LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Music to My Ears: An Interview with Byron Stingily |
by Jeffrey L. Newman |
At six-foot-three and 235 pounds, Byron Stingily looks more like an NFL quarterback than the body behind the gorgeous falsetto voice of the current club anthem, "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," a newly made cover of the Sylvester classic. Very much a presence when you meet him, Stingily is commanding, nearly mesmerizing, with his deep, seductive eyes and robust build. And when he opens his mouth to sing, he captivates the room, with a soaring high pitch that leaps over a crowd and gently drops down like the cool mist of a sun shower. "Its an amazing feeling to be able to take such a classic and bring it back to life," says the 32-year old singer. "I was a huge Sylvester fan. He was, in many ways, a hero to me and I looked up to him. I think we really remained true to his version, but added a fresh twist." But its more than Stingilys ability to channel the late-drag queen and breathe life into this high-energy house recreation, and more than the Marvin Gaye-esque sexuality he exudes, which makes him so dynamic. Its his straight on take, mixing just a taste of camp, to take clubland on an excursion with his own brilliant vision and delicious interpretation, and weave in familiar echoes of Ten City, his 80s trio incarnation, with a gospel-infused gusto. This is clearly evident on his debut solo release "The Purist" on Nervous Records, one of the most highly anticipated dance recordings of the season. "You Make Me Feel," which has seen several incarnations, including ones by gay icons Jimmy Somerville and Sandra Bernhardt, was not originally planned to appear on Stingilys album. But the day he finished recording the last song, some of the higher ups at his record label in London suggested he record Sylvesters 70s disco classic, considering how similar their voices are. "It definitely seemed like a natural fit," says the charismatic singer. "Plus it has been 19 years since Sylvester did the original, so it was timely to do it now, too. I think we were able to do with this what the Fugees did with Roberta Flacks Killing Me Softly, which was really capture something great here." And knowing the song is an anthem of sorts to the gay community, made famous by Americas original super-model drag queen, Stingily knew the gay dance club would quickly embrace it. "Its a natural fit, not to mention a great song," he says. "The community has always been incredibly supportive, and tend to embrace good, solid, high energy dance songs." What makes Stingilys music different from the masses is his ability to defy boundaries. Mixing garage, house, disco, gospel, R&B and pop, he creates music that is archetypal uplifting and universal, and avoids categorization. "When I was growing up, we had groups like Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Dead or Alive, and singers like Chaka Khan and D-Train. We never separated all great dance music by categories. Now everything is labeled and pigeon-holed - ambient, house, garage," Stingily says. "I dont want that to happen to my music," he adds. "I want my music to reach as many people as possible. Each song has a story that people can actually listen to the lyrics and get a meaning from. And they can draw from the moods I create." Stingily also called upon some of the industrys best known producers and mixers to help bring his stellar debut to life, including Masters At Work, Mousse T., the Basement Boys, Maurice Joshua, Murk, Jazz N Groove, David Morales, Frankie Knuckles and Frankie Felicaino. Born in Chicago, where he still lives, Stingily started singing when he was five-years-old, standing in a nearby sandbox, doing imitations of Michael Jackson, Jackie Wilson and Chubby Checker. He began hitting the Chicago dance circuit when he was about 15, living the life of a true club kid. He played in various local bands, from punk and industrial groups to ones that prided themselves on singing Prince covers. But realizing that a six-foot-three, 235 pound man didnt look right in spandex paisley pants, he dropped the Minneapolis sound and hooked into the Chicago house scene. While earning a degree at a small nearby collegea Bachelors in psychologyhe brought some friends together to record the song "Devotion." Taking money set aside from student loans, he rented studio time and cut the track. "I was one of those people that nobody thought would amount to anything more than being a club kid," he recalls. "Everyone always thought I was this big stupid guy, who hung out at parties. No one saw me study, but I always got As on tests. I wasnt your typical college kid, and I did party all the time, but I was also very driven." After signing with Atlantic Records, Stingilys group, Ten City, went on to score nine top 40 pop records in Europe, including "Devotion, " which soared up the dance charts in the U.S., and "Thats The Way Love Is." They also recorded four albums, several of which went gold. Since the group disbanded in the early 90s, Stingily has gone on to score two top-selling house singles on his own, last years "Sing-A-Song," and 1996s "Get Up," the latter which sold more than 300,000 copies world wide. Stingily also prides himself on being a solid songwriter, having co-written 14 of the new albums 15 tracks. "I think in any music, songs with the best melodies stick and catch with the listener. Songs with good hooks and with stories to tell are what become classics. Even with groups like Nirvana, theres a melody you can never forget, and thats what makes it work." Hes written for dance divas Adeva and Ultra Nate, as well as Cabaret Voltaire and Evelyn Champagne King. He also just wrote and co-produced Kim Englishs big U.K. dance hit, "Nightlife," which is currently in heavy rotation at many clubs around the world. "Originally when I first started out, I wanted to be a songwriter. I saw myself strictly as a songwriter. I love to party, but when it came to getting up on stage, I didnt really think I could do it. When I thought of artists who were like that, I thought of Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonnapeople who were large in personality. And Ive always been more humble. I never quite could see myself as being the next Prince. But now, after being involved in music all this time, I have become more comfortable with myself, and realized that artists come in all various forms and all you have to do is just be yourself and be authentic." And regardless of the success of "The Purist," Stingily says he is just glad to be able to be cutting records after such a long time in the business. "Ive been doing this for over 10 years, and Ive seen a lot of artists who have gold and platinum records come and go. To have people who are still passionate about my music after all this time is an amazing thing to me," he says. "I am still a young guy, but 10 years is a long time to be involved in the music business and have people come out and perform, and I appreciate any who still want to buy one of my records." Jeffrey L. Newman is a New York-based music writer and can be reached in care of LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, or via email at editorjeff@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 8, No. 1, February 6, 1998. |