5 Reasons Why I Love Wendy & Lisa
One of my brothers recently told me, “You know what? I believe you liked Wendy and Lisa more than you did Prince back in the day.” I merely smiled and laughed. I then said, “You’re probably right.”
I have special memories of Wendy and Lisa while growing up, and I have my own reasons why I love the super duo. Here’s a few:
1. Girl Rockers Rule…Especially if You’ve Never Seen Any Before
As I kid growing up the 80s, I wasn’t exposed to many “girl rockers” in the beginning. I didn’t have MTV at the time, so I caught music videos on some generic local channel that played videos sometimes. Other than Joan Jett, I didn’t see any other female rockers playing instruments…until I spotted Lisa in Prince’s “1999″ video playing keyboards. While I was fascinated by all of the members in Prince’s pre-Revolution band, Lisa drew my attention the most. She sung on the record; she played keyboards; she dressed in “cool clothes,” and she rocked! Of course, I didn’t understand why the “blond looking Madonna chick” was dancing up close to Lisa while she played keyboards, but I remember always watching out for Lisa every time that video or “Little Red Corvette” came on.
When I first saw the video for “When Doves Cry,” I was introduced to Wendy for the first time via my TV. I immediately thought two things:
- Where was the dude with the Karate Kid-looking headband?
- The new guitarist is a girl…wow! Cool!
Other than Joan Jett, I’d never seen another female guitarist before at the time. Wendy was the second, and she emoted fierce rocking guitar goddess in the “When Doves Cry” video while dancing alongside Prince and other Revolution members. Granted, I missed “the dude with the Karate Kid-looking headband” (actually a Rising Sun headband and his name is Dez Dickerson), but I was digging Wendy in the band. There was another girl rocker in the Revolution, and it was an interesting sight to see.
In my little bubble of a world then, female musicians were like spotting meteors. You just didn’t see them, but when you did, you followed the path they took. Even as a kid, I felt there was something special about Wendy and Lisa and that the best was yet to come.
2. They Made an Impression in Purple Rain That I Never Forgot
By the time the Purple Rain film came out, my blood was already bleeding purple for Prince & the Revolution. Even though I was fairly young, I begged my dad to let me watch the Purple Rain film when it came on VHS. He relented because he knew how much I loved listening to the Prince records when he played them on the stereo. Of course, he covered my eyes during the nude or sexually suggestive scenes, but as I watched the film unfold for the first time, Wendy and Lisa made a deep impression on me…one that made me a fan for life.
While I know some people might say The Time were the scene stealers in Purple Rain, Wendy and Lisa made me remember their names forever. One of my favorite scenes then and now is the dressing room scene where Wendy expresses angst and unleashes on Prince. Another is the scene where Wendy and Lisa are rehearsing, playing the song “Purple Rain” by themselves as Prince approaches. Both scenes were powerful and emotionally charged – scenes that even I recognized as a kid that had some significance I didn’t understand until later. It was then that I learned their names for the first time: Wendy and Lisa. Finally, two of my favorite female musicians had names I could place with faces. I always remembered and always eagerly watched out for them in videos. In fact, as engaging Prince was in his videos, I spent just as much as time watching Wendy and Lisa rock out. In the back of my mind, I always subconsciously connected them with their scenes in Purple Rain every time I saw the Prince & the Revolution videos.
3. They’re Legitimate Musicians Who Aren’t Just “Pretty Faces”
As I grew up and finally got MTV, I was greeted with more female musicians. By that time, I was a musician in training myself – playing piano and keyboards in the beginning. Even though I was still a kid, I knew the difference between some of the female bands vs. what I saw with Wendy and Lisa in the Revolution and much later in their solo efforts. I hate to say it, but some of the female bands played like crap…as if they’d just picked up their instruments six months ago and got a record deal. With Wendy and Lisa, I knew they weren’t flash in the pan acts who weren’t taken seriously as musicians. My ears didn’t lie.
