Cyndi Lauper And Tori Amos Ask David Byrne “Why Don’t You Love Me?”

Robbie Daw | February 24, 2010 12:59 pm

Cyndi Lauper’s collaborative efforts continue, as her duet with Tori Amos from David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s upcoming Here Lies Love album has now surfaced. And if you think Cyndi is so unusual, wait till you get a load of the concept for the Byrne’s double-LP (which impressively contains contributions from nearly two dozen guest vocalists). Hear the meeting of Cyndi and Tori after the jump!

“Why Don’t You Love Me?” is just one of 22 songs on Here Lies Love, Byrne’s own labor of love concept album about Imelda Marcos—widow of former Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos—and her relationship with a servant. And given that running theme, it’s hard to judge just this one track without hearing the entire record in full. (Though, if we are to give a snap judgment, we simply say bravo, ladies—we do love your loveless tune!)

Regarding Lauper lending her vocals to the above track, Byrne, who worked on the project with Fatboy Slim, previously wrote the following:

“She was about an hour and a half late to the session, so I fully expected to be in for some prime diva behavior. But, as I’d run overtime on the earlier brass sessions, it all worked out great, and Cyndi gave an amazingly fine-tuned performance. Not only is she a wonderful singer from a technical point of view, but she can tailor her attitude and performance to suit the character and the character’s emotional state.

This is exactly the skill set I need for this project. After giving Cyndi the back-story on a particular song and establishing the context of the lyrics, I would give directions like, ‘Yes, she’s a little angry, but also heartbroken and confused.’ Cyndi would then incorporate these complex emotions into her performance with seeming ease. She’d ask, for example, ‘You want more anger in this verse?’ And sure enough, she’d dial a little more in. Very impressive.”

Byrne’s official site is offering a free download of the track “Please Don’t,” which features Santigold, with a pre-order purchase of Here Lies Love.

Other vocalists on the album, which is set for an April 6 release, include: Florence Welch (aka Florence And The Machine), Candie Payne, St. Vincent, Martha Wainwright, Nellie McKay, Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Charmaine Clamor, Róisín Murphy, Camille, Theresa Andersson, Sharon Jones, Alice Russell, Kate Pierson, Sia, Nicole Atkins, Natalie Merchant and Shara Worden.