Shandi Sinnamon -

Shandi Sinnamon (1954–July 4, 2024) was an American singer and songwriter from Miami who released two self-titled albums between 1976 and 1980 on Asylum and Dreamland. She later wrote and sang “He’s a Dream” for Flashdance and supplied songs for further film projects.

Background

Shandi was born Shandra Sinnamon in Miami, Florida. She left high school and moved to Big Sur, California, with plans for a career as a singer-songwriter. Sinnamon later returned to Florida after a bicycle accident in Los Angeles and studied music and drama at a community college.

After her recovery, Shandi sang at a local restaurant, where a disc jockey heard her voice and alerted Elektra/Asylum Records, which paired the singer with producer Snuff Garrett. In February 1976, Asylum issued her debut single: “Rainbow in My Heart” (b/w “Be Easy”). as her first single. Sinnamon then recorded an album with Garrett and arrangers Al Capps and Steve Dorff.

Shandi Sinnamon

Shandi Sinnamon released her self-titled debut album in April 1976 on Asylum.

The album contains eleven tracks, including the pre-album single “Rainbow in My Heart” and two Sinnamon originals, “Southern Lady” and “I’d Rather Be Dancing.” She includes nine covers, including songs associated with The Carter Family (“Travelin’ Minstrel Band”), The Righteous Brothers (“You Turn Me Around”), and The Shirelles (“Will You Love Me Tomorrow”).

“Travelin’ Minstrel Band” blends Shandi with Phil Everly in shared harmony. “Rainbow in My Heart” flows through an easy, plainly contoured line. “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” glides through a polished, fluid arrangement with a clear, readily grasped contour. “I Don’t Know Why (I Love That Guy)” blooms around a full-bodied lead and backing harmonies.

A1. “Travelin’ Minstrel Band” (2:03) – Foster, Rice
A2. “Rainbow in My Heart” (2:47) – Dorff, Brown, Herbstritt
A3. “A Little Bit Crazy” (2:17) – Browning, Garrett
A4. “You Turn Me Around” (2:31) – Mann, Weil
A5. “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (2:32) – Goffin, King
A6. “I Don’t Know Why (I Love That Guy)” (2:32) – Hobbs

B1. “Sowin’ His Wild Oats” (3:08) – Sklerov, Parker
B2. “Be Easy” (3:20) – Sinnamon, Stratos
B3. “Southern Lady” (2:32) – Hazlewood
B4. “I Never Knew How Much I Loved You” (2:58) – Sklerov, Lloyd
B5. “I’d Rather Be Dancing” (3:18) – Sinnamon

Snuff Garrett produced Shandi Sinnamon for Garrett Music Enterprises at Larrabee Sound in West Hollywood with engineer Lenny Roberts. Garrett also produced Brenda Lee’s L.A. Sessions for MCA that year.

Shandi Sinnamon appeared in a sleeve by Elektra/Asylum art director Glen Christensen and Los Angeles design studio Vigon Nahas Vigon, with photography by Johanna Van Zantwyk. Christensen also worked on 1976 sleeves for Eagles (Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975) and Joni Mitchell (Hejira); Vigon Nahas Vigon designed David Liebman–Richard Beirach (Forgotten Fantasies), while Van Zantwyk photographed contemporary albums by Joan Baez (Gulf Winds) and The Meters (Trick Bag).

Van Zantwyk photographed Sinnamon in a brimmed hat, vest, blouse, and flared trousers, seated on a low table against a gray-brown field.

Asylum lifted “Rainbow in My Heart” as a February 1976 single (b/w “Be Easy”). In May 1976, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” followed (b/w “I Never Knew How Much I Loved You”).

1977–1980

Sinnamon continued session work after the Asylum album and sang backing parts on the Hoyt Axton albums Snowblind Friend and Free Sailin’. She met Gregory McKay in June 1977, and McKay became her manager after helping her leave an earlier management agreement. He secured an appearance on The Jim Nabors Show and club engagements at Madam Wong’s and the Blue Lagoon Saloon. McKay also circulated Sinnamon tapes among ten record companies and arranged Los Angeles showcases.

McKay Productions paid Sinnamon monthly advances through August 1979 to support her band and songwriting. Sinnamon also sang the Fred Karlin title song for the 1978 ABC television movie Leave Yesterday Behind. By the end of the decade, she worked the Los Angeles club circuit with a harder rock presentation and drew capacity audiences at the Troubadour.

Sinnamon entered 1980 in disputes over her management, recording, and publishing agreements. She challenged the McKay contracts while Blue Gem Music sought to block nine compositions from her planned Dreamland album. Sinnamon cleared the contractual obstacles and moved forward with Parallel Lines producer Mike Chapman and Dreamland Records.

Chapman produced ten Sinnamon originals at United Western Studios in Hollywood between February 18 and March 7, 1980, with Lenise Bent engineering. Dreamland issued the resulting Shandi album through RSO later that year.

