However, US star Aaliyah spent a lot of time in the city's not-so-wild west when filming Queen Of The Damned last year, in which she played the lead role of vampire queen Akasha.

"An old Nestle factory in St Albans was turned into the production area where a lot of the sets were built," Aaliyah said.

"And there's a concert scene that was filmed in a quarry in Werribee. I remember that it was freezing and my costumes were kinda sparse. I really loved Melbourne. We went to a few clubs, did a lot of shopping [and] I had the chance to get a good look around."

Born Aaliyah Haughton 22 years ago (her name means "highest, most exalted one" in Swahili), the singer scored a US No.1 hit in 1994 with Back And Forth.

A string of other hits, including Are You That Somebody? from Dr Dolittle, followed before the singer moved into films with a successful role in

Romeo Must Die alongside Jet Li and rapper DMX.

"I have dual careers now," Aaliyah said. "I always wanted to be an actor. I don't write my songs, I interpret other people's words, which is why acting came so easily to me. That's what I'd been doing in my music career."

So after spending months here filming Queen Of The Damned, work on her third, self-titled, album (already delayed after 1996's One In A Million) had to go on hold for her acting career – at least until her band of up-and-coming producers were flown out for two months. They holed up in Richmond's Sing Sing studios, famous for being Powderfinger's studio of choice.

"We loved it there," Aaliyah said. "We're talking about coming back, actually, to work some more. Not only was the studio great but the environment in Australia was just so cool, very laid-back.

"It was such a cool break from America. We got the chance to dig deep and create. We could focus in that environment. I wanted everyone to challenge themselves and come up with something new and refreshing. I always want my music to be cutting edge and brand new and we were able to do that with no problem in Australia – and have fun at the same time."

The singer, who had been producing hits since she was 14, said Melbourne was a heavy influence on the album's sound. Retreating from the competitive US R&B scene, Aaliyah was recording the album while her innovative single Try Again (from the Romeo Must Die soundtrack) was a top 10 hit in Australia and became another No.1 in the US.

Famous photographer David LaChappelle was even flown into Australia to snap the album cover. It was one of the few times Aaliyah had worked with a big name.

Her usual producer, Timbaland, helped define a new sound for R&B on One In A Million. Its double and triple beats are still being mimicked to this day.

When Timbaland and Missy Elliott, couldn't come to Australia, Aaliyah called on youngblood producers from her family-run Blackground Records to produce the bulk of the album. "I like working with new producers, they're hungry and they'll try new things," Aaliyah said. "I try not to be too concerned with what's going on in the music world. I want to stay true to myself and not worry whether it's going to be huge. I know fans have a lot to choose from, but this is something brand new.

"Try Again was something new and something a little weird, which is what I like. Timbaland and I like working together because we'll go to the left, we'll risk doing something crazy and when something like that works, there's a real sense of accomplishment.

"This is an album I have to live with for the rest of my life, the videos I make I have to see and deal with for the rest of my life. If you do what's safe, what's the fun? Take a risk. If you fail at least you did it, not something someone told you to do."

The sinister sound on tracks like the new single We Need A Resolution was no accident. "My producers know I love dark-sounding, mysterious tracks. I perform best on that kind of track."

Indeed, it was that attraction to the dark side that lured Aaliyah to accept the role in Queen Of The Damned.

"Doing the film and the album at the same time was obviously double the workload," she said. "We'd shoot during the day, go to the recording studio at night, sometimes the other way around for the night shoots. It was a bit trying, but it was a really challenging role."

Also starring Stuart Townsend, Lena Olin, Vincent Perez and local actors Pia Miranda and Matthew Newton, Queen Of The Damned was shot in and around Melbourne at Montsalvat, Eltham, Parliament Station, Storey Hall, Portsea and Sorrento. The film, due for release on March 28 next year, combines the Anne Rice books, The Vampire Lestat and Queen Of The Damned.

Korn's Jonathan Davis has scored the movie with gothic-inspired rock. "The whole film is rock inspired," Aaliyah said. "The music is amazing, mindblowing. I might actually be singing on it."

In Hollywood-speak, Aaliyah was "attached" to several other movies (she was to play a character named Zee in the Matrix sequels). "I'm opening my arms wide to any offers at this point. Bring them on."

Aaliyah is out now.

27 AUG 2001
News Interactive