Sheena Easton was the original Lady Gaga!

Yesterday was Sheena Easton's 52nd birthday. Which is ridiculous because she still looks younger and fresher than Miley Cyrus. Anyway, I was planning a little tribute post to celebrate the occasion and decided to write about "Telefone" - my all time Sheena favourite. Released in 1983, this synth-pop gem became the Scottish diva's 4th US top 10 hit and nabbed her a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal. I love everything about it, from the sublime 80s production (courtesy of Greg Mathieson, who also delivered the goods on her previous album "A Private Heaven") to the supernaturally catchy chorus. That's not even mentioning Sheena's adorably indignant vocal. She's so pressed that her man hasn't called! Her pain is universal and a generation of gays loved her for it.

So here I was writing about my beloved idol when I started having visions of Lady Gaga. I initially assumed her Monsters had finally gone too far and made a voodoo doll in my likeness but then I had a shocking realisation. Sheena Easton is yet another victim of the fame monster's thievery. Just look at that cover. It conveys the same demented, slightly Gothic look that Gaga likes to think she coined. Then I re-watched the video and knew I was onto something. The black & white clip sends up B horror, bringing an unexpected edge to a fluffy pop song - making it an early blue print for "Born This Way". Only Sheena succeeds where Gaga falls flat. Her clip is hilarious and the bad special effects (the bat kills me) add to the fun. I love her crazy eyes at the 50 second mark and the stunning beauty rocks that lace gown with more attitude than a punk rocker. This is so far ahead of its time it's absolutely mind boggling. Everyone talks about Madonna's role in shaping Gaga - perhaps it's time to pay Sheena her due. And wish her a happy birthday while you're at it!

Cyndi Lauper - Live In Sydney

Last night I got to tick another iconic diva off my "must see" list. I caught Cyndi Lauper at Mardi Gras a couple of years ago but two songs after twelve pills doesn't really count. And to be honest, I almost missed this show too. The idea of sitting through a blues set didn't fill me with excitement. There are two distinct phases of Cyndi's career that I connect with - "Bring Ya To The Brink" (my favourite album of 2008) and just about everything pre-1990. My mum was obsessed with her in the 80s and I grew up with "She's So Unusual" and "True Colors". I also vividly remember mum taking me to see Vibes in the city. Who else remembers that masterpiece? Ms Lauper played a psychic and I think it had a completely believable plot about an Incan tribe in Ecuador with supernatural powers. Please tell me it's on DVD! But back to the concert. It was a revelation. I expected the songs it to be a fairly sedate affair but from the moment Cyndi took the stage and started bouncing around like a teenager I knew I was very wrong.

The first thing that strikes you about the seemingly ageless 57-year-old (seriously, what's her secret?) is her adorable accent. The next thing is her voice, which has only become stronger with time. It is one of the most unique instruments in popular music and she put it to good use on "Just Your Fool" and "Shattered Dreams" - two of the highlights from "Memphis Blues". From then on it was a fairly even mix of old songs and blues covers. I don't know enough about the latter genre to pass judgement on their authenticity but they sounded pretty good to my uneducated ears. Particularly the uplifting "Down Don't Bother Me". More surprising was how effortlessly classics like "She Bop" and "Change Of Heart" fit into the set. The extended encore, which almost ended in drama when one of Cyndi's crazy fans started harassing the diva for asking people to sit down, included "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", "True Colours" and the gorgeous "Rain On Me". I'd still love to catch her in pop mode one day but this was a great introduction to one of music's last originals.

All this talk about Vibes has put me in the mood for "Hole In My Heart" (below), a top 10 Australian hit for Cyndi in 1988. I need to see this movie again!

Belinda Carlisle - Live At Rooty Hill RSL

So last night I drove to Rooty Hill RSL to catch one of my favourite divas strut her stuff in concert for the first time. I was originally supposed to see the legendary Belinda Carlisle last weekend and was gutted when those plans fell through. You see, I've loved this woman since I was a child. "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" was one of the first singles I ever bought - I still have the battered 7" vinyl somewhere - and 1989's seminal "Runaway Horses" ranks as one of my favourite albums of all time. But as much as I love for her back catalogue, my expectations were pretty low. After all, she's been pretty much hiding under a rock for the past decade and I feared she could be a little rusty. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. The still gorgeous 52 year old looked and sounded better than ever. She belted out hit after hit to rapturous applause and had the audience hypnotised by her amazing dance moves and stunning command of the tambourine. Put it down to nostalgia if you like but I haven't had that much fun at a gig in a very long time.

