Suzanne Vega
Encyclopedia
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk
-inspired music
.
Two of Vega's songs (both from her second album Solitude Standing
, 1987) reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka
" and "Tom's Diner
". The latter was originally an a cappella
version on Vega's album, which was then remade in 1990 as a dance track produced by the British dance production team DNA
.
. Her mother, Pat Vega, is a computer systems analyst
of German-Swedish heritage. Her father, Richard Peck, is of Scottish-English-Irish extraction. They divorced soon after her birth. Her stepfather, Ed Vega
, also known as Edgardo Vega Yunque, was a writer and teacher from Puerto Rico
.
When Vega was two and a half, the family moved to New York City. She grew up in Spanish Harlem
and the Upper West Side
. At the age of nine she began to write poetry
; she wrote her first song at age fourteen. Later she attended New York's prestigious High School of Performing Arts
(now called LaGuardia High School). There she studied modern dance
and graduated in 1977.
at Barnard College
, she performed in small venues in Greenwich Village
, where she was a regular contributor to Jack Hardy's Monday night songwriters' group at the Cornelia Street Cafe
and had some of her first songs published on Fast Folk
anthology albums. In 1984, she received a major label
recording contract
, making her one of the first Fast Folk artists to break out on a major label.
Vega's self-titled debut album
was released in 1985 and was well-received by critics
in the U.S.; it reached platinum
status in the United Kingdom. Produced
by Lenny Kaye
and Steve Addabbo, the songs feature Vega's acoustic guitar
in straightforward arrangement
s. A video
was released for the album's song "Marlene on the Wall", which went into MTV
and VH1
's rotations. During this period Vega also wrote lyrics for two songs on Songs from Liquid Days
by composer Philip Glass
.
Her next effort, Solitude Standing
(1987), garnered critical and commercial success including the hit single
"Luka
", an international success. "Luka" is written about, and from the point of view of, an abused child—at the time an uncommon subject for a pop
hit. While continuing a focus on Vega's acoustic guitar, the music is more strongly pop-oriented and features fuller arrangements. The a cappella
"Tom's Diner" from this album was later a hit, remix
ed by two British dance
producers under the name DNA
, in 1990. The track was originally a bootleg, until Vega allowed DNA to release through her record company, and it became her all-time biggest hit.
Vega's song "Tom's Diner" was used as the reference track in an early trial of the MP3
compression system, thus earning her the distinction of being named "The Mother of the MP3". Because it is an a cappella
vocal with relatively little reverberation, it was used as the model for Karlheinz Brandenburg
's sound compression algorithm. Brandenburg heard “Tom's Diner” on a radio playing the song and was excited and at first convinced it would be “nearly impossible to compress this warm a cappella voice.”
"Tom's Diner" takes place in Tom's Restaurant at 112th Street and Broadway in New York City. Exterior shots of the same restaurant appear in the television sitcom Seinfeld
as Monk's, which is the eatery where Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer hang out. The DNA remix of the track was so popular that it inspired many cover versions—the best of which were eventually collected by Vega on an album titled Tom's Album. The remixed version of "Tom's Diner" was later sampled by hip hop artist Nikki D
in her single "Daddy's Little Girl
". Rapper Tupac Shakur
sampled the track in "Dopefiend's Diner".
":
Also, in an ASCAP interview, she responded to a question about "Luka":
"Luka" was covered by The Lemonheads
on the 1989 album Lick
, shortly before the band was signed by Atlantic Records
, and was a minor college-airplay hit.
(1990) continued in the style of her first two albums.
In 1992 she released the album 99.9F°
. It consists of a mixture of folk music
, dance beats
and industrial music
.
Her fifth album, Nine Objects of Desire
, was released in 1996. The music varies between a frugal, simple style and the industrial production of 99.9F°. This album contains "Caramel", featured in the movie
The Truth About Cats & Dogs
and, later, the trailer for the movie Closer
. A song not included on that album, "Woman on the Tier", was featured on the soundtrack
of the movie Dead Man Walking
.
In 1997 she took a singing part on the concept album Heaven and Hell
, a musical interpretation of the Seven deadly sins
by her colleague Joe Jackson
, with whom she had already collaborated in 1986 on "Left of Center" from the Pretty in Pink
soundtrack
(with Vega singing and Jackson playing piano).
In 1999, Avon Books published Vega's book "The Passionate Eye: The Collected Writings Of Suzanne Vega"; a volume of poems, lyrics, essays and journalistic pieces.
. Three songs deal with Vega's divorce
from first husband Mitchell Froom
.
At the memorial concert for her brother Tim Vega
in December 2002, she began as the long-term subject of a direct cinema documentary
, Some Journey, by director
Christopher Seufert
of Mooncusser Films
. This has not been completed.
In 2003, the twenty-one-song greatest hits compilation
Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega was released. (The UK version of Retrospective included an eight-song bonus CD
as well as a DVD
containing twelve songs.) In the same year she was invited by Grammy Award
-winning jazz
guitarist
Bill Frisell
, to play at the Century of Song concerts at the famed RuhrTriennale
in Germany.
In 2003, she hosted the American Public Media
radio series American Mavericks, about 20th century American composer
s, which received the prestigious Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting.
On August 3, 2006, Vega became the first major recording artist
to perform live in the Internet-based virtual world, Second Life
. The event was hosted by John Hockenberry
of public radio's The Infinite Mind.
On September 17, 2006, she performed in Central Park
, as part of a benefit concert for The Save Darfur Coalition
. During the concert she highlighted her support for Amnesty International
, of which she has been a member since 1988.
In early October 2006, Vega took part in the Academia Film Olomouc (AFO) in Olomouc
, the Czech Republic, the oldest festival of documentary films in Europe, in which she appeared as a main guest. She was invited there as the subject of the documentary film by director Christopher Seufert
, that had a test screening at the festival. At the end of the festival she performed her classical songs, and added one brand new piece called "New York Is a Woman".
