Sam’s music has always been in my life. Good times,bad times,all the time. The first time I heard her music would be around summer of 1986,on MTV,they played Touch Me. The first time I heard it I took to it…it was such a great song. She looked really cute,she had a way about her in the Touch Me video. Strong,very sexual,and most of all..she was a great singer. My best friend who I’m lucky to still know today (Bel) also liked the song and in those days we always bought so much music. When ever there was a hot new band we’d run to the local ’Sam Goody’ music stores to pick allot of music up.
He also liked Touch Me and wound up buying the album before I did!
I remember he brought it along with a couple of other albums that day. Showing me albums by Kiss (Animalize), AC/DC’s (Who Made Who) And then ofcourse Sam’s debut…Touch Me.
In those days we had so many great female musicians on our radio in America. Icons like Heart were riding high,as were Madonna,Cyndi Lauper,Laura Branagan,The GoGo’s, Blonde,and Pat Benatar. For Sam to impress my and friend and I like she did ,she had to be good!!
From the first song to the last on her debut album she was amazing. A new artist with some hot songs. Now to the both of us it was a great album,we had so many to hear in those days,but we did appreciate it allot. But as that summer went on, Touch Me never left us… we kept playing it. As time went on, and albums were dropped from our play list for newer ones we had bought later…Touch Me stayed on our play list. ‘Suzie don’t leave with your boyfriend’ ‘Want you to want me’ ‘Rockin in the city’ and ‘Touch Me’ …. those were just some of the ones I kept returning to again and again. Touch Me pretty much was a mainstay in our radios in 1986!
When her 2nd album came along thats the one that made it biggest mark on me. The one that really made me a devoted fan from that point on. Thats the album that did it.
I had been working long hours at a tomato paste processing plant that year(1987) … fresh out of graduating highschool. Working many hours and afterwards driving home and listening to radio on the way home. It was about 11p.m. at night that I heard she had a new album coming out. The radio DJ spoke of her upcoming album with some big excitement,because the year before Sam had hit our shores with such an impact. This British import just kicked our asses in America. And we were still feeling that album. So when word of the new one was coming there was a big buzz. The worst thing happened though…I never got to hear the song that night!!
I lost the reception on the radio as I drove home,it really got me mad. I wanted to hear her new single. Well I did manage to get the station back but by that time the song had been played. All I remember was hearing a WhiteSnake song once I got the reception back.
It wasn’t until a month later did I see her new album in stores. I had again been working long hours and so when I had time off I almost always visited record shops at the mall. Buying posters,magazines T-shirts,jeans,and ofcourse music.
I remember seeing the LP: A beautiful shot of Sam’s face. Got really excited when I walked up and held the LP in my hands. But I had to grab the cassette version,didn’t really listen to LPs at that point. But I changed my mind and bought the LP anyway! Along with the cassette.
Once home I popped in the tape,I remember ‘I Surrender’ had a sound to it that was so good for an opening album, it set the tone for what was to come. I loved that song. I’ve got a thing I do when I hear an album. I did it in those days and I still do it today, If the album has a great opening song I’ll stop an album once the first track ends. If its a great opener I don’t wanna go onto the next song right away. I did this with I Surrender – it was such a hot opener. So yep,I stopped the cassette,rewound and played it again,that song was such a scorcher and it rocked. It was such a strong opening for a new album.
Then came Naughty Girls,it was such a statement. To me it was sorta like the sequel to ‘Touch Me’ in some ways. Then True Devotion,Dream City,the album just flowed with so many good songs. There was a special song thats always stayed with me though…a ballad that to this day I’ve always never forgotten… That song was ‘The Best Is Yet To Come.’ The keyboard on that song is so memorable… And when I heard Sam’s soft vocals behind them it just really made me appreciate this album allot more after that.
This was a record that had powerful songs,and tender ones that made me really luv the message she was sending to everyone ….Samantha Fox was back with a great new album!
In the coming years this was the album I played most often…it made me a fan of Sam Fox,or in America….we call her Samantha Fox. …..Still do to this very day!
I mean why not? It sticks because because it rings. Like the great singers before her,some had names that rolled off your tongue and sounded fierce…such as Pat Benatar!
