Lisa Germano

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Lisa Germano
Warner Bros., Ineffable, Young God

Lisa Ruth Germano (born June 27, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Indiana. Her album Geek the Girl (1994) was chosen as a top album of the 1990s by Spin magazine.[1] She began her career as a violinist for John Mellencamp. As of 2018, she has released thirteen albums.[2]

Early life

Germano was born in Mishawaka, Indiana, one of six children of violinist Rocco and Betty Germano.[2] She studied music, including piano and violin, as a child. When she was seven, she composed a fifteen-minute opera for the piano.[3]

Career

On the road with Mellencamp

Germano was working as a violinist when rock singer John Mellencamp invited her to play on his album. For seven years she toured and recorded as a member of Mellencamp's band,[4][5] appearing on The Lonesome Jubilee (1987),[6] Big Daddy (1989), Falling from Grace (1991), Human Wheels (1993), and Dance Naked (1994). During the 1980s she also appeared on albums by Simple Minds and the Indigo Girls.[6] Mellencamp's 2023 Live and In Person tour marked the return of Lisa Germano to Mellencamp's band. Germano played with Mellencamp from 1985-1993 before leaving in 1994 to pursue a solo career. Germano also played violin on Orpheus Descending, marking the first Mellencamp studio album she has played on since 1993's Human Wheels.

Solo career

After recording with Henry Lee Summer, Bob Seger, and Carrie Newcomer, Germano began a solo career with the album On the Way Down from the Moon Palace (1991), recorded in Indianapolis and released by her label, Major Bill Records.[7] Although sales were low, the album got the attention of Capitol Records, which signed her to a contract and released her next album Happiness (1993). Personnel changes at Capitol resulted in the departure of most of her benefactors, but she retained the rights to her album.[citation needed]

Working for a British label

She signed a contract with the British label

John Fryer, who had been involved in Watts-Russell's This Mortal Coil project. In early 1994, 4AD issued Inconsiderate Bitch, a limited-edition EP which contained five of the remixed tracks. In April of that year Happiness was reissued with different artwork, mixing, sequencing. Two tracks, including a cover version of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'
", were replaced.

Germano's album Geek the Girl (1994) was reviewed positively by the press[8]

Slush was released in February 1997. In April 1997, 4AD began promoting "I Love a Snot" (remixed by Tchad Blake) to radio and retail stores in America, but sales of the album remained static at best. "Lovesick" from Excerpts from a Love Circus was remixed by Trevor Jackson (a.k.a. The Underdog), and released by his label, Output Recordings
.

Sales began to sag noticeably with the release of Slide, produced by Tchad Blake, in July 1998. The distribution deal with Warner Bros. ended, returning 4AD to independent status, and without Warner Bros. Slide received less promotion. Before the album was released she was invited to sing backup vocals on tour for The Smashing Pumpkins. Although she rejected the offer at first, singer Billy Corgan persuaded her that she would have a more collaborative role, and she agreed to join the tour. She rehearsed with the band for four weeks in Chicago. The night before the tour was supposed to begin, Corgan dismissed her (via the tour manager) with no explanation.[citation needed]

Intent on resuming the promotion of Slide, she went on tour, opening for the Eels and then headlining smaller clubs. While on tour she was notified by 4AD that they were dropping her from the label. By the end of 1998, she announced that she was done with the music business. She fired her management. Nonetheless, in 1999 she performed in Toronto at Lee's Palace,[9] and continued to release new albums with various labels.

Discography

As guest

With David Bowie

With Michael Brook

With Eels

With Neil Finn

With Howe Gelb

  • 1998 Hisser
  • 2013 Little Sand Box

With Indigo Girls

With Billy Joel

With John Mellencamp

With Simple Minds

With Yann Tiersen

  • 2001 L' Absente
  • 2003 C'était Ici
  • 2008 C'était Ici: Live

With others

References

  1. ^ "The 90 Best Albums of the 1990s".
  2. ^ a b " Alumni return for South Bend Youth Symphony's gala 50th anniversary concert at Notre Dame". By Andrew S. Hughes South Bend Tribune May 20, 2018
  3. ^ "4AD Lisa Germano". 4AD. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  4. ISBN 978-1-55490-271-2
    .
  5. ^ Lisa Germano. String Letter Corporation. 1994. p. 138. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  6. ^ a b Wilson, MacKenzie. "Lisa Germano". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  7. ^ Phares, Heather. "On the Way Down From the Moon Palace". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  8. ISSN 0886-3032. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help
    )
  9. ^ "Live Reviews: Latin Playboys/Lisa Germano April 21, 1999 Lee's Palace, Toronto"[usurped]. Chart Attack, April 21, 1999
  10. ^ "Lisa Germano | Album Discography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  11. ^ "Lisa Germano | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 July 2017.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lisa Germano.
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