Sam Phillips, singer songwriter artist

“I think the human is all that’s left in record production. We’ve been through all kinds of technology and tricks. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t use those things, but the music has to come from who you are as a human, what you like, how your heart beats, how you move, what you feel.” - Sam Phillips

She might not be physically there, but Sam Phillips’s presence on Gilmore Girls is as memorable as the leading stars, Lauren and Alexis. Every week, since the very beginning, Sam’s cues – her famous “la las” – mirror the characters’ emotions. Her musical touch is unique and creates an ambiance rarely seen on television.

Sam Phillips, originally known as Leslie Phillips, has been writing and performing since the early 1980s. Born in California, she began her career as a Christian artist, recording four albums. Her claim to fame came in 1988 when she released The Indescribable Wow, with Virgin Records. Cruel Inventions was released in 1991, followed my 1994’s Martinis and Bikinis which was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Her album Omnipop (1996) was more experimental and didn’t live up to the fame of its predecessor. Zero Zero Zero (1999), a greatest hits compilation, was her last album with Virgin Records. Fan Dance (2001), her first work with Nonesuch Records, moved “away from elaborate pop production and 21st century technological upgrades” with its acoustic songs. Her latest release, A Boot and a Shoe (2004), resembles the previous one with its “beautifully unvarnished” arrangements.

Sam’s work extends to movie and television soundtracks. Other than composing for Gilmore Girls – her songs and cues are featured in 2002’s Our Little Corner of the World – she lent her talent to the soundtrack of Ladder 49. She also inspires other artists, such as the group Sixpence None the Richer, who covered her 1994 hit “I Need Love.” She works closely with her (previous) husband and producer T-Bone Burnett.

About her experience on Gilmore Girls (6.22 Partings):

"As I sang the line 'the places I go are never there.....' I thought the opposite was true. I was in two worlds at once. I was singing to the wonderful cast and crew on the WB lot and serenading Luke and Lorelai.

It seemed both places existed for a few seconds during the song. It made me think of the times I felt Amy and her writers were eves dropping on my life as I watched some of the episodes I worked on. I am sure that's what happens when the writing is good--and it is. I also think that if you pay attention, life will present metaphors that will give you comfort and strength when you need it. From a t.v. show? The crazy answer is yes, though I wouldn't count on that happening very often."

Source: www.samphillipsmusic.com

Discography:

1983: Beyond Saturday Night
1984: Dancing with Danger
1985: Black and White in a Grey World
1987: The Turning
1988: The Indescribable Wow
1991: Cruel Inventions
1994: Martinis and Bikinis
1996: Omnipop
1999: Zero Zero Zero
2001: Fan Dance
2004: A Boot and a Shoe

Top Songs (Elise’s picks):

Reflecting Light, A Boot And A Shoe
If I Could Write, A Boot And A Shoe
I Need Love, Martinis and Bikinis
Strawberry Road, Martinis and Bikinis
Where the Colors Don’t Go, Cruel Inventions
I Don’t Know How to Say Goodbye to You, The Indescribable Wow
What Do I Do, The Indescribable Wow
Out of Time, The Indescribable Wow

Links:
Sam Phillips Official Website
Live Interview and Concert (Creators at Carnegie, 2005)
Profile and Interview (2004)
Sam Phillips Fan Site

Profile written by Elise at GilmoreMemories.com [August 16-17 2006]
Sources of Information: Sam Phillips Official Website & Wikipedia