She's had seven consecutive number one hits.
She's been covered by Cher.
Her songs tempt the senses with titles such as
"Sexual" and "Need to be
Naked."
She has an international fan base that ranges from
ten-year-old girls trying to emulate her vocal style to
hoards of gay couples who seem to have adopted her music as their own.
You probably have even grooved along while listening to
her Studio 54 hit, "If You Could Read My
Mind".
Yet, there are still millions of people for whom her name
just doesn't ring any bells.
Amber is her name, and if you are expecting some
half-baked, pre-packaged, bleach-blonde bimbo, think again. She's sharp. She's witty. She's
intelligent, and if you don't really want to know the full answer to a
question, keep your mouth shut. Amber doesn't hesitate to tell people
exactly what she thinks.
Born in The Netherlands, her father an opera singer, her mother a piano
teacher, music came rather naturally for Amber. Initially, she was "all over
the place," with music styles ranging from jazz to pop. Becoming a star on
the dance charts was never part of the plan.
"This was never really my intention," Amber said in an
exclusive interview with armada Magazine. "You have to make choices fast. What I tried to do
within that genre was to try and upgrade it and give it some essence and
substance. I think Iıve proven it is possible to achieve
something within this genre and have staying power."
Staying power as in eight years, three albums, and a string of dance hits
that is a true anomaly for the here-today, gone-tomorrow world of popular
dance music.
Amber isn't one to rest on success, though. Frustrated with the way her
albums were being handled, she bought out her contract with Berman Brothers
after her second album and hand-picked her own producers for her third and
current album, "Naked." While that release generated the hits "Yes" and
"Need to be Naked", she still wasn't satisfied. So, when she returned to the
recording studio for the fourth time, it was under her own
label.
How has she handled the challenge of producing her own record?
"Challenge for me doesnıt have a negative tone," Amber says in a
matter-of-fact voice. "Challenge is positive. I had been playing with that
thought in my mind for a long time. I think thatıs a typical female trait. I
had bought out my previous contract before the Naked album, but at that time
wasnıt ready to go completely independent."
Independent she is, though. Having her own label was probably inevitable.
"Why should I give the label 85%, have them deduct expenses from the
remaining fifteen percent, and still tell me Iım in the red, have them tell
me what to do and not have anything that satisfies me as a person?" Amber
asks. She already knows the answer. Amber doesn't hide the fact that she
feels the major labels are nothing short of boring. "There are a lot of
people who are on the street right now because they made an innovative move
and got fired," she fumes. "What can you possible
expect from them in terms of being innovative and thinking outside the box?"
Amber's fans are likely to be in for a few surprises when she releases her
new album later this year. She describes the overall tone of the CD as being
"darker," "guitar driven," and "reflective of the past two years." The
first release from Amber's new label is "about feeling comfortable as an
artist," something she feels she wasn't able to achieve on any of her
previous three records. "I think a lot people will have their mouths open on
this one," she advises.
Not that Amber is totally abandoning the dance genre that brought her to
this point. The new album will have three dance tracks and she plans to
release a dance re-mix of the full album later in the year.
Still, Amber recognizes that she is taking a risk. Sitting in her dressing
room at the Velvet Room prior to her first Atlanta appearance in two years,
she confessed, "We'll just have to wait and see what happens. I think I have
a very strong and loyal group of fans who will [enjoy this release] even
though it is very different."
Music isn't the only way in which Amber is surprisingly strong. As if being
a busy chart-topping musician isn't enough, Amber is also just as fiercely
dedicated to her role as mother of her 13-year-old son. In the dressing
room, she was quick to show his picture and talk about how tall he is
getting. "I work from home and do a major part of my work from home," she
explains. "Iım probably more home than a regular working Mom because I can
decide my schedule. He does travel some, he speaks three languages and is
trying to learn Spanish. Heıs 13... itıs a very interesting age, especially
when he has so many characteristics of his Mom. Heıs a very strong
individual. We have a lot of strong individuals in the
family. He's extremely creative, also. I cherish every moment that heıs there with me and
that Iım a Mom."
Such a maternal tone may not be exactly what some people expect from the
singer whose songs have lyrics such as, "Take off my pants, my shirt, my
socks and my shoes, I need to be naked with you." Better check that attitude
before jumping to any unfounded conclusions, though. Far from superficial,
Amber's songs are a reflection of her personal depth and philosophy. Ask her
about the sensual connotation of her songs and what comes back is biting and
unapologetic.
"Why only talk about those songs? It shows how intellectually engaged you
are," Amber charges. Indeed, large portions of her hit song "Yes!" are taken
directly from James Joyce's "Ulysses." "You have to
make some noise to get some attention," Amber explains, "but I was able to prove Iım not some
brainless bitch."
Not being brainless is probably what most sets Amber apart from so many
other artists on the dance charts. When asked how she feels about the FCC's
recent censorship crusade, especially in regards to radio,
Amber let loose.
"I donıt understand where they draw the line. If you educate your people
about certain things like sexuality, I believe that you create a smarter
crowd. But that creates too many leaders and there are people who want to
control that. I have greater issues with violence on TV, pedophiles,
education, and prison over crowding. This country is led by too many
corporations with too few people who call the shots and that needs to stop.
Thatıs whatıs happening in radio right now. There are too few people calling
the shots. Out of that situation comes satellite and internet radio. Iım not
the person who tends to have her head hanging down but try to see
opportunity for things that are even better and more inventive."
Amber definitely is not shy. She enjoys meeting her fans and even maintains
a running conversation with them on her web site,
www.amber-mcc.com. "The
Internet has taken a lot of things away from us but itıs time to take the
Internet back and make it work for us." Amber's web site is full of pictures
of her with fans, a chat room, and a message board which she monitors on a
daily basis.
In a day where such overwhelming volumes of music are nothing more than
shallow ear candy, Amber is an exciting and dynamic alternative rhythm. If
you like to move, you'll want to be watching for her new CD and its first
single, "You Move Me." But be warned, this new release is definitely less
about moving on the dance floor and more about the dance of life.
And all about Amber. |
|
