the original track and Marcia's version is suitably bittersweet. A treat.

Conclusion - I Am

Don't faint but Marcia has actually included an original song to end the album - one that she even wrote herself! "I Am" is more of poem or prayer set to music but it's gospel tone sits well with the other tracks and brings the album to an inspiring conclusion. Marcia really needs to record more original material if this is any indication of what she is capable of as a songwriter. Outstanding!

It would be easy to put on my "bitchy queen" hat and tear "Life" to shreds. I'm sure that would make for an amusing post but it would also be a cop out. Marcia wears her heart on her sleeve and communicates with such overwhelming sincerity that I can't help but be moved - often against my better judgement. "Life" is the musical equivalent of a Hallmark card. It's unbelievably corny, has nothing new to say and more often than not makes you cringe with embarrassment but at the same time there is a kernel of truth to the message and you're glad that somebody took the time to send it to you. It goes without saying that cynics need not apply. If, like me, you cry at long distance telephone commercials and get slightly hysterical at weddings and other major celebrations, then Marcia's homespun wisdom comes highly recommended! You can order a signed copy of "Life" from JB Hi-Fi. I strongly advise against downloading "Life", you really need the booklet to appreciate Marcia's spiritual message!

Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Marcia
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Craptastic Covers - What A Feeling!

Few songs ever manage to capture the zeitgeist of an era quite like Irene Cara's "Flashdance... What A Feeling". Giorgio Moroder's masterpiece endures as a pulsating testament to all that was fabulous about 1980s pop music. The song also scored one of the most memorable sequences in popular movie history. Who will ever forget Jennifer Beals' steel worker/erotic dancer's audition in "Flashdance"? The stumble and the triumph! Dirty, old Geri Halliwell ripped off the scene in the video for her awful cover of "It's Raining Men", as did Jennifer Lopez in the significantly more glamorous clip for "I'm Glad". The song and the famous audition scene recently appeared in an Australian beer commercial - which resulted in Irene Cara being invited to perform "What A Feeling" at the 2006 AFL Grand Final! I'm not sure what the beer swilling football fans made of 47 year old Irene's performance but I was beside myself!

My original intention for this post was to navigate my way through the multitude of "What A Feeling" cover versions but it soon dawned on me that Irene's anthem has been covered more often than Dannii has gone on holiday. As a result, I've decided to mention a couple of craptastic international covers before concentrating on a selection of Australian versions. One of the most startling interpretations is DJ Bobo's stunningly awful rap extravaganza. The bizarre video clip, bad rapping and even worse dancing makes this a very guilty pleasure indeed! Swedish cunt, Carola Haggkvist, serves up a more traditional version, while Polish Idol, Hania Stach, struggles with the lyrics but still sounds kind of fabulous. Which is more than I can say about Swedish pop tart, Agnes Carlsson, who sounds completely disinterested. "What A Feeling" has also been warmly embraced by dance music producers. Global Deejays had a massive club hit with their dance version and spoofed the audition scene in their trashy video. The Hughes Corporation produced another worthy dance interpretation, although the soft porn video is slightly worrying.

"What A Feeling" has always been popular with Australian pop fans and has been covered numerous times. Here are some of my favourite versions:

Young Divas

The Young Divas' debut album of 80s covers would have felt incomplete without a version of "What A Feeling". The girls give it their all and the song duly becomes one of the album's many highlights.

The "Razzle Dazzle" Soundtrack

"Razzle Dazzle" is the latest Australian comedy to flop at the box office. The whole thing would have been completely unbearable if it wasn't for the presence of ex-"Prisoner" star Kerry Armstrong and not one but two versions of "What A Feeling"!

Wendy Matthews

The strangest contributor to the "Razzle Dazzle" soundtrack is Wendy Matthews, who was hugely successful in the early 90s with sparse ballads like "The Day You Went Away" and "Token Angels". She is the last person I would have picked to sing a trashy re-make of "What A Feeling", given her recent move towards the adult contemporary market. The production on this track is pretty awful (it sounds like someone recorded it on their answering machine) but it is a fun change of pace for Wendy.

