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little. Defying the rules had its consequences. This was exacerbated by the horrid reputation I had in the 1980s, some of it hyperbole but not all of it completely unfounded. Half-Piaf, half-Hemingway… singing and brawling. Wrestling in public with quite a few demons that I should have dragged to a therapist."
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produced her first hit dance single "Build Me a Bridge," and the success of the single led to an album deal with Geffen, but the company had alienated Dolby. Says Bertei of this period in the early 1980s: "Back then, female performers couldn't be too wild, and certainly not outspokenly gay, even a
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and upon her return to the U.S., Bertei started the all-girl punk-funk band The Bloods with guitarist Kathy Rey. The Bloods are considered the first rock and roll band of gay women who were publicly out of the closet. The band toured internationally, opened for
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providing guest vocals. The concept for the music video was a performance in a women's prison. Her anti-apartheid anthem "Little Lives, Big Love" charted high in
Germany. During this period she joined Jellybean Benitez for his LP
231:" which became an international pop hit for Dolby. She performed the song live on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1984. During her years in London, Bertei sang backing vocals with various groups live and in the studio, including
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Bertei began her career playing guitar and singing in the Wolves, her first band with
Laughner. She left Cleveland for New York City in 1977 shortly after Laughner died prematurely of complications due to alcoholism.
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and their journey through the 1970’s underground punk scene. The book was rereleased in 2021. Bertei’s second book, Why
Labelle Matters, is about the cultural and musical progress achieved by
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Striking a punk-waif look and attitude, Bertei was heavily involved in the underground film scene of the time, collaborating and appearing in films by the Irish filmmaker
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in 1993 and took a long hiatus from music to write and study directing. Since then her only musical outing has been with The
Anubian Lights as lead singer in 2005 and
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in 1955. She is the oldest of three children born to
Katherine (née Murphy) and Umberto Bertei. Her father was an Italian immigrant and her mother was of Irish and
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in the 1960’s. The newest book by Bertei is a memoir titled “Twist: An
American Girl.” The release date is set for spring of 2023 with publisher
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Bertei has written three books. Published in 2013, Bertei’s first book is “Peter and the Wolves” about her friendship with musician
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of Warhol/Chelsea Girls fame) and a minuscule budget in seven days. Bertei directed a 35 mm teaser for her original screenplay
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She began writing poetry at a very young age and was discovered as a singer by legendary
Cleveland musician
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in 2011 and based on writing featured there, has been approached to pen her memoirs. She also blogs for
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Bertei has worked as a U.S. contributing editor-at-large for the
Caribbean arts and culture magazine
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308:' Sowing the Seeds of Love tour in 1990 where she also sang backing vocals for the opening act,
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for the Virgin/Antilles label, featuring the
Contortions and three other no wave bands.
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art and music scene in NYC, playing
Acetone organ and guitar in the original line up of
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910:"Author Adele Bertei Rewrites the Legacy of One of Cleveland's Underground Punk Icons"
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England's Dreaming, Revised Edition: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond
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label Exit Records in 1981. "Button Up" was re-released on the British label
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in Ohio. Bertei never completed a formal education and is an autodidact.
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93:(born 1955) is an American singer, songwriter, writer, and director.
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fellowship for the Tomales Bay Workshops, specifically to work with
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Bertei continued to work as a backing vocalist, most notably for
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in New York, which resulted in Eno producing the iconoclastic LP
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659:"Adele Bertei's Single "Build Me a Bridge" on Beatelectric Blog"
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586:"The Bloods play "Bad Time" and the Peppermint Lounge, 1980"
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In the 1990s, Bertei directed several period pieces for the
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in 1985 and recorded the song "When It's Over", produced by
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673:"Adele Bertei's Single "Build Me a Bridge" on Discogs.com"
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711:"Thomas Dolby and Adele Bertei performing "Hyperactive!""
645:"Description and track list for New York Noise, Volume 1"
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Dolby invited her to sing backing vocals on his next LP,
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brought Bertei to Berlin in 1980 to perform solo at his
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Rabinowitz, Amanda; Nader, Brittany (28 January 2021),
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344:, Scott & Beth B., and in the feminist sci-fi film
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On Some Faraway Beach: The Life and Times of Brian Eno
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After The Bloods disbanded, Bertei worked as a DJ in
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No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York. 1976–1980
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Bertei has been awarded a writing fellowship at the
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in 1978, Bertei took him to a series of concerts at
182:in New York and released the single "Button Up," a
239:. She has written songs for artists as varied as
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140:Bertei quickly became a prominent figure in the
16:American singer, songwriter, writer and director
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328:, a CD of co-produced and co-written songs on
498:Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984
625:"The Bloods' album Button Up on Discogs.com"
484:. pp. 27, 34, 36, 62, 74, 120–121, 126.
