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Lydia Pense

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lydia Pense
OriginSan Francisco, California
GenresRock, soul, jazz
Occupation(s)Singer
InstrumentVocals
Years active1969–present
LabelsReprise (1972); Warner Bros. Records (1974); ABC (1976); Dig Music (2005)

Lydia Pense is an American rock-soul-jazz singer who, since 1969, has performed with the band Cold Blood. Critics have compared her style to powerful singers including Janis Joplin[1] and Aretha Franklin.

History

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Lydia Pense was born in San Francisco, California. Her family moved to Redwood City when she was 10.[2] At age 14, while attending Sequoia High School, Pense started singing with a band called the Dimensions, with guitarist Fred Tatman, Larry Hatch, and Kerry Yates.[2] She was a fan of Brenda Lee and was singing her songs, but the band encouraged her to sing R&B in the style of James Brown, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Ray Charles.

Janis Joplin had recommended Lydia Pense to music promoter Bill Graham to audition for the band Cold Blood.[1] Lydia joined Cold Blood in 1968, and the band was one of the earliest music groups to be signed by Graham's Fillmore Records.[3]

The band Cold Blood separated in the late 1970s. Pense suspended her music career in the early 1980s to raise her daughter, Danielle before reforming the group in 1988.[4] The band continues to record, tour and perform.

Discography

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Their initial four albums, Cold Blood, Sisyphus, First Taste of Sin (produced by Donny Hathaway), and Thriller remain the band's best-known work.

Albums

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Year Album name Band Notes
1969 Cold Blood Cold Blood
1971 Sisyphus Cold Blood [5]
1972 Lights Out San Francisco (Voco Presents The Soul Of The Bay Area) Various artists Performed with the band Tower of Power.[6]
1972 First Taste of Sin Cold Blood
1973 Thriller Cold Blood
1974 Lydia Cold Blood
1975 The Best of Cold Blood Cold Blood
1976 Lydia Pense & Cold Blood Lydia Pense and Cold Blood this was the last album before the band's hiatus.[4]
2001 Vintage Blood: Live! 1973 Live album
2005 Transfusion Lydia Pense and Cold Blood
2008 Lydia Pense & Cold Blood: Live Blood "Live Album" Lydia Pense and Cold Blood
2011 The River City Sessions Lydia Pense and Cold Blood
2015 Soul Of The Gypsy Lydia Pense and Cold Blood [7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Vitt, Janet (2017-04-30). "Lydia Pense lends her powerful voice to fundraiser at Harlow's". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  2. ^ a b "Lydia Pense: hot sounds with Cold Blood". The Mercury News. 2015-10-07. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  3. ^ "Lydia Pense and Cold Blood". SFMuseum.org. The Millard Agency. 1969. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  4. ^ a b "Lydia Pense & Cold Blood - Back Here Again". Paste Magazine. 1998-06-12. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  5. ^ "Cold Blood - Sisyphus". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  6. ^ "Various - Lights Out: San Francisco (Voco Presents The Soul Of The Bay Area)". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  7. ^ "Lydia Pense & Cold Blood* - Soul Of The Gypsy". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
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