Thoughts on Cat Dancer

[PenguinHead]

I've had the vinyl album for decades, but recently discovered that it was issue on CD; and my CD arrived today.

I'm not a big fan of Sandy Stewart. In fact, I don't see what it was that Stevie saw in her that resulted in their minor colaboration efforts. Friendship? Her voice isn't anything to write home about, along with her writing. It's just my matter of taste.

That said, I bought the CD essentially for her duet with Stevie, "I Pretend." Stevie sings wonderfully on it. It's the stand-out track for me. It should have been included on her Enchanted box set, because, otherwise, it is so obscure.

[silvasprings]

Has it been remastered? or just released to CD in analogue format?

[Garbo]

I recently purchased Cat Dancer as well as I am loving this album! It's like the synth-rock counterpart to Wild Heart. If you like moody synthpop/rock and you love Stevie, this album is for you. I actually really like her songs and lyrics and don't mind her voice at all. I'm not sure if this is a remaster or not. Not bad at all :D

[Bm7th]

I love this album.

[baboles]

I purchased this album during Christmas. Yes, it has been remastered and the audio is amazing! I love the entire record! "I Pretend" is definitely the stand-out track, but there are many gems on the album. "Leave It All Behind" uses the same backing music that Stevie used for the "One More Tomorrow" demo. We also get Stevie doing back-up vocals on "Get My Way" and "Cat Dancers". The album is really great and I highly recommend it to fans of the early 80s.

[APerfectLie]

I had never heard I Pretend before, but I youtubed and OMG! How have I not heard this?!

[equeen102289]

Cat Dancer is one of my favorite albums of all time. As a whole, I like it better than any Stevie Nicks or Fleetwood Mac album.

"Get My Way" and "Think of Me" are the best tracks in my opinion. I actually find "I Pretend" to be the weakest. :shrug:

I also really like "In the Rain" and "Something for the Pain" on her Blue Yonder album as well. Check them out.

[markolas]

I think it's dreadful. There's a reason Sandy Stewart sells insurance in Kentucky. lol

"Cat dancuh! Cat dancuh! They just don't get it! They just don't get it!" I mean, wtf?

[GoldDustOrphan]

Stevie's vocal on "I Pretend" is the album's one bright point. Some of the songs are hilariously awful (the title track just confounds me) but most are just awful.

[jeffd8382]

Awhile back, I posted the video for "Saddest Victory" on YouTube, which is one of my favorite tracks on the album:

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8LXVPWqpn1M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I guess I'm in the minority, but I've really always liked her voice a lot, and really appreciate the album. It's interesting to compare the finished "Leave It All Behind" to Stevie's demo version under the title "One More Tomorrow", since the backing track is virtually identical. I think it's a shame she didn't release any other solo albums (Blue Yonder aside, which I'm not nearly as fond of).

For everyone's amusement, here's a Japanese commercial that she appeared in as well, which I get a kick out of... ah.. the 80's!

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/neXNIGVBrZw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sandy also wrote a few tracks for other popular artists back then... a couple that come to mind that I really like (besides the ones Stevie recorded) were Tina Turner's "Falling Like Rain" on her 1989 Foreign Affair album & Belinda Carlisle's "Valentine" from her 1989 Runaway Horses album (interestingly, both songs have a similar sound & production).

[Christopher]

I think it's dreadful. There's a reason Sandy Stewart sells insurance in Kentucky. lol

"Cat dancuh! Cat dancuh! They just don't get it! They just don't get it!" I mean, wtf?

I thought she sold real estate...not that I care really.

"I Pretend" is good, and even better due to Stevie's wild hearted torchy vocal. :nod: Some may recall that it was strongly considered for inclusion on the "Enchanted" box set.
Thanks PenguinHead for the heads up. I had no idea this album was remastered for CD release and available. I'll have to order it to just have a great copy of I Pretend. What rattles my mind is that if they can remaster this old long forgotten album - which was a flop, why o why have they not remastered ALL of Stevies 80's catalog? It makes no sense.:shrug:

Cat Dancer is one of my favorite albums of all time. As a whole, I like it better than any Stevie Nicks or Fleetwood Mac album.

