Sophie B. Hawkins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
| Sophie B. Hawkins | |
|---|---|
 Sophie B. Hawkins on the cover of the original Timbre album
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sophie Ballantine Hawkins |
| Born | November 1, 1967 |
| Genre(s) | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | singing |
| Years active | 1992 - present |
| Label(s) | Sony BMG/Columbia/Rykodisc/Trumpet Swan |
| Website | http://www.sophiebhawkins.com |
Sophie Ballantine Hawkins (born November 1, 1967, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S.) is an American singer, songwriter, musician and painter. Her biggest hits are "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover," "Right Beside You," and "As I Lay Me Down."
Graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, Hawkins began crafting demos in a friend's home studio before being recruited as a percussionist for Bryan Ferry in the early 1980s. (She was subsequently fired by Ferry and later claimed that experience as being the catalyst she needed to commit to her songwriting. She wrote "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" shortly after.) Her debut album, Tongues and Tails, was released in 1992. It achieved both critical acclaim, earning her a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1993, as well as worldwide commercial success. The single "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" went to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles' chart in the USA. Whaler, her second album, was released in 1994. It also contained a Top 10 hit, the song "As I Lay Me Down."
Many of Hawkins's songs are openly about sex, such as "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover," from Tongues and Tails, and "I Need Nothing Else," from Whaler. "Beautiful Girl," from Wilderness, and songs such as "32 Lines" and "Your Tongue Like the Sun in My Mouth" began to deal explicitly with her bisexuality (though Hawkins reportedly prefers the term "omnisexuality"). Her influences include jazz, rock, and African music.
A 1998 documentary by Gigi Gaston, entitled The Cream Will Rise, follows her during one of her tours and captures her struggle to deal with past trouble with her family, including her mother and brother. Music and riffs by Hawkins are included throughout the film.
Hawkins had an extended conflict with her record company prior to the release of her third album, Timbre, in 1999. She wanted to use a banjo in the song "Lose Your Way," but the record company wanted her to use a more mainstream instrument, such as a guitar. She finally won out with the help of a loosely-knit group of Internet-based fans.
Timbre was re-released in 2001 on her own label, Trumpet Swan Productions. It was bundled with a bonus disc containing new songs, demos, remixes, and videos.
Her first independently recorded and released album, Wilderness, was released in 2004.
Contents |
[edit] See also
[edit] U.S. chart success
"Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" (1992)
"Right Beside You" (1994)
- #56, Billboard Hot 100
"As I Lay Me Down" (1995)
- #1, Adult Contemporary
- #6, Billboard Hot 100
"Only Love (The Ballad Of Sleeping Beauty)" (1996)
- #22, Adult Contemporary
- #49, Billboard Hot 100
"Lose Your Way" (1999)
- #26, Adult Contemporary
"Walking In My Blue Jeans" (2001)
- #23, Adult Contemporary
[edit] UK chart placings
1992 - Jul - Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover - #14
1992 - Sep - California Here I Come - #53
1993 - Feb - I Want You - #49
1994 - Aug - Right Beside You - #13 (and 12 weeks on the chart)
1994 - Nov - Don't Don't Tell Me No - #36
1995 - Mar - As I Lay Me Down - #24
[edit] Discography
- Tongues and Tails (1992) #51, Gold (500,000+). (#46 UK)
- Whaler (1994) #65, Gold. (#46 UK)
- Timbre (1999)
- Timbre (enhanced, on her own label; 2001)
- The Best of Sophie B. Hawkins (2001)
- Wilderness (2004)
- Live! The Bad Kitty Board Mix (2006)
[edit] Filmography
- The Cream Will Rise (1998)
- Rip It Off (2001)
[edit] Trivia
- The song "As I Lay Me Down" was played on the WB teen drama Dawson's Creek in four separate episodes, including three consecutive ones: #1-00 "Emotions in Motion (Pilot)," #6-01 "The Kids Are All Right," #6-02 "The Song Remains the Same," and #6-03 "The Importance of Not Being Too Earnest." The song "Lose Your Way" was also played on the show in #2-19 "Abby Morgan, Rest in Peace," and is found on the first soundtrack CD, Songs from Dawson's Creek (Volume 1).
[edit] External links