Vega is also interviewed in the book Everything Is Just a Bet which was published in Czech in October 2006. The book contains twelve interview transcriptions from the talk show called Stage Talks that regularly runs in the Švandovo divadlo (Švandovo Theatre) in Prague
. Vega introduced the book to the audience of the Švandovo divadlo (Švandovo Theatre), and together with some other Czech celebrities gave a signing session.
She signed a new recording contract with Blue Note Records
in the spring of 2006, and released Beauty & Crime
on July 17, 2007. The album was produced by Jimmy Hogarth, which won a Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. Her contract was not renewed and she was dropped in June 2008.
In 2007, Vega followed the lead of numerous other mainstream artists and released her track "Pornographer's Dream" as podsafe
. The song spent two weeks at #1 during 2007 and finished as the #11 hit of the year on the PMC Top10
's annual countdown. Vega joined the 10th annual Independent Music Awards
judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers.
She was also a judge for the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Independent Music Awards.
, with its lyrics largely rewritten to echo the plot. This musical hybrid was released as "Keep Moving"
.
Vega is currently included in the Danger Mouse/Sparklehorse/David Lynch collaboration "Dark Night of the Soul
". She wrote both melody and lyrics for her song, which is titled "The Man Who Played God", inspired by a biography of Pablo Picasso.
Vega is rerecording her back-catalogue, both for artistic and commercial (and control) reasons
,in the Close-up series. Vol.1 (Love Songs
) and Vol. 2 (People & Places) appeared in 2010 while Vol. 3 (States of Being
) was released in July 2011 and 4 (Songs of Family) is planned for the near future.
Vega sang lead vocals on the song "Now I Am an Arsonist" with singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton
on his 2011 album, Artificial Heart
.
) a play “Carson McCullers Talks About Love”, about the life of the writer Carson McCullers
. In the play, which premiered in 2011, Vega alternates between monologue and songs.
, a musician
and a record producer
(who played in and produced 99.9F°
and Nine Objects of Desire
). They have a daughter, Ruby Froom (born July 8, 1994). The band Soul Coughing
's Ruby Vroom
album was named after her, with Vega's approval, though she requested a slight change. Recently Ruby sang with her mother on a couple of occasions.
Vega and Froom separated in 1998.
On February 11, 2006, Vega married Paul Mills, a lawyer
and poet. They originally met each other at Folk City on West 4th Street when singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky
, a friend of both, introduced them. In the words of her website, "The couple met at Folk City on West 4th Street in 1981. Mr. Mills proposed to Miss Vega in May, 1983, and she accepted his proposal on Christmas Day, 2005."
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
-inspired music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
.
Two of Vega's songs (both from her second album Solitude Standing
Solitude Standing
Solitude Standing is Suzanne Vega's platinum second album, released in 1987. It is the most popular and critically acclaimed of her career. As can be seen by the CD insert, many of the songs had been written prior to 1987 ....
, 1987) reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka
Luka (song)
"Luka" is a song recorded by Suzanne Vega and released as a single in 1987. It remains her highest-charting hit in the United States, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was one of the earliest to deal with child abuse and domestic violence...
" and "Tom's Diner
Tom's Diner
"Tom's Diner" is an a cappella pop song written in 1981 by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. It was first released as a track on the January 1984 issue of Fast Folk Musical Magazine. When first featured on one of her own studio albums, it appeared as the first track of her Solitude Standing...
". The latter was originally an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
version on Vega's album, which was then remade in 1990 as a dance track produced by the British dance production team DNA
The DNA Disciples
DNA was the pseudonym taken by two British dance music producers Nick Batt and Neal Slateford, best known for issuing a remix of Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" in 1990....
.
Early life
Vega was born July 11, 1959 in Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. Her mother, Pat Vega, is a computer systems analyst
Systems analyst
A systems analyst researches problems, plans solutions, recommends software and systems, and coordinates development to meet business or other requirements. They will be familiar with multiple variety of programming languages, operating systems, and computer hardware platforms...
of German-Swedish heritage. Her father, Richard Peck, is of Scottish-English-Irish extraction. They divorced soon after her birth. Her stepfather, Ed Vega
Ed Vega
Edgardo Vega Yunqué was a Puerto Rican novelist and short-story writer who also used the Americanized pen name Ed Vega.- Early years :...
, also known as Edgardo Vega Yunque, was a writer and teacher from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
When Vega was two and a half, the family moved to New York City. She grew up in Spanish Harlem
Spanish Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is a section of Harlem in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East Harlem is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which...
and the Upper West Side
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
. At the age of nine she began to write poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
; she wrote her first song at age fourteen. Later she attended New York's prestigious High School of Performing Arts
High School of Performing Arts
The High School of Performing Arts, more formally known as The School of Performing Arts: A Division of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, informally known as "PA", was a public alternative high school in New York, New York, USA that existed from 1948 through...
(now called LaGuardia High School). There she studied modern dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
and graduated in 1977.
Career
While majoring in English literatureEnglish literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
at Barnard College
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
, she performed in small venues in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, where she was a regular contributor to Jack Hardy's Monday night songwriters' group at the Cornelia Street Cafe
Cornelia Street Cafe
The Cornelia Street Cafe, in New York City's Greenwich Village, first opened its doors in July 1977. It quickly became a magnet for the artistic and highly creative folk who loved their art just off the beaten path. On any given night, one might hear writers, poets, or musicians, spilling their...
and had some of her first songs published on Fast Folk
Fast Folk
Fast Folk Musical Magazine , was a combination magazine and record album published from February 1982 to 1997...
anthology albums. In 1984, she received a major label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
, making her one of the first Fast Folk artists to break out on a major label.