I also know some people like to group Wendy and Lisa in the “Prince protege” category, but again, my ears (and eyes) didn’t lie. After the Parade album, I knew that Wendy and Lisa contributed to Prince’s sound before he split the Revolution up in 1986. I could hear it in the Sign o’ the Times LP; something was off, and I suspected it had something to do with the musical duo’s departure. I knew that their songwriting and record producing abilities expressed in Purple Rain was based in reality by the late 80s. I knew they weren’t just another glammed up, sexy female act. They were true-blue musicians…ones I sorely missed when the Revolution disintegrated. Almost anyone can dress up (or down) and perform synchronized choreography while singing, but Wendy and Lisa were always something more. They were real contributors to the musical process. Prince’s music is definitely different before and after Wendy and Lisa; listen to the LPs.
4. Their Solo Music Made Me Realize What I Missed Out On
After the Revolution split, I didn’t know that Wendy and Lisa had released their first solo LP, Wendy and Lisa. The first time I remember seeing them resurface was with the Fruit at the Bottom LP. I remember the VJ promising to air the world premiere of their new video and single for “Are You My Baby?”, which I waited impatiently for. When it finally aired…well, I didn’t like it…at all. I was expecting it to sound more like what I got with the Purple Rain LPs-Parade LPs. “Are You My Baby?” was definitely not that sound, and I admittedly was disappointed and did not buy the album.
Despite my disappointment, I kept small tabs on Wendy and Lisa and knew they were still producing and recording solo LPs and film scores over the years. While I liked the film score work I’d heard from them, my little boycott against buying CDs and DRM’d music kept me away from buying any music for a couple of years (and no I didn’t pirate [much]; I acquired music I really wanted through other means). For me, Wendy and Lisa’s music stayed low on my radar as I was busy discovering “old school” music and different sounds from the norm and mainstream noise. When I did start buying music again, I didn’t buy any of Wendy and Lisa’s solo music…until very recently.
While I was on YouTube, I ran across the video for “Are You My Baby?” and “Waterfall.” Of course, I knew “Are You My Baby?” and remembering not liking it; however, I decided to give it another listen. I learned that songs I grew up not liking, I actually ended up liking later in life. I decided to find out if that was true for “Are You My Baby?”…and it was. In fact, I was drinking it up. Maybe it was growing older and really opening my ears up, but I realized what I missed out on all those years ago if I had the same “musical ear” then that I do now. From that moment, I started watching other Wendy and Lisa videos, loving it and wanting their old and new music in my collection. As I listened, I knew that I missed out on the musical genius of their solo LPs. Perhaps I wasn’t ready for what their solo music back then, but since I’m a different music listener than I was even two years ago, I appreciate what I missed. It took me nearly 20 years, but at least I’d come full circle and returned home after getting lost in the forest.
5. They’re Hilarious & Extremely Engaging!
Consumed in my musical quest for all things Wendy and Lisa, I naturally sought them out online. I found their website and realized they had a Twitter account. Of course, I followed them on Twitter, which I must say has been a real treat. I find myself laughing out loud over their tweets and candid pics. You also find out just how engaging they are with their fans and how much their fans love them. It’s a joy to be a part of their circle and find out about them as real people instead of just Wendy and Lisa the act. You don’t hardly get that vibe with other artists, and I like the fact that there is no barrier to communication like there can be with others.
Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman are beloved by many, and there is a reason why. Some of those reasons might even be the ones I named previously. If you fell out of their musical realm, give their music another chance. Like me, you might just find diamonds in the rough, even if you dismissed it as mere rocks years ago.
If you were ever a fan, show your love and support by listening to and buying Wendy and Lisa’s first solo release in a decade, White Flags of Winter Chimneys. You can buy the album in several packages at their official website.
December 18th, 2008 at 3:14 am
great post!
December 18th, 2008 at 5:33 am
I had a random thought the other day – ‘I wonder what Wendy & Lisa are doing now?’ – and then saw the girls on ‘Heroes Unmasked’ on BBC2 talking about their soundtrack work. One thing led to another and led me to their twitter your blog. You hit the nail on the head – W&L are talented professionals, if you are so you don’t ever stop being so.
