Artist:Lauren Wood
Song:Fallen
Album:Pretty Woman: Original Soundtrack
Singer songwriter Lauren Wood had her greatest success when her 1981 song Fallen was used in the 1990 hit film Pretty Woman. It was never released as a single but Fallen got airplay on Adult Contemporary radio. She has had one chart single but I would think most listeners know nothing about her. She was born Ilene Rapaport in Pittsburgh. Her childhood nickname is Chunky. She was in the 60s band Rebecca and the Sunnybrook Farmers and they released a 1969 album on Musicor. She formed the trio Chunky, Novi & Ernie with cousin Ilene "Novi" Novog and Ernie Eremita. Lauren wrote the songs and sang lead, Ilene Played viola and keyboards and Eremita played drums. Doobie Brothers producer Ted Templeman got them a record deal with Warner Bros. Templeman and John Cale produced the 1974 album Chunky, Novi & Ernie. After two unsuccessful albums, Warners signed Ilene Rapaport to a solo contract and renamed her Lauren Wood. The 1979 album Lauren Wood featured Lauren's only chart single when Please Don't Leave reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. That was a duet with Michael McDonald. Fallen is from Lauren's 1981 album Cat Trick. As with the first album, Lauren wrote all the songs. The album was produced by Peter Bunetta and Rick Chudacoff of the band Crackin'. The sax solo on Fallen was by David Woodford. Lauren continued to write songs but she wouldn't record again until 1997. When the 1990 film Pretty Woman was coming, Disney asked Ron Fair of EMI to put together a hit soundtrack album. The big hit single from that album was the #1 hit It Must Have Been Love by Roxette. The album was certified 3XPlatinum. Most listeners would not have known that Fallen was recorded in 1981. It got Adult Contemporary radio airplay. Lauren still records occasionally on her own label. She does a lot of studio work like background vocal and voiceovers for animated films. But I'm sure having one of her songs on a big hit soundtrack was a welcome windfall. And those royalty cheques are still coming. The Pretty Woman soundtrack is available as a budget CD. Here's the video for Fallen by Lauren Wood.
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