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Stacey Q (born Stacey Lynn Swain) is a pop singer, dancer and actress. She is best known for her 1986 hit single "Two of Hearts".

Early life [link]

Stacey Swain was born on November 30, 1958 in Fullerton, California.^[1][2][3] She is the youngest of three children.^[4] Her mother, Joyce Swain, was a dog breeder whose Cardigan Welsh Corgis have appeared in various Hollywood films and television series.^[5] Swain once stated in a 1989 interview that she had asked for dance lessons as early as age three, but her mother "made me wait until I was five".^[6] By 1963, Swain was studying classical ballet and aspired to become a ballerina. In 1969, at age ten, Swain became the youngest member of the Dance Theater of Orange County, a local company that performed at benefit shows in Anaheim.^[5][7] She spent a total of eleven years studying ballet and flamenco dancing.^[4]

In 1970 Swain became an entertainer at Disneyland while completing dance training at the Wilshire Theater of Arts in Los Angeles.^[1] For three years, Swain participated in the Fantasy on Parade, an annual event scheduled every Christmas at the theme park. She performed in costume as the "Dutch Puppet", a name she used as a publishing alias during her early recording career.^[1][5] After graduating from Anaheim High School in 1976, Swain auditioned for and won a position in the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, where she performed her first year as a showgirl and her second year as an elephant rider.^[1][4] Her first singing project began on Los Angeles radio, where she would introduce and announce programs impersonating members of The Go-Go's.^[5]

Career [link]

Q [link]

Swain was introduced to the recording industry by her then-boyfriend, a local musician.^[3] Her recording career began in 1981, when she met producer, future manager and longtime collaborator Jon St. James.^[4][8] St. James had also been a "sound-alike" announcer for Los Angeles radio and was proprietor of Fullerton's Casbah Recording Studio, which had hosted Berlin and Social Distortion.^[8]

In 1981 Swain and St. James formed the synthpop outfit Q^[4][9] composed of St. James on guitars, Dan Van Patten and John Van Tongeren on vocoder and synthesizer, and Swain as assistant producer (Van Patten and Keith Walsh had previously collaborated on Berlin's single The Metro).^[8] When the band was recording basic tracks for The Q EP, St. James realized someone was needed to provide vocals for the first track, "Sushi." Swain, who had previously recorded demos at St. James's studio, was asked to sing the lyrics, and her vocals were featured on the final record.^[6][9] Swain became the band's lead singer based on that performance, even though she still considers herself a dancer rather than a singer.^[10]

SSQ [link]

Although The Q EP was played almost exclusively on college radio, it was successful enough for St. James and Swain to continue on other projects.^[4][8] In 1982 Q reformed with two additional members, drummer Karl Moet and synth player Rich West. After the reformation, St. James was forced to change the name of Q because of copyright problems (famed producer Quincy Jones reportedly had "established use of the 'Q' moniker").^[8] Swain explained in a 2006 radio interview that the band was renamed SSQ after Jon St. James "was fishing in a lake 'no bigger than a bathtub' and made a joke that the boat was the 'S.S. Q,'" referring to the current band Q. St. James had another reason for the name: "SS" stood for "Stacey Swain", who had become the most recognized of the band's members.^[9]

SSQ first released their debut album Playback in 1983 under Enigma Records.^[4] The video for the "Synthicide" single premiered on West Coast television and brought greater notice for the five-member band. Skip Hahn officially replaced John Van Tongeren just before the release of Playback.

Solo career [link]

In 1985 Swain signed a recording contract with On the Spot Records, an independent label. Her first solo single, "Shy Girl", was released the same year, while her first solo album, Stacey Q, was distributed in cassette format to limited release (the album contained an early version of "Two of Hearts", which originated with another artist, Sue Gatlin).^[9] As a solo artist, Swain adopted the name "Stacey Q" in reference to the original Q project.

