(July 31, 2013) It's 2013 and Ava Cherry is everywhere. From music to film, the world is catching up to this celebrated pop culture icon. A fashion innovator and music trailblazer, Ava Cherrywas truly ahead of her time on Streetcar Named Desire (1982). Produced by Bob Esty, the album was a cutting-edge fusion of pop, rock, R&B, dance, and jazz that seemed channelled from the future. This summer, Ava Cherry and Bob Esty have teamed with Gold Legion to give audiences around the world the chance to own Streetcar Named Desire for the very first time since its original release.
(July 31, 2013) It's 2013 and Ava Cherry is everywhere. From music to film, the world is catching up to this celebrated pop culture icon. A fashion innovator and music trailblazer, Ava Cherrywas truly ahead of her time on Streetcar Named Desire (1982). Produced by Bob Esty, the album was a cutting-edge fusion of pop, rock, R&B, dance, and jazz that seemed channelled from the future. This summer, Ava Cherry and Bob Esty have teamed with Gold Legion to give audiences around the world the chance to own Streetcar Named Desire for the very first time since its original release. Remastered from the original master tapes, the album makes its long-awaited CD debut on AUGUST 6 and will also be available as an mp3 download later this summer.
Ava Cherry first emerged in the music industry as a background vocalist for David Bowie. She appeared in his historic 1980 Floor Show and sang back-up with Luther Vandross and Robin Clark on his Young Americans (1975) album. Signing with RSO/Curtom Records, Ava Cherry released her first solo album in 1980, Ripe!!! With production by Curtis Mayfield, Ripe!!! made the disco Top 10 and spawned the Top 40 R&B hit "Love Is Good News." Renowned music industry executive Bobby Colomby signed Ava Cherry to Capitol Records in 1981 and paired the singer with producer Bob Esty, whose work with artists like Cher, Donna Summer, and Barbra Streisand made him one of the most in-demand producers in LA.
On Streetcar Named Desire, BobEsty enlisted synth-rock band Zoo Drive (Paul Delph, John Goodsall, Doug Lunn, Ric Parnell) and future Oscar-nominated composer Mark Isham to contribute songs and play on the album. The style of the album ranged from the new wave bounce of "Love to Be Touched" to the funk-infused "Streetcar Named Desire," which legendary DJ Frankie Crocker championed as one of the strongest cuts on the album. Ava Cherry and Bob Esty collaborated with members of Zoo Drive on the majority of the songwriting, including the rock-oriented "Protection" andthe irresistible "Fast Lover." Session vocalist Arnold McCuller, who sang background on the album with Charlo Crossley and Leslie Smith, worked with Esty and Isham on "Techno Love" and also brought "Awkward SItuation" to the project. Ava Cherry delivered an impassioned performance on her cover of "This Time Around" by Deep Purple and imbued "Street Victim" withan edgy flair and commanding vocal presence.
Gold Legion has released Streetcar Named Desire as a limited edition digipak and also in a standard jewel case package. Both formats include a 16-page booklet with rare photos and a 5,000-word essay by Christian John Wikane that features new interviews and insights from Ava Cherry, Bob Esty, Bobby Colomby, Charlo Crossley, Arnold McCuller, Mark Isham, and Zoo Drive members John Goodsall, Doug Lunn, and Ric Parnell. Bonus tracks include the 12" remixes of "Streetcar Named Desire" and "Awkward Situation," plus the previously unreleased "I Guess It's Love" that was originally intended for the album.
The re-issue of Streetcar Named Desire is one of several major projects that Ava Cherry has in store for summer 2013. In August, Ava Cherry will appear in the Showtime premiere of David Bowie: Five Years, a documentary that features a new interview with the singer about the recording of Young Americans and her insights about working with Bowie in the early-'70s. The film was produced by the BBC and was first screened in London in May 2013. As a backing vocalist for both David Bowie and Luther Vandross, Ava Cherry can also be seen in 20 Feet from Stardom, a documentary that celebrates the role of background singers in popular music. The New York Times calls the film "generous and fascinating."
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