The album went Gold, and the single was eventually certified Platinum (for sales of more than two million U.S. Embraced by dance clubs, especially gay clubs, it eventually won over American radio stations and the song became one of the biggest hits of the 1980s. Branigan’s version was reworked with Tozzi’s own arranger, Greg Mathieson, who updated its production with fellow producer Jack White to give it what Branigan called “an American kick” to match the new English lyrics.Īmerican radio was initially unreceptive to “Gloria” the song’s combination of American and European sound predated the imminent second “British Invasion” of popular music by several months. “Gloria”, an Italian love song recorded by Umberto Tozzi in 1979 (and successful in several European countries), was released as the album’s second single. Her first solo album Branigan was released in 1982 the first single from this album was “All Night With Me,” which hit #69 on the Billboard charts in early 1982.īranigan, the nine-song debut album, alternated four energetic up-tempo songs with five ballads, including one of the few songs written solely by Branigan: “I Wish We Could Be Alone”. None of these three singles (or the B-side “When”) were included on her first album or ever reissued on any compilation LP or CD to date. Two other early Atlantic singles, “Tell Him” and “Fool’s Affair”, followed. She was finally categorized as a pop singer and a single called “Looking Out for Number One” made a brief appearance on the U.S. The strength of her alto voice, with its four-octave range, ironically impeded her career for a couple of years while the label went through the process of categorizing her. In 1979 Branigan was signed by Ahmet Ertegun to Atlantic Records. During the years after Meadow broke up, she had various jobs, including a stint as one of Leonard Cohen’s backup singers for his European tour. The record was never re-released, and Branigan preferred not to discuss her involvement with Meadow publicly. In the early 1970s, Branigan was a member of the band Meadow, which recorded one album in 1973 called The Friend Ship. The song holds a place in the top 100 singles of both 19.īranigan died at her home in East Quogue, New York, on August 26, 2004, of a previously undiagnosed cerebral aneurysm. Her signature song “Gloria” stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks, at the time a record for a female artist. As well as her music, she was also known for her powerful, husky alto singing voice which spanned four octaves.īranigan also contributed songs to notable motion picture and television soundtracks, including the Grammy and Academy Award-winning Flashdance soundtrack (1983), the Ghostbusters soundtrack (1984), and the Baywatch soundtrack (1994), as well as having songs featured in the popular Grand Theft Auto video game series. Branigan is also remembered for the Top 10 “Solitaire” and for the number-one Adult Contemporary hit “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”, as well as several other US Top 40 hits. She is best remembered for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit “Gloria” and for the Top Ten single “Self Control”. Representative: International Creative ManagementĪn American singer,songwriter and actress. Photo Comments: The photo above is a promotional photograph and is most likely owned by the publisher or photogragher. Memorial: Branigan was cremated, and her ashes were distributed over Long Island Sound. Location Died: Long Island, New York, United States of America Location Born: Brewster, New York, United States of America Upon its release, Over My Heart failed to chart a single and even soft rock radio stations barely gave it any notice.Location: Brewster, New York, United States of America Even the novelty of "Mujer Contra Mujer" and "Mangwane" wears off before their endings, and Gloria Estefan's "Love Your Girl" is a tad interesting but suffers from the rest of the album's heart-heaviness. The title track and "How Do I Help You Say Goodbye" offer up the most potential, but there's just too much beach-walking throughout her songs to create any sort of real impact, even for the adult contemporary crowd. The one thing that Branigan does have going for her is her voice, which sounds fresh and crisp despite her clichéd material. Even her Spanish can't pull her through, and sluggish efforts like Michael Bolton's "It's Hard Enough Getting Over You" and "Didn't We Almost Win It All" are mired in a barrage of "what if"-styled romanticism. At the age of 36, Laura Branigan felt it was time to sing more about heartache and the pains of failing relationships than to give her music the same kind of pop amiability found on past hits like "Self Control" and "Gloria." But the real problem with Over My Heart is that each and every track gets doused with an overabundance of thirty-something insipidness and routine-sounding lyrical drivel.
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