Maps of Music

Hat Full of Stars (1993)

Where the lyrics of Hat Full of Stars take you, and where it was really made.

Lauper's fourth album was a commercial letdown in the United States, yet it earned gold certifications only in Japan and France.

Key places

Sigma Sound in Philadelphia (1993)

Recording site Sigma Sound Studios — One of the seven studios used for the sessions of Hat Full of Stars, spread across several cities. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Right Track Recording in Manhattan (1993)

Recording site MSR Studios — Another recording studio used for the album, located in Manhattan according to the source. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The Enchanted Cottage in Los Angeles (1993)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — One of the studios used for the album; only the city center is marked here, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

World Famous Orbit Sound in London (1993)

Recording site Wild Bunch Studios (London) — One of the studios used for the album; only the city center is marked here, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Hat Full of Stars: fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper
• Released in 1993; listed release date 21 May 1993
• Came four years after A Night to Remember (1989), which drew unfavorable reviews and low sales
• Received favorable reviews but was poorly received by the public
• Gold certifications in Japan and France only

Background

• Moved away from the pop-rock sound of earlier projects toward alternative music
• Deepened Lauper's habit of writing topical songs about social issues
• Co-produced by dance-music artist Junior Vasquez, whose style of the time shaped the record
• Many songs held together by synthetic loops and percussion
• Lyrics address abortion, racism, spousal abuse and incest

Recording

• Recorded at The Hit Factory, Sigma Sound, Messina Sound, Right Track, The Enchanted Cottage, The Ranch and World Famous Orbit Sound
• Lauper later said she wished her vocals on the project had been sharper
• She worked with a vocal coach for the next studio album, Sisters of Avalon

Cover

• Cover inspired by a photograph of actress Mary Pickford, taken by photographer Nelson Evans

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper, born June 22, 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, is an American singer, songwriter and actress.
• Known for an eccentric image and a four-octave vocal range; dubbed the "Queen of Quirky Pop".
• Has sold over 50 million records worldwide.
• Debut solo album She's So Unusual (1983) produced four top-five Billboard Hot 100 hits, a first for a female debut artist, and won Best New Artist at the 27th Grammy Awards.
• Won the Tony Award for Best Original Score for Kinky Boots (2013), the first woman to win the category solo.
• Received two Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy, a Tony, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2015).
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2025.
• Has been a prominent LGBTQ rights advocate, founding True Colors United in 2008 to address LGBTQ youth homelessness.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Holly George-Warren of Rolling Stone gave the album four out of five stars and called it Lauper's most ambitious record
• Rolling Stone praised her vocals and the arrangements that mixed rootsy instruments with R&B staples over dance-music foundations
• People gave a favorable review, praising how Lauper lets her feelings and opinions emerge naturally
• Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B and doubted it would win a new audience for her
• Billboard gave a positive review, saying the record marked Lauper's move from a fun-loving squealer to a mature artist
• Cashbox praised the album as a moving testimony to her convictions and character
• Music & Media praised the album as mature music that nurtures the child within
• Mike DeGaggne of AllMusic gave a negative review, saying she sounds more appealing as an effervescent pop singer than when tackling opinionated material
• Robert Christgau said the album may impress once or twice and then stops working

Records

• Billboard 200: peak No. 112
• United States: 119,000 copies sold by 2003 according to Nielsen SoundScan; described as a commercial disappointment
• Japan: seven weeks on the chart, peak 15, gold certification
• France: debut at 10, peak 9, gold certification; her highest debut and peak for a studio album in France
• Germany: entry at 84, peak 52
• Switzerland: entry at 34, peak 32
• United Kingdom: entry at 56, dropped the following week

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• A track called Cold was recorded for the album but left off the final track listing; it appeared as a B-side.
• A Part Hate was written for the album True Colors but excluded because the label felt it would make that album too political.
• Product of Misery was inspired by Lauper's teacher Bob Barrell.
• Lauper said she wished her vocals on the project had been sharper, and she later worked with a vocal coach.
• Who Let in the Rain was the lead single in most territories, while That's What I Think was the second US single.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

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