Rachel Sweet
Encyclopedia
Rachel Sweet is an America
n singer, television writer and actress
.
, and performed in Las Vegas
as the opening act for Bill Cosby
at the age of twelve. She began recording
country music
in 1974, but with little success beyond one minor Country Chart hit. Switching to rock and roll
, she signed to the British
Stiff Records
label
and released her first album
, Fool Around
, in 1978, dropping out of high school to concentrate on her career, although she was still required to devote time to her studies. Sweet was backed by The Records
on the Stiff Records tour in 1978. The album was a critical success, but sales were poor, although she did have some success with the single "B-A-B-Y", which was a top-40
hit in the UK. She also generated some controversy for her Lolita
-like image. Her follow-up album, Protect the Innocent
, produced by Martin Rushent
and Alan Winstanley
, was largely ignored by the public and the music media. She then signed to Columbia Records
in 1981, releasing ... And Then He Kissed Me, which launched the hit single
, "Everlasting Love", a duet
with Rex Smith
.
Sweet only released one more album, 1982's Blame it on Love before retiring. She resumed her education via correspondence courses and went on to graduate from Columbia University
in French and English Literature in 1988. She returned to music sporadically as she focused on her education, recording the title track to John Waters' film Hairspray and many of the songs for his musical Cry Baby. In 1989 and 1990, she hosted a show on The Comedy Channel (forerunner of Comedy Central
) called The Sweet Life. She also recorded the theme song to the Nickelodeon
series Clarissa Explains It All
; the theme song was a reworking of the theme song for her show on The Comedy Channel, The Sweet Life. She also provided the voice for the Barbie animated series. In 1992 appeared in a minor role as George Costanza
's cousin on an episode of Seinfeld
, "The Contest
." She has since focused on establishing an acting, writing, and producing career. In 1994 she appeared in All Tied Up
. She worked as a writer and executive producer on the television series Dharma & Greg
, Commando Nanny, George Lopez
and Hot in Cleveland
, and has worked in television production since the late 1990s.
In 1982, she had a starring role in a low-budget musical film entitled Rock 'n' Roll Hotel, which also featured Judd Nelson
. It was filmed in Richmond, Virginia
, at the then-inoperative Jefferson Hotel. The film was never released to theaters, but was eventually finished by Sweet and her father and shown on Home Box Office
.
In 1992 Rhino Records released Fool Around: The Best of Rachel Sweet. The CD compilation
included tracks from all the previous releases as well as the theme to Hairspray.
Sweet bought Madonna
's former home, Los Pavoreales, selling it in 2010 for $4,895,000.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n singer, television writer and actress
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Biography
After beginning her singing career at the age of three, when she won an electric garage door opener in a singing contest, she began recording commercials at the age of six, toured with Mickey RooneyMickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
, and performed in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
as the opening act for Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
at the age of twelve. She began recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
in 1974, but with little success beyond one minor Country Chart hit. Switching to rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, she signed to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
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,...
and released her first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Fool Around
Fool Around
Fool Around is Rachel Sweet's debut album. It was released when she was 16.This album was originally released in England as Stiff Records SEEZ 12 with a somewhat different set of tracks from what appeared on the American release and all other releases since.-Track listing :All tracks composed by...
, in 1978, dropping out of high school to concentrate on her career, although she was still required to devote time to her studies. Sweet was backed by The Records
The Records
The Records were an English power pop band in the late 1970s. Allmusic notes that they are often referred to as the "British Big Star". They are best remembered for the hit single and cult favourite "Starry Eyes".-History:...
on the Stiff Records tour in 1978. The album was a critical success, but sales were poor, although she did have some success with the single "B-A-B-Y", which was a top-40
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 ...
hit in the UK. She also generated some controversy for her Lolita
Lolita
Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in English and published in 1955 in Paris and 1958 in New York, and later translated by the author into Russian...
-like image. Her follow-up album, Protect the Innocent
Protect the Innocent
Protect the Innocent is Rachel Sweet's second album containing tracks by Lou Reed and Graham Parker. The backing musicians are uncredited, but it has been rumoured that they were Fingerprintz.-Track listing:# "Tonight" – 3:10...
, produced by Martin Rushent
Martin Rushent
Martin Rushent was an English record producer, best known for his work with The Human League, The Stranglers and The Buzzcocks.- Early life :Rushent was born on 11 July 1948 in Enfield, Middlesex. His father was a car salesman...
and Alan Winstanley
Alan Winstanley
Alan Kenneth Winstanley is a British record producer active from the mid-1970s onwards. He usually works with Clive Langer.-Notable studio albums produced by Alan Winstanley and Clive Langer:* One Step Beyond... – Madness...
