Cyndi Lauper - You Make Loving Fun (Extended Dance Vocal Version)

[GoldDustOrphan]

"You Make Loving Fun" was the first song ever officially released by Cyndi Lauper. In 1977, Lauper was commissioned to record several songs written by other artists. The only release to come of these sessions at that time was a 7" vinyl single of this track. Details about the release are unknown even to Lauper herself, who did not own her own copy until a fan gave her one in 2002. Lauper then remarked she was paid only twelve dollars for her work, to "sound like someone else."

After Lauper's later success, a 12" vinyl single featuring new remixes was released in Japan in 1984 on a small independent label called Jam Spot, which was a division of Yamano Music Co. In 1989, a 3" CD single also surfaced in Japan with the same mixes. All of these versions are considered rarities in Lauper's catalogue.

From the 1989 CD:

Cyndi Lauper - You Make Loving Fun (Extended Dance Vocal Version)
http://www.mediafire.com/?0f8caqxcc8k

Cyndi Lauper - You Make Loving Fun (Single Version)
http://www.mediafire.com/?tsatoiau010

[Josh2003]

Is it me, or does that sound nothing like Cyndi Lauper?

[GoldDustOrphan]

It's not just you.

When Cyndi recorded the song 30 years ago, she was instructed to mimic Christine McVie to the best of her ability. She was just one of several session singers hired to re-record several big hits of the day. Clearly, some additional knob-turning was done to adjust her vocal. Also, all the trademark Lauper vocal ticks, affectations, and cartoonish-singing-through-the-nose quirkiness didn't come until later.

A 7" vinyl single was the only release from the session. Details about the release are unknown even to Lauper herself, who did not own her own copy until a fan gave her one in 2002. Lauper then remarked she was paid only twelve dollars for her work, to "sound like someone else."

After Lauper's later success, a 12" vinyl single featuring new remixes was released in Japan in 1984 on a small independent label called Jam Spot, which was a division of Yamano Music Co. In 1989, a 3" CD single also surfaced in Japan with the same mixes. All of these versions are considered rarities in Lauper's catalogue.

I've seen this track listed on every Cyndi website, timeline, and discography but I'd never heard it until this week.

[michelej1]

Cyndi discusses YMLF, Excerpt from AV Club Interview October 26, 2011
http://origin.avclub.com/articles/cyndi-lauper,63973/


“You Make Loving Fun” (recorded in 1977, released as a Japanese-only single in 1984)

Cyndi Lauper: Oh, my God. [Laughs.] I was not a recording artist then. I had gone—like most everybody from New York, I think—down to Washington Square Park. I used to love it as a teenager, and… I think I was in a cover band by then, and I wanted to sing with the doo-wop kids, who’d just go down there and jam. And one of them said to me, “Hey, you should come down, I’m working for Ed Chalpin, I get $15 a side that I sing. If I sing background, I get a little less.” So I said, “Sure, I’d love to!” You know, make money singing? So I went and recorded in their studio. The trick was, at that time, you had to imitate the person so that nobody would realize that it wasn’t… You know, by the time they realized it wasn’t Christine McVie, they’d already bought it. So that’s what I was doing. And it was… [Starts to laugh] It was an interesting time when I turned around and actually made something of myself, and there Ed Chalpin was putting out a picture of me from Blue Angel, saying that this is what I did when I was in Blue Angel, which is actually not true. But what can I say? Que sera, sera.

[Phoenixgypsy]

I'm a big fan of Cyndi....but this cover makes my ears hurt!!! I'm glad she "turned around and made something of herself"! How could anyone think this was Christine singing??? LOL

[nicepace]

How could anyone think this was Christine singing???

I agree! Christine's voice is unique, instantly recognizable. Within one or two notes, Cyndi is obviously not Christine.

(And I, too, really like what Cyndi became.)

[UndoingTheLaces]

I've had this for ages but I could never figure out how it was supposed to be Cyndi but it didn't really sound like her. If you know her voice well enough you can tell that it is here but she's not singing like she usually does. I never knew that she was supposed to to be pretending to be Christine. That just add so much more to the legend of this track.

[PolishStevieFan]

I don't know if anyone here likes Cyndi Lauper but I consider myself a fan of her and still think her rendition of "You Make Loving Fun" is kind of dreadful. I've always thought she shines on her self or co-written songs than making covers.

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by PolishStevieFan

I don't know if anyone here likes Cyndi Lauper but I consider myself a fan of her and still think her rendition of "You Make Loving Fun" is kind of dreadful. I've always thought she shines on her self or co-written songs than making covers.

At the time. she hadn't started her career. She was a nobody hired to mimick someone else's songs. I remember that in the 1970's there were a lot of dubious record companies that would put out complitation albums of current hits. But it wasn't the original artists - just really crappy imitations.

You can excuse Cyndi Lauper for this. She wasn't a working artist at the time, and she was just trying to make a buck. I'm a not a big fan of her, but I recognize her talent (and personality). Years ago I saw and met her when she appeared at a local record store. She sang a few songs and it was amazing.