This past saturday, Aimee Mann, took the intimate stage of the Bearsville Theatre and all that were in attendance approved. The next day overheard in a coffee shop here in Woodstock, a woman in her mid-thirties said something that had me googling on my iphone to verify, ”I didn’t know Aimee’s only big hit was “Voices Carry” in the 80s.” Her friend quickly retorted, “You mean besides, Save me” in the 90s.”
So I ran home with latte in hand and decided to get the back story on Aimee Mann, I too just remembered her major contribution with “Save Me” to the movie soundtrack Magnolia that landed her both the Academy and Grammy awards noms.
Let’s go back shall we…. OK, Mann was born in Virginia and was a Berklee College of Music dropout that formed a band or two. One of which was called “‘Til Tuesday” in 1985 and the title track on their debut album “Voices Carry” went gangbusters. It was the MTV era and the video was constantly requested in countdowns and had major rotation on the network. The popularity of the single and video nabbed them the Best New Artist Award, MTV Music Awards that year. That would be the peak of success for the band that eventually broke up within a few years.
Due to some legal problems with the breaking up of the band, Mann was not allowed to pursue her career on her own until matters where cleared up. Finally in 1992 after touring with session musicians Mann legally was allowed to move onto her solo career. Her debut album, “Whatever” was positively received by fans and critics alike but unfortunately never got the proper promotion due to internal problems and eventual collapse of the record label.
Two years later while recording, “I’m with stupid” she met fellow songwriter/contributor, Michael Penn, who she would marry in 1997. It was Penn that was workng with film director Paul Thomas Anderson (boogie nights), that got Mann working on the soundtrack of his new movie project,that would forever change her career. Anderson knew he wanted to name the movie Magnolia and had a loose script sent Mann to read. In a very untraditional and bold move, Anderson waited for Mann to complete the soundtrack and he fashioned the characters around her lyrics.
Mann took all her experiences from her career to date and founded her own label in 1999, SuperEgo Records. With Mann now able to steer her career in any direction she wants to sail, she went into the studio making many different concept albums. There is a intimacy to these recordings that really allowed her fan base to get closer and stronger.
At a sold out show, she was stronger and intimate with the fans that flocked to Woodstock to hear her live. Usually when people talk about Reinvention in Music, Madonna pops into ones mind, now we should add Aimee Mann to the list.