December 18th, 2008 at 8:35 am
wow – we must be about the same age, because your experience of w & l is nearly identical to mine – particularly “… I spent just as much as time watching Wendy and Lisa rock out” and I, like you, play piano and keyboard and have always wanted to see female players out there who could play or really were dedicated to the music, not just a look or choreographed dance move. Also, it is clear to me as to you that W & L are down to earth, hilarious and real ladies who love their fans and vice versa! It is not everyday that you see artists sharing with their fans like they do – actually, I’ve never seen it. I was at work yesterday when Lisa was uploading the photos from their “hair did” session – and I was like thinking – “how unreal”. never in a million years did I think that the women who I watched out for in high school (I was 14 in ‘84 when “Purple Rain” was all the rage) I can now follow & engage with via a computer & something called the Internet! But you summed up everything I feel about those two — I appreciate those earlier albums even more now. and yes–revisit them if you weren’t digging the other work – if you miss “white flags” I think it’s a huge loss. that is like their led zeppelin II…that’s their best album, though I loved girl bros…my music therapy professor dug “i’ve got a big bowl of cherries”–i might be using that in session with clients, who knows!
December 18th, 2008 at 8:38 am
sorry – one more thing – and *yes* – I have honestly not liked anything Prince has done since they left. not in the same way. it’s like the soul of his music – those two – is missing. when i first heard girl bros. I was thinking “holy sh*t – those ladies don’t sound like prince like everyone always accuses them of – Prince sounded like *them*”. It’s like they were the special ingredient, and once you took them out the Prince “meal” didn’t taste so good.
December 18th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
You have vocalized what I have thought for a few years now…
I love the fact that they stayed real and true to their craft! This new album will, not only attract new fans, but, definitely treat us old faithful ones to the Wendy and Lisa we have loved for so long.
They will have me as a fan for years to come…
December 18th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Found this great quote – it’s fits with wendy and lisa. “I think my fans will follow me into our combined old age. Real musicians and real fans stay together for a long, long time.” – Bonnie Raitt
December 18th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
@ Chris Thanks! I tried
December 18th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
@ pidpoid Obviously, it was meant to be if you were wondering about W&L and then saw that feature. My rediscovery of them started with daily blog posts on a favorite music site I visit. They were featuring all of Prince & The Revolution videos like “When Doves Cry,” “Mountains,” and “Boys & Girls,” etc. Of course, that took me back, which led me to seeking out any of W&L’s old videos in YouTube. As I watched “Waterfalls,” “Are You My Baby?”, and “Honeymoon Express,” I realized that I had missed out! So glad I found the joy in their music this time around.
And you’re, right. Wendy and Lisa are definitely pros. In a world where sub-talent hacks consume the music industry, it’s absolutely refreshing to have Wendy and Lisa remind you that real talent is out there.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
@ Kathy
LOL. In 1984, I was seven years old! I saw Purple Rain in late 85 or 86. I know, I was really young, but I had an early appreciation of music at a young age. It helps that my dad was a huge music fan and also a amateur musician (he played tenor sax and guitar). The music he played shaped my youth and still has an effect on me to this day. Many of the artists he played back then are some of my favorite artists today.
So you played piano and keyboards, too, huh? I started taking lessons in the mid 80s (was probably 6 or 7). I hated piano lessons cause I had the hardest time reading piano sheet music. Didn’t have any problems listening to tunes on the stereo and picking out the notes on my little Casio keyboard, though
. Even though I took lessons for years and even played for people, I eventually quit. I moved on to alto sax for a number of years, a bit of drums, and even guitar. Never dedicated myself to learning to guitar, and I still have the urge to take up that challenge and really learn. Maybe I can shred like Wendy one day 
Well, one can only hope!
And yes, W&L are so cool and grounded! And no, I’ve never seen artists (with the exception of one I know well) share with their fans like they do. I LOVE that about them. I had no idea they had such a sense of humor. If they ever quit music (please don’t), then they should be professional Twitter comedians! Hahaha! I could hardly work from LOL at their salon adventures. Best…thing…ever!!!
