Origin: (Switzerland)

ALEXA

Alexa Anastasia

Alexa albums:

	st - 1989
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Notes about Alexa:

 Text in English

- Alexa Anastasia, who recorded under the name Alexa, was born in Switzerland and was living in Los Angeles when she came to the attention of the guitarist, singer and producer Paul Sabu [1]. Interviewed by *Kerrang!* in 1989, she explained that she had been a dancer until a knee operation forced her to give it up, by which time she had already begun singing and auditioning for bands. She had been singing for around ten years, playing pool bars, biker bars and Top 40 clubs, where she mostly performed covers while she developed a style of her own [2]. She first heard of Sabu while working at a studio, when she was told he was looking for someone to record one of his songs. Nothing came of it and they lost touch, but two years later, while she was singing in a club, they met again and he asked her to work on some dance tracks he had in progress. From then on the two wrote together, and she said she had been working with him for about five years [2].

Sabu produced and engineered her debut album, *Alexa*, and played guitar on it, with Tommy Rude on keyboards, Murrill Maglio on bass and Charles Esposito on drums, plus additional background vocals by Devon Meade [3][4][5]. The backing group was, in effect, Only Child, the band in which Sabu sang and played guitar with the same three musicians and whose self-titled debut had come out on Rampage in 1988 [6]. Jane McCord and Jay Baumgardner worked as second engineers, and Stephen Marcussen mastered the album at Precision Lacquer [3]. The British label Savage Records released it in 1989 on LP, cassette and CD (LP VAG 911, CAS VAG 911 and CD VAG 911), and Vidisco issued it on vinyl in Portugal [3][7].

Sabu shared the writing credits on eight of the ten songs. Alexa wrote "Cool Wind" by herself and co-wrote "I Can't Shake You", "Heart To Heart" and "From Now On", all three with Sabu, and the album also included a version of "Spooky", the Classics IV hit of the late 1960s [4][8].

In his *Kerrang!* review, Derek Oliver suggested that, with the right marketing, Alexa could take over the position once held by Lee Aaron [2], and AllMusic later observed that the record drew comparisons with Lita Ford and Lee Aaron [1]. Her interview with Dave Reynolds, conducted in London for a two-page *Kerrang!* feature, found her unhappy with the label's hurried first press photographs, which had dressed her in leather as a heavy metal princess; flattering as it was to be called a female counterpart to Sabu, she said, she wanted to establish a sound of her own [2]. The feature also took up a rumour, already in circulation, that the voice on the album was Sabu's. Alexa acknowledged his strong influence on her as an artist but was emphatic: "that IS me on the record!" [2]. Years later, in *Classic Rock Presents AOR*, Sabu said he still found it amusing to be asked whether the album was really his, and stated plainly that the singing was hers [6].

Alexa also sang two songs in *To Die For*, Deran Sarafian's vampire film, which opened in Los Angeles in May 1989 and was issued on DVD in 2005 as *Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Love Story to Die For*: "For You I'd Die", which she co-wrote with its producer, Stacy Widelitz, and "Where Are You", written and produced by Kris Key [9][10]. Her performance of "For You I'd Die" is credited as courtesy of Savage Records, and Sabu contributed a song of his own, "Always", to the same film [9][10].

Sales were too modest to bring her wider attention [1]. In 2006 the German label MTM Music reissued the album on CD in its MTM Classix series (0681-159), digitally remastered by Toni Übler and with the original ten tracks, without the two film songs. In his note for the reissue booklet, Sabu described her as "a blonde bombshell that sounded like Joe Cocker" [4]. -

Notas sobre Alexa:

 Texto en Español

- Alexa Anastasia, que grabó con el nombre de Alexa, nació en Suiza y vivía en Los Ángeles cuando llamó la atención del guitarrista, cantante y productor Paul Sabu [1]. En una entrevista concedida a *Kerrang!* en 1989 explicó que había sido bailarina hasta que una operación de rodilla la obligó a dejarlo, cuando ya había empezado a cantar y a presentarse a audiciones con grupos. Llevaba unos diez años cantando en bares de billar, bares de moteros y locales de Top 40, donde interpretaba sobre todo versiones mientras desarrollaba un estilo propio [2]. Supo de Sabu cuando trabajaba en un estudio y le dijeron que él buscaba a alguien para grabar una de sus canciones. Aquello no prosperó y perdieron el contacto, pero dos años después, mientras ella cantaba en un club, volvieron a encontrarse y él le propuso trabajar en unos temas de música de baile que tenía entre manos. A partir de ahí empezaron a componer juntos, y ella contaba que llevaba unos cinco años trabajando con él [2].