"Get My Way" and "Think of Me" are the best tracks in my opinion. I actually find "I Pretend" to be the weakest. :shrug:

I also really like "In the Rain" and "Something for the Pain" on her Blue Yonder album as well. Check them out.
:eek: Really?!? WOW! I mean Sandy Stewart had her moments, but overall I think her talent was pretty average. And her vocals were a little too affected and always sounded like the record was on the wrong speed. The Cat Dancer album was too Flashdancey for me and has a totally cheesy & cheap sounding 80's vibe - It was definitely the poor mans Wild Heart. I much preferred her work on Blue Yonder - "In The Rain" is good & I always wished Stevie had covered "Windsong" - That would have been a perfect song for her....maybe even better than "Seven Wonders".

[holidayroad]

I like quite a few of Sandy Stewart's songs, but not all of them. She may not be the best singer ever, but something about her songs stands out.

[equeen102289]

:eek: Really?!? WOW! I mean Sandy Stewart had her moments, but overall I think her talent was pretty average. And her vocals were a little too affected and always sounded like the record was on the wrong speed. The Cat Dancer album was too Flashdancey for me and has a totally cheesy & cheap sounding 80's vibe - It was definitely the poor mans Wild Heart. I much preferred her work on Blue Yonder - "In The Rain" is good & I always wished Stevie had covered "Windsong" - That would have been a perfect song for her....maybe even better than "Seven Wonders".

Ha I'm definitely guilty for loving that cheesy 80's sound.

I actually hated Sandy's voice when I first heard "I Pretend." I only bought Cat Dancer to hear Stevie's background vocals. I guess she just grew on me though. :shrug:

[CADreaming]

I think it's dreadful. There's a reason Sandy Stewart sells insurance in Kentucky. lol

"Cat dancuh! Cat dancuh! They just don't get it! They just don't get it!" I mean, wtf?

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Hilarious!! I've never heard it but now I must!

[cliffdweller]

Is Sandy Stewart the one who sings on Nightbird with Stevie? I always thought it was Lori, but after listening to this song, it sounds like Sandy is the one singing with her on the album.

Awhile back, I posted the video for "Saddest Victory" on YouTube, which is one of my favorite tracks on the album:

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8LXVPWqpn1M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[SaidSomething]

I think it's dreadful. There's a reason Sandy Stewart sells insurance in Kentucky. lol

"Cat dancuh! Cat dancuh! They just don't get it! They just don't get it!" I mean, wtf?

I had written a Sandy Stewart update a while back. She donates a lot of her time to a charitable organization called Purple Songs Can Fly. She writes the music to, plays the track and sings backing vocals to songs written and recorded by sick and often dying children. There is a website that shows the beaming with pride smiles on children obviously undergoing cancer treatments as they are often bald.

I really like Sandy Stewart. Among my favorites are Saddest Victory on Cat Dancer and Rainsong from Blue Yonder.

[greendaze5]

I much preferred her work on Blue Yonder - "In The Rain" is good & I always wished Stevie had covered "Windsong"

'House of Love' is a great track from 'Blue Yonder' as well. :thumbsup:

Does anyone have a mp3 of it to post and share ?

I only have it on audio cassette.

[SaidSomething]

I had written a Sandy Stewart update a while back. She donates a lot of her time to a charitable organization called Purple Songs Can Fly. She writes the music to, plays the track and sings backing vocals to songs written and recorded by sick and often dying children. There is a website that shows the beaming with pride smiles on children obviously undergoing cancer treatments as they are often bald.

I really like Sandy Stewart. Among my favorites are Saddest Victory on Cat Dancer and Rainsong from Blue Yonder.

http://www.purplesongscanfly.org/home.html

In the photos link you can see Sandy today with Reddish Brown Hair. She is in a few photos...one in particular is the background singers. They have a new facebook link. I think I will put it on my wall.

[jeffd8382]

Is Sandy Stewart the one who sings on Nightbird with Stevie? I always thought it was Lori, but after listening to this song, it sounds like Sandy is the one singing with her on the album.