"Shy Girl" and other singles sold approximately one hundred thousand copies, enough to attract the attention of the major record labels. Atlantic Records signed Stacey Q in 1986 as a solo artist, with Jon St. James as manager and the other members of SSQ as backup musicians. Better Than Heaven, her debut record for Atlantic, was recorded in three weeks, with tracks co-written by Berlin ("Better Than Heaven"), Jon Anderson of Yes ("He Doesn't Understand") and Willie Wilcox of Utopia ("We Connect").^[4]

[edit] "Two of Hearts" and Better Than Heaven

Swain's most successful period as a recording artist began in 1986. "Two of Hearts", the first single off Better Than Heaven, became a best-selling effort, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[2][4] "Two of Hearts" could have hit the #1 spot, but Swain was signed to Atlantic and On the Spot Records at the same time, and both labels released and promoted the single simultaneously, therefore competing with one another.^[2] The follow-up single, "We Connect", was released in 1987 and became a Top 40 hit.^[7]

"Two of Hearts" received heavy radio airplay during the later half of 1986, and the promotional video for the single premiered at the same time on MTV. By the end of the year Swain had performed live on several talk shows and appeared as a panel member on The Gong Show and The New Hollywood Squares.^[4] As Better Than Heaven hit #59 on the charts and eventually hit Gold status, Swain became an international star, and even a teen idol. At the height of the success of "Two of Hearts", she was approached by "Weird Al" Yankovic for permission to record a parody single, "Two Pop-Tarts".^[2] The parody was never released.

Following the release of Better Than Heaven, Swain embarked on a national club tour and European club tour, performing live in several countries.^[1] One of the millions of fans to see her in concert happened to be a writer for the NBC television network. That fall Swain auditioned for and won an acting role specifically written for her on the television series The Facts of Life.^[4]

[edit] "Cinnamon" and The Facts of Life

Stacey Q's first appearance on The Facts of Life was an episode titled "Off-Broadway Baby", where she performed "Two of Hearts" in character as Cinnamon, an aspiring singer competing for the same role as Tootie in a Broadway musical. Her second and final appearance on the series was an episode titled "A Star Is Torn", where she performed "We Connect" as Cinnamon. That episode also featured George Burnett, a recurring character played by a young and then-unknown George Clooney.^[2][7] By the episode finale, George and Cinnamon officially start dating, and George announces his decision to become a roadie for Cinnamon's concert tour.^[2] The ending was written to explain Clooney's departure from the series and provide the possibility of a spin-off sitcom starring Clooney and Swain. When Swain's managers voiced their opposition, however, NBC canceled all plans for a spin-off series.^[2]

[edit] Hard Machine

Swain released her second album, Hard Machine, in 1988. The singer changed her image for Hard Machine, dying her hair from blond to red (she is a natural brunette)^[1] and adopting a wardrobe influenced by punk artists. Hard Machine also employed other producers besides Jon St. James, resulting in a different, more symbolic musical direction. The final track, "Another Chance", was written almost entirely by Swain herself,^[11] who considers it one of the greatest songs she has ever recorded.

Hard Machine was not nearly as successful as Better Than Heaven, however the single "Don't Make A Fool Of Yourself" hit #66 on the Billboard Hot 100, and a remixed version by Shep Pettibone was a top five hit on the Hot Dance chart. "Don't Make A Fool Of Yourself" was featured in an episode of Full House where Swain briefly appeared as herself ("D.J. Tanner's Day Off"). "The River" and "Another Chance" were featured in the cult action film One Man Force, which Swain had a special appearance in.^[1][2]

[edit] Nights Like This

Nights Like This, Swain's last record under Atlantic, was released in 1989. The singer changed her image again for Nights Like This, this time adopting short blond hair and going for more of an underground appearance. Nights Like This was recorded with backing vocals by The Weather Girls, and the album's second single, "Heartbeat", featured backing vocals by Timothy B. Schmit of The Eagles. Like Hard Machine, Nights Like This also experimented instrumentally, including songs using Kawai keyboards.^[3] The members of SSQ had largely stopped working with Swain after the release of Hard Machine.

