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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Gibson Has Slowed Down Frantic Pace

Larry Flick Billboard

As she contemplates the Tuesday release of her SBK/EMI Records debut, “Think With Your Heart,” Debbie Gibson cannot help but momentarily marvel at her survival of adolescence spent as a top 40 teen icon.

“At the time, I thought it was a piece of cake,” she says.

“Very often, I was playing three clubs a night, sleeping two hours a night, and dashing off to high school. It all seemed very normal to me at the time - especially because I’ve always believed that success comes from hard work. But I don’t think I could ever go back to that kind of lifestyle and not completely lose my mind.”

In leaving behind the frantic pace of her tenure at Atlantic Records, during which she enjoyed a string of hits that includes “Only In My Dreams,” “Shake Your Love” from the triple-platinum album “Out Of The Blue” and double-platinum “Electric Youth,” Gibson has also stepped away from the peppy, radio-conscious sound that dominated her previous albums.

Produced by Gibson and largely recorded live with a 44-piece orchestra, “Think With Your Heart” is made up of stately, piano-driven ballads shaded with subtle classical string flourishes and the occasional swing/jazz reference.

It is a collection that vividly displays the singer/songwriter’s creative maturity.

“I’ve been wanting to make a record like this for a long time,” Gibson says. “But it was hard to get the wheels turning, because everyone wanted me to stay in that pop radio vein. The truth is that I’m not really into a lot of what’s on pop radio right now.”