As for his purple majesty…I liked some of his music before W&L and some of it afterwards, but I consistently loved everything during the W&L years. Funny, even when I didn’t like the solo work W&L released, I thought they didn’t sound like Prince enough. Hahaha! Of course, I was still pretty young then. Now that I’m older and wiser, I’m glad they didn’t sound like Prince. When I downloaded W&L’s debut album, I was quite surprised by the sounds and the vibe. And while I’m still missing a large portion of W&L’s work (will be acquiring it soon), I can hear the growth and evolution. I just know that I love what I’m hearing.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
@ cjrenee Thanks!
And I absolutely agree. I’ve been telling my friends and family about the new Wendy and Lisa album whenever I can. I’m convinced if they listen, they just might like it!
Now that the wandering child has come home, I’m firmly entrenched in Wendy and Lisa’s music. I never stopped being a fan…just got a little lost. So glad to be home!
December 18th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
@ kathy
In regards to the quote, I agree that it fits Wendy and Lisa perfectly. Bonnie Raitt is wise; she’s also another one of my favorite female rockers
December 19th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
No offense, but you claim to love W&l, and yet:
- managed to completely miss their first album
- dismissed their solo career on the basis of a listen to one single from their second (the gorgeous understated pop-funk of Are You My baby, nota bene!)
December 19th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
@BVH
No offense taken by your comment, and you raise legitimate points. Let me explain a little.
I grew up in a very small town that had no MTV, BET, or VH1 on cable; we had only the number of channels on a rotary-style TV. In fact, my former hometown didn’t get those channels until the mid 90s after my family had moved away. I saw music videos through local stations that sometimes aired programming from larger affiliates. It wasn’t until around 1989 or so when my dad got satellite and I could watch MTV, BET, and VH1. So, yes, I did miss W&L’s debut record in 1986. As for radio play, my small town had only a few stations that I could pick up and listen to, and most of it was country; I lived (and still do live) in the deep South. It was a little difficult to hear/see something when you had limited access or none in some cases
As for dismissing “Are You My Baby?” and their entire solo career on the basis of one single…well, I can’t argue with you on that one. I can only say that in 1989, I was very young still (was just a pre-teen), and I was a different music listener at that time. I loved Wendy and Lisa, but my mind was still stuck on them as Revolution members and wanting that same, almost exact sound they had with Prince. That’s just the truth and how I felt during that time in my life. I’m not even going to lie about it. Even though I watched the video multiple times, it just never grew on me. Sometimes it’s just like that with songs. I’ve felt that way about other songs from artists I like, and I love the songs now.
I also didn’t find out about their other subsequent releases to the Fruit at the Bottom LP until many years later (via the Internet and when I got curious about what happened to them). What can I say other than I just didn’t seek them out. In some cases, what happened to W&L after 1989 didn’t cross my mind much. I was tapped into the mindset that if I didn’t see you on MTV, BET, or VH1, you didn’t exist to me. There really is no explanation why I didn’t seek out their music after that album and with the penetration of the Internet. Yes, in recent years, I was hearing about them every once in a while through their film score work, but I still wasn’t curious enough to really seek them out. That’s just truth.
Finally, how I feel about Wendy and Lisa can be best summed up on how anyone feels about their family. You can still love a person (or people) but may not like everything they do. Just like in real life, you may not understand what some of your family members are doing and why they’re doing it. You may even wander away from your family for years, but it doesn’t mean you don’t still love them. When you finally see/talk to that family member after a long time apart, you realize how much you both have grown and changed over the years. What you didn’t understand about them then, you might finally be at a place in your life when you get them. That’s me when it comes to Wendy and Lisa. I finally get their music and yes, realize how much my own enforced distance made me miss out on what everyone else got.
December 20th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
can i just say ditto?
great post.
December 21st, 2008 at 1:19 am
@ kyle yes, you can. thanks
April 2nd, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Hi Hive!
I love your write up about these fabulous ladies. It is so refreshing having my same thoughts and sentiments validated by other devoted fans..
see ya on the tweet!
suejester
April 2nd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
@suejester
Thanks!