Hat Full of Stars

Hat Full of Stars
Studio album by Cyndi Lauper
Released	June 30, 1993
Recorded	August 1, 1992– February 28, 1993 at The Hit Factory, Sigma Sound Studios, Messina Sound, Right Track Recording, The Enchanted Cottage, The Ranch, World Famous Orbit Sound[1]
Genre	Pop, R&B, soul, quiet storm
Length	52:50
Label	Epic
Producer	Cyndi Lauper, Junior Vasquez, William Wittman
Cyndi Lauper chronology
A Night to Remember (1989) Hat Full of Stars (1993) Sisters of Avalon (1996)
Singles from Hat Full of Stars
"Who Let In the Rain" Released: June 22, 1993 "That's What I Think" Released: October 1993 "Sally's Pigeons" Released: 1993 "Hat Full of Stars" Released: 2 December, 1993

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]

Hat Full of Stars is the fourth solo studio album released by Cyndi Lauper. The album has sold 119,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[4]

Album information

Issued in 1993 it deviated from her pop-rock sound of previous projects and delved heavily into alternative music. It also furthered Lauper's growing penchant for writing topical songs about social issues.

The album was co-produced by dance-music artist Junior Vasquez and is highly typical of his work of the time. As such many of the songs are held together by synthetic loops and percussion. Lyrics address issues like abortion ("Sally's Pigeons"), racism ("A Part Hate"), spousal abuse ("Product of Misery" and "Broken Glass") and incest ("Lies").

The album had limited success overseas, it managed to achieve Gold sales in France. However it was considered a commercial disappointment in the United States. Despite glowing critical review, it received little or no promotion, and it subsequently stalled at #112 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The singles "That's What I Think", "Sally's Pigeons", "Hat Full of Stars" and "Who Let In the Rain" were released; the latter of which was re-recorded in 2001 for her album Shine.

Lauper has commented that she wishes that her vocals on the project had been sharper. She worked with a vocal coach to sharpen her vocals for her next studio album Sisters of Avalon, and mentions this in the liner notes.

The album cover was inspired by a photograph of the actress Mary Pickford, taken by photographer Nelson Evans.^[5]

The album was recorded at the Hit Factory, Sigma Sound, Messina Sound, Right Track, The Enchanted Cottage, The Ranch, and World Famous Orbit Sound.

The album has sold 119,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Track listing

1. "That's What I Think" (Cyndi Lauper, Eric Bazilian, Rob Hyman, Allee Willis) – 4:39
2. "Product of Misery" (Lauper, Bazilian, Hyman) – 4:11
3. "Who Let In the Rain" (Lauper, Willis) – 4:37
4. "Lies" (Lauper, Willis) – 3:40
5. "Broken Glass" (Lauper, Marv DePeyer, Junior Vasquez) – 5:34
6. "Sally's Pigeons" (Lauper, Mary Chapin Carpenter) – 3:48
7. "Feels Like Christmas" (Lauper, Bazilian, Hyman) – 4:35
8. "Dear John" (Lauper, Bazilian, Hyman) – 3:40
9. "Like I Used To" (Lauper, Willis) – 4:28
10. "Someone Like Me" (Lauper, Bazilian, Hyman, Willis) – 4:07
11. "A Part Hate" (Lauper, Tom Gray, David Thornton) – 4:56
12. "Hat Full of Stars" (Lauper, Nicky Holland) – 4:28

• Unreleased Track: "Cold" was recorded for the album but was left off and released as the B-side to "Who Let In the Rain" and "Sally's Pigeons".

Chart performance

Chart (1993)	Peak position	Total weeks
French Albums Chart[6]	9	7
German Albums Chart[7][8]	52	?
Swiss Albums Chart[9]	32	4
UK Albums Chart[10]	56	1
U.S. Billboard 200[11]	112	4

Personnel

• Cyndi Lauper – lead vocals, background vocals, recorder, production
• Junior Vasquez – production, background vocals
• William Wittman – additional production, background vocals
• Gary Tole, Carl Glanville, Ted Truwhella, Brian Wittmer, Jennifer Monnar - assistant engineering
• Eric Bazilian – background vocals, bass, drum programming, dulcimer, guitar, mandolin, piano, saxophone
• Rob Hyman – accordions, background vocals, casio, keyboards, melodica, organs
• Peter Wood – additional arrangements, bass, drum programming, guitar, keyboards
• Allee Willis – additional programming, background vocals, bass, casio, keyboards
• Nicky Holland – background vocals, keyboards, piano
• Hugh Masekela – background vocals, Flügelhorn, vocal chant
• Joey Moskowitz – bass, drum programming, keyboards
• Deborah Fraser, Georgia Jones, Faith Kekana, Lawrence Matshiza, Stella Zulu – background vocals
• Christopher Garcia – additional programming
• Kevin Jenkins, Bakithi Kumalo, Danny Sembello – bass
• Bashiri Johnson – congas
• Jimmy Bralower – drum programming
• Carlos Alomar, Nile Rodgers, Larry Treadwell – guitar
• Rob Paparozzi – harmonica
• Jeff Bova, Fred McFarlane – keyboards
• Anton Fig, David Uosikkinen – live drums
• Stacy Drummond – art direction, design
• Dana Shimizu – design assistant
• Robert Lewis – photograph
• David Thornton – drawings
• Laura Wills – styling
• Jody Morlock – makeup
• Danilo for Pierre Michel, NYC – hair

References

1. Cyndi Lauper - Hat Full Of Stars at Discogs
2. DeGagne, Mike. "Cyndi Lauper: A Hat Full of Stars > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
3. George-Warren, Holly (2 September 1993). "Cyndi Lauper: Hat Full Of Stars". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow). ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
4. Barth, Keith. "Ask Billboard | Billboard.com". billboard.com. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
5. "Picture of Mary Pickford,taken by Nelson Evans". Retrieved June 5, 2013.
6. "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste" [Album Details for Artist] (in French). InfoDisc.fr. Retrieved 10 October 2011. Select Cyndi LAUPER and click OK.
7. "Charts-Surfer". charts-surfer.de.
8. Cyndi Lauper: Alben (in German)
9. "Cybndi Lauper - Hat Full of Stars" (in German). swisscharts.com. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
10. "Hat Full Of Stars". ChartStats.com. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
11. "Cyndi Lauper Album & Song Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 10 October 2011.

External links

• "Hat Full Of Stars" at discogs; click on "more images" for publishing