Sabu produjo su primer álbum, *Alexa*, se ocupó de la ingeniería de sonido y tocó las guitarras, con Tommy Rude a los teclados, Murrill Maglio al bajo y Charles Esposito a la batería, además de coros adicionales de Devon Meade [3][4][5]. El grupo de acompañamiento era, en la práctica, Only Child, la banda en la que Sabu cantaba y tocaba la guitarra con esos mismos tres músicos y cuyo debut homónimo había publicado Rampage en 1988 [6]. Jane McCord y Jay Baumgardner trabajaron como segundos ingenieros, y Stephen Marcussen realizó la masterización en Precision Lacquer [3]. El sello británico Savage Records lo publicó en 1989 en larga duración, casete y CD (LP VAG 911, CAS VAG 911 y CD VAG 911), y Vidisco lo editó en vinilo en Portugal [3][7].

Sabu figura como coautor de ocho de las diez canciones. Alexa compuso en solitario «Cool Wind» y firmó con Sabu «I Can't Shake You», «Heart To Heart» y «From Now On»; el disco incluía además un versionado de «Spooky», el éxito de Classics IV de finales de los sesenta [4][8].

En su reseña para *Kerrang!*, Derek Oliver apuntó que, con el marketing adecuado, Alexa podía ocupar el lugar que en su día tuvo Lee Aaron [2], y AllMusic señaló más tarde que el disco suscitó comparaciones con Lita Ford y Lee Aaron [1]. En la entrevista con Dave Reynolds, realizada en Londres para un reportaje a doble página en *Kerrang!*, admitió que no le gustaban las primeras fotos promocionales, hechas con prisas por el sello, que la vestían de cuero como una princesa del heavy metal; aunque le halagaba que la llamaran la versión femenina de Sabu, quería forjar un sonido propio [2]. El reportaje abordaba también un rumor que ya circulaba: que la voz del disco era la del propio Sabu. Alexa reconoció la fuerte influencia que él había ejercido sobre ella como artista, pero fue tajante: «¡esa SOY yo en el disco!» [2]. Años después, en *Classic Rock Presents AOR*, Sabu contó que aún le hacía gracia que le preguntaran si el disco era en realidad suyo y afirmó sin rodeos que quien cantaba era ella [6].

Alexa interpretó además dos canciones en *To Die For*, la película de vampiros de Deran Sarafian, que se estrenó en Los Ángeles en mayo de 1989 y que en 2005 se editó en DVD como *Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Love Story to Die For*: «For You I'd Die», que compuso con su productor, Stacy Widelitz, y «Where Are You», escrita y producida por Kris Key [9][10]. En los créditos, su interpretación de «For You I'd Die» figura por cortesía de Savage Records, y Sabu aportó a la misma película una canción propia, «Always» [9][10].

Las ventas fueron demasiado modestas para darle una mayor proyección [1]. En 2006, el sello alemán MTM Music reeditó el álbum en CD dentro de su serie MTM Classix (0681-159), remasterizado digitalmente por Toni Übler y con los diez temas originales, sin las dos canciones de la película. En su nota para el libreto de la reedición, Sabu la describió como «una rubia explosiva que sonaba como Joe Cocker» [4]. -

Sources/Fuentes

[1] AllMusic. "Alexa" – artist biography. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexa-mn0000520836

[2] Reynolds, Dave. "Alexa Rated." Kerrang! (UK), 1989. Two-page feature, photograph by Ray Palmer. Print source; no online edition.

[3] Alexa. Alexa. LP, Savage Records LP VAG 911, UK, 1989 (back-cover credits). Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/2278688-Alexa-Alexa

[4] Alexa. Alexa. CD reissue, MTM Music / MTM Classix 0681-159, Germany, 2006 (booklet credits and liner note by Paul Sabu). Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/3217938-Alexa-Alexa

[5] Heavy Harmonies. "Alexa – Alexa" (CD, Savage CD VAG 911). https://heavyharmonies.com/cgi-bin/glamcd.cgi?BandNum=2129&CDName=Alexa

[6] Reynolds, Dave. "How Only Child made one of the greatest cult hard rock debut albums ever." Louder, 20 January 2024; originally published in Classic Rock Presents AOR, issue 1. https://www.loudersound.com/features/only-child-paul-sabu-cult-album

[7] Discogs. "Alexa – Alexa" (master release: all versions, including the Portuguese Vidisco LP 11.30.1058). https://www.discogs.com/master/473730-Alexa-Alexa

[8] Wikipedia. "Spooky (Classics IV song)." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spooky_(Classics_IV_song)

[9] IMDb. "To Die For (1988) – Soundtracks." https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098482/soundtrack/

[10] AFI Catalog of Feature Films. "To Die For (1989)." https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58312-TO-DIE-FOR?cxt=filmography