Hard Machine and Nights Like This were considered stronger albums than their predecessors, but were virtually unheard compared to Better Than Heaven and earlier singles.^{[citation needed]} After the release of Nights Like This, Swain began another national tour performing at clubs across the United States.^[1] She continued her acting career in an episode of Mama's Family where she played a member of an all-girl band, "The Bonecrushers" ("Bubba's House Band").

Post-1980s solo career [link]

One-hit wonder status [link]

In 1990 Swain left Atlantic Records, two years following the departure of her SSQ bandmates. In 1992 she and producer Jon St. James began production on Stacey Q's Greatest Hits, a digitally remastered collection of some of her singles.^[4] The following year her first single of the new decade, "Too Hot For Love", was released by Thump Records. The single was structured toward an early-1990s dance sound and featured sexually suggestive lyrics, representing another change in direction for the singer.

Stacey Q's Greatest Hits was released in 1995. Many fans agreed the album was the definitive compilation of Swain's career, since it contained tracks from Q and SSQ that had never been released on compact disc (including "The Model", which was recorded for the soundtrack of the 1986 film Crystal Heart).^[1][2] However, most of the tracks were either slightly remixed or re-edited entirely from their original versions in an attempt to modernize them,^[4] and no songs were included from Hard Machine or Nights Like This. Because the artist was so associated with "Two of Hearts" and 1980s dance-pop, some critics had written her off as another one-hit wonder of the 1980s.^{[citation needed]}

Conversion to Buddhism [link]

After deciding on a different direction for her future releases, Swain traveled to Tibet, where she was introduced to the monastic dance and song of the Far East.^[4] For a time she lived in Nepal, where she studied at monasteries with Buddhist lamas and was trained in the ancient art of cham dance.^[7] Swain's experience abroad resulted in the 1997 album Boomerang, a reflection of her conversion to Buddhism and her first new album in almost a decade. Though Boomerang didn't prove to be the comeback album some fans had hoped for, the follow-up single "Tenderness", a Janis Ian cover, hit #5 on the Jamaican charts.^[7]

Career to present [link]

In the years following the release of Boomerang, Swain became a vocalist on records by various house musicians in the United States and Europe. She returned to acting with an appearance in the gay-themed art film Citizens of Perpetual Indulgence^[2][12] and a "special non-sexual appearance" in the gay porn film Playing the Odds.^[2] She later appeared with director Geoffrey Karen Dior on the compilation album Porn to Rock and Dior's 2001 album S E X^[3], and also recorded an unreleased remix album including new versions of "Two of Hearts" and songs from Boomerang.^[12] In 2000 she returned to theater in "The Life of Padmasambhava", a musical dramatization of one of the most revered characters in Buddhism, produced by the San Francisco-based Namsay Dorje Theater Company.^[7] Swain played the lead female character, Yeshe Tsogyal, in a multicultural cast of actors and musicians.

In 2002 Swain appeared on the short-lived VH1 version of Never Mind the Buzzcocks as a guest star on the show's "Identity Parade" round. Her vocals were featured on "Hear The Feeling", a 2003 single by DJ Simply Jeff (credited as "Divine Frequency featuring Stacey Q") used for the soundtrack of a documentary on raves.^[7] In 2004 Swain became a voice actor by providing the voice of "Karin Kikuhara" on the English-language version of Stratos 4, a Japanese anime series.^[7] Later she appeared as one of the female singers on the debut album of the Echo Junkies, a duo formed in 2004 by Jon St. James and Skip Hahn.^[7]

"Two of Hearts" has been featured on the soundtracks of three recent motion pictures: Little Nicky, Party Monster and the Andy Samberg comedy Hot Rod.^[1][2]

In 2008 Swain provided guest vocals on Liquid, the debut album of the Australian-American rock duo Hydra Productions. The album featured appearances by other dance-pop artists of the 1980s, including Tiffany and Gioia Bruno of Exposé. In November of that year she performed "Two of Hearts" on CBS's The Early Show as part of the show's 1980s flashback segment.