Yes, I believe that is Sandy singing on "Nightbird", she gets the first "and when I call you..." I can still remember the first time I heard the song, and for a split second I thought it was Stevie, just sounding slightly different... that was until Stevie came in with the second "when I call you...", and I was like... oh wait.. there she is! :lol:

[Pyewacket]

I love Sandy's voice and I think the album's just great. If you weren't familiar with "Rock A Little" and you listened to it the first time today, all that's horribly dated about it would jump out at you first. (I think RAL has dated the most among Stevie's albums).

And though I wasn't a huge fan of the title track "Cat Dancer", I thought all the others were great. This is one of those albums that should've hit, but just didn't.

Anyone know where I could get the Blue Yonder tracks on mp3 or CD? Hintnudgehintnudge?

[The Catdancer]

At first I thought this was about me :D

Obviously I love The Cat Dancer, great album. I wish they'd make a cd of Blue Yonder, that was a great album.

[greendaze5]

Wow - this is really rare - a Sandy Stewart 12"single with pic sleeve:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sandy-Stewart-12-Cat-Dancer-Think-Me-Saddest-Victory-/170561731939?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item27b6457d63

[markolas]

I thought she sold real estate...not that I care really.

You may be right.

And I do agree, if they can re-release this turkey of an album, why not Stevie's solo albums? The first three, at least.

[jellyman10]

I just listened to 'I Pretend' on YouTube, and I honestly don't know what to make of it.

I'm not wild about SS's voice, but I wonder if that sort of drawling style she has is kind of related to her speaking voice? I heard her in one of SN's interviews around the time of the Wild Heart and she has a really strong Texas accent. I'm not crazy about it, though.

Then there's SN's vocal, which is really powerful. I think I often forget what a strong singer she is/was. It sort of punches right through the mix and makes SS sound flimsy in comparison.

Last of all is the thing that often makes me laugh about Stevie and her girlfriends, and that is that it's just so gay. And I know she's not gay, but they all seem so unaware of how it came over at that time. Or were they unaware? Either way, it's an odd duet for two women who aren't lovers to sing to each other, imho. :lol:

Not a bad song, tho. She was a decent writer, was Sandy.

[SuiteShangriLa]

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Hilarious!! I've never heard it but now I must!

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pSURz6EPBT8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[henryscutter]

I just listened to 'I Pretend' on YouTube, and I honestly don't know what to make of it.

I'm not wild about SS's voice, but I wonder if that sort of drawling style she has is kind of related to her speaking voice? I heard her in one of SN's interviews around the time of the Wild Heart and she has a really strong Texas accent. I'm not crazy about it, though.

Then there's SN's vocal, which is really powerful. I think I often forget what a strong singer she is/was. It sort of punches right through the mix and makes SS sound flimsy in comparison.

Last of all is the thing that often makes me laugh about Stevie and her girlfriends, and that is that it's just so gay. And I know she's not gay, but they all seem so unaware of how it came over at that time. Or were they unaware? Either way, it's an odd duet for two women who aren't lovers to sing to each other, imho. :lol:

Not a bad song, tho. She was a decent writer, was Sandy.

Well they arent singing it to each other :laugh:, doesnt the song mention a man (someones son someones man or something) :shrug:

[jellyman10]

Well they arent singing it to each other :laugh:, doesnt the song mention a man (someones son someones man or something) :shrug:

Yeh, I think it's to do with how I've got my own thing about what a duet should be! It always seems to me like the lyric should make sense as being sung to the other person, and I really think the very best ones always do.

And yes, there is that bit at the start about a man. Which makes my whole contribution to this thread a load of sh*te, really. :sorry:

[markolas]

Actually, her voice isn't terrible, at least not on "Cat Dancers." Jana Anderson is the one who sounds like a cat getting its throat cut while having sex.

[seekerj]

Actually, her voice isn't terrible, at least not on "Cat Dancers." Jana Anderson is the one who sounds like a cat getting its throat cut while having sex.

heheeheeheehee!

yup!