Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam -- & A Memo to Authors
While
attending a bat mitzvah of my wife’s cousin’s kid, a surprise entertainer
showed up: Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. It
was fun to see a group that I heard during the 80s, my teens and early 20’s
decade, perform just a few feet from me, but it made me realize a few things
that authors can learn from.
But
before I go any further, I should note that Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam was only
on the music scene from ’84-’91. Though
they don’t come to mind when naming great 80’s bands and singers, for one
thinks of Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, Boy George, U2 and probably 50
others, and yet when you look them up you see they had several No. 1 hits and
at least one of their albums went platinum. So, in the scheme of things, they
were more successful than 98% of any group that’s ever performed in our
lifetime.
That
boggles my mind.
A
group that many don’t think about and one that people are not so familiar with,
especially if they are under 30, was at one point, fairly successful in a field
crowded with great talent, famous groups, and relentless competition. How does
that happen, going from having more than one hit song, to virtual
obscurity? Or is that just the natural
progression of things, where few creative artists, including authors, may make
their mark, but their legacy doesn’t go beyond a generation?
On
the other hand, it was cool to see a room full of 200 people treat them like
royalty, for how often do you get to stand within a few feet of someone who sold
out concerts, appeared on MTV, and had some No. 1 hits? How cool is it that 35 years after their
debut, some people still remembered the words to their songs? It’s been a while
since I thought about songs like All
Cried Out, Head to Toe, Lost in Emotion and Can You Feel the Beat?
Their
genres include pop, R&B, and Latin freestyle. They were one of the first freestyle music
groups to emerge from New York City. They even had songs played in a movie,
including Caddyshack II.
Here’s
what the Los Angles Times wrote in 1986:
“Lisa
Lisa & Cult Jam’s” Wonder if I Take You Home,” a tale about a woman’s fear
of being considered “a one -nightstand,” became one of last year’s biggest hit
singles – and not just because of its captivating dance beat. Singer Lisa Lisa
(That’s my complete and real name – I don’t know why nobody believes me”)
thinks that the song’s message struck a nerve with its listeners.”
All
that, and my kids, almost 12 and 15, asked: “Who is that?”
Fame is fleeting. It’s hard to acquire; even harder to hold on to. But some people remember a one-time star and for one afternoon at a Jersey bat mitzvah in a club, some got to see a star shine bright again.
Fame is fleeting. It’s hard to acquire; even harder to hold on to. But some people remember a one-time star and for one afternoon at a Jersey bat mitzvah in a club, some got to see a star shine bright again.
DON”T MISS THESE!!!
New Year's Resolutions
For Every Author
Free 2020 Book Marketing Toolkit for Authors
17 Book PR Strategies
That Work
The Author Publicity
Priority List
Brian
Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas
expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or
anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and
email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when
discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog
©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His
writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.
This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the
top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best
resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.