TONI BASIL - BREAKAWAY

(originally posted 7/2008)

Sixteen years before her massive pop success with the polarizing "Mickey", Toni Basil (already a veteran professional dancer at age 23) cut this single. This record is easily one of the top choices I would make of records that SHOULD have been massive. Unfortunately this incredible 45 made no impact commercially, but in later years it became both a Northern Soul anthem as well as a pivotal track of female independence; feminism that is far more tuneful than "I Am Woman"!

The song accompanied the release of a short film of the same title that shows Toni in various states of undress, and its scandalous nature probably would have hurt this records' chance of becoming a hit had it been seen by more than a handful of people.

In the years between this release and that of "Mickey", Toni did not release any more records. Her career was active, and (among dozens of other high profile gigs) she made quite an impression in her appearance in Easy Rider, choreographed and danced with Davy Jones during the brilliant "Daddy's Song" sequence of The Monkees Head film, and choreographed The Talking Heads "Once In A Lifetime" video.

Songwriter Ed Cobb also wrote "Tainted Love", and was instrumental in the recordings of Gloria Jones and The Chocolate Watchband.

from 1966...

TONI BASIL - BREAKAWAY