Vega's self-titled debut album
Suzanne Vega (album)
Suzanne Vega is the 1985 eponymous debut album by Suzanne Vega. It was a well-received pop-music album by music journalists in the U.S. and reached platinum status in the United Kingdom. Produced by Lenny Kaye and Steve Addabbo, the songs feature Vega's acoustic guitar in straightforward...
was released in 1985 and was well-received by critics
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
in the U.S.; it reached platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status in the United Kingdom. Produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Lenny Kaye
Lenny Kaye
Lenny Kaye is an American guitarist, composer and writer who is best known as a member of the Patti Smith Group.- Early life :...
and Steve Addabbo, the songs feature Vega's acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
in straightforward arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s. A video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was released for the album's song "Marlene on the Wall", which went into MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's rotations. During this period Vega also wrote lyrics for two songs on Songs from Liquid Days
Songs from Liquid Days
Songs from Liquid Days is a collection of songs composed by composer Philip Glass with lyrics by Paul Simon, Suzanne Vega, David Byrne and Laurie Anderson...
by composer Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
.
Her next effort, Solitude Standing
Solitude Standing
Solitude Standing is Suzanne Vega's platinum second album, released in 1987. It is the most popular and critically acclaimed of her career. As can be seen by the CD insert, many of the songs had been written prior to 1987 ....
(1987), garnered critical and commercial success including the hit single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Luka
Luka (song)
"Luka" is a song recorded by Suzanne Vega and released as a single in 1987. It remains her highest-charting hit in the United States, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was one of the earliest to deal with child abuse and domestic violence...
", an international success. "Luka" is written about, and from the point of view of, an abused child—at the time an uncommon subject for a pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
hit. While continuing a focus on Vega's acoustic guitar, the music is more strongly pop-oriented and features fuller arrangements. The a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
"Tom's Diner" from this album was later a hit, remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed by two British dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
producers under the name DNA
The DNA Disciples
DNA was the pseudonym taken by two British dance music producers Nick Batt and Neal Slateford, best known for issuing a remix of Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" in 1990....
, in 1990. The track was originally a bootleg, until Vega allowed DNA to release through her record company, and it became her all-time biggest hit.
Tom's Diner
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
compression system, thus earning her the distinction of being named "The Mother of the MP3". Because it is an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
vocal with relatively little reverberation, it was used as the model for Karlheinz Brandenburg
Karlheinz Brandenburg
Karlheinz Brandenburg is an audio engineer who has contributed to the audio compression format MPEG Audio Layer 3, more commonly known as MP3.- Biography :...
's sound compression algorithm. Brandenburg heard “Tom's Diner” on a radio playing the song and was excited and at first convinced it would be “nearly impossible to compress this warm a cappella voice.”
"Tom's Diner" takes place in Tom's Restaurant at 112th Street and Broadway in New York City. Exterior shots of the same restaurant appear in the television sitcom Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
as Monk's, which is the eatery where Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer hang out. The DNA remix of the track was so popular that it inspired many cover versions—the best of which were eventually collected by Vega on an album titled Tom's Album. The remixed version of "Tom's Diner" was later sampled by hip hop artist Nikki D
Nikki D
Nichelle "Nikki D" Strong is an American female rapper. Nikki D was the first female rapper signed by Def Jam Recordings.-Career:She signed with Def Jam in 1989, and released her debut single "A No No No" the same year. It was produced by Sam Sever. The single's video featured Flavor Flav...
in her single "Daddy's Little Girl
Daddy's Little Girl
Daddy's Little Girls is a 2007 romantic drama film written and directed by Tyler Perry and produced by Perry and Reuben Cannon. It stars Gabrielle Union and Idris Elba. The film was released on February 14, 2007 by Lions Gate Entertainment...
". Rapper Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
sampled the track in "Dopefiend's Diner".
Luka
On a 1987 Swedish television special, Vega said this about her song "LukaLuka (song)
"Luka" is a song recorded by Suzanne Vega and released as a single in 1987. It remains her highest-charting hit in the United States, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was one of the earliest to deal with child abuse and domestic violence...
":
Also, in an ASCAP interview, she responded to a question about "Luka":
"Luka" was covered by The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band first formed in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member....
on the 1989 album Lick
Lick (album)
Lick is the third album by The Lemonheads and the last to feature founding member Ben Deily. It was released in 1989 and was the group's last album before signing to major label Atlantic. Due to a typo on the album itself, many believe that this record was actually released in 1988, but this...
, shortly before the band was signed by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, and was a minor college-airplay hit.
1990s
Vega's third album, Days of Open HandDays of Open Hand
Days of Open Hand is Suzanne Vega's third album, released in 1990 . This album won the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package in 1991.-Track listing:All songs written by Suzanne Vega except as noted.# "Tired of Sleeping" – 4:22...
(1990) continued in the style of her first two albums.
In 1992 she released the album 99.9F°
99.9F°
99.9F° is the fourth album by the American singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega. Released in 1992, the album marked a significant departure for Vega, as she embraced a more electronic-influenced, experimental sound. It peaked at #86 on Billboard Magazine album charts, as well as two songs to their Modern...
. It consists of a mixture of folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, dance beats
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
and industrial music
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
.
Her fifth album, Nine Objects of Desire
Nine Objects of Desire
Nine Objects of Desire is Suzanne Vega's fifth studio album, released September 10, 1996. It peaked at number 92 in the Billboard 200. The single "Caramel" is featured in the soundtrack for The Truth About Cats & Dogs and the trailer for the film Closer...
