A talk with Stacey Q

Caps interviews 80s singer Stacey Q about her career and likes.
On
June 01, 2007
Preface: This interview was done for the website oldschool4life, a retro website similar to this one. Things didn't work out and so the site went offline. I still kept back-ups of the interview and the pictures, though, and with the permission of the mods and administrators of this site, I'll now be reposting this article.

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If you're as familiar with 80s dance music as I am, then you'll recognize the name Stacey Q.

Stacey in the 80s:
If not, here's a brief biography:

Born Stacey Swain in 1959, Stacey Q is one of the best dance talents of the 80s. Her 1986 album "Better Than Heaven" produced two Billboard singles ("Two Of Hearts" came in at number 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 while "We Connect" was a Top 40 single that peaked at number 23). In her work, she's done different types of music from dance to soft rock. She's also an actress and (more recently) an anime voice-over artist as well, working on the American dub of an anime called "Stratos 4".

I met Ms. Q through MySpace and, through her associate Shawn Winstian, I was able to procure an interview with her. Without any further introduction:

The Stacey Q & A

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Caps: When you were growing up, who were your favorite musicians and what
were your favorite songs?

SQ: David Bowie; Hunky Dory, David Live, the rise & fall of Ziggy Stardust
& the Spiders from Mars. I assume my growing up years are 10 to 20 yrs. Old???

Caps: What was the first movie you remember seeing in a theater? Who were
your favorite actors/actresses?

SQ: Cinderella. b) Suzanne Plechette, Audrey Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins, David
Bowie

Caps: When you entered the music industry, what was the first gig you
remembered doing?

SQ: SSQ, at Greenworld Distribution in Torrance, Ca. (1983)

Caps: How did you come across the name Stacey Q?

SQ: In 1981, Q (the original project) was Jon, Dan, and myself hence Jon Q,
Dan Q, & Stacey Q. Q, the original name of the project, references James
Bond and the scientist responsible for all his high tech gadgets.

Caps: Looking at your influences section on your MySpace page, you said that
you've been influenced by David Bowie and Motorhead. That really surprised
me. Have you ever given any thought to doing a straight-forward rock album,
possibly with a re-tooled version of one or two of your earlier hits?

SQ: YES!!!!!

Caps: How do you feel the music industry has changed between the 80s and today?

SQ: The changes are like night and day. Too numerous to mention, and
depressing to music fans. Let's spare them, shall we? Eminem comes to mind,
though." cuz it feels so empty without me"..

Caps: Two of your songs with SSQ were used on the soundtrack of the movie
"Return Of The Living Dead". Did you audition for the movie as well? If I
may be forward, I find myself thinking that you would've been good in the
role of Trash (essayed in the movie by Linnea Quigley).

SQ: No, I did not audition. And Linnea was perfect. That was her role, no
doubt.

Caps: I've seen every one of VH1's "I Love The 80s" programs, and none of
them have covered your work. Is there a reason why it hasn't been done?

SQ: I have no idea.

Caps: Given the opportunity, would you be a commentator on any of the "I Love..."
programs?

SQ: Are you joking? Where do I sign?!!!!!!

Caps: On the show "The Facts Of Life", you made several appearances as a
singer named Cinnamon. You also made appearances on "Full House" and
"Mama's Family". I bring this up because a common issue among TV-on-DVD
fans is a problem with music replacement, due to factors like money and
image. How do you feel about music licensing issues when it comes to
TV-on-DVD?

SQ: I feel fine about licensing because I still get paid. Just got a check
from BMI today in the mail as a matter of fact. When you are a celebrity,
dignity and grace are what you must remember, not how much more money you
think you want..

Caps: According to your IMDB bio, "Weird" Al Yankovic did a spoof of "Two Of
Hearts" entitled "Two Pop-Tarts". Is there any reason why that song never
made it onto any of his albums?

SQ: Yes! Royalties at the record co. level were held up because of the 2 of
hearts song writers, so we nicely advised our friend Al, "Don't bother".

Caps: Something I've noticed about 80s and 90s dance artists is that they've
been able to roll with the changes in their genre better than rockers and
rappers. It's not just you, but also talents like Bananarama and Samantha
Fox, to use two examples. What is it about dance music that makes it easier
for artists to adjust to the genre's genesis?

SQ: I'll tell you. Dance Music is a producer's field. Not an artist's. I
can elaborate if you really need me to.

Author's note: In a later e-mail, she elaborated with the following answer.

SQ: I'll tell you. Dance Music, as generally
referred to (by US) is famous for their producers.Layo
& Bushwacka are DJs. See, everybody is welcome . From
the poor kid in the ghetto, like the legendary and
heroic Eminem to child protoges like Drummer Josh
Freeze, flower children like Jewel or Tiny Tim.
sometimes we re-mix the shittiest shit you ever heard
and make a cool DANCE mix. I am a dancer, actually.
Not even a singer. Sure has been a fantastic
experience for me. Magic and depth are key elements
more so than training and ego, and undeniable truth,
if you express something that rings true so clearly
that almost no one can deny believing you, then a
ripp'in DANCE BEAT can't hurt! Do you know what I
mean? The NEW WAVE was based on all kinds of costumes
and DANCING. I find it refreshing to hear projects
where the ego-maniac artist is not the main
focus. Thanx for asking...........

Caps: I view various movies and TV shows, and the talents in them tend to
exaggerate the pop-culture and fashions of the 80s when talking about them.
Why do people make fun of the decade?

SQ: Because they missed out on the fun and the money!!!!! They simply don't
know because they were not part of the New Wave. Bummer for them.

Caps: If you were to work with any 5 artists and/or producers on a future
album, who would they be and why?

SQ: GEORGE MARTIN, Lindsay Buckingham, K.D. LANG, JACOB DYLAN, DAVID BOWIE
& JON ST. JAMES. The reasons should be obvious. Oh, and JON ANDERSON of YES
'cause he's so kind..

Caps: To put a cap on it, if you had the opportunity to go back to the 80s
with the knowledge that you have now, is there anything you would change?

SQ: I cherish it all. No. But if by chance everyone didn't have a positive,
learning experience, I would change that. If I could I would change all
suffering during that period of time to non-suffering and true happiness.
Thanx for asking!!!!! Keep in touch.

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Once again, I would like to thank the lovely Stacey Q for agreeing to this interview and I would once again like to thank her associate, Shawn Winstian of Hydra Productions for setting this up, Keep dancing!


Stacey in recent years:
3
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