Natasha Stuart

Natasha provides three tracks on the "Razzle Dazzle" soundtrack, including "What A Feeling" and an equally trashy cover of Rozelle's "Everybody's Free". Natasha has been plugging away on the live music scene for quite a few years now and I recently saw her perform as Deni Hines' backing vocalist. If Natasha has the Deni seal of approval, that's good enough for me! This version of "What A Feeling" is really quite bizarre. Check out Natasha's other songs on her informative Myspace.

Louis Gaston

Admittedly, Louis Gaston isn't Australian but this dance mix was huge on the Australian club scene. It's kind of tragic but it gets me going!

Madeline Perrone



Madeline was a contestant on the recently completed first season of "Australia's Got Talent", which famously employed Dannii as a judge. Madeline covered "What A Feeling" in the semi-finals and eventually placed in the top 4. Anyone who mentions Dannii in their pre-song interview and dances around in baggy overalls is alright by me. I want a studio version!

Bjorn Again

The original Bjorn Again (they eventually licensed the name to several international acts) formed in Melbourne in the late 1980s as an ABBA tribute band. They eventually widened their musical horizons in the 1990s and covered a variety of other acts. Their rendition of "What A Feeling" makes me moist. I LOVE Bjorn Again and can hardly wait for their upcoming tour in July. This is fabulous!

Marcia Hines

I've saved the best for last! Marcia Hines is one of the holy divas of the Australian music scene and it seems only appropriate that an icon of the 80s leaves her stamp on one of the iconic songs of that decade. Marcia's version of "What A Feeling" is very faithful to the original and holds up as a fun slice of 90s pop. However, the M 1:11 Remix is by far the best and most unusual Australian interpretation of "What A Feeling". The remix transforms the song into a sunny urban groove, complete with a guest rapper - and somehow manages to NOT be shit! It's hard to explain but there is definitely some kind of genius at play here - "Take a ride with Marcia Hines, she shines all the time!"

You can purchase most of these versions from iTunes or search for physical copies on Australian Ebay. The "Razzle Dazzle" Soundtrack and Young Divas' album are available from Sanity and Chaos.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Marcia
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Marcia Vs Ultra Nate

I love Marcia Hines almost as much as I love cock. So I was naturally rather pleased when it was announced that Marcia would be inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame this year. I can't think of a more deserving recipient, Marcia has been churning out hits since the 1970s and she's still as fabulous as ever. I've been meaning to cover some of Marcia's pre-Australian Idol material for some time now. Strangely, I was inspired to finally pull my finger out by a completely different artist - the divine Ultra Nate. Ms Nate is one of the few bright stars on the dull American dance scene. I've been an admirer for years but her latest album has converted me into a fully fledged fan. As such, I've been going through her older work and fell in love with her version of Marcia's "Time Of Our Lives". Naturally, I had to re-visit Marcia's rendition and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it holds up, almost a decade later.

"Time Of Our Lives" was one of many attempts to kick start Marcia's career in the late 90s. The song became Marcia's highest charting single since the 1980s and revitalised her standing as a legendary pop diva. Marcia furiously promoted "Time Of Our Lives" to the gay community and I can still remember her performing it with a gaggle of drag queens in a nightclub. The song quickly became a fan favourite with good reason - as far as uplifting anthems go, "Time Of Our Lives" is hard to top. The song just exudes joy and fun with every beat. It was always going to be hard to follow in Marcia's footsteps but Ultra Nate's version is just as fabulous. Ultra's version is actually credited to DeVoted, which was a collaboration between Ultra Nate and Gerry DeVeaux - who just happens to be the man who wrote the song in the first place! Gerry must have thought that "Time Of Our Lives" still had potential and he was right. The update is a fabulous slice of bright and shiny dance music.

So, who wins this diva face-off? Marcia gets my vote because of the fun memories attached to her version but it's very close. Make up your own mind!

Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Marcia
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Marcia & The Deni - Remixed!

