Forgotten Disco Diva: Andrea True

Thursday, April 01, 2010
My favorite disco song of all time is More More More by the Andrea True Connection. I can't say that True has natural singing ability - she doesn't, and the song is best served while driving in your car - but there's something about her airy vocals and hooky beat that makes the tune irresistibly dance worthy. Unfortunately, it is not one you hear often on the radio, despite reaching number four on the Billboard chart in 1976, and being sampled by Len for their 1999 hit Steal My Sunshine. Perhaps it's because True lived a double life as a porn star.

Yes, up until her 15 minutes of fame as a disco diva, True - who also went by the names Inger Kissin, Andrea Travis, Catherine Warren and Singh Low - starred in 70s porn flicks with savory titles such as Deep Throat 2, The Wetter the Better, The Chamber Maids, The Seduction of Lynn Carter, Double Header, and Doctor Feelgood. True started out as an aspiring actress who earned a small role in The Way We Were, but turned to porn to make a living when mainstream acting work dried up.

More, More, More was a fluke that turned out to be a surprise hit. True was in Jamaica to film some commercials when a political crisis gripped the island, and no one was allowed to leave with any money. Not wanting to part with her commercial money, True asked a friend, record producer Gregg Diamond, to travel to the island and produce a track for her, which she would finance locally. Diamond arrived with a composition in hand, to which True added lyrics. The result of their collaboration was More, More, More.

More, More, More became a favorite in nightclubs and discos. In 1978 she enjoyed a second hit in Great Britain with What's Your Name, What's Your Number taken from her second UK album of the same name. The single reached No. 34 on the British charts. In 1980, she released her third and final album, War Machine, with a punk sound, which was a commercial flop.

True tried to return to the porn industry only to discover that roles were limited in the genre for actresses in their 30s. Sadly, More's singing career also ended as well when she developed a goiter on her vocal chords that required surgery. She now lives a private life in Florida as an astrologer and drug and alcohol counselor. We never got to hear more, more, more of True after that, but the song lives on.

Enjoy the audio or video...and for the guys out there, Andrea's hot pants:



12 comments:

  1. I SO remember that song! What a fun trip back in time.

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  2. I have that song on my iPod!!

    How do you get a goiter on your vocal cords? That's truly weird!
    __
    Barbara
    http://ifididnthaveasenseofhumor.blogspot.com

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  3. Fantastic song! I haven't heard that in ages!

    And what an amazing story behind the song, thank you for that!

    Funnily enough, I was reading yesterday about how the crisis (and violence) in Jamaica around that time affected Max Romeo, another artist in a totally different genre, reggae. It's funny how the world has all these little, unexpected connections, isn't it?!

    Great post!

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  4. I have to say I don't remember her...

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  5. I used to have this song on a 45! I played it ALL THE TIME on my record player and danced around the family room like a fool. Had no idea she was a porn star. Of course, I was 8 years old at the time.

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  6. Thanks everyone for the comments...I'm glad you all like this song...it's kinda too bad we didn't hear "more more more" (snicker) from Andrea.

    I know I still don't have some of you on my blog roll; I plan on fixing that soon. For everyone who celebrates Easter, hope you have a happy one!

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  7. Miss Barbara, "How do you get a goiter on your vocal cords? That's truly weird!"

    Unprotected sex I think. hahahaha

    Miss True, sure looks happy now doesn't she? Perhaps the Porn industry wasn't as fun as it was perceived to be. Frankly, I can't believe she's still alive.

    Whores and Satan are never loyal as they will always betray you.

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  8. A goiter is a swelling of the thyroid gland, which can also cause your voicebox to swell. Wikipedia said the goiter developed on her vocal cords...who knows?

    So glad I'm not the only one who knew about this song!

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  9. This is definitely one of my favourite disco songs.

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  10. Also, the hook from 2:21 to 2:29 is the foundational loop in Len's pop victory Steal My Sunshine.

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  11. Dear Andrea; I was a top Disco DJ when your record hit. (I DJ'd a private party for M. Jackson) If you had had a top producer and label with vision, you might have been the first, "Madonna". I now have a film production company and I'd be interested in discussing some possibilities of a career reload. NO adult content! Please contact; D.T. Wakefield at catwalkcinema@gmail.com Kindest Regards.

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  12. A friend took me to see a movie back in 1974 - "Illusions of a Lady" starring Andrea True. After seeing this article I looked further and found that Andrea passed away on Nov. 7, 2011.

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