Cherry Hill Sun

Tag: Pretty Poison

  • Painting scenes with a master

    Producer and engineer Rob Federici, owner of Polygon studios in Blackwood, is well-known for his stand-out productions.

    If you’re a musician looking for a producer and/or engineer with a proven track record to make your recording, Rob (aka Robert Eric) Federici may be the man you want to meet.

    The 64-year-old is the owner of The Polygon studios in Blackwood and is well-known in music circles for his standout productions and engineering prowess.

    “I’m very big on the fact, as a producer and engineer, that I want to make records that sound like the great records on the radio,” Federici explained. “To me, producing is like a painter painting a scene.”

    The Camden native and Pennsauken resident is also an accomplished guitarist, keyboardist and singer known in the area for his Billy Joel tribute performances. Federici opened The Polygon studios in Cherry Hill in 1984, then relocated to Blackwood last February.

    He estimates he’s produced and or engineered 44,500 recordings.

    “I’m very much a team player when it comes to working with the artists,” Federici shared. “In the end, they have the final say.”

    In addition to recording many rap groups, he is known for his work with such popular freestyle dance music artists as Pretty Poison, Collage, Adam Marano (as a single producer/performer) and Lil Suzy. Rockell – best known for her 1997 hit single, “In A Dream” – has worked with Federici so many times she can’t put a number on it.

    “Rob has done so much for me,” she noted. “I call him all the time to work on my showcases and get everything in order for my live performances. One thing I have to say about Rob is that no one knows my vocals quite like he does.”

    In addition to producing and engineering original songs, Federici has done remixes for Gloria Estefan and Sheryl Crow. But his production work isn’t limited to musical acts. Joe Conklin, the comedian and impressionist who’s an in-demand performer throughout the Delaware Valley, values Federici’s ability to understand an artist’s perspective.

    “Rob’s an entertainer’s producer,” Conklin observed. “He’s a performer himself, so that’s a big advantage. He knows what you want, he gets on your wavelength and he contributes to the art – the comedy bit, in my case.

    “I wouldn’t use anybody else.”

    For more information about Federici and his work, visit www.roberteric.com/polygon.

  • ‘I definitely like it all’

    Ccourtesy of Pretty Poison
    When asked what she prefers – live appearances or writing and recording – Pretty Poison’s Jade Starling said she “loves it all.”

    The ’80s may be over, but Pretty Poison’s career isn’t.

    The Cherry Hill-based dance-pop group – known for its 1987 hit “Catch Me (I’m Falling)” – continues to tour and release new music, acquiring new generations of fans in the process.

    The group’s latest single, “Freedom,” is a fresh, house-music reworking of its 1987 recording, “Let Freedom Ring,” that listeners can hear on their favorite streaming services.

    For Jade Starling, the crimson-haired siren of Pretty Poison, “Freedom” couldn’t be more relevant.

    “The song delivers a message of love and unity,” she explained, “and we’re in a time where we need songs that bring us together, not tear us apart.”

    To that end, Pretty Poison is known for its loyal advocacy of the LGBTQ community and regularly performs at Pride celebrations.

    “(The LGBTQ community) have followed us and supported us for years,” noted Starling, “because they know we have that message of acceptance and non-judgment.”

    In addition to “Freedom,” Pretty Poison has released a holiday song, “Alone at Christmas.”

    When the band was formed, it was not a dance-music outfit.

    “We were influenced by the early Pretenders, Blondie to a certain extent, and the artists of the time, like Pat Benatar,” said Whey Cooler, Pretty Poison’s founder, keyboardist and co-songwriter with Starling.

    Cooler, however, soon became inspired by the synth pop coming out of England. He bought two drum machines, and, gradually, Starling and Cooler’s vision of the band’s sound became more rhythmic and syncopated.

    Pretty Poison’s breakout single, “Nightime,” was released by Svengali Records in 1984 and re-released on Virgin Records in 1988.

    “We were embraced by Power 99, which was still a relatively open-formatted station,” Cooler recalled. “They liked that our music fit their format.”

    That was followed three years later by what would be the group’s signature song, “Catch Me (I’m Falling),” ultimately released on Virgin Records, with its video used to promote the 1987 Jon Cryer film, “Hiding Out.” Cooler and Starling had no idea the song would become such a sensation.

    “I had the song on a cassette in my pocket,” Cooler remembered. “We wrote it for somebody else.”

    “We never thought that this little song would make so much noise and become the iconic song that it is today,” Starling remarked.

    “Catch Me” was a massive success, making it to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Club Dance Play chart and peaking at No. 8 on the music trade magazine’s Hot 100 chart. It remained in the Top 40 for 14 weeks.

    Its popularity led Pretty Poison to appearances on “American Bandstand,” “Soul Train,” “Solid Gold,” “The Arsenio Hall Show” and “Top of the Pops.” Along with “Nightime,” “Catch Me” also became a prime example of the freestyle dance movement of the 1980s, a high energy, Latin-infused type of electronic dance music associated with groups and singers such as Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Stevie B, The Cover Girls, Expose and Shannon.

    According to Cooler, “Catch Me (I’m Falling)” has been used in 32 major films and television shows – most recently the MTV series, “The Challenge,” and an episode of last season’s “Will Trent” on ABC – and he plans more inclusions of the song.

    Today, Pretty Poison shows no signs of slowing down: Band members continue to perform and unleash new music at a prodigious rate. When asked what she prefers – live appearances or writing and recording – Starling doesn’t hesitate to answer.

    “I definitely like it all,” she said.

    “We split the time between touring and recording,” Starling pointed out. “Actually, we’ve had a pretty full schedule this year, and I’m grateful that our schedule allows us to have time to record, to write, and to be out there, touring and performing.”

    For more information about Pretty Poison,visit the www.prettypoisonmusic.com website.