Charlene Oliver known as Charlene, is an American R&B and easy-listening singer and songwriter best known for the 1982 worldwide hit "I've Never Been to Me". After signing with Motown in 1973, her initial releases and the first version of "I've Never Been to Me" were minor hits. However, a 1982 re-release of the song, featuring a spoken bridge, became a massive international success, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 in several countries. Beyond her signature song, Charlene has released several albums, continues to record new music, and has written books, including an autobiography.
Charlene was born and raised in Hollywood, California. She experienced a difficult childhood that included drug addiction and abuse. While performing with her first husband, a Motown CEO Berry Gordy publicist discovered Charlene. She became one of the first white female singers to sign with the label in the mid-1970s.
Charlene released two albums with Motown in the late 1970s.
She recorded "I've Never Been to Me" during this time, though the
song did not initially chart well.
After moving to England in the early 1980s, Charlene learned
that a radio station in Florida was playing "I've Never Been to Me".
Motown re-released the single with the spoken bridge. The song became a global
hit in 1982, reaching high chart positions in the U.S., UK, and Australia. The
single was one of the year's biggest hits, and the video for the song was
filmed at Blickling Hall, Norfolk, England and Charlene wore the wedding dress
that she got married in.
During that time, Charlene had moved to England and was
working at a candy store in Ilford in London. After locating her, Jay Lasker
personally telephoned Charlene to re-sign with Motown Records in order to
facilitate the re-release of “I’ve Never Been to Me.”
"I've Never Been to Me" was featured as the
opening song to the 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
The song is mimed onstage by two Sydney drag queens at the Imperial Hotel in
Erskineville, Sydney, Australia.
Charlene returned to the U.S. and released a duet with Stevie Wonder in 1984. However, the song's lyrics were controversial, which limited radio play. She also contributed to a film soundtrack.
"I've Never Been to Me" has appeared in various
media. Charlene has continued writing and recording music, releasing some club
and house mixes.
Pandora Radio features a "Charlene" channel that
includes songs such as: "Johnny Doesn't Love Here Anymore,""If
I Could See Myself,""Can't We Try,""Hey Mama," and
others.
In 1985, the release of The Last Dragon through Motown
brought together Motown signed talents. Along with artists such as Vanity, they
mashed her in with a catchy pop song called "Fire." While the single
was a fan favorite for die-hards, the song failed to make an impact in the
musical charts. Charlene would have one two more albums released through Motown
titled 'The Sky's The Limit' and 'Hit & Run Lover'. Both albums were a major shift to pop, which was far
from Charlene's adult contemporary sound.
In 2004, her songwriting was featured on the NBC network soap opera, “Passions” and she completed a tour of the United Kingdom with singer Kiki Dee.
Charlene has also written songs featured in films and TV
shows, including Desperate Housewives and Shrek the Third. In 2012, she
released new dance/club/house music under the name Charlene Oliver and
published her autobiography.
Alan Mercer: What is a typical day like in your life right
now?
Charlene Oliver: A
typical day involves my husband getting up early and then I take him to work.
When I return home, I’m greeted by 4 dogs and then my daughter drops off her 2
dogs. This means I am taking care of 6 dogs, and I love it. Sometimes my puppy
does get crazy, though.
AM: I feel the same
way. I love my dog.
CO: They are so giving with everything.
AM: Sometimes people in the music business don’t
like to listen to music on their own time. Is that how you feel?
CO: I’m getting to
be like that. I watch more TV now. I like to watch all the old shows. I also
like to go for walks.
AM: Do you miss doing concerts?
CO: I never did any concerts.
AM: How did that
happen?
CO: It happened because
of the kind of music I did. ‘Never Been To Me’ is a ballad with violins. I would
have to go to Las Vegas.
AM: Your voice has a Karen Carpenter quality. You
are a singer’s singer.
CO: I’ve heard that a lot.
AM: Charlene, your more recent song, ‘Heard You On The Radio’ is so much fun. Where did that come from?
CO: My friend, who I knew from the time I was in Junior
High, has a big studio now and does all this recording. She knew I had a hit
record. She asked me to come and lay down some vocals. I have another song
called ‘Weakness’ and it’s so good.
AM: You have a way
with haunting melodies and delicate sounding lyrics and at the same time, you
can sing big and bold.