Stacey Q's "Two of Hearts" appeared as the "Lipsynch for Your Life" elimination, between Morgan McMichaels and Sonique, challenge on the February 22, 2010 episode of RuPaul's Drag Race. She appeared as a student on the second season finale of RuPaul's Drag U on August 29, 2011.

Partial discography [link]

Albums [link]

Singles [link]

Year	Single	U.S.	U.S. R&B	U.S. Dance	Various	Album
1982	"Playback" / "Music's Gone" (as Q)	-	-	-	-	The Q EP
1983	"Synthicide" (as SSQ) 1	-	-	47	-	Playback
	"Big Electronic Beat" (as SSQ) 1	-	-	47	-
1984	"Screaming in My Pillow" (as SSQ)	-	-	-	-
1986	"Two of Hearts"	3	56	4	#24 #7 #2 #8 #6 #18 #4 #19 #6 #87	Better Than Heaven
1987	"We Connect"	35	-	14	#7
	"Insecurity"	-	-	1	#77
	"Music out of Bounds"	-	-	19	-
	"Shy Girl" 2	89	-	-	-	Stacey Q
1988	"Favorite Things"	-	-	-	-	Hard Machine
	"I Love You"	-	-	49	-
	"Don't Make a Fool of Yourself"	66	-	4	#73
1989	"Give You All My Love"	-	-	16	-	Nights Like This
	"Heartbeat"	-	-	-	-
1993	"Too Hot for Love"	-	-	-	-	Stacey Q's Greatest Hits
1997	"Tenderness"	-	-	-	-	Boomerang
2009	"Trip"	-	-	-	-	Color Me Cinnamon
2010	"Pandora's Box"	-	-	-	-	Color Me Cinnamon

• ¹ "Synthicide" / "Big Electronic Beat" charted together on the U.S. dance chart.
• ² "Shy Girl" recorded in 1985, charted in 1987.

Partial videography [link]

Q [link]

• 1982 "Sushi"

SSQ [link]

• 1983 "Synthicide"
• 1984 "Screaming in My Pillow" (directed by Bradley Friedman)

• Three different videos were released for "Screaming in My Pillow". The first version was a PG-13-rated version that received airplay on MTV. A more controversial "uncensored" version was aired on Playboy TV depicting full-frontal nudity and lesbianism by Stacey Swain and an unknown model. A third video, called the NC-17 version, was considered too graphic for mainstream airplay. It was included on Red Hot Rock, a VHS compilation of uncensored music videos.^[2]

Stacey Q [link]

• Stacey Q shooting scenes for the "Insecurity" video (photos by Skip Hahn)
• The teen couple in the "Give You All My Love" video was played by Justin Nylander and Christiana Eastman, who went on to become T.H.E.M. Thee Human Egomaniacs

Filmography [link]

• Stratos 4 (2003) ...as Karin Kikuhara (voice, English version)
• Never Mind the Buzzcocks (2002) ...as herself
• Citizens of Perpetual Indulgence (2000) ...as Stacey
• Playing the Odds (1998) ...as Chinese Food Delivery Woman
• One Man Force (1989) ...as Leah Jennings
• Mama's Family (1989) ...as Ciji
• Full House (1988) ...as herself
• The Facts of Life (1986; 1987) ...as Cinnamon
• The New Hollywood Squares (1986; 1988–1989) ...as herself
• Cavegirl (1985) ...as Brenda
• Red Hot Rock (aka "Sexy Shorts") ...as herself

References [link]

• Stacey Q at the Internet Movie Database
• Stacey Q at Allmusic
• Music.com
• Stacey Q's MP3 page
• Stacey Q's information from Billboard.com