, was released in 1996. The music varies between a frugal, simple style and the industrial production of 99.9F°. This album contains "Caramel", featured in the movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
The Truth About Cats & Dogs
The Truth About Cats & Dogs
The Truth About Cats & Dogs is a 1996 American romantic comedy film, starring Janeane Garofalo, Uma Thurman, Ben Chaplin, and Jamie Foxx. It was directed by Michael Lehmann and written by Audrey Wells...
and, later, the trailer for the movie Closer
Closer (film)
Closer is a 2004 romantic drama film written by Patrick Marber, based on his award-winning 1997 play of the same name. It was produced and directed by Mike Nichols and stars Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Clive Owen...
. A song not included on that album, "Woman on the Tier", was featured on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of the movie Dead Man Walking
Dead Man Walking (soundtrack)
Dead Man Walking is a soundtrack album to the film of the same name, released in 1996 on Columbia Records.-Track listing:-Charts:Album-Release history:-References:* -External links:* at Discogs*...
.
In 1997 she took a singing part on the concept album Heaven and Hell
Heaven and Hell (Joe Jackson album)
Heaven & Hell is a 1997 album by Joe Jackson, a musical interpretation and song cycle representing the seven deadly sins.Billed to Joe Jackson & Friends; the friends included vocalists Dawn Upshaw , Joy Askew , Suzanne Vega , Brad Roberts from the Crash Test Dummies , Jane Siberry Heaven & Hell is...
, a musical interpretation of the Seven deadly sins
Seven deadly sins
The 7 Deadly Sins, also known as the Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins, is a classification of objectionable vices that have been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct followers concerning fallen humanity's tendency to sin...
by her colleague Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson (musician)
Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
, with whom she had already collaborated in 1986 on "Left of Center" from the Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about teenage love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. It is one of a group of John Hughes films starring Molly Ringwald, and is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film...
soundtrack
Pretty in Pink (soundtrack)
The Pretty in Pink soundtrack album was released in 1986 for the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink, a now classic coming-of-age film about teenage love and social cliques in a 1980s American high school....
(with Vega singing and Jackson playing piano).
In 1999, Avon Books published Vega's book "The Passionate Eye: The Collected Writings Of Suzanne Vega"; a volume of poems, lyrics, essays and journalistic pieces.
2000s
September 2001 saw the release of a new album, Songs In Red and GraySongs in Red and Gray
Songs in Red and Gray is the sixth studio album release by New York-based singer/songwriter and musician Suzanne Vega. The album was Vega's final album for A&M Records and also marks the divorce with her husband and producer Mitchell Froom...
. Three songs deal with Vega's divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
from first husband Mitchell Froom
Mitchell Froom
-Career:Froom began his career as a keyboard player in Sonoma County, California. The band Crossfire featured two keyboards players; Mitchell on one side of the stage and brother David on the other with Gary Pihl on guitar...
.
At the memorial concert for her brother Tim Vega
Tim Vega
Tim Vega was an American graphic designer best known for his work with several musical acts, especially jam bands. Among his patrons were Blues Traveler, Gov't Mule, and Spin Doctors.- Background :Vega, a New York City native , started out in the graffiti art scene...
in December 2002, she began as the long-term subject of a direct cinema documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, Some Journey, by director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Christopher Seufert
Christopher Seufert
Christopher Seufert is a documentary film producer and director, and photographer based in Boston, Massachusetts. His production company is Mooncusser Films....
of Mooncusser Films
Mooncusser Films
Mooncusser Films, LLC is the film and video production company founded by documentary producer/director Christopher Seufert. Notable projects include cinema verité films with alterna-folk musician Suzanne Vega, the late illustrator Edward Gorey, and one upcoming portrait of legendary filmmaker...
. This has not been completed.
In 2003, the twenty-one-song greatest hits compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega was released. (The UK version of Retrospective included an eight-song bonus CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
as well as a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
containing twelve songs.) In the same year she was invited by Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Bill Frisell
Bill Frisell
William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
, to play at the Century of Song concerts at the famed RuhrTriennale
Ruhrtriennale
The Ruhrtriennale is an annual music and arts festival in the northwestern area of Germany which runs between mid-August and mid-October. It was founded in 2002 by the government of North Rhine-Westphalia with Gerard Mortier, the impresario and former artistic director of the Salzburg Festival, as...
in Germany.
In 2003, she hosted the American Public Media
American Public Media
American Public Media is the second largest producer of public radio programs in the United States of America after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota, California, and Florida. Its station brands are Minnesota Public Radio,...
radio series American Mavericks, about 20th century American composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
s, which received the prestigious Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting.
On August 3, 2006, Vega became the first major recording artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
to perform live in the Internet-based virtual world, Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
. The event was hosted by John Hockenberry
John Hockenberry
John Charles Hockenberry is an American journalist and author. A four-time Emmy Award winner and three-time Peabody Award winner, Hockenberry has worked in media since 1980....
of public radio's The Infinite Mind.
On September 17, 2006, she performed in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, as part of a benefit concert for The Save Darfur Coalition
Save Darfur Coalition
The Save Darfur Coalition is an advocacy group calling for international intervention in the Darfur genocide in the Eastern African state of Sudan...
. During the concert she highlighted her support for Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, of which she has been a member since 1988.
In early October 2006, Vega took part in the Academia Film Olomouc (AFO) in Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
, the Czech Republic, the oldest festival of documentary films in Europe, in which she appeared as a main guest. She was invited there as the subject of the documentary film by director Christopher Seufert
Christopher Seufert
Christopher Seufert is a documentary film producer and director, and photographer based in Boston, Massachusetts. His production company is Mooncusser Films....
, that had a test screening at the festival. At the end of the festival she performed her classical songs, and added one brand new piece called "New York Is a Woman".
