Song:Luka
Album:Retrospective: The Best Of Suzanne Vega
The 1987 top five hit Luka was the biggest hit for singer songwriter Suzanne Vega. The success of the song convinced record companies to sign similar artists. So Suzanne paved the way for a lot of the music that would follow. She was born Suzanne Peck July 11, 1959 in Santa Monica, CA. Her parents divorced soon after and her mom married Puerto Rican writer Ed Vega. The family moved to Spanish Harlem in New York City and Suzanne took her stepfather's surname. While majoring in English at Barnard College, Suzanne started performing on the New York coffeehouse circuit. She signed with A & M Records in 1984 and Patti Smith's guitarist Lenny Kaye signed on as producer along with guitarist Steve Addabbo. Suzanne has acknowledged Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed as her main influences. Her introspective style was something new at the time and her 1985 debut album Suzanne Vega won critical acclaim and did OK on the charts. But her second album Solitude Standing reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 200 and was certified Platinum. This was driven by the success of Luka which reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. If you're familiar with the song, you'll know that Suzanne wrote it from the point of view of an abused child. It struck a chord with a lot of people. The song Tom's Diner wasn't a hit at the time but a remix reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990. This sustained her career for several years and she continued to record for A & M until 1996. You can get all her hits on this comp. Suzanne Vega has also recorded for Uptown and Blue Note and is currently re-recording her back catalog with updated arrangements. Her latest CD Close-Up Vol. 2: People and Places was released on her own label Oct. 2010. Here's the video for Luka by Suzanne Vega.
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