 Teena Marie occasionally gets depressed. But the talented performer has also discovered that those periods can be a double-edged sword.
"One side of me would definitely like to put those periods of depression to rest," says Teena. "But I've found that when I've been depressed, I've also been my most creative, so I kind of have to keep that element of depression around."
Teena Marie is going through this bit of mental self-examination during an early morning coversation on the fron lawn of her Southern California home. Far from being depressed, the diminutive singer/songwriter/producer is, this day, largely reflective and at peace. So much so that Teena, dressed in jogging shorts and a T-shirt, deals easily with pages of her history that have, in years past, been known to rattle her cage.
"Sure I'm sorry Emerald City (her previous album) was not successful. I didn't take it as a personal insult. I'm just sorry that more people didn't hear it."
And on the romance-with-Rick-James-rumors that have been rekindled with his appearance on two songs on Teena's latest album Naked to the World? "I'm never bothered with questions about Rick. We're not madly in love, but if you've got to ask, go for it."
In fact the only bit of unpleasantness that elicits even a minimum rise out of Lady T is the recently concluded successful lawsuit against her former label, Motown, over royalty payments she never recieved. "The legal thing was hard to go through," she concedes. "It was kind of like being violated."
But Teena claims to see "the light at the end of the tunnel" and the clearest sign is the fact that Naked to the World, a gritty and often experimental collection of pop and rhythm and blues tunes, is making a major chart noise. It is an album, much like the failed Emerald City project, that is devoid of compromise.
"What I basically set out to do was make a commercial album and, at the same time, keep my artistry intact," explains Teena. "I wanted a very raw, street-oriented sound that would get airplay and let me take my music in directions it hasn't gone before. But basically what I had to say musically was what was going on in my heart at the time. I didn't sit down and say, 'Today I'm going to write a white people's or a Black people's song.' What I set out to accomplish was to put together an album that people would listen to and say, 'Yeah, Teena's being honest. She's telling the truth.' "
Not that many would have cause to doubt her honesty. Teena Marie, from the word go, has fought, both personally and professionally, to get things done her way. And anyone who thinks that her success has brought moderation on her stance is sadly mistaken.
"I'm still a fighter," chuckles Marie. "There's no way I've mellowed out. If anything, I've become more of a fighter as I've gotten older."
"I always knew I was talented and that I could do anything I wanted to do," continues Teena without a trace of ego. "But that doesn't mean that I don't listen to other people. Sometimes another ear helps. It's just that I'm confident that any decision I make will be the right one."
Major work decisions right now include the completion of another video and rehearsals for a U.S./Europe/Japan tour that will kick into its firsh phase in a few weeks. No surprise here, as 'non stop' has always been Teena Marie's middle name.
"I'm a workaholic," admits Teena. "I don't regret being that way, but sometimes it can be hard physically and emotionally. I'm the type who has to push myself all the time. I basically have to fall down before I know it's time to rest."
Teena, however, is quick to point out that she is not all work and no play. "I'm not a Hollywood type. I don't party a lot but when I do, I party real hard. It's the same when I work. Fortunately I've been aware enough about the changes in my life that I've been able to keep a balance." And Teena is the first to admit that there have been changes a plenty.
"What's really neat is that I can eat where I want anytime I want," giggles Teena. "I do love to eat. I've been able to travel and work with good people. It's been a blessing. It's like wonderland. But I've had to work real hard to get those things."
Teena reports that future hard work will see her moving more into the areas of jazz and ballads. She indicates an album project with Rick James is also on the drawing board. But the hard news reort once again gives way to her philosophical side as she sums up her career to date.
"It's been a rollercoaster ride," she concludes. "A lot of what's happened to me has been luck. But my career has been primarily a series of lessons. A series of lessons that had to be learned."
|