Shandi

Shandi released her second album, Shandi, in April 1980 on Dreamland.

Sinnamon wrote eight titles alone and shared “Heart Beat” with Jeffrey Rollings and “Don’t Sweat It” with Jill Black. She commands a five-piece rock band with bassist James Rolleston, keyboardist Paul Hertzog, drummer Pat Mastelotto, and guitarists Tim Pierce and Steve Sykes.

“Bottom Line” romps through a freewheeling run beneath Shandi’s high-reaching wail. “Mine (Mine, Mine, Mine)” charges on her urgent, come-hither taunts. “Don’t Sweat It” veers through her most eccentric phrasing. “Nobody Loves U Better” drives on a taut, pulsating beat. “Boy Crazy” struts through brash expressions.

A1. “Walk the Streets” (3:33)
A2. “Show Down” (3:39)
A3. “Heart Beat” (3:34)
A4. “Tuff Baby” (3:37)
A5. “Bottom Line” (2:57)

B1. “Mine (Mine, Mine, Mine)” (4:45)
B2. “Don’t Sweat It” (2:55)
B3. “I Yi Yi Yi” (3:29)
B4. “Nobody Loves U” (3:04)
B5. “Boy Crazy” (2:32)

Sessions spanned February 18 through March 7, 1980, at United Western Studios in Hollywood with producer Mike “Commander” Chapman and engineer Lenise Bent. United Western handled recording and the first mix; MCA Whitney Studios in Glendale handled final mixing and mastering. Chapman entered the sessions after producing the Knack album Get the Knack and the Pat Benatar debut In the Heat of the Night. Bent moved from assistant work on Breakfast in America to engineering the Knack follow-up …But the Little Girls Understand.

Shandi appeared in a sleeve directed by RSO designer Glenn Ross, with illustration and design by Kurt Triffet and photography by Glen Wexler, who co-conceived the visual theme with the singer. Ross also oversaw 1980 visuals for Linda Clifford (I’m Yours) and Ron Carter (Empire Jazz); Triffet and Wexler both worked on the Brothers Johnson (Light Up the Night), while Wexler photographed Chaka Khan (Naughty).

Shandi places Sinnamon against a black field in a polka-dot dress and long gloves, encircled by white ribbed tubing beneath a neon-script logo.

Dreamland lifted “Nobody Loves You Better” as a June 1980 single (b/w “Mine (Mine, Mine, Mine)”). The album sleeve shortens the A-side title to “Nobody Loves U.”

Renaissance Records reissued Shandi on CD in 2009 with the original ten-track sequence.

Soundtracks and Later Work

Sinnamon turned increasingly to film and television music after Shandi. She and Ronald Magness wrote “He’s a Dream,” which she sang for the 1983 film Flashdance. The soundtrack brought Sinnamon and the other credited contributors a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 1984 ceremony.

She followed with several 1984 film assignments. Sinnamon sang “Seven Day Heaven” for Where the Boys Are ’84. She wrote “Tough Love” with Toni Stern and produced her recording for The Karate Kid. For Making the Grade, Sinnamon and Larry Frankland Lee wrote “Living on the Edge” and “Double Trouble,” both sung by Sinnamon.

Sinnamon wrote the title song for the 1985 film Gotcha!, with Thereza Bazar as singer, and co-wrote “Wild Roses,” which she sang in Echo Park. She also became the singer of the theme for the Scott Baio sitcom Charles in Charge. Sinnamon wrote and performed “Slow Dance” for the 1986 television movie Can You Feel Me Dancing?

Her work expanded to sessions and touring later in the decade. Sinnamon sang on Pierre Bensusan’s 1987 album Spices and joined Johnny Hallyday as a backing singer for his Bercy concerts in Paris. She remained with Hallyday for a July 1988 appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Sinnamon also wrote and produced songs for the 1987 action film Rolling Vengeance. For Bloodsport, she and composer Paul Hertzog wrote “Fight to Survive” and “On My Own – Alone,” both performed by Stan Bush.

Sinnamon joined Todd Rundgren as a backing singer on the 1989 album Nearly Human and remained in his ensemble for 2nd Wind. In the mid-Nineties, she sang “Only a Memory Away” as the character Sailor Mercury for the English-language adaptation of Sailor Moon. She later co-wrote “Boy of My Dreams” with Peter Andrews for the 1997 television film Tower of Terror, where Melora Hardin performed the song onscreen.

Deep Dish returned Sinnamon to the charts in 2004 with “Flashdance,” a reworking of “He’s a Dream” that retained songwriting credits for Sinnamon and Magness. The single reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the UK dance chart. Sinnamon moved from Los Angeles to Eugene, Oregon, around this period and taught songwriting through Lane Community College. She also played Patsy Cline in a 2004 Hult Center production of Always… Patsy Cline and Blanche DuBois in a 2008 Cottage Theatre production of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Sinnamon died on July 4, 2024, at age seventy-two.

Discography: