Lani Hall's Name

[Steve]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but it's been bugging me:

Do you pronounce the "a" in Lani as in "Land" or "Lane" (or perhaps like the "o" in "blond"?)

Thanks

 

[Harry]

It is correctly pronounced "lonny", though I've heard many a DJ say "lanny". I've never heard anyone say "lainie".

Harry
...pronounced "Harry", online...

 

[JMK]

It's interesting to hear Sergio's pronunciations of it through the years, if you have "live" recordings. In the early years, he tended more towards "lanny," then morphed into "lonny", but the differences are sometimes hard to make out due to his accent.

 

[Mr Bill]

Harry
...pronounced "Harry", online...

Funny... I always thought it was pronounced "hairy"...

--Mr Bill
in a punny mood for a Thursday...

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I've always thought Lani was pronounced "Lah'-ni" which is close to "Lonny" but not quite. I remember Herb introducing her on the Midnight Special.

 

[Harry]

That's really what I was trying to impart with the 'lonny' - enough to distinguish it on a message board from 'lanny'. Close enough - and I guess 'Steve' gets the idea.

Harry

 

[Brasil_Nut]

If you'll recall, Johnny Carson introduced "Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass, Featuring Lanie Hall" at the Academy Awards. This was the year Herb, Lani and the TJB performed "Maniac" from Bullish.

Jon

 

[JMK]

That performance was pilloried in the press, too. I remember reading three or four really nasty reviews to the effect of "Who booked that act?" Similar to Ann Reinking's reception when she did "Against All Odds" a few years later.

 

[Rudy]

Being a Phil Collins/Genesis fan, I remember the uproar over "Against All Odds". Apparently they wanted to use an "artist" who was in the Academy instead of Collins, who was actually quite ready to perform his hit at the show.

Funny they would pick "Maniac" though...that's certainly not my favorite track on the Bullish album. Wasn't that used in one of those bad 80's movies? All I remember is Michael Sembello's version on the radio, and getting the 12" here at home.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Maybe you're thinking of the bad '80s movie "Flashdance" which did use the song "Maniac" but it was sung by future A&M artist Michael Sembello. Actually the movie was not all that bad, although pretty unbelievable.

I sure do agree that "Maniac" is not the best song on the BULLISH album. The title track is top-notch Herb, in my opinion. I think that song really shows what the Brass might have sounded like if they'd stayed toether a few more years. Put some "real" drums and some Julius in there, and it would have been perfection.

 

[Brasil_Nut]

That performance was pilloried in the press, too. I remember reading three or four really nasty reviews to the effect of "Who booked that act?" Similar to Ann Reinking's reception when she did "Against All Odds" a few years later.

Jeff is right...there was a lot of sbrothering. In my humble opinion, if you look at the entire broadcast, it was the best production number. That particular program was wrought with errors from beginning to end. I mean, I'll never forget the opening credits, with celebrities walking the Red Carpet...upside down! It went downhill from there.

Johnny Carson proved to be less than stellar as a host, the miscues were numerous, the program ran far over its appointed time. In short, Herb, Lani & The TJB did one heck of a job, considering the fact that everything was falling down around them!

Jon

...with fond memories of a botched Academy Award show, online...