The duet of the century has finally been released! I've been ranting about Marcia Hines' trash epic, "Discotheque", to anyone who will listen for months (see the November archive). Marcia's craptastic album of disco covers is high on my list for the album of the year and one of its finest moments is Marcia's duet with her extremely fabulous daughter, "The Deni".

"Stomp!" was always the most likely track to be released as a single and the time has finally come to unleash this double dose of Hines' magic on the Australian public. Marcia and Deni have busily promoted "Stomp!" and, in my television highlight of the year, even performed the song on the steps of the Opera House with campy gay dancers on the finale of Australian Idol! I doubt the song will dent the charts given The Deni's impressive string of flops but I couldn't care less. A mother/daughter disco duet doesn't exactly happen every day, so I'm savouring every second of this trashtastic spectacle.

You are seriously missing out if you haven't watched the mind-boggling "Stomp!" video. I've never seen anything quite like it! Watch it here. The dancing policemen still make me laugh.

The CD single contains a handful of remixes, the best being Smash 'n' Grab's effort. This shouldn't be much of a surprise from the team who managed to make Dullta sound vaguely interesting on their remix of "Lost Without You". You can buy the single from Chaos.

Deni and Marcia at the finale of Australia idol. Nice pants, Deni!

Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Marcia
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The Extremely Fabulous Marcia Hines

Stop your groaning, bitches! Marcia Hines IS fabulous - she just hides it well behind that annoying fucking 'earth mother' persona on Australian Idol. Marcia is basically the equivalent of Paula Abdul on American Idol, a vacuous waste of space who has something nice to say about everyone and is moved to tears by even the most tone deaf contestant. Then there are her multitude of annoying catch phrases that I think she picked up from some Spike Lee movie in the 1980s. Everyone is "da bomb" and anyone who manages to almost sing in key is greeted with "that's what I'm talkin' about, girlfriend!" - someone desperately needs to tell Marcia that black slang has moved on!


OK, so I've got the requisite Marcia bitching out of the way. Now let me explain why you need to get correct and open your heart to all things Marcia. As I'm sure most of you know, Marcia Hines was the original queen of Australian pop. That is pretty astounding when you think that Marcia arrived in Australia as a 16 year old to sing in the musical "Hair", got knocked up with superstar daughter Deni, continued performing in "Hair" until someone found a naked, pregnant teenager a little too uncouth, then simply decided to stay and make her mark. I respect anyone tenacious enough to survive as a single, teenage mother in a foreign country but the fact that she not only survived but thrived and went on to Australia's biggest female pop star of the 1970s is nothing short of amazing.

One of Marcia's Three "Queen Of Pop" crowns

If you're not familiar with Marcia's 1970s gems, then hurry up and buy one of the many compilations floating around (I recommend the one below).

Chances are, you will recognise more songs than you think. Mixed in with Marcia's own classics such as her signature song "You", are covers of soul classics and a more than her fair share of showtunes! Watch Marcia sing Until Your Love Broke Through in 1976 or better yet, enjoy Marcia's stunning performance of You on Countdown in 1977. I love this clip, Marcia looks stunning in her red dress and her dancing was always ahead of it's time! What an extraordinarily beautiful woman.


Fans of 70s Marcia and tragic showtune loving poofs (like me!) should get wet at the prospect of hearing Marcia sing "What I Did For Love" from "A Chorus Line". If musicals are not your go, you should probably give this a miss. If you have exquisite taste and love a good, old fashioned showtune listen to "What I Did For Love".


Moving into the early 1980s, Marcia embraced a more modern pop sound and cranked out hit after hit. In my mind, Marcia reached the zenith of her early career with the 80s classic, "Your Love Still Brings Me To My Knees". This song is one of my all time favourites. If "Your Love" doesn't make you want to groove around the lounge room, exit this page immediately because you are a loser and no longer welcome on my blog! Watch Marcia's exquisite and rather amusing Countdown performance from 1981. What on earth is she wearing? The 80s were so unkind. Do you think she regrets leaving the house in MC Hammer pants, with a black feather duster as an accessory? The song is still inspiring drag queens to this very day. Check out some Townsville ladies workin' it in an amazing drag interpretation of Your Love!

