Signing with Capitol Records out of L.A. when she was 17, her self-titled debut album in 1977, produced by David Foster, won her a Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist. She was nominated for the same award a second time, for her 1978 sophomore release Pretty Girls, although she did not win.
After Lisa Dalbello's third album, in 1981, she took a break from recording to re-evaluate her creative and personal priorities. However, David Bowie's former Spiders From Mars guitarist Mick Ronson saw a CBC documentary on her while working at a recording studio in Toronto and convinced her to record another album.
That album, whomanfoursays (a homophone for "human forces"), was co-produced by Dalbello and Ronson. It was also her first album recorded as Dalbello, and marked her transformation into an edgy rock artist. The transformation worked -- the album was even more successful on the Canadian pop charts than her earlier albums had been. The album spawned the hit singles "Gonna Get Close To You" and "Animal".
Ronson and Dalbello planned to record a second album, however, over Dalbello's strong objections, Ronson was passed over by both her record label, and her manager at that time, Roger Davies. Disappointed, and in an attempt to ensure the creative integrity of the Ronson/Dalbello production follow up, Dalbello submitted 4 self-produced song demos to her U.S. label and manager, only to have them rejected because they wanted a "real" producer.
Partly out of frustration and partly as a practical joke, Dalbello re-submitted the song demos under a pseudonym, "Bill Da Salleo", which was nothing more than a simple anagram of her name. To her surprise, her label and manager excitedly called her up saying that they loved the "new" demos and believed "Bill" was the perfect producer for the project.
Dalbello continued to produce the album under the pseudonym, managing to keep both her label and manager from visiting the sessions by booking the studio time late at night, and only broke the "news" of "Bill's premature death" to her Canadian A&R person Deane Cameron, just prior to delivering the album to the label, and shortly after Cameron called her out of concern that the label had no signed production agreement between Bill Da Salleo and themselves. Cameron, a maverick in Canadian music circles who was the first record label A & R person to have signing autonomy from his U.S. label counterpart out of L.A., reportedly laughed out loud, proclaiming that Dalbello had truly kicked the L.A. A&R offices' asses.
EMI released the album She in 1987. That album's singles, "Tango" and "Black on Black", were Dalbello's biggest hits. A version of "Black on Black" was also featured on the 9½ Weeks soundtrack. The success of She allowed her to tour extensively, particularly throughout Europe.
In 1991, not long after she moved from Toronto to L.A., Ronson and Dalbello discussed collaborating again. However, everything was put on hold because of a downturn in Ronson's health. Sadly, Ronson died of liver failure in 1993.
Three years later, Dalbello released whore in 1996 for EMI in Europe where she returned to tour for the rest of that year. She has not released another album since then and has instead focused on producing and writing for other artists such as Heart, Patti LaBelle -- whom she also produced, as well as Julian Lennon and Nena; some of the artists and writers she has co-written with are her friends Bryan Adams, Julian Lennon and Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson of Heart, as well as David Foster, Carole Bayer-Sager, Holly Knight, Chaka Khan, Branford Marsalis, Damhnait Doyle and Dan Hill.
In addition to having appeared on Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson's solo album Victor, contributing the lead vocal to the song "Start Today", and having recorded a duet with Duran Duran’s John Taylor, her vocals have appeared on records for Cher, Heart, Alice Cooper, Patti LaBelle, Toto, Nena, The FIXX, Rupert Hine's "Thinkman" project and Canadians Rough Trade, Kim Mitchell, Corey Hart and Glass Tiger.
Heart have covered "Black on Black", and Queensrÿche have covered "Gonna Get Close to You".
From the age of 14 and throughout the span of her recording career, Dalbello has performed vocals and voiceovers on some of the most well known TV and radio commercials in North America, for which she now also writes and arranges music. Her voice work also expanded into areas of documentary work as well as character voices for the Television anime series Sailor Moon. She performed the song "Always" for a popular Cheer detergent commercial that aired in the United States in 2003. Her song, "Faith In You (With All Your Heart)", was used to promote the launch of the Ford Focus automobile in North America; commercials featuring it played in movie theaters and on television.
Since 2002, she has been the brand announcer voice for the Canadian cable news network, CBC Newsworld. Additionally, her voice can be heard introducing CBC News anchor Peter Mansbridge on the network's flagship nightly news and current affairs program, "The National".