Samantha Fox has that same OOMPTH behind it! It just sounds good,the music sounded better when you said SAMANTHA FOX. LOL..I dunno…thats just my interpretation of it, my memories.
She’s always had new hot new songs from every album. To me she was a mainstay powerhouse,with new albums releasing annually. ….. I miss those days..albums releasing every year! Why can’t we have that anymore? Hmmm… Anyways Sam was always on the radio here, MTV loved her here. She always was on our airwaves allot. Who can forget MTV’s Spring Break with her and Jon BonJovi? That was great – it just rocked! And in those days she was easily up there with Madonna,Cyndi Lauper,Sam’s name in America was golden,she was a person we all knew now. Sexy,fun,charming,and she could back it all up because she was one hell of a singer!
In America though a drastic change was coming within our music scene in the early 90′s.
We had a massive shift in music. All across radio to MTV the 1980′s era of artists began to level off. Grunge was the new sound and it exploded,causing a massive riff of repercussions over night…. The 1980′s musicians suffered because of this shift,and as a result I lost track of Sam. Until….
I’m not sure if 21st Century Fox released right away here in America… or if we got it sometime after the rest of the world did. I never saw it till around 2000/2001…. I blame our music scene partially. It had changed so much that quality artists such as Sam struggled to have their new released more widely here. Once I got my hands on 21st I noticed the songs were fiery – pure dancey. Sam’s voice sounded more mature now. She didn’t sing as high as she once did in her very early days…but these new songs off 21st had deeper melodies,vocals,the music had a more broader sound to it. You could hear more pain and happiness in the music. This was the album that in my opinion brought a new Sam Fox to her listeners. Which eventually also carried over to Angel. In 21st Century Fox you could see she had a more strength in her songs,a new way about her. Very much a change in attitude,the whole record reflected it. One of her best albums also,very strong.
And finally…ANGEL. I was very late in hearing this album. One could not find this album on our store shelves at that time. Then one day in 2006 I remember it was on YouTube that I first heard heard Angel with an Attitude…it was a live performance of Sam from 2006 from Istanbul,Turkey. I saw Sam singing the title track and I was amazed,she still looked so great,she sang just as good as ever.
After that I imported Angel,making very sure I ordered the 14 track Deluxe version. The day it arrived in the mail I was really curious to hear what she sounded like. Then came the music…. Angel, Destined to be, Give myself to you,The Power,Dreams Unfold,Threw our love away…,…I was completely floored. I mean once again her sound had matured and changed. An extension of 21st Century Fox but with even more passion in the music. More feeling,maturity,but yet still familiar,still vintage Sam! An updated sexier sound also, a sound for our times.
Sam if you ever read this you need to know…. Your 2nd album and Angel are my very favorites from your career. Angel is such a reinvention of your sound. Your song writing on this album is amazing. Angel’s been in my disk players for the past few years more than any other CD. Its got an electric rock sound still, only now with some acoustics and Spanish guitars in spots,it’s still electric. Abit of a change from the classic Sam Fox dance albums from the past,but it was good..REALLY GOOD. Its because to me the Angel record feels like I’m reading her thoughts and her soul,and the songs were so well rounded,so good to listen to. Angel’s one of the best album’s I’ve ever bought and Im so very proud of her. The songs have a rich set of musicians on them,Sam herself sounds so amazing. At times you hear fire, and other times a soft gentleness about her. The record has such a good feeling to it. A message of love and for being strong. The collection of songs here are so genuine-Outstanding Sammy!
Finally- there’s one song on the album I’ve been very lucky to have spoken to her about online….that just really made an impression on me..
‘Move Me’ ….. The song just oozes feeling. Her vocals soft and yet abit raspy,with heavy emotion behind them. Sam didn’t sing a song here,she was telling a personal story,it sounded so real to me,and to this day I hold it as my favorite song off Angel. I luv her vocals,they’re just so personal. I truly wish a video had been made for this song. It deserves it.
It’s a piece of music that made its mark on me and I luv it… Its the shining jewel off the album.
Thanks Sam. I’ll always be a fan of yours. A devoted one. I have other bands I listen to but you’re at the very front of all of them. None do it better. Anyone who says otherwise is just kidding themselves. Xx