CO: Yes, I can.
AM: I hear more contemporary singers trying to
sing like you do, but they don’t do the style any favors. I also hear your influence when
I listen to Michael Jackson.
CO: He did take my singing
style from me. That's what Motown wanted.
AM: He’s famous for stealing. He stole everything
from everybody.
CO: Yes, he did. I was honored.
AM: Motown seemed to
steal from every artist except Smokey and Diana.
CO: Smokey almost owns Motown. Do you remember
Teena Marie and ‘Lovergirl’? I knew her and she tried so hard to get the money
they owed her. She died before she could get her money.
AM: Motown keeps going.
CO: Kind of. It’s lost its edge. More people know
a lot about it now.
AM: Despite all that, it’s still an important part
of music history and you were signed with them.
CO: When I tell people
I was with Motown, they always get excited and thrilled. People think it’s
incredible. They have heard of Motown.
AM: I’d love to hear
you sing Country music.
CO: Yes, it does
suit my voice, but I don’t know where I’d begin.
AM: What was working
with Kiki Dee like?
CO: I was so excited
to work with her. She had a great guitar player. We went on a short club tour.
She changed a lot of the arrangements on her songs, though. They were much
slower.
AM: Can you tell me
about your song, ‘Freddie’ that you wrote as a tribute to Freddie Prinze. I
happened to be at the very last taping of ‘Chico And The Man’. A week later he
was gone.
CO: My sister dated him, so that’s how we knew
him. He was the sweetest guy, and it was very sad when he ended his life.
AM: Do you have a
favorite song from your album, The Sky Is The Limit?
CO: ‘There Was Nothing To Believe In’ and ‘The
Prayer’ are my favorites.
AM: What do you remember
about that time in your life when you recorded that album?
CO: That’s when I
first came to England to be with my future husband, Jeff, I got in contact with
some people who owned a recording studio in Northern England. They wanted me to
record some songs, so I did and it was fun. We went to this huge castle called Blickling
Hall. We were there painting so that all our Christian kids could come and hang
out and cook there. It really was so much fun. Then I got a call from Chapel
Lane Records that they wanted me to record some songs. It was a good
experience, but I don’t even remember what we recorded.
AM: It’s understandable since it’s so long ago.
CO: What I remember is we had a group of the most
incredible musicians. People like Lee Ritenour on guitar and Joe Sample on
bass. But then Ron Miller came in and whitewashed the whole album. We had
musicians that were on fire. They were strong performances. Then Ron made it
all sterile. He changed all the original productions. I wish you could hear the
original of ‘There Was Nothing To Believe In’. Mark Williamson produced the
first version.
AM: So, Motown purchased the album from Chapel
Lane?
CO: Yes, but Motown
never paid Chapel Lane. They took it and it broke my heart. It broke everybody’s
heart. Then we heard the gospel label Word wanted it, but Motown owned it and
what did they do with it? Nothing. They buried it along with my ‘Hit & Run
Lover’ album.
AM: I love your ‘Hit & Run Lover’ album! It’s
such a fun departure for you. Pop Rock is your genre.
CO: Oh, I know. It took my voice to a different
place. I was a lot stronger. ‘Paying For Borrowed Time’ is a great song and I
love it.
AM: I love the song ‘Hit & Run Lover’!
CO: I’m playing the drums on that track. That rhythm is me.
AM: Wow! I love that!
AM: Well, you do
have your place in music history. I totally love the opening credits for ‘Priscilla,
Queen Of The Dessert’. They did such a
good job with your song.
CO: I love it so
much. They flew me to Australia for the premiere of the movie. Terrance Stamp told me they had fun with the song. I didn't get to meet Hugo Weaving, but he was brilliant.
AM: You’ve spent a lifetime
talking about your most famous song, ‘I’ve Never Been To Me’, so it’s a good
thing you love it.
CO: Oh, I do love
it! I put my heart and soul into that
song. That song was written just for my voice. I went into Ron Miller’s office.
He told me I was singing all the wrong songs. They are trying to make you into
Michael Jackson. Motown doesn’t know what to do with you. I’ve got a song that
I wrote for you and when he pushed the play button and I heard those opening lyrics.
I broke out in tears because it was the story of my life.
