Heidi Ewing Part Three | From Frank Ocean to Tears for Fears (E39)

The Catskills provided a fitting backdrop for a deep conversation about music, life, culture, movies and… BRAND NEW MUSIC FROM A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS. WAIT… WHAT? !!! Heidi spent a ton of time working on songs that are mesmerizing, euphoric and seem to cause a medical condition commonly known as “musical paralysis.” Heidi takes us deeper into this concept with music from Frank Ocean, Pedro Infante, Seu Jorge… and so much more.

Dear reader, it will all be made clear when you listen to the episode below.

That Moment in a Bar (or Starbucks)

You are having drinks with friends in a crowded bar. Chatting away. Having such a good time. And then something tingles in the back of your brain. A new sensation… certainly… but odd. Does it feel good? You think so. Yes… it’s good. You pay attention. Your ear follows this new sonic “thing.”

Oleta Adams

I just want to know more about her.

Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised listening to gospel music. In her youth, her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth. She got her musical start in the church.

Before gaining her opportunity to perform, Adams faced a great deal of rejection. In the 1970s, she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she recorded a demo tape. However, many music executives were exclusively interested in disco music rather than Adams’ preferred style.

In 1985, Adams was discovered by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, founders of the English band Tears for Fears, while she was performing in a hotel bar in Kansas City, while they were on a US tour. Two years later, they contacted her to invite her to join their band as a singer and pianist on their next album, The Seeds of Love.

In 1989, the album was released and the single “Woman in Chains”, sung as a duet by Adams and Orzabal and with Phil Collins on drums, became her first hit. Adams embarked on a world tour with Tears For Fears in 1990, performing by herself as the supporting artist at the start of each show, and remaining onstage throughout the Tears For Fears set where she would provide piano and vocals.