Discuss Laura Branigan
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Her international hit song "Gloria" (also others of her hits)
posted by genplant29STAFFMOD on August 29, 2020 at 1:39 AM
During the last few days, with hearing about this week's catastrophic Hurricane Laura, I've multiple times been reminded of Laura Branigan's huge 1982 international hit song "Gloria". Why hearing mentions of Hurricane Laura resulted in my recalling the song "Gloria" is that devastating East Coast Hurricane Gloria struck my area in September 1985, and area radio stations repeatedly, at the time, played Branigan's "Gloria" for days, as like that hurricane's official anthem. The song was very well matched, regarding the rousing whirlwind opening notes, the tempo, and much of the lyrics, to the natural event!
At any rate, Laura Branigan was a major recording star (not to mention quite the knockout!) during the '80s and put out some good, solid hits. Following are my favourites:
Self Control [probably my fave Branigan hit - sounds very ABBA-ish; the vid certainly does push the envelope to the max to make sure the viewer will have absolutely no doubt what it's about!]
Spanish Eddie [I think my 2nd-fave of Laura's songs; love it!]
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow [such a powerful, pure vocal performance here; this woman could sing!]
How Can I Help You Say Goodbye [heartbreaking, from the 2:46 point, to hear after any of your loved ones pass; I played this, and had some good cries, after the deaths of my mom and close-in-age brother during the last decade]
Sadly, Laura died, the result of a brain aneurysm, at age 52, on 26 Aug. 2004. I was shocked when that was reported on the news.
See Laura's TMDb profile page here for some info about her and her biggest hits.
Please check out the following list of titles and celebrities I've created TMDb threads for: https://www.themoviedb.org/list/118052
Reply by QuitePleasant
on August 31, 2020 at 1:53 PM
Very nice Laura Branigan tribute, to be sure!
Now, let's see.... next to discuss Laura or the hurricane...?
Didn't really connect the two until now. Have been recalling a teacher's pet sharing the name, however. And, as usual, teacher's pets often create their own comeuppances and eventually find themselves on the receiving end of snarky comments not only from classmates, but also from subsequent instructors, which generally prove all thee more hilarious.
Very sad about hurricane victims receiving injuries, emotional damage, property damage, and displacement.
Yes, Miss Branigan a very multi-talented performer, who appears very soft and lovely on camera, but who also certainly delivers wide-range, highly-energized, dynamic, thought-provoking vocal performances at every turn.
Often find myself re-visiting her "Power of Love" video over and over again, for that solemn yet very peppy uplift. But, then again, her rendition has been covered by other recording artists, which incites Laura fans to esteem her as the definitive "Power of Love" standard. (Huey Lewis and the News present a completely different great hit bearing this same title, however.)
Also included in her outstanding canon of recordings, "How am I Supposed to Live without You?" has also found itself covered by several remakes, thus perhaps leading fans to consider Laura along with Irene Dunne as one of the Entertainment Industry's fantastic role models, as several of Miss Dunne's films and records have been given the old reboot treatment (although Deborah Kerr sensitively measures up to Irene on camera, while the Platters do a fine job with "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes").
Agree how indescribably sad it's been to loose Miss Branigan. Her husband had preceded her in passing. Her survivors include three siblings from my understanding at the time.
But just as the late great Alan Thicke describes in his introduction to Laura's stage appearance in her "Power of Love" rendition, there just are not enough positive adjectives to describe this fine lady and her superior talent.
Thanks for reminiscing!