Karen Lawrence "Prisoner (Captured By Your Eyes)"

[rmclipper10]

Before 1994 she was one of the leader singer for the L.A. Jets that many of its members formed 1994 where she became the only lead singer. Her cuts on L.A. Jets are also great.

[Bonaholic1]

Listen to Joe Bonamassa's version on Dust Bowl. Best version yet.

[mc2NY]

My hands down FAVORITE female singer. We asked her to replace our departing singer in the 80s but it didn't happen. GREAT set of pipes Karen!!

[wdharveyoicu]

No comparison: BOTH songs are DIFFERENT. THIS version is gritty, dirty, sexy...Barbra's version is a total balad. I LIKE this version. It is one of my favorite songs in the past 30 years, and this girl did it justice! YOU GO!!!!

[SWAHULI]

Karen Lawrence-John Desautels ARE Prisoner songwriters. Her performance IS original. Barbara has vocal skill & sang on high production value recording. She “owns” the song? Debatable. Listen 2 Sing To Me by 1994. Karen might've owned mega hit w/ Prisoner. She’s singer-songwriter & lyrics had personal connection. Barb’s “rock stylings” sound contrived 2 ME. 4 ME, success should’ve been Karen’s-John’s. Get Rock Candy CD of 1994, read real story. Good 4 Karen 2 pick herself up, carry on Once Again.

[Yummer1]

@SWAHULI , I couldn't agree with you more!

[ST53FUN]

An excellent find whilst browsing 1994 tracks on here. I'll be ordering the CD of Please Stand By on Monday, it's been to many years since I heard it on vinyl at a friends house. I've e-mailed Rock Candy Records to see if they'll do a release of Rip and Tear as it is no longer available from FM/Revolver Records.

[fish6862]

Barbra Streisand sang this song too,can anyone tell me who is the original version?

[Yummer1]

@fish6862 : Barbra's version was a cover version.

[christoddur]

@paulancheta Actually, Paulancheta is WRONG - Karen was the lead singer of LA Jets, and this song was recorded almost TWO YEARS before Streisand's version. They were not commissioned to write an ORIGINAL song - their version had already been released and even hit the lower half of the Billboard charts a couple of years before....

[mikes5637]

Wow! What an awesome find! I came to this by accident looking for the Barbara Streisand version - I'm putting together a fav. movie theme playlist - and I had no idea she wrote & recorded this.

I sold my vinyl record collection a couple of years ago and had both the 1994 albums and was pleased to see the original re-mastered and released on CD a couple of years ago. Thanks for posting!

You (and Karen) rock!

[Yummer1]

mikes, thanks for the comments. please stand by..., the 2nd 1994: album is also being released on CD.

[mikes5637]

Woo-hoo!! Nice play on words, there...

[Yummer1]

Please note that all comments that including name-calling and cursing will be removed. This page is to pay tribute to a great artist and song, not for anything else.

[djoiner22]

@Yummer1 lol thats cool

[Yummer1]

DJoiner, Karen has seen the video and it's my understanding that she does check back on here for the comments. Which is beyond cool, so for those of you saying great things...she's seen them and appreciates them. This according to her MS Manager, Judy.

[djoiner22]

haha I know, this is the first time Ive looked her up on youtube in a long time. I bet she gets mad at me for cussing that mike bitch out. ill probably get a call from her like a month from now about it lol. ill just delete the comment later tho so she doesnt :b... honestly i think shed be more mad I didnt call her an thank her for my Christmas gift which ill have to do tomarrow now that i think about it. kind of late, im a terrible nephew... anyway thanx for postin the video its pretty awsome.

[GozTheGreat]

I prefer this more "rock oriented" cover than the more "pop" Streisand's one. I didn't know this track existed.

If you want to listen a very poignant instrumental cover of this tune, listen the one by Art Pepper on the album "Winter moon".

[Yummer1]

Goz, thanks for the comment and the referral on an instrumental cover. One correction, though, this isn't a "cover"...this is the original version taken from a vinyl copy of the radio-promo 45, since it was never actually released by RCA to the public. As mentioned it charted on Billboard's top 100 on initial radio response & airplay only. Karen was very young when this was recorded. She's been performing since before her first blues band at age 13!!!

[GozTheGreat]

(first scuse my english, I'm French)

Do you know why this 45 was not issued... It REALLY EXCELLENT.

For the little story, I have this tune in the "songbook" of my actual jazz trio... we play it in a kind of "Bill Evans trio way" as a "ballad".

[Yummer1]

Goz, the L.A. Jets broke up during the recording of the album this was to be included on. So there wasn't going to be any promoting it from the band.

Karen & John Desautels, the writers and 2 of the band members, went on to form the incredible 1994:, which became a critics' favorite.

[djoiner22]

@GozTheGreat this is the original not the cover, barberas version is the cover.

[Yummer1]

djoiner, I grew up knowing Karen's music and she's one of my all-time favorite artists.  Send her my best and I hope she's still enjoying the CD I made for her. Her new song on MS is excellent, btw!

