NOËL
Solo recording artist for Sparks “Is there More to Life than dancing?” On Virgin Records, and re-released in 2024 on Lil’Beethoven Records
NoëL and the red wedge “Peer Pressure” on CBS/scotti Bros.
Often referred to as “the mysterious Noël” ~ She toured with a variety of top 40, 50s rock, punk rock, and synth pop bands. One night while playing keyboards and singing in a punk rock band at the Troubadour, she was discovered by Ron & Russel Mael of Sparks, landing a record deal with Virgin Records for the album “Is There More to Life Than Dancing?” re-released in 2024 on Lil’ Beethoven Records.
Her second solo album “Peer Pressure” was recorded under the name Noël and the Red Wedge with CBS/Scotti Bros. in Los Angeles, CA.
Buy the “Is There More to Life Than Dancing?” Album and Noël Merch Here
Email: notesoverlyrics@gmail.com
In the beginning…
I came to L.A. with a band of young men from Northern California looking for a record deal in the mid-seventies, following a five-year stint of bookings in clubs, casinos and bars throughout California and Hawaii as a Top-40 band. I took waitress, prep-work, short-order cook and hostess jobs at restaurants to help feed those hungry guys while they were recording their first album as “Hamlet” for Capitol Records. The producer had decided they were going to be the next “Beatles” so no females allowed. Unexpectedly, I met a professional photographer, Jack Lorenz, at a friend's birthday party in 1977, and he asked if we could do a “test shoot” of modeling photographs, saying “I had the look he'd been looking for.” Following the shoot, he made an appointment and took me to the Mary Webb Davis – Pacific Artists Agency, where I signed a contract as a runway/print model, and was booked on average 5-6 days a week working for big-name department stores - Neiman Marcus, Bullocks Wilshire, Saks Fifth Avenue, I. Magnin, Bonwit Teller, Robinson's, Macys throughout the southland area, including San Diego and Palm Springs. I worked for designers ZOÉ, Norma Kamali, Donna Karan, Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel, Chloé, Michael Vollbracht, Geoffrey Beene, Zandra Rhodes, Oscar De La Renta, Fiorucci, to mention a few, along with print work for apparel manufacturers and a fashion/fitness spread in “Playgirl” magazine, because I could roller-skate while modeling. It was a lot of hard work, involving extensive travel, while providing important learning opportunities to hone my skills in make-up application, (after experiencing a horrific skin irritation from contaminated make-up used by a make-up artist on one of my first photo shoots), and collecting my own duffel bag of designer shoes for my personal use (need I explain?). It was during this chaotic time in my life that the band reformed, deciding my presence added something attractive to audiences, and useful for their purposes, and that's how I first met Ron and Russell Mael.
Next thing I know…
In December of 1978 I was playing a Farfisa organ and singing background vocals with the Mick Smiley punk rock band at Doug Weston's Troubadour in West Hollywood, hoping for a record deal while performing at percentage-of-the-door showcase venues. I engaged in stare-downs with audience members milling about on the dance floor at the foot of the stage, a skill I had perfected as a professional model. The club was packed thanks to our efforts to amass a mailing list used to keep fans informed of upcoming performances, with flyers and posters plastered about town, and word had spread about the band's stage antics and bizarre set decorations. After performing to a standing-room-only crowd of enthusiastic fans, we headed offstage across the dance floor toward the dressing room stairs, stopping to talk to fans on the way. I was stopped by Russell, who introduced himself and brother Ron, who told me he thought I looked like the female version of his stage persona. I was familiar with their music, but had never seen them perform. It soon became clear that he meant the intense staring eyes. They asked if I'd be interested in recording a demo tape of their newly written songs to shop as producers for a record deal...an offer I couldn't refuse.
Demo tapes of “I Want a Man” and “Dancing is Dangerous” were recorded within a couple of days, then taken by them to Midem, France, in early 1979, resulting in a production/recording deal with Virgin Records. We recorded the rest of the album in March at Larrabee and Westlake Studios. The single “Dancing is Dangerous” and a five-song picture disc, “NOËL – Is There More to Life Than Dancing” were released in May of 1979.