As with any true diva, Marcia's career went to shit in the mid-80s and she was disregarded as a relic from an earlier time. Marcia spent most of the decade playing to senior citizens in RSL clubs. In one interview, Marcia stated that she played an entire set to an empty room. I don't get it - surely if NO ONE was there, she could have just had a cocktail at the bar? Anyway, I digress. My point is that Marcia is a trooper. Things started to pick up for Marcia when her illustrious daughter Dohnyale (otherwise known as Deni) scored a series of top 10 hits as the lead singer of The Rockmelons. Deni went solo and became a star, which gave Marcia the inspiration to lose 30 kilos, get treatment for diabetes and stage the first of many comebacks with the hugely underrated album "Right Here And Now".

Surely the fact that Marcia expelled goddess Deni from her juicy loins should be reason enough to worship her but if you still need more convincing allow me to share an anecdote from the late 90s when this blogger had gay training wheels and was beginning to explore the dance party scene:

Picture it - Sydney, late 1990s, "Frisky" dance party. Yours truly is busily working it on the dancefloor to Cher's "Believe" when a sea of drugged-up gay boys parts to reveal a beautiful black woman crawling along the dancefloor on hands and knees, followed by a gaggle of hysterical queens screaming "Marcia Hines is in the K-hole!".

I'm sure Marcia probably just dropped a contact lense (*back-peddles furiously*) but I decided then and there that this woman was someone deserving serious attention. At that stage Marcia was embarking on her second comeback attempt with the album "Time Of Our Lives". Unlike the soul sound of "Right Here And Now", "Time Of Our Lives" was aimed squarely at the gays. The album was not a massive success but it established Marcia as a "local star" on Sydney's gay scene and she was a regular at gay dance parties and discos for a couple of years. I once had the chance to chat with her for five minutes while waiting in line for the bathroom at a disco. Classy.


After the lack of success that greeted "Time Of Our Lives" despite the fact that it was brilliant and they released about 6 singles (including a cover of "What A Feeling"), Marcia disappeared again until Australian Idol and then rapidly embarked on yet another comeback with her new high profile. The results were immediate and "Hinesight" reached #12 on the Albums chart. This year, Marcia moved up a notch in my book by revisiting the gay diva vibe of "Time Of Our Lives" with her magnificent album of disco cover versions "Discotheque".

"Discotheque" debuted at #6 on the Albums chart and remains in the top 25 two months later. The album has gone gold and looks like being Marcia's biggest seller in about 30 years. I have raved about this album on Toy's Forum and shared some tracks, which generally received a favourable response. Here are some of the other songs for your listening pleasure. If you like what you hear please support Marcia's trashy career and buy the album from Sanity or Chaos. You could also try Australian Ebay for a cheaper copy.

The CD/DVD version is highly recommended for the hilarious sight of Marcia and Deni recording their amazing duet "Stomp". Poor Deni desperately tries to steal Marcia's thunder but is roundly ignored by everyone in the studio. Poor thing! "Stomp" is being released as a single and I for one, can not wait. The tracklisting looks amazing and the video is my favourite Australian clip of the year. How cheap can you get? Marcia and Deni "driving" a car against the worst blue screen in the history of digital technology! Gold! Watch Australia's second most fabulous family after the Minogues perform live on Rove. Buy the single from Chaos

Back to Marcia's disco album. It could be the most desperate plea for a gay audience since Sheena Easton's "Fabulous" and just like that record, "Discotheque" is utterly amazing. I hope you this post allows you to look past the Australian Idol facade and embrace the diva goddess that is Marcia!

Oh, I couldn't resist this - watch Marcia sing a duet with Russell Crowe at the AFI Awards - I think Russell is checking Marcia out! As if he even stands a chance!
Talking of duets, if anyone has transferred the tracks from this duet album with Jon English onto CD, I would LOVE to hear it!

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