113:of Ohio, resulting in a childhood spent in
1039:American people of French-Canadian descent
751:"Adele Bertei's "Little Lives, Big Love""
152:. While working as personal assistant to
1059:James Chance and the Contortions members
959:"Twist: An American Girl - Adele Bertei"
933:University of Texas Press (March 2021),
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109:descent. Bertei and her brothers became
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889:""The Ballad of Johnny Jane" on IMDB"
393:Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation
365:, and a soft-core comedy feature for
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869:""Secrets of a Chambermaid" on IMDB"
849:"Women: Stories of Passion" on IMDB"
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811:"Anubian Lights' album Phantascope"
541:. pp. 83–84, 86–87, 89–90, 93.
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469:. pp. 295, 297, 317, 318, 319.
454:. Powerhouse Books. pp. 47–48.
316:. After a brief stint touring with
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1029:American people of Italian descent
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320:as a backing singer, she moved to
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1044:American women singer-songwriters
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731:"Adele Bertei's "When It's Over""
568:"No New York Album on Amazon.com"
467:From the Velvets to the Void-Oids
1034:American people of Irish descent
495:Reynolds, Simon (2 April 2009).
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480:Moore, Thurston; Coley, Byron.
771:"Adele Bertei on allmusic.com"
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986:Adele Bertei Official Website
791:""Just a Mirage" music video"
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1054:Singer-songwriters from Ohio
693:"Adele Bertei Personal Blog"
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1064:21st-century American women
194:as part of the compilation
32:1955 (age 68–69)
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829:""Born in Flames" on IMDB"
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939:University of Texas Press
381:The Ballad of Johnny Jane
363:Women: Stories of Passion
294:Just Visiting This Planet
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526:. pp. 441–442, 517.
373:Secrets of a Chambermaid
227:with him on the single "
196:New York Noise, Volume 1
1049:Singers from Cleveland
255:, The Anubian Lights,
935:"Why Labelle Matters"
332:'s label Rhythmbank.
647:. 29 September 2008.
406:. Bertei launched a
198:, released in 2005.
501:. pp. 51, 56.
412:the Huffington Post
266:Bertei signed with
241:The Pointer Sisters
171:Martin Kippenberger
101:Bertei was born in
336:Directing and film
111:wards of the state
91:Adele Maria Bertei
607:"Girls + Guitars"
552:Sheppard, David.
465:Heylin, Clinton.
318:Sophie B. Hawkins
268:Chrysalis Records
253:Jellybean Benitez
192:Soul Jazz Records
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67:Years active
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450:Hell, Richard.
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306:Tears for Fears
299:Top of the Pops
280:Scritti Politti
146:the Contortions
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132:Career in music
107:French Canadian
103:Cleveland, Ohio
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36:Cleveland, Ohio
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220:The Flat Earth
207:Geffen Records
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991:Adele Bertei
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272:David Gamson
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249:Arthur Baker
237:The Passions
233:Culture Club
229:Hyperactive!
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211:Thomas Dolby
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186:favorite on
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150:James Chance
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115:foster homes
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70:1977–present
23:Adele Bertei
1019:1955 births
326:Phantascope
322:Los Angeles
301:that year.
257:Lydia Lunch
169:The artist
163:No New York
148:fronted by
119:reformatory
80:adelebertei
44:Occupations
1013:Categories
968:2022-10-22
944:22 October
919:22 October
437:References
427:Bluebelles
276:Fred Maher
97:Early life
53:songwriter
399:in 2010.
209:in 1981.
203:Amsterdam
184:John Peel
180:the Clash
175:SO36 club
154:Brian Eno
963:ZE BOOKS
776:AllMusic
431:ZE Books
425:and the
404:6 Carlos
359:Showtime
59:director
995:Discogs
796:YouTube
756:YouTube
736:YouTube
716:YouTube
678:Discogs
630:Discogs
591:YouTube
539:No Wave
408:website
387:Writing
368:Playboy
361:series
310:Blondie
286:, with
142:no wave
75:Website
815:Amazon
572:Amazon
505:
56:writer
50:Singer
613:: 87.
1004:IMDb
946:2022
921:2022
914:WKSU
894:IMDb
874:IMDb
854:IMDb
834:IMDb
503:ISBN
282:and
274:and
259:and
235:and
225:duet
82:.com
38:, US
29:Born
1002:at
312:'s
278:of
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