Vega is also interviewed in the book Everything Is Just a Bet which was published in Czech in October 2006. The book contains twelve interview transcriptions from the talk show called Stage Talks that regularly runs in the Švandovo divadlo (Švandovo Theatre) in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Vega introduced the book to the audience of the Švandovo divadlo (Švandovo Theatre), and together with some other Czech celebrities gave a signing session.
She signed a new recording contract with Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
in the spring of 2006, and released Beauty & Crime
Beauty & Crime
Beauty & Crime is the seventh studio album release by New York-based singer/songwriter and musician Suzanne Vega. It is her first album of new material since 2001's Songs in Red and Gray and is also her first for Blue Note Records. It was released on July 17, 2007...
on July 17, 2007. The album was produced by Jimmy Hogarth, which won a Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. Her contract was not renewed and she was dropped in June 2008.
In 2007, Vega followed the lead of numerous other mainstream artists and released her track "Pornographer's Dream" as podsafe
Podsafe
Podsafe is a term created in the podcasting community to refer to any work which, through its licensing, specifically allows the use of the work in podcasting, regardless of restrictions the same work might have in other realms...
. The song spent two weeks at #1 during 2007 and finished as the #11 hit of the year on the PMC Top10
PMC Top10
The Pod Music Countdown is a music program that is broadcast over the internet as a podcast. It is hosted by Chris Doelle and is a weekly countdown show featuring the top podsafe tunes being spun by podcasters all over the globe. The PMC Top10 is recognized as the first podcast counting down the...
's annual countdown. Vega joined the 10th annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers.
She was also a judge for the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Independent Music Awards.
2010s
A partial cover version of her song "Tom's Diner" is used to introduce the 2010 British movie 4.3.2.14.3.2.1
4.3.2.1 is a British crime thriller film directed by Noel Clarke and Mark Davis, released 2 June 2010. It stars, Emma Roberts, Ophelia Lovibond, Shanika-Warren Markland, Tamsin Egerton, Adam Deacon, Ashley 'Bashy' Thomas and Noel Clarke.-Plot:...
, with its lyrics largely rewritten to echo the plot. This musical hybrid was released as "Keep Moving"
Keep Moving (song)
"Keep Moving" is the lead song from the soundtrack of film, 4.3.2.1. The song is performed by Adam Deacon and Bashy featuring Paloma Faith. It was written and produced by Alex "Cores" Hayes, and was released on 28 May 2010...
.
Vega is currently included in the Danger Mouse/Sparklehorse/David Lynch collaboration "Dark Night of the Soul
Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse Present: Dark Night of the Soul
Dark Night of the Soul is an album written by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse. It features a wide range of singers, which include James Mercer of the Shins, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, Black Francis...
". She wrote both melody and lyrics for her song, which is titled "The Man Who Played God", inspired by a biography of Pablo Picasso.
Vega is rerecording her back-catalogue, both for artistic and commercial (and control) reasons
,in the Close-up series. Vol.1 (Love Songs
Close-Up Vol. 1, Love Songs
- Track listing :...
) and Vol. 2 (People & Places) appeared in 2010 while Vol. 3 (States of Being
Close-Up Vol. 3, States of Being
Close-Up Vol. 3, States of Being is the tenth studio album released by New York-based singer/songwriter and musician Suzanne Vega. The album consists of re-recordings of songs from Vega's back catalogue with stripped-down arrangements that highlight her lyrics and melodies...
) was released in July 2011 and 4 (Songs of Family) is planned for the near future.
Vega sang lead vocals on the song "Now I Am an Arsonist" with singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan Coulton is an American singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans...
on his 2011 album, Artificial Heart
Artificial Heart (album)
Artificial Heart is the eighth studio album by rock musician Jonathan Coulton. After taking a long hiatus from songwriting after his successful 2006 Thing a Week project , Coulton started production on Artificial Heart after encouragement from John Flansburgh , also the...
.
Theater
Vega co-wrote (with Duncan SheikDuncan Sheik
Duncan Scott Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He later expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the...
) a play “Carson McCullers Talks About Love”, about the life of the writer Carson McCullers
Carson McCullers
Carson McCullers was an American writer. She wrote novels, short stories, and two plays, as well as essays and some poetry. Her first novel The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter explores the spiritual isolation of misfits and outcasts of the South...
. In the play, which premiered in 2011, Vega alternates between monologue and songs.
Personal life
On March 17, 1995, Vega married Mitchell FroomMitchell Froom
-Career:Froom began his career as a keyboard player in Sonoma County, California. The band Crossfire featured two keyboards players; Mitchell on one side of the stage and brother David on the other with Gary Pihl on guitar...
, a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
(who played in and produced 99.9F°
99.9F°
99.9F° is the fourth album by the American singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega. Released in 1992, the album marked a significant departure for Vega, as she embraced a more electronic-influenced, experimental sound. It peaked at #86 on Billboard Magazine album charts, as well as two songs to their Modern...
and Nine Objects of Desire
Nine Objects of Desire
Nine Objects of Desire is Suzanne Vega's fifth studio album, released September 10, 1996. It peaked at number 92 in the Billboard 200. The single "Caramel" is featured in the soundtrack for The Truth About Cats & Dogs and the trailer for the film Closer...
). They have a daughter, Ruby Froom (born July 8, 1994). The band Soul Coughing
Soul Coughing
Soul Coughing was a popular New York-based alternative rock band. The band found modest mainstream success during the mid-to-late 1990s. Soul Coughing developed a devout fanbase and have garnered largely positive response from critics. Steve Huey describes the band as "one of the most unusual cult...
's Ruby Vroom
Ruby Vroom
Ruby Vroom was Soul Coughing's 1994 debut album. The album's sound is a mixture of sample-based tunes , guitar based tunes like...
album was named after her, with Vega's approval, though she requested a slight change. Recently Ruby sang with her mother on a couple of occasions.