Some of my Belinda collection

The show opened with a brilliant projection that I would die to get my hands on. Seriously, that shit was hot. It showed clip after clip from the diva's glory years and basically emphasised her chic, high cheeked beauty and the fact that - at least for a while there in the late 80s - she was right up there with Madonna and Janet as one of pop's leading ladies. When Belinda finally hit the stage to sing "Runaway Horses", it blew my mind to think most of that footage was taken a quarter of a century ago. How has she remained so beautiful while Madonna looks like Gollum in drag? But I digress. "Runaway Horses" was followed by "I Get Weak" - easily one of the pop icon's best singles. Bel sounded absolutely amazing and had every geriatric gay and drunken spinster in the room singing along with her. Next up was her number 11 Australian smash "In Too Deep" - she kindly gave Jenny Morris props for doing the song first - before launching into the hugely underrated "California" from her last English language album "A Man And A Woman". The pop legend then went old school with "Mad About You" (why hasn't anyone covered this gem?) and "Circles In The Sand".

One of the best things about the show was the hit heavy setlist. While some divas of a certain vintage are precious about belting out B-sides from 1993 that only their children and stalkers know, Belinda stuck to songs that actually charted. Which meant basically performing half of her double platinum album "Runaway Horses". She knocked out an exquisite version of "Vision Of You", the gorgeous "La Luna" and her signature tune - in this country - "Summer Rain". I never thought I'd say it but Slinkee Minx could never! From then on the former Go-Go switched gears, focusing on uptempo numbers like 1993's stunning #56 smash "Big Scary Animal", my all time favourite Belinda song "(We Want) The Same Thing" and the seminal 90s classic "Leave A Light On" - before finishing up with her sadly forgotten gay anthem "Live Your Life Be Free". For the encore she dusted off a Go-Go's medley and her biggest hit "Heaven Is A Place On Earth", which really was something akin to a spiritual experience.

If you missed the Belinda experience, never fear. Apparently she is so overwhelmed by the success of her Australian tour that she's already in talks to return next year. I'm going to every show! While we wait for the diva's return, check out this stunning rendition of "Big Scary Animal" from one of her Melbourne dates. Legend.

Jennifer Rush & The Song Of The Year?

We're almost at the halfway mark of 2010 and already a handful of tracks stand out as early contenders for the song of the year. There's Kylie's exquisite "All The Lovers", Robyn's bitter "Dancing On My Own", Livvi Franc's criminally underrated "Automatik", Matisse's stunning mega-flop "Better Than Her" and Tania Foster's unreleased gem "Supawoman". Well, you can add another stunning anthem to that shortlist. Earlier this year 80s icon Jennifer Rush released her first studio album in over 13 years. "Now Is The Hour" debuted at an impressive #21 in Germany but the lead single underperformed and the album has since fallen down the charts faster than "Not Myself Tonight". It might be too late to revive Jen's stalled comeback but the recently released second single is nothing short of spectacular. "Echoes Love" is easily the diva's best track in 25 years and the Seductions Radio Mix turns an already brilliant pop song into something extraordinary by giving it an irresistible disco makeover.

Think "Release Me" (Agnes not Zoe Badwi) meets Cher's "Strong enough" and you get some idea of what to expect. Jennifer's glorious pipes inject the anthem with heart and soul, while the lyrics are unashamedly romantic without being vomit inducing. And let's not forget that magnificent chorus. Amazingly, "Echoes Love" is still very much a diamond in the rough. The production could do with a polish and the remix - while very effective - sounds like it was thrown together in 5 minutes by the intern at Jen's record label. I'm sure AATW or 3 Beat Blue could work wonders with it for the UK market but I doubt they'll bother. And not because of the song's quality. Who is going to take a chance on a 49 year old plastic surgery addict who looks like Sylvester Stallone in drag? It's a shame because this gorgeous stunner is worth a dozen 20 year old Swedish bimbos. Nevertheless, I'm convinced the song will find love and affection from pop connoisseurs around the globe. Brace yourself for the brilliance of "Echoes Love" and the mindblowing natural beauty of Jennifer Rush (below). A huge thanks to Gordon for bringing this amazing treasure to my attention.

Sabrina Vs Samantha Fox - Call Me!

Last October I wrote a post titled Duet of the Century about the impending release of Sabrina's hotly anticipated (by at least three Italian gays) collaboration with Samantha Fox. As a long time admirer of both busty beauties, I was more than a little excited at the prospect of them joining forces - but it never happened. That is until now. After an agonising 9 month wait, their stunning Hi-NRG cover of Blondie's "Call Me" is finally here! And it's just as amazing as you would expect from the 80s icons that brought you seminal classics like "Touch Me" and "Boys (Summertime Love)". I can't even explain how much joy this gives me. Seriously, the only thing that could put a bigger smile on my face is a Beyoncé/La Toya duet! I grew up worshipping these heavenly divas and it's so satisfying to know that they're still here, still fabulous and still as top heavy as ever. The song itself is cute. Neither woman is particularly famous for her vocal ability but I love their breathy pipes and they camp it up for all they're worth. Please note that the music in the video (below) is not the radio edit but a dance remix. The original version has been removed from YouTube but I couldn't resist posting the breathtaking video. These stunners haven't aged a day and the special effects are... well, you have to see it to believe it. This really is the duet of the century. Welcome back, ladies!