Shakespear’s Sister

  • Shakespear's Sister
  • Sacred Heart (ffrr/PolyGram) 1989 
  • Hormonally Yours (London) 1991 

If Dave Stewart had, as claimed, no hand in crafting the synthesized dance-rock of his wife’s Sacred Heart, then the task of precisely mimicking Eurythmics’ sound must be easier than it looks. Joined in Shakespear’s Sister by Marcella Detroit (who, in her less groovy ’70s life as Marcy Levy, toured and recorded with Eric Clapton), Mrs. Stewart — ex-Banarama gal Siobhan Fahey (sporting a deeper, more serious voice) — kisses off her former bandmates with the nasty “You’re History,” but isn’t above re-creating their harmony signature on several tunes. Although she does a fair Chrissie Hynde impression on “Heaven Is in Your Arms” and echoes other contemporary vocalists elsewhere, frequent, detailed nods to Annie Lennox give the record an overwhelming sense of déjà entendu. Even “Primitive Love,” a goofy six-line shoutalong with raging fuzz bass, sounds like Eurythmicized Gary Glitter.

[Ira Robbins]