Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Lene Lovich's Ecological Apocalypse for My Halloween Countdown

Lili-Marlene Premilovich shortened her name for the stage. American born, Lene's family moved to England when she was 13. She later attended several art schools and appeared in cabarets as an "Oriental" dancer.

Lene traveled to Spain and visited Salvador DalĂ­, played acoustic rock music around London, sang in the mass choir of a show called Quintessence at the Royal Albert Hall, worked as a go-go dancer, toured Italy with a West Indian soul band, worked with various fringe theatre groups and played saxophone for an all-girl trio, The Sensations. She recorded screams for European horror films and, at that time (1977), wrote lyrics for French disco star Cerrone (including the sci-fi dance smash "Supernature") among other endeavors. Percussionist Cerrone is credited with the music for "Supernature", though the bridge has a suspiciously Lovich-like melody to it.

"Supernature," with its surreal lyrics describing a world in which nature has risen to fight against its desecration and destruction by mankind, reflects Lovich's interest in animal rights and ecological issues. (And no one has seen fit, as of yet, to base a sci-fi film on it, using the disco tune as its exciting theme song?) It is a Halloween-appropriate horror tale to dance to, however, and was a major hit worldwide in '77 at the disco and on the radio.

Two years later, Lene would embark on an international solo recording career of her own, starting with the hit, "Lucky Number."

Lene recorded her version of "Supernature" as a rare, limited release single in 1986. And here it is... on my Halloween Countdown.

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