Vega and Froom separated in 1998.
On February 11, 2006, Vega married Paul Mills, a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and poet. They originally met each other at Folk City on West 4th Street when singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky
Lucy Kaplansky
Lucy Kaplansky is an American folk musician based in New York City. Kaplansky also has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Yeshiva University.-Biography:...
, a friend of both, introduced them. In the words of her website, "The couple met at Folk City on West 4th Street in 1981. Mr. Mills proposed to Miss Vega in May, 1983, and she accepted his proposal on Christmas Day, 2005."
Studio albums
| Year | Album | UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
U.S. Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
NZ | GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
FR Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
SUI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Suzanne Vega Suzanne Vega (album) Suzanne Vega is the 1985 eponymous debut album by Suzanne Vega. It was a well-received pop-music album by music journalists in the U.S. and reached platinum status in the United Kingdom. Produced by Lenny Kaye and Steve Addabbo, the songs feature Vega's acoustic guitar in straightforward... |
11 | 91 | 23 | 9 | 54 | - | - |
| 1987 | Solitude Standing Solitude Standing Solitude Standing is Suzanne Vega's platinum second album, released in 1987. It is the most popular and critically acclaimed of her career. As can be seen by the CD insert, many of the songs had been written prior to 1987 .... |
2 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 6 | - | 8 |
| 1990 | Days of Open Hand Days of Open Hand Days of Open Hand is Suzanne Vega's third album, released in 1990 . This album won the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package in 1991.-Track listing:All songs written by Suzanne Vega except as noted.# "Tired of Sleeping" – 4:22... 1 |
7 | 50 | 74 | 24 | 16 | - | 19 |
| 1992 | 99.9F° 99.9F° 99.9F° is the fourth album by the American singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega. Released in 1992, the album marked a significant departure for Vega, as she embraced a more electronic-influenced, experimental sound. It peaked at #86 on Billboard Magazine album charts, as well as two songs to their Modern... |
20 | 86 | 56 | 38 | 27 | - | 24 |
| 1996 | Nine Objects of Desire Nine Objects of Desire Nine Objects of Desire is Suzanne Vega's fifth studio album, released September 10, 1996. It peaked at number 92 in the Billboard 200. The single "Caramel" is featured in the soundtrack for The Truth About Cats & Dogs and the trailer for the film Closer... 2 |
43 | 92 | - | - | 43 | 25 | 23 |
| 2001 | Songs in Red and Gray Songs in Red and Gray Songs in Red and Gray is the sixth studio album release by New York-based singer/songwriter and musician Suzanne Vega. The album was Vega's final album for A&M Records and also marks the divorce with her husband and producer Mitchell Froom... |
- | 178 | - | - | 53 | 36 | 47 |
| 2007 | Beauty & Crime Beauty & Crime Beauty & Crime is the seventh studio album release by New York-based singer/songwriter and musician Suzanne Vega. It is her first album of new material since 2001's Songs in Red and Gray and is also her first for Blue Note Records. It was released on July 17, 2007... 3 |
- | 129 | - | - | 81 | 52 | 79 |
| 2010 | Close-Up Vol. 1, Love Songs Close-Up Vol. 1, Love Songs - Track listing :... |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2010 | Close-Up Vol. 2, People & Places | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2011 | Close-Up Vol. 3, States of Being Close-Up Vol. 3, States of Being Close-Up Vol. 3, States of Being is the tenth studio album released by New York-based singer/songwriter and musician Suzanne Vega. The album consists of re-recordings of songs from Vega's back catalogue with stripped-down arrangements that highlight her lyrics and melodies... |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
- 1 Days of Open HandDays of Open HandDays of Open Hand is Suzanne Vega's third album, released in 1990 . This album won the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package in 1991.-Track listing:All songs written by Suzanne Vega except as noted.# "Tired of Sleeping" – 4:22...
made #2 in Norway albums chart - 2 Nine Objects of DesireNine Objects of DesireNine Objects of Desire is Suzanne Vega's fifth studio album, released September 10, 1996. It peaked at number 92 in the Billboard 200. The single "Caramel" is featured in the soundtrack for The Truth About Cats & Dogs and the trailer for the film Closer...
made #20 in Finland, #23 in Switzerland, #39 in Sweden - 3 Beauty & CrimeBeauty & CrimeBeauty & Crime is the seventh studio album release by New York-based singer/songwriter and musician Suzanne Vega. It is her first album of new material since 2001's Songs in Red and Gray and is also her first for Blue Note Records. It was released on July 17, 2007...
