Hat Full of Stars

Untitled

Hat Full of Stars is the fourth solo studio album released by Cyndi Lauper.

Album information

Issued in 1993 it deviated from her pop-rock sound of previous projects and delved heavily into alternative music. It also furthered Lauper's growing penchant for writing topical songs about social issues; thematically it was inspired by her childhood in the 1950s in Brooklyn.

The album was co-produced by dance-music artist Junior Vasquez and is highly typical of his work of the time. As such many of the songs are held together by synthetic loops and percussion. Lyrics address issues like abortion ("Sally's Pigeons"), racism ("A Part Hate"), spousal abuse ("Product of Misery" and "Broken Glass") and even incest ("Lies").

The album had limited success overseas, it managed to achieve Gold sales in France and Platinum sales in Japan (where her albums routinely sell exceptionally well.) However it was considered a commercial disappointment in the United States. Despite glowing critical review, it received little or no promotion, and it subsequently stalled at #112 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. The singles "That's What I Think," "Sally's Pigeons," "Hat Full of Stars" and "Who Let in the Rain" were released; the latter of which was re-recorded in 2001 for her album Shine.

Lauper has commented that she wishes that her vocals on the project had been sharper. She worked with a vocal coach to sharpen her vocals for her next studio album Sisters of Avalon, and mentions this in the liner notes.

The album was recorded at the Hit Factory, Sigma Sound, Messina Sound, Right Track, The Enchanted Cottage, The Ranch, and World Famous Orbit Sound.

Track listing

1. "That's What I Think" (Cyndi Lauper, Eric Bazilian, Rob Hyman, Allee Willis) – 4:39
2. "Product of Misery" (Lauper, Bazilian, Hyman) – 4:11
3. "Who Let in the Rain" (Lauper, Willis) – 4:37
4. "Lies" (Lauper, Willis) – 3:40
5. "Broken Glass" (Lauper, Marv DePeyer, Junior Vasquez) – 5:34
6. "Sally's Pigeons" (Lauper, Mary Chapin Carpenter) – 3:48
7. "Feels Like Christmas" (Lauper, Bazilian, Hyman) – 4:35
8. "Dear John" (Lauper, Bazilian, Hyman) – 3:40
9. "Like I Used To" (Lauper, Willis) – 4:28
10. "Someone Like Me" (Lauper, Bazilian, Hyman, Willis) – 4:07
11. "A Part Hate" (Lauper, Tom Gray, David Thornton) – 4:56
12. "Hat Full of Stars" (Lauper, Nicky Holland) – 4:28

Singles

#	Title	Date
1	"Who Let in the Rain"	1993
2	"Sally's Pigeons"	1993
3	"That's What I Think"	1993
4	"Hat Full of Stars"	1993

Personnel

• Cyndi Lauper - lead vocals, background vocals, recorder, production
• Junior Vasquez - production, background vocals
• William Wittman - additional production, background vocals
• Gary Tole, Carl Glanville, Ted Truwhella, Brian Wittmer, Jennifer Monnar - assistant engineering
• Eric Bazilian - background vocals, bass, drum programming, dulcimer, guitar, mandolin, piano, saxophone
• Rob Hyman - accordions, background vocals, casio, keyboards, melodica, organs
• Peter Wood - additional arrangements, bass, drum programming, guitar, keyboards
• Allee Willis - additional programming, background vocals, bass, casio, keyboards
• Nicky Holland - background vocals, keyboards, piano
• Hugh Masekela - background vocals, Flügelhorn, vocal chant
• Joey Moskowitz - bass, drum programming, keyboards
• Deborah Fraser, Georgia Jones, Faith Kekana, Lawrence Matshiza, Stella Zulu - background vocals
• Christopher Garcia - additional programming
• Kevin Jenkins, Bakithi Kumalo, Danny Sembello - bass
• Bashiri Johnson - congas
• Jimmy Bralower - drum programming
• Carlos Alomar, Nile Rodgers, Larry Treadwell - guitar
• Rob Paparozzi - harmonica
• Jeff Bova, Fred McFarlane - keyboards
• Anton Fig, David Uosikkinen - live drums
• Stacy Drummond - art direction, design
• Dana Shimizu - design assistant
• Robert Lewis - photograph
• David Thornton - drawings
• Laura Wills - styling
• Jody Morlock -makeup
• Danilo For Pierre Michel, NYC - hair

Charts

Charts (1993/1994)	Peak position	Sales	Cert.
Austrian Albums Chart	32
Canadian Albums Chart	68
Colombian Albums Chart	7	10.000+	Gold
French Albums Chart	9	100.000	Gold
German Albums Chart	52
Italian Albums Chart	24
Japanese Albums Chart	15	250.000	Platinum
Swiss Albums Chart	32
UK Albums Chart	56
U.S. Billboard 200	112