The buzz is hot

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Tell Amanda Marshall it's a good time to be a female singer from Canada - the seven million album sales and 10 recent Grammy nominations of Alanis Morissette and Shania Twain combined - and she'll tell you that it's a great time to be a female singer, period.

"I'm as excited for Alanis with her six Grammy nominations as I was four years ago when Bonnie Raitt got eight or whatever it was," enthused Marshall, the day after last week's Grammy announcement.

"It's exciting when people with whom you share certain characteristics do well because it makes it more obvious to you that there's potential that you could do well.

"But Canadian, not Canadian, female, not female - it's good stuff and I think it bodes well for everyone in the business to see women doing well."

Marshall should know. Her self-titled debut went gold in Canada (50,000 in sales) within eight weeks - maybe you saw her picture in the Toronto subway? - and spawned the Top 10 single Let It Rain. All without a Canadian tour under her belt. That happens in late February.

Now Sony Music Canada is preparing to launch their hot prospect in Europe next month - with umbrellas that have her name on them no less - and the U.S. in March. No word yet on umbrellas there.

"There are very few records that we work on in Canada or even in the industry that in such a short period of time go gold," said Richard Zuckerman, Sony's vice-president of international A and R (artists and repertoire) and marketing.

The buzz on the 23-year-old Torontonian with a Rapunzel-like head of golden, curly hair and an even bigger set of vocal chords began five years ago.

After attending a concert by blues singer-guitarist Jeff Healey, he invited her to come and sing during an open jam the next night. Healey was so impressed that he invited Marshall to tour with him and Tom Cochrane.

Marshall initially signed a major deal with Columbia in the United States but later opted out of her contract because she was unsure about her musical direction.

"The whole grunge movement had just sort of broken and the world and the music business were both really distracted," said Marshall, who signed with Sony later.

"It was very male-oriented, garage rock, riff-oriented music and it wasn't a great time to be sort of a mainstream, radio kind of artist."

She knows it and so does Sony, whose biggest Canadian female artist is Celine Dion.

"Celine's sold in excess of 10 million units and it's not as though she's alternative or even hip, it's just she's an amazing talent and I think we feel the same thing (about Amanda)," said Zuckerman. "It's not the next thing in terms of music, but it is in terms of talent of the artist."

Marshall's powerful voice brought such early descriptions as "Janis Joplin-Joe Cocker love child."

In the studio, however, she's more reminiscent of Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow or Amy Grant with the bombastic retro sound of such '80s Canadian rock chicks as Alannah Myles and Sass Jordan.

Produced in L.A. by David Tyson (Myles, Hall and Oates) with material from Canadian songwriters Marc Jordan and Christopher Ward and session musicians whose bosses have included such rock royalty as James Taylor, Carly Simon, Tina Turner and Bob Dylan, Marshall's debut has received decidedly mixed reviews in Canada. The main complaints being the songs are weak, the album is overproduced and Sony's marketing hands are all over Marshall.

"All I can say is I made the record I wanted to make," said the singer. "People's antennae go up when they suspect that you are associated with as big a money-making machine as a company like Sony. I think they become suspicious and they start looking for things.

"But I don't think because you choose a more sort of commercial or legitimate - if you will - way of making records that that makes you any less legitimate of an artist."

Marshall also points out that she's just being her fully-clothed self and not some scantily clad diva on her album cover and inside on the liner notes.

"Just because it says Sony on the back of the record does not mean that there is a team of little men - `Don't look behind the curtain!' - that the Wizard of Oz is controlling the way I dress and what I say. It's merely a vehicle."

Adds Zuckerman: "It's the voice and the image. She always had an image. She always had a strong identity about herself."

Similar criticisms of superstar packaging have been thrown at Morissette, who began her career as a teenage dance artist before the scathing, foul-mouthed single You Oughta Know turned her into the posterchild for jilted women.

"So she made disco records when she was 16? Who cares? I mean so what? It's a good song. Get up and dance. Shut Up!

"Certainly I'm all for honesty in music, but I mean - at the end of the day - it's music. This isn't neurosurgery, it's music. And either you can sing or you can't. Either you can write or you can't. Either you can play or you can't."


