Josie Cotton
Josie Cotton's 1982 new wave hit "Johnny, Are You Queer?" is unquestionably in dubious taste (although its killer chorus is one of the more memorable of its era), but there's more to this underrated singer/songwriter than her one shock-value novelty hit. Not only are Cotton's two early-'80s albums underrated pop gems, she since resumed her career in a surprising fashion; rather than jump the lucrative '80s nostalgia bandwagon like so many of her Los Angeles contemporaries like Berlin and Dale Bozzio of Missing Persons, Cotton has turned to a lovely, haunting version of art rock closer to that of Jane Siberry or Kate Bush.
Some magazine articles in the early '80s claimed that Josie Cotton was the granddaughter of the actor Joseph Cotten, a piece of misinformation that overlooks the obvious difference in spelling. In reality, Josie Cotton was born Kathleen Josey in Dallas, TX, daughter of a prominent local family whose fortune had been made in…well, cotton. After singing with some local bands in Dallas' artsy Deep Ellum neighborhood, Cotton moved to Los Angeles in the late '70s to further her career. In Los Angeles, Cotton met and began dating a local musician named Bobby Paine, who with his brother, Larson Paine, had written a tongue-in-cheek girl group pastiche called "Johnny, Are You Queer?" that was a staple of the Go-Go's early live act. When the group declined to record the song on the advice of their record company, Cotton offered to do the song herself. A 12" single of the song with the B-52's-like "Let's Dance the Blackout" on the flip was released by Bomp Records in 1981. Although the song was a subject of controversy both on the Right (who claimed it promoted the gay lifestyle; one television preacher even claimed that playing the 12" single at 33 rpm instead of the usual 45 would reveal that it was actually a man singing) and the Left (who claimed it was homophobic), the single sold well enough that Elektra Records signed Cotton and reissued the single. Cotton's first album, Convertible Music, was rushed to completion and released in the summer of 1982. A glorious blast of Farfisa organs, surf guitars, and Cotton's appealingly whiny voice, the album scored another minor hit with the near-perfect "He Could Be the One."
Cotton appeared in the 1983 cult classic Valley Girl, singing both her previous singles and the Gary U.S. Bonds oldie "School Is In" during the climactic prom sequence. Her second album, 1984's From the Hip, was also produced by the Paine brothers, who took a more active role in the songwriting, minimizing Cotton's own excellent contributions and unwisely updating the sound with synthesizers and electronic drums. Though the superb "Jimmy Loves Maryann" was a minor hit, Elektra dropped Cotton shortly thereafter.
In most cases, that would be that, other than the almost inevitable nostalgia tours. However, Cotton, temporarily reverting to the proper spelling of her real surname, Josey, unexpectedly reappeared in 1997 with the mysterious Frightened by Nightingales. Co-produced by her husband, legendary L.A. punk producer Geza X, the album is worlds away from the snappy '60s pop of her '80s albums. A follow-up, The Influence of Fear on Salesmen (which found Cotton changing back to the original spelling of her stage name), was released in early 2002.
© Stewart Mason /TiVo
Discografía
17 álbum(es) • Ordenado por Mejores ventas
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Painting in Blood
Rock - Editado por Kitten Robot Records el 11 abr. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Disco Ball
Pop - Editado por Kitten Robot Records el 21 mar. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Everything is Oh Yeah
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Cleopatra Records el 4 oct. 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Pussycat Babylon
Pop - Editado por Kitten Robot Records el 24 ago. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Invasion of the B-Girls
Pop - Editado por Kitten Robot el 1 may. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ukrainian Cowboy
Punk - New Wave - Editado por Kitten Robot el 30 ago. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Movie Disaster Music
Pop - Editado por Kitten Robot el 17 nov. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Frightened by Nightingales
Pop - Editado por Kitten Robot Records el 8 dic. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Ballad of Elvis Presley
Country - Editado por Kitten Robot Records el 21 jun. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Fading Fast
Pop - Editado por Kitten Robot Records el 19 abr. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Disco Ball ((Atmos Mix))
Pop - Editado por Kitten Robot Records el 21 mar. 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Day of the Gun
Pop - Editado por Kitten Robot Records el 2 may. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Movie Disaster Music
Pop - Editado por Scruffy Records el 17 nov. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Calling All Girls
Pop - Editado por Kitten Robot Records el 30 jul. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Every Day Like Christmas
Punk - New Wave - Editado por Kitten Robot el 13 dic. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -