Released 1979 Recorded 1978 | Format 7", 12" Genre Euro disco | |
B-side "Black Holes"
"Lili Marleen" (Japan, Italy)
"Forget It" (Russia) Length 5:05 (album version)
4:23 (single edit) | ||
"Fashion Pack" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1979 by Ariola Records.
Contents
Song information
"Fashion Pack" was released as the second single off Never Trust a Pretty Face in early 1979. "Black Holes" from the same album made the B-side on most of the single releases. The song was a collaboration between Anthony Monn, who composed the music and produced the track, and Amanda Lear, the author of the lyrics. Musically, "Fashion Pack" is a typical upbeat track of the disco era. The lyrics captured the feel of disco eminence of the late 1970s, telling about the legendary Manhattan-based Studio 54 (which was the reason for the "Studio 54" subtitle on the single cover). Lear also mentioned in the song a number of celebrities who were Studio 54's regular attendees, such as Andy Warhol, Margaux Hemingway, Liza Minnelli or Bianca Jagger. Names of Vogue, Interview and Ritz magazines appear here as well as names of trendy French venues Maxim's and Chez Régine. The lyrics also refer to Yves Saint Laurent, "travolting" and haute couture. The song met with success and remains one of Amanda Lear's biggest hits to date.
Re-recordings
Amanda Lear has re-recorded "Fashion Pack" three times in her later career. An "updated" version has made a release on her 1993 dance album Cadavrexquis. It doesn't mention most of the stars from the 1979 original and replaces their names with the likes of Madonna, Elton John and Naomi Campbell. It also drops any connotations to Studio 54.
In 1998 Lear made another remake of the song, for the Back in Your Arms album, which saw her revisiting her disco-era hits. That version retained the original lyrics.
In 2016, she recorded a new "updated" version in her album Let Me Entertain You. It doesn't mention most of the stars from the 1979 original and replaces their names with the likes of Joe Dalessandro, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell and talk about instagram at the end.
Spanish singer Pedro Marín covered the song on his 2006 record Diamonds, a tribute album including interpretations of chosen Amanda Lear's tracks.
Other versions
"Fashion Pack" was performed by Louise English and Sue Upton during the "Madame Louise Summer Collection" segment of the March 5, 1980 edition of The Benny Hill Show.