Tata Vega's 1985 Breakout
An exploration of the contributions of Táta Vega, an often-overlooked, powerhouse vocalist.
Last week’s newsletter highlighted Leslie Phillips’ Grammy-nominated Black and White in a Grey World, just one of a half dozen CCM releases from 1985 that showcased the voice of a far-too-often-in-the-background vocalist named Táta Vega.
For many listeners, the voice was new, but for those “in the know,” Táta Vega had long been a singer with a pioneering vision, dating back to 1976, when she dared to balance a career in so-called secular music with her faith during her tenure at Motown Records. With songs like “Try God,” “Come In Heaven (Earth is Calling), “There’s Love in the World,” and “Love Your Neighbor,” she took gospel messages to discos and R&B radio.
During her Motown tenure, she maintained a presence in Los Angeles’ Jesus Movement, as a member of Jack Hayford’s Church on the Way and as a participant in Bible studies in the homes of artists like Keith Green. In our 2022 interview, Maria McKee, who would find stardom in 1985 as lead singer of Lone Justice, reflected on her influence: “I remember Táta being around and singing at church. She represented freedom to me: You can be a Christian and secular.” Reba Rambo’s road manager, Judy Gossett, had introduced Vega’s music to both Andraé Crouch and Rambo. In an interview with Don Cusic for her 1979 cover feature, Rambo name-dropped Vega as someone she was listening to, while Crouch sought her out. Howard McCrary was the one who made the connection.
In 1984, Táta was formally introduced to Christian audiences with her Grammy-nominated performance of “Oh It Is Jesus” on Andraé Crouch’s No Time to Lose. The next year, however, her voice played a prominent role in some of the most important gospel and contemporary Christian releases. This newsletter will highlight just a portion of the work she did that year.
Táta on TBN with Andraé Crouch in 1985
Russ Taff—Medals
I’ve written about Medals twice at God’s Music is My Life, but I’ve waited to highlight Táta’s vocal contribution to this project.
In the mid-80s, background vocalists often stole the show (think Martha Wash in Rebbie Jackson’s “Centipede”), and on Medals, Táta was allowed to shine multiple times on this Grammy-nominated project. On “Rock Solid,” she delivers a spine-tingling scat that recalls the primacy of her earliest recordings, but on “God Only Knows,” she sings with a tenderness and intimacy that only make this listener lament that she didn’t get to deliver a solo album of her own in this particular moment of contemporary Christian music.
Randy Stonehill—Love Beyond Reason
Despite being one of the most ridiculed albums in Stonehill’s catalog, Love Beyond Reason is the album that earned him his singular Grammy nomination (for its first single, “I Could Never Say Goodbye,” a duet with labelmate Amy Grant). While many longed for the rock sound that defined his earliest recordings in the seventies, the reality is that Love Beyond Reason was the culmination of the shift to the center his eighties output had been aspiring to. Producer Barry Miller Kaye took Stonehill’s diverse musical interests and brought them into the 80s, much like Huey Lewis & The News had done for themselves with 1983’s Sports.
One of the singular differences between Love Beyond Reason and the rest of Stonehill’s body of work is the reliance on background vocalists. On Love Beyond Reason, those duties are primarily handled by Stonehill with Caryn Robin and Táta. The stand-out, however, is Táta’s feature on “Angry Young Men,” where her voice is so predominant she’s credited as “featured background vocalist.”
Sandra Crouch—We’re Waiting
The fourth Grammy-nominated project from 1985 to feature Táta was We’re Waiting, the much-anticipated sophomore release from Sandra Crouch. Táta can be heard on three of the album’s tunes: “God Has a Plan,” “Souls for the Kingdom,” and its most remembered tune, “Completely Yes.”
“Completely Yes” is led by Jean Johnson, the voice who steps out from the choir in Madonna’s Like a Prayer. Recorded live, “Completely Yes” takes a turn when the spirit takes hold, and it’s around the five-minute mark that Táta takes the song even higher. We’re Waiting earned two Grammy nominations in the category of Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo, Group, Choir, or Chorus—one for the entire album and one for this specific song.
The Color Purple (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
In addition to appearing on four of 1985’s Grammy-nominated gospel/CCM releases, Táta was the singing voice of Shug Avery in the film adaptation of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Quincy Jones told the Detroit Free Press that he hired her because “she had the feeling. She [Shug] was a prototype of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Billie Holliday. [Vega] tried to combine their styles and so few of the young girls understand their styles.” “Miss Celie’s Blues” earned an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song in 1986, but the film’s central moment was with “Maybe God Is Tryin’ To Tell You Somethin’.” Composed by Andraé Crouch, Bill Maxwell, and Quincy Jones, the song has become a signature song for Vega and continues to be a part of her repertoire forty years later.
Song for the Poor
One of the most important projects Táta featured on in 1985, however, is undoubtedly the least known.
“Song for the Poor” was written by John Michael Talbot in response to famine relief efforts for Ethiopia, and featured Táta, Debby Boone, Russ Taff, and a choir of other voices from the Christian music world. The song’s depth today is broader than its initial intention, and a reminder to Christians of what our responsibilities are.
“Go out quickly to the highways and byways/bring in the poor, the lame and the blind/Bring in the beggar/Though he cannot repay you/We all receive who eat the bread of life.”
Other 1985 Related Features
Don’t miss this in-depth essay by my friend
about the 40th anniversary of Aretha Franklin’s Who’s Zoomin’ Who. has opened up his massive archive of historic interviews and is sharing them via HIS Substack, which I highly recommend. Don’t miss this week’s post with his 1984 interview with Chaka Khan, whose I Feel For You album was dominating airwaves in 1985.
I left a thank you plus my history with tatas music yet having trouble getting it to post . Know I love your tribute . Greg
Enjoying the musical, tour with Tata Vega. She may have been "twenty feet from stardom" but she was close to everyone and everything that mattered. Thank you for this tribute!