Target
Dalbello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you pulled me to your breast
Clinging to my vanity
'Til I was to weak to protest
You never leave me alone
I could've done the same to you
Angular and still
Annointing me with accolades
Designed to break my will
Two of us are waiting
For one of us to blink
One look into your transparent eyes
Reflects the way I think
You never leave me alone... leave me alone
I could've done the same to you
You want me for your own
A little too much to put me through
CHORUS
We are targets for each other
Look in the mirror and
My eyes are aimed at you
We resemble one another
I find my Target when
My eyes are aimed - at - you
I stretched out of my skin
You were tugging at my ego
Someone noticed my anatomy unraveling
In a flash of inward vision
I hurled humilities at you
Somehow you never expected thunder from a quiet sky
My weapon is my point of view
You want me for your own
A little too much to put me through
CHORUS
We are targets for each other
Look in the mirror and
My eyes are aimed at you
We resemble one another
I find my Target when
My eyes are aimed at you
When my eyes are aimed at you
I find my Target
I find my Target
The lyrics of "Target" by Dalbello are complex and open to interpretation. The song appears to be about a toxic relationship where both parties are trying to target and dominate each other. The opening lines "You branded me with fingerprints, when you pulled me to your breast" suggest that one person has marked the other as their own possession. The reference to "my vanity" being clung to until "I was too weak to protest" implies that one person has used flattery and praise to manipulate the other into submission.
The chorus of "We are targets for each other, look in the mirror, and my eyes are aimed at you" drives home the idea that both parties are equally invested in the relationship and that they are essentially mirror images of each other. The second verse suggests that the singer is aware of their own weaknesses and vulnerabilities and is using them to fight back against the other person. They mention "hurling humilities" and using their "weapon" (presumably words or perspective) to defend themselves.
Overall, the lyrics of "Target" explore the themes of power, control, and the delicate balance of a toxic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
You branded me with fingerprints
You left your mark on me in a way that cannot be erased
When you pulled me to your breast
When you embraced me with warmth and affection
Clinging to my vanity
Holding onto my ego and sense of self-importance
'Til I was too weak to protest
Until I lacked the strength to object or resist
You never leave me alone
You constantly surround me or occupy my thoughts
I could've done the same to you
I could have reciprocated your actions
Armed with paralyzing focus
Determined with an unwavering and immobilizing intensity
Angular and still
Fixed and motionless, with sharp angles
Annointing me with accolades
Praising and honoring me with high regard
Designed to break my will
Intentionally created to weaken my resolve or determination
Two of us are waiting
Both of us are hesitant or undecided
For one of us to blink
For one of us to show vulnerability or weakness
One look into your transparent eyes
One glimpse at your sincere and truthful gaze
Reflects the way I think
Mirrors or reveals my own thoughts and feelings
You want me for your own
You desire to possess or control me
A little too much to put me through
To an excessive and burdensome degree
CHORUS
Repeating the main message of the song
We are targets for each other
We are both sought after and pursued by each other
Look in the mirror and
Examine oneself and see the reflection of the other person
My eyes are aimed at you
My attention and focus are on you
We resemble one another
We share similar qualities and traits
I find my Target when
I discover my objective or goal when
My eyes are aimed - at - you
I am looking directly at you
I stretched out of my skin
I extended beyond my comfort zone or usual behavior
You were tugging at my ego
You were exerting pressure on my sense of self-importance
Someone noticed my anatomy unraveling
Somebody observed me falling apart or breaking down psychologically
In a flash of inward vision
In a moment of self-reflection and introspection
I hurled humilities at you
I expressed my faults or shortcomings to you
Somehow you never expected thunder from a quiet sky
Somehow, you didn't anticipate a strong or powerful response from someone you thought was reserved
My weapon is my point of view
My perspective and opinion are my source of strength or influence
When my eyes are aimed at you
When I am focused on you
I find my Target
I recognize or achieve my objective or goal
Contributed by Mila O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Schlury Jorgendor
The whole LP "whoman foursays" was filled with energized,spirituel and creative songs, which were unique for these 80´s years.They are timless songs
I love it .
K O
+Schlury Jorgendor: I got the LP on the day it was releast in 1984 and i also love it big time :)
WoodRatGirl
Amazing performer who deserves more recognition.
K O
She is a fantastico..genius...beautiful...Music...I am in love, when this women started to sing everything is just so right ;)
Nilton Jorge
Amazing music, excelent album!
optimat prime
EPIC! I loved her, too! and must confess that im fallin in love to her again. :-)(-:
Mike Calak
Best women writer ever absolutely amazing
Susanne Eberhardt
dalbello ❤
Ann Koell
Läuft!
Eddie Montana
My weapon is my point of view. I'm loke that since several years....