made #9 in Estonia, #13 in Finland, #37 in Czech Republic, #49 in Poland, #74 in Italy - Close-Up Vol. 2, People & Places Number 2 Top Purchased Album (Amazon.com) 11th October-13th October
Compilation albums
- Tried & True: The Best of Suzanne Vega, 1998 – UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#46, AUS #96, GER #58 - Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega, 2003 – UK #27
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
U.S. Hot 100 |
AUS | IRE | GER | SWI | AUT | NZ | CAN | SWE | FR | NL | |||
| 1985 | "Marlene On The Wall" | Suzanne Vega Suzanne Vega (album) Suzanne Vega is the 1985 eponymous debut album by Suzanne Vega. It was a well-received pop-music album by music journalists in the U.S. and reached platinum status in the United Kingdom. Produced by Lenny Kaye and Steve Addabbo, the songs feature Vega's acoustic guitar in straightforward... |
||||||||||||
| "Small Blue Thing" | ||||||||||||||
| "Knight Moves" | ||||||||||||||
| 1986 | "Marlene On The Wall"(re-release) | |||||||||||||
| "Left Of Center"Feat.Joe Jackson | Pretty in Pink (soundtrack) Pretty in Pink (soundtrack) The Pretty in Pink soundtrack album was released in 1986 for the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink, a now classic coming-of-age film about teenage love and social cliques in a 1980s American high school.... |
|||||||||||||
| "Gypsy" | Solitude Standing Solitude Standing Solitude Standing is Suzanne Vega's platinum second album, released in 1987. It is the most popular and critically acclaimed of her career. As can be seen by the CD insert, many of the songs had been written prior to 1987 .... |
|||||||||||||
| 1987 | "Luka Luka (song) "Luka" is a song recorded by Suzanne Vega and released as a single in 1987. It remains her highest-charting hit in the United States, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was one of the earliest to deal with child abuse and domestic violence... " |
|||||||||||||
| "Tom's Diner Tom's Diner "Tom's Diner" is an a cappella pop song written in 1981 by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. It was first released as a track on the January 1984 issue of Fast Folk Musical Magazine. When first featured on one of her own studio albums, it appeared as the first track of her Solitude Standing... " |
||||||||||||||
| "Solitude Standing" | ||||||||||||||
| 1990 | "Book Of Dreams" | Days of Open Hand Days of Open Hand Days of Open Hand is Suzanne Vega's third album, released in 1990 . This album won the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package in 1991.-Track listing:All songs written by Suzanne Vega except as noted.# "Tired of Sleeping" – 4:22... |
||||||||||||
| "Tired of Sleeping" | ||||||||||||||
| "Men in a War" | ||||||||||||||
| "Tom's Diner"(DNA remix) | Taste This | |||||||||||||
| 1992 | "In Liverpool" | 99.9F° 99.9F° 99.9F° is the fourth album by the American singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega. Released in 1992, the album marked a significant departure for Vega, as she embraced a more electronic-influenced, experimental sound. It peaked at #86 on Billboard Magazine album charts, as well as two songs to their Modern... |
||||||||||||
| "99.9F°" | ||||||||||||||
| "Blood Makes Noise" | ||||||||||||||
| 1993 | "When Heroes Go Down" | |||||||||||||
| 1996 | "No Cheap Thrill" | Nine Objects of Desire Nine Objects of Desire Nine Objects of Desire is Suzanne Vega's fifth studio album, released September 10, 1996. It peaked at number 92 in the Billboard 200. The single "Caramel" is featured in the soundtrack for The Truth About Cats & Dogs and the trailer for the film Closer... |
||||||||||||
- "Rusted Pipe (DNA remix)", promotional, 1991
- "Caramel", 1996
- "Birth-day", promotional, 1997
- "World before Columbus", 1997
- "Headshots", promotional, 1997
- "Book & a Cover", 1998
- "Rosemary / Remember me", 1999
- "Widow's Walk", promotional, 2001
- "Last Year's Troubles", promotional, 2001
- "Penitent", promotional, 2001
- "(I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May", promotional, 2002
- "Frank & Ava", promotional, 2007
- "Ludlow Street", promotional, 2007
- "Unbound", promotional, 2007
- "Pornographer's Dream", podsafe, 2007 – PMC #1
Other contributions
- Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney FilmsStay Awake (album)Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films is a 1988 tribute album recorded by various artists performing songs from Disney films...
(1988) – "Stay AwakeStay Awake"Stay Awake" is a song from Walt Disney's film Mary Poppins composed by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.It is a lullaby sung by Mary Poppins to the children Jane and Michael...
" - One World One VoiceOne World One Voice (album)One World One Voice is a world music album intended to raise awareness of environmental issues, produced by Rupert Hine in 1990. A video of the entire album was produced for television together with a "Making of" documentary....
(1990) – "One World, One Voice" - Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful DeadDeadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful DeadDeadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead is a 1991 tribute album with music from the Grateful Dead performed by various artists. According to the sleeve notes, the compilation is a rainforest benefit album, with significant proceeds from its sale being donated to the Rainforest Action Network and...
(1991) – "Cassidy" and "China Doll" - DNA: Taste This (1992) – "Tom's DinerTom's Diner"Tom's Diner" is an a cappella pop song written in 1981 by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. It was first released as a track on the January 1984 issue of Fast Folk Musical Magazine. When first featured on one of her own studio albums, it appeared as the first track of her Solitude Standing...
(DNA Remix)" and "Salt WaterSalt waterSalt water or saltwater may refer to:* Saline water, water containing salts* Brine, with salt* Brackish water, water that is saltier than fresh water, but not as salty as seawater* Seawater, water from oceans or seas...
" - Hector ZazouHector ZazouHector Zazou was a prolific French composer and record producer who worked with, produced, and collaborated with an international array of recording artists...
: Songs From the Cold Sea (1994) – "The Long VoyageThe Long VoyageThe Long Voyage is a New Year's Eve short story by Charles Dickens. It was originally published in the 31 December 1853 issue of Household Words magazine.-Plot summary:...
" (with John Cale) - Grammy's Greatest Moments Volume III (1994) - "Luka" (live version)
- Tower of SongTower of SongTower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen is a tribute album to Leonard Cohen, released in 1995 on A&M Records. It takes its name of a song by Cohen, that has been covered by Marianne Faithfull, Robert Forster, Peter Gabriel, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Martha Wainwright...
(1995) – "Story of Isaac" - Dead Man WalkingDead Man Walking (soundtrack)Dead Man Walking is a soundtrack album to the film of the same name, released in 1996 on Columbia Records.-Track listing:-Charts:Album-Release history:-References:* -External links:* at Discogs*...
soundtrack (1995) – "Woman on the Tier (I'll See You Through)" - The SmithereensThe SmithereensThe Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken...