, was largely ignored by the public and the music media. She then signed to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1981, releasing ... And Then He Kissed Me, which launched the hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, "Everlasting Love", a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Rex Smith
Rex Smith
Rex Smith is an American actor and singer. Smith debuted in the Broadway play Grease in 1978. He is noted for his role as Jesse Mach in the 1985 television series Street Hawk, as well as being a singer and stage actor. During the late 1970s, Smith was popular as a teen idol...
.
Sweet only released one more album, 1982's Blame it on Love before retiring. She resumed her education via correspondence courses and went on to graduate from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in French and English Literature in 1988. She returned to music sporadically as she focused on her education, recording the title track to John Waters' film Hairspray and many of the songs for his musical Cry Baby. In 1989 and 1990, she hosted a show on The Comedy Channel (forerunner of Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
) called The Sweet Life. She also recorded the theme song to the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
series Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All is an American teen sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon. Created by Mitchell Kriegman, it aired for five seasons for a total of 65 episodes from March 23, 1991, to December 3, 1994, and then went into reruns....
; the theme song was a reworking of the theme song for her show on The Comedy Channel, The Sweet Life. She also provided the voice for the Barbie animated series. In 1992 appeared in a minor role as George Costanza
George Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
's cousin on an episode of 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...
, "The Contest
The Contest
"The Contest" was the 51st episode of the NBC sitcom, Seinfeld. The eleventh episode of the fourth season, it aired on November 18, 1992. In the episode, George Costanza tells Jerry Seinfeld, Elaine Benes and Cosmo Kramer that his mother caught him unaware while he was masturbating...
." She has since focused on establishing an acting, writing, and producing career. In 1994 she appeared in All Tied Up
All Tied Up
All Tied Up is a 1994 comedy film comedy with the tagline "One man, three women and a very long rope." It was filmed in Los Angeles, California, United States.-Cast:*Zach Galligan as Brian Hartley*Teri Hatcher as Linda Alissio...
. She worked as a writer and executive producer on the television series Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
, Commando Nanny, George Lopez
George Lopez (TV series)
"The George Lopez Show" redirects here. For the late-night program hosted by the same comedian, see Lopez Tonight.George Lopez is an American sitcom starring comedian George Lopez...
and Hot in Cleveland
Hot in Cleveland
Hot in Cleveland is an American sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The series, which is TV Land's first original scripted series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The...
, and has worked in television production since the late 1990s.
In 1982, she had a starring role in a low-budget musical film entitled Rock 'n' Roll Hotel, which also featured Judd Nelson
Judd Nelson
Judd Asher Nelson is an American actor. He is best known for being a member of the "Brat Pack" in the mid-1980s; and for his roles as John Bender in The Breakfast Club, Alec Newbary in St...
. It was filmed in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, at the then-inoperative Jefferson Hotel. The film was never released to theaters, but was eventually finished by Sweet and her father and shown on Home Box Office
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
.
In 1992 Rhino Records released Fool Around: The Best of Rachel Sweet. The CD 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...
included tracks from all the previous releases as well as the theme to Hairspray.
Sweet bought Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's former home, Los Pavoreales, selling it in 2010 for $4,895,000.
Albums
- Fool AroundFool AroundFool Around is Rachel Sweet's debut album. It was released when she was 16.This album was originally released in England as Stiff Records SEEZ 12 with a somewhat different set of tracks from what appeared on the American release and all other releases since.-Track listing :All tracks composed by...
(1978), StiffStiff RecordsStiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007.... - Protect the InnocentProtect the InnocentProtect the Innocent is Rachel Sweet's second album containing tracks by Lou Reed and Graham Parker. The backing musicians are uncredited, but it has been rumoured that they were Fingerprintz.-Track listing:# "Tonight" – 3:10...
(1980), Stiff - US #123 - ... And Then He Kissed Me (1981), ColumbiaColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
- US #124 - Blame it on Love (1982), Columbia
Compilation albums
- B.A.B.Y. - the Best of Rachel Sweet (1978), Stiff
- Fool Around: The Best of Rachel Sweet (1992), Rhino - US #97
- ...And Then He Kissed Me / Blame It On Love (2005), Sony
Singles
- "Any Port in a Storm" (1976), Derrick
- "Paper Airplane" (197?), Derrick
- "The Ballad of Mable Ruth Miller and John Wesley Pritchett" (1978), Derrick
- "B-A-B-Y" (1978), Stiff - UK #35
- "Stranger in the House" (1978), Stiff-Columbia
- "Baby Let's Play House" (1979), Stiff
- "I Go To Pieces" (1979), Stiff
- "Tonight" (1980), Stiff
- "Spellbound" (1980), Stiff
- "Fool's Gold" (1980), Stiff
- "Lover's Lane" (1980), Stiff/Columbia
- "Everlasting Love" (1981), Columbia - with Rex Smith, US #32 UK #35
- "Then He Kissed Me - Be My Baby" (1981), CBS
- "Party Girl" (1981), CBS
- "Voo Doo" (1982), Columbia - US #72
- "Hairspray" (1988), MCAMCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...