CeCile

'BAD GAL' ON THE HORIZON

BAD Gal, the debut album from singer/deejay Cecile is almost complete. According to her publicist Ray Alexander, the album will be released once the signing of a contract with a well-known overseas record label is sealed.

Bad Gal is due out in the summer and will feature some of Cecile's most popular songs such as Baby Why Yu Do Me That, More Than One Time (on the Bad Company rhythm), Hot Gal and Lift Me Up.

Richie Stephens

Cecile recently returned home from performances in the US Virgin Islands of St Thomas and St Croix where the vibe was reportedly good.

"The show in St Croix was off the hook. A lot of people came out to see Cecile and dancehall diva Stacie. Based on what we saw, the patrons appeared to have enjoyed their performances," Alexander told Chart Beat.

"The St Thomas leg of the show was more laid back but there was good crowd support."

Sanchez

Later this month, Cecile heads to England for three shows.

Richie covers up

COVERS for Lovers is the title of the new album from Richie Stephens. It contains covers of popular R&B hits. Released on the singer's Pot of Gold label and distributed by ERC Records in the United States, Covers for Lovers' 15-tracks include interpretations of Luther Vandross' So Amazing, James Ingram's One

Hundred Ways, The Manhattans' There's No Me Without You and Because of You which was originally done by Johnny Gill.

Singer Aisha Davis teams with Stephens on a remake of the Patti LaBelle/Michael McDonald hit ballad, On My Own, while Pam Hall is featured on Baby Come to Me, a hit in the early 1980s for Ingram and Patti Austin.

Sanchez has the power

PROLIFIC hitmaker, Sanchez, says he is working on new material that will surprise his fans. While not divulging much information, the singer best known for songs such as Loneliness, Pretty Girl, Missing You and most recently Frenzy, says the songs include collaborations with various artistes.

"It will be a surprise for my fans, but I can't say much right now," Sanchez told Chart Beat by telephone from his Florida home earlier this week.

He's Got the Power was Sanchez' last album, a gospel project. It was released by VP Records in April.

Sanchez is currently riding the New York and South Florida reggae charts with the songs Ghetto Fabulous, War, Rude Boy, Superstar and World Peace.

FLASHBACK

Remember the year when a teenaged singer named Millicent Smith, better known as Millie Small, hit number one in Jamaica with My Boy Lollipop? That same year, Mitzie Constantine (later Seaga) won the Miss Jamaica beauty contest. It was Beatlemania in the US, as the English group, The Beatles, took the charts by storm. Actor Lorne Green (best known as the father in the western, Bonanza) took Ringo to number one on US pop charts, while The Supremes topped the R&B chart with Come See About Me. The year was 1964 and on June 7 that year, the number one song in the US was Chapel of Love by the Dixie Cups.

That's it for this week.
Email comments to k.jackson@cwjamaica.com

Mothers can't father

Trousers in Denim

Cream of the 'Crop'