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Rhonda uses her Imagination
19th April 2008
By Simon Parris
Rhonda Burchmore is an Australian showbiz legend, the kind of star
you feel like you have known forever. Maybe you remember as far back
as her appearances on Hey Hey It’s Saturday and her fabulous
star turn as the sole female in Hot Shoe Shuffle. Or maybe
you have seen her more recent performances in shows such as Mamma
Mia! and RESPECT. Either way, everyone knows Rhonda
Burchmore as the stunning, l eggy,
slightly madcap star of stage and screen.
While famous for her incredible dancing, many of Rhonda’s
performances across her twenty-five year career have naturally
involved singing. She has a smoky, expressive voice, full of
character and emotion. With two earlier albums under her belt,
Rhonda has taken a new direction with her third recording ‘Pure
Imagination’.
Rather than release a CD full of predictable show tunes, Rhonda has
scoured the popular song catalogue to come up with a practically
definitive list of the most beautiful songs of the past decades.
Just think of a classic, beautifully written song you have loved and
it’s probably there.
The title track is of course from the movie Willy Wonka and the
Chocolate Factory. This is followed by Sinead O’Connor’s
‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, The Righteous Brothers’ ‘Unchained Melody’,
Roy Orbison’s ‘Crying’, ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’, ‘A
Song For You’, Barbra Streisand’s hit ‘The Way We Were’ and
Sondheim’s poignant classic ‘Send in the Clowns’.
Rhonda has also included two songs from her recent stage
performances. ‘In My Daughter’s Eyes’ is from RESPECT. It is
a song with a special meaning for Ms Burchmore, as she likes to
think of it from the point of view of her twelve-year-old daughter
Lexie. The second selection is from the worldwide smash hit musical
Mamma Mia! ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’ is not one of ABBA’s
better-known hits, but it has a very catchy melody and simple,
elegant lyrics.
Rhonda is accompanied by a quartet of keyboard, bass, drums and
guitar, as well as string players from the Victorian Symphony
orchestra. The songs were recorded live in one room over two days,
giving a feeling of the energy of live performance to the album.
‘Pure Imagination’ would make a great Mothers’ Day gift, and would
be perfect for background music at a dinner
party or just for relaxation. The CD will be released on April 19.
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