[RRydnew]

Where did you get this version again and what/where is it available?

[Yummer1]

Karen herself made it available for a limited time through her myspace manager. It's never been officially released to the public, unfortunately.

[mikesterSTLMO]

Excellent version. This chick wisely doesn't try to out sing Barbra, but does a fantastic job.

[Yummer1]

I agree it's excellent, mikester. An interesting sidenote is that Karen was brought in to "teach" Barbra some rock moves even though she was the youngster and newbie and Barbra was the veteran. There is a rockumentary on the making of the film I saw somewhere online. Also, remember, that Karen's version is the original version - she wrote it - Barbra's was the cover.

[mikesterSTLMO]

Interesting trivia! So basically Barbra 'did it again';

taking an obscure song and then owning it. She did the same thing with "Stoney End". Also reminds me of Whitney giving life to Dolly's "I'll Always Love You" (making Dolly MILLIONS in the process). I don't think "Prisoner" even charted for Barbra did it?

[Yummer1]

According to wikipedia, Barbra released "Songbird" and then in just a few weeks, "Prisoner" was released. Speculation is that the two competed for radio airplay and resulted in both charting in the 20s. "Songbird" at #25 and "Prisoner" at #21. But, with the two songs, the album fared very well.

[trowerz]

WOW what a great job you did with this!!! 1994 was my FIRST concert, they opened for Cheap Trick in Buffalo. I've been in love ever since. When I found BBN I was elated! I think this is the only track I don't have? I put my LA Jets 8 track on CD. I have GNO and Rip and Tear on vinyl, haven't put it on CD yet. Live by the Lake is a KILLER live double disc! I even rented Soul Taker, what a B-flick. Ms. Lawrence is a gem. Karen...why don't you return my calls? ;)~

[Yummer1]

I love the 1994: albums. Hopefully, they will get the 2nd one onto CD. You stumped me on the "Somewhere in Paradise" track from "Soul Taker", I don't think I've seen it referenced anywhere before so I searched it. I'll have to look into that track, too.

[RRydnew]

FINALLY! The best version of this song YET! I espically love that Karen is NOT singing soprano fully. What were those albums again and where can I get this?!

[Yummer1]

The 1994: album, as well as the Blue By Nature releases can be ordered through Amazon. itunes offers one song from "Rip & Tear" on a compilation. You can search Karen Lawrence or "Shoot From The Heart" for that one. Unfortunately, this song has never seen an official release.

[jaybsamson]

I saw Karen Lawrence in Albuquerque when she was in the band 1994 and her song "Shoot to Kill" was in heavy rotation on the radio. She totally rocked that stadium and was totally hot. Man I wish I had that show recorded....so cool and totally not disco - which was big in those days!

[Yummer1]

Wow. Lucky you to have had that chance.  The first 1994: album is now available on CD with a couple of low-quality live tracks thrown on the end. Rock City has it available. I've read they are working on the 2nd 1994: release as well.

[Yummer1]

I apologize, that's Rock Candy Records. It can easily be ordered through Amazon.

[UseTheLoo]

by the way, where can I find this? I can't find it on iTunes.

[Yummer1]

Unfortunately, this version was never officially released. It charted on Billboard based on airplay from a promo 45 that circulated to radio stations, but the band broke up before the album was completed. This version was ripped from a 45 that Karen herself posted briefly for download last year.

[UseTheLoo]

aw mann. I'll keep searching.

[UseTheLoo]

Wow, this version is fantastic! I've never heard this. I've always heard Barbra's version.

[VILEHINTZ]

wow she wrote this song? dang,ya learn somethin new everyday

[garyhope2]

Thanks for posting this. I've been a fan of Karen since I found her first album: "Girl's Night Out" with The Pinz. I practically wore that album out.

Have any CD's been realease with her music?

[Yummer1]

Glad you liked the song. I love the "Girl's Night Out" record. Other than a video, she really got almost zero promotions on it, unfortunately. Karen had one album with L.A. Jets, two albums with 1994:, one as Karen Lawrence & The Pinz, one as Karen Lawrence, and 4 with Blue By Nature. She also recorded a song for the film "Up Against Amanda".

[LisaJMoore]

You did such a great job....I love finding out the history of this amazing woman and her music....so damn wonderful....amazing!

[Yummer1]

Thank you. Another interesting bit of history on this song is that it hit Billboard's Top 100 on radio play alone, as a single was issued by RCA to radio stations but then cancelled before being distributed to stores. So nobody could ever buy it. I believe that was unusal for the time. The band split and their 2nd album was never completed or released. Karen and John Desautels went on to form 1994: and signed with A&M.

[steelethescene]

I like this -- I have always loved Barbra's version (it's the only one I ever knew) -- but this one's cool too ... love it when a songwriter can sing their own songs so very well. Thanks for posting this. It's wonderful & so is the video you made to accompany it.

[Yummer1]

Thanks for the comment. If you haven't heard her music with Blue By Nature, be sure to check out her original song "Goodbye Mr. Jones"...