: Blown to Smithereens (1995) – "In a Lonely PlaceIn a Lonely PlaceIn a Lonely Place is a film noir directed by Nicholas Ray, and starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, produced for Bogart's Santana Productions. The script was adapted by Edmund North from the 1947 novel In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes.Bogart stars in the film as Dixon Steele, a...
" - Time and Love: The Music of Laura NyroTime and Love: The Music of Laura NyroTime and Love: The Music of Laura Nyro is a 1997 tribute album to Laura Nyro, recorded shortly after the singer-songwriter's death of ovarian cancer.Almost all of the artists recorded Nyro's songs...
(1997) – "Buy and Sell" - "Perfect DayPerfect Day"Perfect Day" is a song written by Lou Reed in 1972, originally featured on Transformer, Reed's second post-Velvet Underground solo album. Its fame was given a boost in the 1990s when it was featured in the 1996 film Trainspotting, and after its release as a star-studded BBC charity single in...
" (1997) - Joe JacksonJoe Jackson (musician)Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
: Heaven & HellHeaven and Hell (Joe Jackson album)Heaven & Hell is a 1997 album by Joe Jackson, a musical interpretation and song cycle representing the seven deadly sins.Billed to Joe Jackson & Friends; the friends included vocalists Dawn Upshaw , Joy Askew , Suzanne Vega , Brad Roberts from the Crash Test Dummies , Jane Siberry Heaven & Hell is...
(1997) – "Angel (Lust)" - Mitchell FroomMitchell Froom-Career:Froom began his career as a keyboard player in Sonoma County, California. The band Crossfire featured two keyboards players; Mitchell on one side of the stage and brother David on the other with Gary Pihl on guitar...
: Dopamine (1998) – "Dopamine" - Celebrate the Season (1998) – "Coventry CarolCoventry CarolThe "Coventry Carol" is a Christmas carol dating from the 16th century. The carol was performed in Coventry in England as part of a mystery play called The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors. The play depicts the Christmas story from chapter two in the Gospel of Matthew...
" - Bleecker Street: Greenwich Village in the 60's (1999) – "So Long, MarianneSo Long, MarianneSo Long, Marianne is a compilation album by Leonard Cohen, issued in 1989. It features songs from his first four albums.-Track listing:All songs written by Leonard Cohen except as noted.#"Who by Fire" – 2:30#"So Long, Marianne" – 5:37...
" (with John Cale) - Dan ZanesDan ZanesDan Zanes was a member of the popular 1980s band The Del Fuegos and is currently the front man of the Grammy-winning group Dan Zanes and Friends.-History:...
: Rocket Ship Beach (2000) – "Erie CanalLow Bridge (song)The popular song "Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal" was written in 1905 by Thomas S. Allen after Erie Canal barge traffic was converted from mule power to engine power, raising the speed of traffic above fifteen miles per day. The tune is sadly nostalgic...
" - Hear Music Volume 7: WakingHear Music Volume 7: WakingHear Music Volume 7: Waking is a compilation album published in 2002 by Universal Music Enterprises and sold exclusively at Starbucks locations through their Hear Music label.-Track listing:#Rufus Wainwright - "Greek Song"...
(2002) – "Widow's Walk" - 107.1 KGSR Radio Austin - Broadcasts Vol.10 (2002) – "Widow's Walk"
- WYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 - On Air PerformancesWYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 - On Air PerformancesWYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 - On Air Performances is a compilation album made of songs that were performed by various artists live on WYEP. WYEP is a non-commercial, community-supported radio station that specializes in eclectic music and programming...
(2002) – "(I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May" - Vigil (album) (2004) – "It Hit Home"
- WFUV: City Folk Live VIIWFUV: City Folk Live VIIWFUV: City Folk Live VII is a compilation album released by WFUV in November 2004 to highlight songs performed live in the studio by some of the year's favorite guests...
(2004) – "Penitent" - The Acoustic AlbumThe Acoustic Album (compilation)The Acoustic Album is a 2-disc compilation album released by EMI/Virgin Records in July 2006 to showcase songs heard on Virgin Radio.-Track listing:Disc 1:#Jack Johnson - "Breakdown"#Corinne Bailey Rae - "Put Your Records On"...
(2006, VirginVirgin RecordsVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
) – "Marlene On the Wall" - Dar WilliamsDar WilliamsDar Williams is an American singer-songwriter specializing in pop folk.She is a frequent performer at folk festivals and has toured with such artists as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Griffin, Ani DiFranco, The Nields, Shawn Colvin, Girlyman, Joan Baez, and Catie Curtis.-Biography:Williams was born...
: Promised LandPromised Land (Dar Williams album)Promised Land is a Dar Williams album released September 9, 2008 on Razor & Tie, the label that has released almost all of her albums. It was her first studio album in three years.-Track listing:...
(2008) – "Go to the Woods" - Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse Present: Dark Night of the SoulDanger Mouse and Sparklehorse Present: Dark Night of the SoulDark Night of the Soul is an album written by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse. It features a wide range of singers, which include James Mercer of the Shins, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, Black Francis...
(2009) – "The Man Who Played God" - Pioneers for a CurePioneers For A CurePioneers For A Cure - Songs To Fight Cancer was started in 2008 to raise funds in support of organizations pioneering new methods of cancer treatment and research. The organization began with ‘The Postcard Project,’ gathering many Jewish musical artists to record the music of the pioneers of Israel...
: Songs To Fight Cancer (2011) – "Streets of LaredoStreets of Laredo (song)"Streets of Laredo" , also known as the "Cowboy's Lament", is a famous American cowboy ballad in which a dying cowboy tells his story to a living one. Derived from the English folk song "The Unfortunate Lad", it has become a folk music standard, and as such has been performed, recorded and adapted...
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External links
- Suzanne Vega on A&M Records
- Suzanne Vega documentary clips
- Love Songs Review – Love Songs Review by SLUG Magazine