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| Maxine Nightingale |
| Born in Wembley England in 1952, not much is known about Maxine, except that she produced one of the best dance songs of 1976. When "Right Back Where We Started From" first entered the charts in early 1976 it was considered a pop record. By the time it hit number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 it was definitely considered a 'disco record'. The amazing fact that it did so well in clubs despite not being remixed or released on a 12" single is more a testament to producer Pierre Tubbs than Maxine herself. Not to sell Ms. Nightingale short, it's just that any other voice could have been placed on the instrumental track and it would have done just as well. I thinks it's a combination of the mean sax, swirling violins, and those constant handclaps that make it so appealing.
The record was held off from the number one spot by "Let Your Love Flow"-Bellamy Brothers and then "Welcome Back"-John Sebastian, but it hung in their for 2 weeks at number two. The club and radio success pushed the same-titled album into the Top 40, but sadly another hit single from the album was not forth coming. That success did garner her a commitment for several more albums from United Artists Records. Her next album, 1977's "Night Life" received a luke-warm reception from radio stations. U.A. wisely decided that Maxine's popularity was generated from a club-based appeal and released a 12" single of "Love Hit Me" to appease the D.J.'s and dancers. It too received mediocre response, perhaps a snub for the failure to deliver the goods on her first hit? Still the album contained some exceptional material including her take on the classics "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" and "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely." United Artists Records was persistent in their faith in her and released "Love Lines" in 1978. The gamble didn't pay-off. The album produced no hits (radio or club) and quickly hit the cutout bins at the record stores. 1979 brought a new label (Windsong), and a renewed interest in Maxine. Skeptics and critics alike agreed on "Lead Me On." It seems that she wasn't just a 'one-hit wonder' as many had proclaimed. The first single was the title track of the album. It rose to number 5 on the Hot 100 and remained on the charts for an impressive 14 weeks. Her label wisely issued a 12" single to clubs to promote her second release. The result was a hit with "(Bringing Out) The Girl In Me" which hit the clubs with a respectable charting. By 1981 she had moved over to RCA Records (the distributer of Windsong) to release her fourth album. "Bittersweet" produced no hits, although once again, it was chocked full of quality material and Nightingale's voice was as powerful as ever. She released one more album in 1982. The Highrise Records album "It's A Beautiful Thing" failed to garner any attention here or abroad. Maxine, at this point seems to have dropped out of the music business, perhaps to focus on marriage and children? Maxine has resurfaced on former Supertramp percussionist Steve Reid's 2001 release "Dream Scapes" as the featured vocalist. Perhaps a comeback is in the works? The strength of her first hit alone, has garnered her a spot in The DiscoMuseum and hopefully we'll see more of her in the new millenium. |
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