TORONTO 鈥� Amanda Marshall released three studio albums between 1995 and 2001 before effectively vanishing from the music scene.
As she releases her new single "I Hope She Cheats," and prepares to unleash her fourth record "Heavy Lifting" in June, Marshall shared a few memories.
鈥淎manda Marshall鈥� (1995)
Songs include: 鈥淟et It Rain,鈥� 鈥淏irmingham鈥� and 鈥淒ark Horse鈥�
Taken under the wing of legendary Canadian blues and rock musician Jeff Healey as a teenager, Marshall cut her teeth in Toronto bars before her self-titled debut hit stores when she was 23 years old. Produced by David Tyson, co-writer of Alannah Myles鈥� No. 1 hit 鈥淏lack Velvet,鈥� the album ushered in a vocally confident and soulful young artist 鈥� and it hit huge. 鈥淎manda Marshall鈥� scored seven Top 10 singles and is one of only 24 albums by Canadian artists with Diamond certification status in Canada with more than a million copies sold.
Marshall says recording the album involved a substantial learning curve that pushed her beyond her comforts as a live performer.
鈥淪inging in studio is vastly different than singing live,鈥� she said. "That was the first time I was in a vocal booth by myself and taking direction.鈥�
鈥淭uesday鈥檚 Child鈥� (1999)
Songs include: 鈥淟ove Lift Me鈥� and 鈥淏elieve in You鈥�
Swept up by the momentum of her debut, Marshall went from touring to churning out a second album with noted producer Don Was, who had just finished working with the Rolling Stones. Without much time to prepare, Marshall says in retrospect the record became 鈥渁n extension of the first鈥� that explored 鈥渁 lot of the same thing鈥� but with bigger names behind the scenes. That included hit songwriters Carole King and Eric Bazilian, hot off Joan Osborne鈥檚 鈥淥ne of Us.鈥� The album sold 300,000 copies in Canada.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in a studio environment with a booked producer and songwriters, the clock is tickin鈥�, man," she recalls. "Whoever has the best idea in the moment, you鈥檝e really got to go.鈥�
She added: 鈥淢y regret about working with those great people is I was too creatively timid. It wasn鈥檛 that I was personally intimidated, I just didn鈥檛 know enough. I was a young person.鈥�
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 Got a Story鈥� (2001)
Songs include: 鈥淒ouble Agent鈥� and 鈥淪unday Morning After鈥�
More Top 40 pop-oriented than her previous efforts, 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 Got a Story鈥� was sold as Marshall鈥檚 most personal project, with songs about growing up as a mixed-race only child.
Marshall describes the album as "almost like a theatre piece" .
"I don't know that all the other records did that," she says. "They kind of fell into place accidentally."
"Everybody's Got a Story" sold 100,000 copies and came as label executives girded against the threat of Napster piracy by giving their adult contemporary artists an edgier appearance. Marshall鈥檚 reserved "tomboy" look switched to a party girl vibe closer to R&B and pop artists of the time, which left some fans confused.
鈥淭he imaging was a reach,鈥� Marshall acknowledges.
鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 just clothes. But I realized people read into everything. Why is she wearing a skirt? Why isn鈥檛 she wearing pants? (On tour) I was really conscious about being skinny and attractive, trying to fit into this external mould. That was a weird time in pop music. Everybody had an eating disorder. It wasn't just the music business. It was everywhere.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2023.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