	January 14, 1996 The buzz is hot on 23-year-old Toronto singer Amanda Marshall By JANE STEVESON Toronto Sun ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tell Amanda Marshall it's a good time to be a female singer from Canada - the seven million album sales and 10 recent Grammy nominations of Alanis Morissette and Shania Twain combined - and she'll tell you that it's a great time to be a female singer, period. "I'm as excited for Alanis with her six Grammy nominations as I was four years ago when Bonnie Raitt got eight or whatever it was," enthused Marshall, the day after last week's Grammy announcement. "It's exciting when people with whom you share certain characteristics do well because it makes it more obvious to you that there's potential that you could do well. "But Canadian, not Canadian, female, not female - it's good stuff and I think it bodes well for everyone in the business to see women doing well." Marshall should know. Her self-titled debut went gold in Canada (50,000 in sales) within eight weeks - maybe you saw her picture in the Toronto subway? - and spawned the Top 10 single Let It Rain. All without a Canadian tour under her belt. That happens in late February. Now Sony Music Canada is preparing to launch their hot prospect in Europe next month - with umbrellas that have her name on them no less - and the U.S. in March. No word yet on umbrellas there. "There are very few records that we work on in Canada or even in the industry that in such a short period of time go gold," said Richard Zuckerman, Sony's vice-president of international A and R (artists and repertoire) and marketing. The buzz on the 23-year-old Torontonian with a Rapunzel-like head of golden, curly hair and an even bigger set of vocal chords began five years ago. After attending a concert by blues singer-guitarist Jeff Healey, he invited her to come and sing during an open jam the next night. Healey was so impressed that he invited Marshall to tour with him and Tom Cochrane. That's when record companies came calling. Marshall initially signed a major deal with Columbia in the United States but later opted out of her contract because she was unsure about her musical direction. "The whole grunge movement had just sort of broken and the world and the music business were both really distracted," said Marshall, who signed with Sony later. "It was very male-oriented, garage rock, riff-oriented music and it wasn't a great time to be sort of a mainstream, radio kind of artist." Which is exactly what Marshall is. She knows it and so does Sony, whose biggest Canadian female artist is Celine Dion. "Celine's sold in excess of 10 million units and it's not as though she's alternative or even hip, it's just she's an amazing talent and I think we feel the same thing (about Amanda)," said Zuckerman. "It's not the next thing in terms of music, but it is in terms of talent of the artist." Marshall's powerful voice brought such early descriptions as "Janis Joplin-Joe Cocker love child." In the studio, however, she's more reminiscent of Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow or Amy Grant with the bombastic retro sound of such '80s Canadian rock chicks as Alannah Myles and Sass Jordan. Produced in L.A. by David Tyson (Myles, Hall and Oates) with material from Canadian songwriters Marc Jordan and Christopher Ward and session musicians whose bosses have included such rock royalty as James Taylor, Carly Simon, Tina Turner and Bob Dylan, Marshall's debut has received decidedly mixed reviews in Canada. The main complaints being the songs are weak, the album is overproduced and Sony's marketing hands are all over Marshall. "All I can say is I made the record I wanted to make," said the singer. "People's antennae go up when they suspect that you are associated with as big a money-making machine as a company like Sony. I think they become suspicious and they start looking for things. "But I don't think because you choose a more sort of commercial or legitimate - if you will - way of making records that that makes you any less legitimate of an artist." Marshall also points out that she's just being her fully-clothed self and not some scantily clad diva on her album cover and inside on the liner notes. "Just because it says Sony on the back of the record does not mean that there is a team of little men - `Don't look behind the curtain!' - that the Wizard of Oz is controlling the way I dress and what I say. It's merely a vehicle." Adds Zuckerman: "It's the voice and the image. She always had an image. She always had a strong identity about herself." Similar criticisms of superstar packaging have been thrown at Morissette, who began her career as a teenage dance artist before the scathing, foul-mouthed single You Oughta Know turned her into the posterchild for jilted women. But Marshall doesn't understand what the fuss is all about. "So she made disco records when she was 16? Who cares? I mean so what? It's a good song. Get up and dance. Shut Up! "Certainly I'm all for honesty in music, but I mean - at the end of the day - it's music. This isn't neurosurgery, it's music. And either you can sing or you can't. Either you can write or you can't. Either you can play or you can't." And no matter what you think of her music, Marshall can sing. The AMANDA MARSHALL FILE AGE: 23. FAMILY: Only child. Father from Canada. Mother From Trinidad. Grew up listening to classical, golden oldies and jazz courtesy of her parents, who she still lets listen to her demos first. EARLY YEARS: Was enrolled at the Royal Conservatory at age three. Sang in high school choir but always wanted to play in a rock band. Got to meet Ella Fitzgerald at age 15 after a concert. BIG BREAK: Jeff Healey invited her to sing at an open jam and later tour with him and Tom Cochrane. Columbia (U.S.) signed her initially. DEBUT: Self-titled album for Sony Music Canada sold 50,000 domestically within eight weeks. To be released in Europe and the U.S. in the next two months. ON MAKING HER FIRST ALBUM: "I didn't really have to do too too much screaming and yelling and shaping and groping to get what I wanted."