May 8, 1979 I flew to London to meet Richard Branson at Virgin Records headquarters, where he introduced me to the British custom of tea and biscuits (“cookies” to us “Yankees”) at 4 p.m., then a brief walk to tour his beautiful teak wood houseboat on the Thames River, close to Big Ben. The next day, a team of five young men were assigned to accompany me on a three-day shopping, sightseeing, radio interview tour of London. I purchased fashion-forward clothing at Piccadilly Circus and wild makeup at Harrods for photo shoots and appearances, and the “birds” who assisted me were all very helpful and friendly; I'm sure the presence of my cadre of body guards helped! I was introduced to “real” fish and chips, wrapped in newspaper), and a pub that specialized in locally-brewed beer. I had to be carried out after one “pint,” the boys hoisting me up in their arms to snap a photo in front of the pub, laughing at what a lightweight I was! Thanks to Gemma at Virgin Records, who handled flight arrangements, I jetted back to L.A. on May 13 for a big Koos Van Den Aaker fashion show at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, then flew back to London on May 15th for a meeting Tessa at Virgin had scheduled with Micky Dolenz, of the Monkees, who had been hired to produce a video of “Dancing is Dangerous.” Unfortunately, I had contracted the flu with a high fever, but the schedule could not be changed because of the Monkees' touring schedule. Micky wanted me to rise up out of a smoke-covered coffin in the first scene, but I had to be pulled out because I had almost suffocated under the smoke layer and could barely stand, and the subsequent scenes had to be scrapped. The resulting video was not what had been envisioned (close-ups of my eyes and lips floating against a cloud-filled blue sky and a few standing, kneeling, hair flinging poses). The Monkees went on tour the following day, I flew back to L.A. on May 19, the video was never released, and our schedules never matched up for another filming.
Tour Life…
In June when I flew back to London, tour manager Peter Price drove me around for a ten-day whirlwind tour of England and Scotland - Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Nottingham - where I performed in different discos each night and attended radio and press interviews during the day. I fondly remember the disco in Glasgow, where the dance floor was packed with enthusiastic fans. After my performance, I danced and sang along with everyone until the club closed, and talked to each person as they were leaving, personalizing their albums with glitter pens I had purchased at the airport in London just for that purpose. I treasured the time I got to spend with those fabulous fans!
In September I flew to Montreal where Polygram (the Canadian distributor for Virgin Records) had made tour arrangements. Representative, Pierre Parent, played host for disco appearances in Montreal and Toronto, with radio, press, and T.V. interviews. I found the Canadians to be as personable and witty as the Brits, and it was fun getting the opportunity to speak French in Montreal.
For Halloween of 1979, I was flown to Phoenix, Arizona, and met at the airport by Roxy Myzall of Virgin Records. We drove to KXTC radio for an interview, followed by an appearance at the Pointe Resort Hotel. Everyone was in costume, and I performed for an audience of masked creatures. The evening felt surreal!
Early November of 1979 I toured in Los Angeles, and signed photos at a meeting of the Southern California Disco D.J.'s Association. Writer, Pamala Stanley, was assigned to accompany me and report back with a written article for “DISCO” magazine. I remember the wild crowd at a new club on Beverly Boulevard, “The Mother Lode,” where I sang on a stage that was lined with a chain-link fence floor to ceiling. I paced back and forth like a caged tigress, trying to climb over the fence to get to the screaming, dancing fans – pure pandemonium! Down the street, the D.J. at Studio One did not believe I was really going to sing live to the backing tracks, so he would not allow me to use the microphone. I was used to performing with a live band, so had insisted my lead vocals not be included on the background tape used in disco venues. Fans who had come to see me perform were not happy, and there was a lot of yelling at the D.J. by the crowd as I exited the venue outraged. Then on to The Odyssey, where the crowd was on fire and loved my performance. The following night I made appearances at The Probe, Circus Disco, and Moody's, dancing the night away! Though the schedule was hectic, I would never call this work!
I was booked to perform in New York that same week, and Sue at Virgin reserved a room for me at the Gramercy Park Hotel, but my plane didn't arrive until 11:45 p.m. By that time, the hotel had given my room away. I had to stay in a deserted banquet room on a fold-out couch for the night. There was a pipe coming out of the ceiling that served as a “shower” and I could hear gunshots and a woman screaming on the street downstairs that night. It felt like I was in a scene from the movie “Psycho.” The next morning I was taken on a tour of the city - Empire State Building, Ice Skating Rink, Greenwich Village, Soho, and a visit to Billboard headquarters for a photo op with some execs. That evening I made an appearance at Record Pool, an underground disco where two very drunk patrons walked out onto the dance floor during my performance, shouting that I was lip-syncing. I sang over the microphone, “No, I'm not, I'm really singing!” Even though other fans heard me and tried to get them to exit the dance floor, they were so belligerent I eventually had the D.J. turn off the taped backing tracks, thanked him and the audience, then exited the club. The next night I performed at the Four Star Bar, and the following evening we stopped for photos in front of the closed Virgin Record Store at the airport before hopping a quick flight for an appearance at The Club in Boston. The fans were incredibly energetic and welcoming! Circus Disco in L.A. had invited me back for a second appearance on November 15, a wonderful evening that finished up my 1979 tour schedule. Early in 1980 Virgin opted out a second album, so I continued pursuing other singing and modeling opportunities that arose, but that is a story for another time.
It is inspiring to see Sparks still going strong today! I am thrilled they've decided to re-release this wonderful recording, and asked me to provide insight and perspectives of my recording and touring experiences. Their songs are timeless, and some stellar musicians performed on this recording. I am forever grateful to them for providing me the opportunity of a lifetime, and to you, dear fans, for your support.
And even though “Dancing IS Dangerous,” I hope you are all still dancing!
