Eurobeat Prime :: Forum

oresama-chan wrote:Er...Does anyone know her real name?

I've been believing her real name is Francesca Contini like most of you guys, but I found ronald's post on some Italo-disco site, saying as far as he knows she's NOT Francesca Contini (the sister of Alberto Contini, owner of the AbeatC label) after his two visits to Rodger's studio. I guess he must have seen the real Francesca Contini there, therefore he could deny the common perception about Norma Sheffield. So...who the heck is Norma Sheffield?

I'll never met her Oresama-chan, I'm sorry.
She's from Mantova and I'll her voice for the first time on a track produced by Robyx (Savage) called 'CIAO' under the name Paula Evans (on Disco Energy, as I can recall).
Have to go, It's X-mas time ..............

Thanks for your response, ronald.

Ok, you've never met Francesca Contini. Just a question. Then, how could you know she isn't Norma Sheffield?

Do you think the girl on the vinyl sleeve of "SWEET HEAVEN" (ABEAT 1155) is Norma herself, or just a model? She (the girl on the sleeve pic) came to Japan in 1993 to perform live and had an interview with Beatfreak magazine, and so we Japanese eurolistners have been thinking that girl is Norma.

ronald wrote: I'll her voice for the first time on a track produced by Robyx (Savage) called 'CIAO' under the name Paula Evans (on Disco Energy, as I can recall).

So did I.

At that time I received info which gave me the idea that Francesca wasn't Norma Sheffield. I'm not 100 % certain about it. Providing the questions to get that 100 % quarentee isen't that easy sometimes .......
See it as this excample: a famous female voice of ABEATC did leave and went to another label which gave this English lady the stardom accross Europe for her 'summer sound' for a certain period. Ofcourse under another artist name!!!!
During my second visit to the Rodgers Studio I was so lucky (beside being withness of a mixsection to finish LISTEN TO ME by Norma Sheffield), to have diner with this above mentioned lady. The subject about her career move and another identity never came up that evening. Certain things have to stay as it is. So certain Eurobeat secrets stay the way they are, only the future will let us perhaps know how the truth was.
I hope you understand this politic answer cause I cannot ask directly to the person who knows the answer which lady is behind it. Sorry .....

Ronald.

ronald wrote:At that time I received info which gave me the idea that Francesca wasn't Norma Sheffield.

Well I see.

ronald wrote: a famous female voice of ABEATC did leave and went to another label which gave this English lady the stardom accross Europe for her 'summer sound' for a certain period. Ofcourse under another artist name!!!! During my second visit to the Rodgers Studio I was so lucky (beside being withness of a mixsection to finish LISTEN TO ME by Norma Sheffield), to have diner with this above mentioned lady.

OMG! So that was Annerley Gordon you were refering to in another thread!?
I've been under a misconception that you were refering to Alessandra Mirka Gatti when you said "old famous voice of A-Beat C" or something like that...um...Annerley is still living in Mantova. I'm just curious about the coincidence between her birthplace (Sheffield, UK) and the last name of Norma Sheffield.

Norms is actually my favorite female singer at AbeatC. Does she also do Valentina. My Top 5 Norms Sheffield songs.
1. Loney Night
2. I Like U So Much
3. Your Love Is Lightning
4. Ladies
5. Maybe Tonight
If she is also Valentina then My absolute favorite has to be "Broken Illusion"

oresama-chan wrote: OMG! So that was Annerley Gordon you were refering to in another thread!?:

Her appearance that evening was also for us (Marcello & I) a total surprise.

oresama-chan wrote:I've been under a misconception that you were refering to Alessandra Mirka Gatti.

Mirka was due to the 'we all know' reason totally out of the picture. The only thing I saw during my weekend stay was lots of tapes with recordings of her, all in stock. And we received some info that perhaps in the future she would start her own recordings for ABEATC in another studio. Well you know what the latests info is so ..........

oresama-chan wrote:Annerley is still living in Mantova.

I did not get the idea that she was coming out of Mantova. Beside the music she runs a restaurant with her boyfriend.

oresama-chan wrote:I'm just curious about the coincidence between her birthplace (Sheffield, UK) and the last name of Norma Sheffield.

Time will tell .....

Adios,

Ronald.

I may die before then.

I love her song "Maybe Tonite". I just love it.

The only Norma Sheffield song I really love is Love Collision from SEB 161 - the intro is sooo cool the way it gradually builds and builds to the gorgeous synth hook and a really catchy vocal melody. Her other songs are okay, but they never seem to leave much impression on me.

ronald wrote:I'll her voice for the first time on a track produced by Robyx (Savage) called 'CIAO' under the name Paula Evans

I just have to add that Robyx was one of the best Eurodance producers ever! Two of my alltime favourites Euro tracks - Me & You by Alexia and Bom Digi Bom (Think About The Way) by Ice MC - were produced by him. His tracks hold so many happy memories for me!!

I'm not sure what it is about Norma Sheffield that seems to work so well for Eurobeat, but it does. It's always nice to have a softer style in the middle of a lot of brash hyper eurobeat. But most of all she has a voice which has such a warm depth to it that it makes her harmonies sound rich and choral.

If I had to pick my favourite ever song by her it would have to be "Maybe Tonite", not because my selection of her music is limited (I have 38 songs by her so far), but because it really is one of the most fun songs to listen to (it has a fantastic chorus melody in the way she sings the same note sequence through the different chords).

But other favourites I would nominate:

* Be Alive
* Feel Like Dreamin'
* I Will Remember
* If You Wanna Stay
* In My Dreams
* Love Collision
* Suddenly You
* Sweet Heaven
* You Know My Way

So that's 10 songs I think! It's not unusual for me to just select Norma Sheffield on my iPod and just listen to all of her songs solo while I'm at work or something - I enjoy her music that much!

M;.

the_ditz wrote:The only Norma Sheffield song I really love is Love Collision from SEB 161 - the intro is sooo cool the way it gradually builds and builds to the gorgeous synth hook and a really catchy vocal melody.

Yeah, I concur. Love Collision is pretty great stuff. One thing's for certain about Norma as an artist, she's certainly different.

According to the Rodgers Music website Norma was their first artist.

I think "Your body lies" was the song.

Sweat Heaven by Norma Sheffield is a top quality Eurobeat album.

Tracks like "Techniques of Love" and "Touch Me Touch Me "are great.

Her voice is weak but the songs are good quality and make a change.

Wow! Lunch with Annerley? That is awesome! How long ago was that? I bet she is a lovely and fun person.

She seems to have stopped contributing her voice to Offlimits Production in Italy... Ann Lee and Whigfield seem to be over. Well I wish her a lot of luck with her restaurant and any other future projects!

I've been to Italy twice. Next time I have to try to meet up with some of these people!

Just for informations for Annerley worshippers.

Annerley seems to be come back to the Eurobeat scene.
Today's avex staff voice is saying some artist who retired from Eurobeat business about 10 years ago has rejoined.

hmmm that could be why On My Own was redone