Debbie Wants To Do A Streisand

by Gerald Martinez, The Malay Mail, 11 August, 1995.

Many teen idols have short-lived careers, but Debbie Gibson, who hit the charts at 16, is determined to have a career as rich and varied as Barbra Streisand's.

 "Barbra has done so many things, and she's still going strong. She's my role model in many ways," said 24-year-old Debbie, who was in Kuala Lumpur recently to promote her latest album, Think With Your Heart.

 " I think many youngsters are more attracted by the fame and fortune bit. They check out the latest musical trends, ride the wave, and then fall out of favour when the scene changes. But I am a musician because that's what I love to do." Debbie said she felt that kind of pressure to do what was currently popular on her earlier albums.

 "You get so many people telling you that doing this beat or that arrangement would make this song a hit, it's easy to lose sight of what it's all about." Indeed her earlier efforts had all kinds of music on them, from R&B to catchy dance tracks and love ballads. Still, big hits like Electric Youth and Out of the Blue, and Only In My Dreams were her rewards.

 On her recently released album Think With Your Heart, however, she got to do just what the title says. " It's the most honest album I have ever done", she said. " It was self-produced, so the songs turned out the way I wanted them to, without pressure from anyone."

 And the way she wanted them to be, was the way it used to be, the way her idols Carole King and Billy Joel did- writing and singing with just the piano. "If the song sounds good with just that, then it's worthwhile proceeding further with it."

 The album is more reflective and has many love ballads. Her singing is the focus on this album, with none of the heavy production work and busy arrangements of her earlier efforts.

 Debbie said it wasn't too long ago that she was involved in a rather unhealthy love affair. When it broke up, much of her emotions were channelled into the songs on this album.

 She wrote all but one, the exception being Carole King's Will You (Still) Love Me Tomorrow. "That song is timeless, and I know the emotions expressed in that song ring true for many people."

 And since her last album a couple of years ago, Gibson has been involved in very different things like performing in Les Miserables as Eponine , and as Sandy in the London remake of Grease.

 "It was very good experience. I had to be very disciplined. It was just vocal training , then the show, and sleep."

 Indeed another stage musical is in the works. She is working on adapting a movie script called Skirts for the stage. "It's about girl gangs challenging each other in dance contests in the 60s. There is some music for the dance scenes, but I am thinking about turning it into a full-fledged musical."

 And so to parallel Streisand, who has run the whole gamut of showbiz, from stage to film, to producing, directing, scriptwriting, singing and dancing.

 She shares the same ambitions too. Indeed Debbie intends to go even further and perhaps write a symphony one day.

 "I just want to exploit my potential to the fullest. It's a fear of mine that I don't do that. There are still many things for me to accomplish before I am satisfied."