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Tasha Thomas

Vocalist and actress (b. 1950 - d. 1983)

Tasha Thomas' Midnight Rendezvous was originally released in 1979 on Atlantic Records. It is possibly one of the most underrated albums of 1970's dance/R&B music. This was an album that presented the first glimmerings of a major talent on the rise. Tasha Thomas' career spanned only 13 years yet was packed with incredible accomplishments: she starred in the original Broadway production of The Wiz as Auntie Em and performed on the cast album; her voice was featured on numerous TV commercials, including Pepsi, Campbell's Soup and Meow Mix; she sang backup vocals on albums for such music icons as Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, B.B. King, Dizzie Gillespsie, Carly Simon and Kiss, to name but a few.

Those diverse singing experiences are part of what infuses Midnight Rendezvous with such an interesting and eclectic mix of genres. There is something for everyone on this album, whether you're a fan of dance music, soul, R&B, funk, jazz or blues. The biggest single from the album, Shoot Me (With Your Love), was a worldwide hit, which New York Times music critic Carl Palmer referred to as a song "destined to become a classic of erotic dance music." The syncopated funk of Hot Buttered Boogie and the jazz-funk feel of Street Fever should not be missed, as they were both big hits on the radio and the dance floor. Yet on other cuts, her vocal style has been compared to Etta James and Dinah Washington. In fact one of the album's overlooked gems that highlighted the singer's powerful vocal range is her stirring rendition of Dinah Washington's Drinkin' Again. In short, Midnight Rendezvous is an album well worth listening to and savoring just for a chance to experience the raw, dynamic talent of this sensational singer whose life and career were tragically cut short by cancer at age 33. It's taken 30 years, but on June 2, 2009 Atlantic Records paid tribute to the enduring popularity of this artist with its digital release of Midnight Rendezvous.