b. Leslie Phillips, 28 January 1962, Glendale, California, USA. Not to be confused with the legendary Sam Phillips of Sun Records' fame, this US singer-songwriter embarked on a solo career in 1984 with the release of her debut album, Beyond Saturday Night A recording which espoused her Christian beliefs, it was released under her birth name on the Word Records label. Subsequent albums established Phillips as a star of the Contemporary Christian market, but in 1987 she teamed up with renowned pop producer T-Bone Burnett to record The Turning. Thereafter she dispensed with her given name and announced she no longer wished to be associated with the Contemporary Christian scene.
Philips signed with Virgin Records for 1988's secular debut The Indescribable Wow, though Burnette was retained as producer. This album was a considered move away from the strictures of devotional music: "I was naive enough to think I could talk about spiritual issues in my songs within the church. I wanted to ask questions, push the boundaries, and they wanted me to say that I'd found all the answers." Despite the 60s pop theme which the title of the album suggested, The Indescribable Wow also contained a number of cutting lyrical sequences which ensured its status as a mature, adult collection of songs.
Phillips and Burnette were married during sessions for her follow-up album. Cruel Inventions was just as compelling, but this time the bonhomie of the music had been abandoned for a more sombre approach which left Phillips' voice centre-stage. The Grammy Award-nominated Martinis & Bikinis reverted to a pop approach, with simple constructions aided by harpsichord and mandolin again masking lyrical invective. The accompanying musicians included Colin Moulding, Peter Buck, Marc Ribot and Benmont Tench, plus the rhythm section of Mickey Curry and bass player Jerry Scheff who had played on all her previous albums. It earned Phillips considerable critical praise without providing the major breakthrough many had envisaged for her.
Phillips made a surprise appearance in the blockbuster movie Die Hard: With A Vengeance in 1995, prior to recording the highly eclectic and hugely impressive Omnipop (It's Only A Flesh Wound Lambchop). During her subsequent lengthy break from the studio, Phillips rethought her musical approach and decided to strip away the lush pop style of her previous releases to leave a more intimate, semi-acoustic sound. Her debut for the Nonesuch label, Fan Dance, demonstrated this new style to great effect. The follow-up A Boot And A Shoe continued this approach.
