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Britta Phillips

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Britta Phillips
Phillips performing live in New York City, New York, in 2007
Born (1963-06-11) June 11, 1963 (age 61)
Boyne City, Michigan, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • musician
  • record producer
  • actress
  • voice actress
Years active1985–present
Spouse
Jody Porter
​
(divorced)​
​
(m. 2006)​
Parents
  • Peter Phillips
  • Joan Binkley
Musical career
GenresPop rock
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • bass guitar
Websitebrittaphillips.com

Britta Phillips (born June 11, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and actress.

Phillips' music career spans more than 30 years. She came to prominence in the mid-1980s as the singing voice of the title character of the animated television series Jem. With her husband, Dean Wareham, she has also been a member of the bands Luna and is one half of the duo Dean & Britta; she has also had a solo career, which has included one studio album, Luck or Magic (2016).

Phillips has also been a film, television, and voice actress, including a co-starring role in the 1988 music comedy-drama film Satisfaction and multiple voice acting roles on the Adult Swim animated television series Moral Orel and Mary Shelley's Frankenhole.

Early life

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Britta Phillips was born in Boyne City, Michigan, but grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.[1] Her father, Peter, was a musician, songwriter, jingle composer, and a former music teacher of Paul Simon;[2] he also worked on several Broadway plays. At the age of 19, Phillips moved to Brooklyn, New York, to pursue a career in music. In 1985, Phillips' father, through his musical contacts, secured an audition for her for the role of Jem in the animated TV series "Jem and the Holograms." Phillips was hired on the strength of her demo for the show's theme song, and that version was the one used in its opening credits.[3]

Music career

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Phillips was a member of the bands The Belltower, Ultrababyfat, and the Christine Keeler Affair in the 1990s, and Luna from 2001 to 2005. Since then, Phillips has released albums with fellow Luna bandmate Dean Wareham as the duo Dean & Britta. Wareham, a former member of the band Galaxie 500, toured with Phillips in 2010, performing the band's back catalog.[4][5] Phillips has also toured with Ben Lee.[6] Phillips and Wareham have also composed original score for the Noah Baumbach films Mistress America and The Squid and the Whale, and the Morgan J. Freeman film Just Like the Son. Their song "Knives From Bavaria" (from Sonic Souvenirs) appears in the Olivier Assayas film, Clean, starring Maggie Cheung. Their song "Your Baby" appears in the Italian movie A/R Andata e Ritorno, directed by Marco Ponti.

In 2001, Phillips provided vocals on the Anika Moa album Thinking Room.[7] In 2007, Phillips produced and recorded a cover of Neil Young's "I Am a Child" for the benefit CD Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young For Charity. In 2010, Phillips performed vocals on the MGMT single "It's Working" from their album Congratulations.[8] 2016 saw the release of her long-awaited debut solo album, Luck or Magic. It contains five covers, along with five original songs.

Acting career

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Phillips' first acting job was as the singing voice of the lead character in the animated series Jem, alongside actress and singer Samantha Newark, who provided Jem's speaking voice.[9] The series ran from 1985 to 1988.

In 1988, she co-starred in the teen rock band movie Satisfaction, which also starred Justine Bateman, Julia Roberts, Liam Neeson, Trini Alvarado, and Scott Coffey; the film is primarily known today as Julia Roberts' first credited big-screen role.[10] Phillips performed several songs during the movie and is featured on the soundtrack album. Also in 1988, she guest-starred on the cult TV show Crime Story, in the episode "Always a Blonde"; she played a former homecoming queen turned high-class escort in Las Vegas, Nevada. She followed that with a starring role as a nurse in the pilot episode of the short-lived TV series Nightingales.[11][12] From 2005 to 2008, she voiced various characters for the Adult Swim series Moral Orel, most notably Bloberta Puppington. In 2006, she featured as herself in the Luna band documentary Tell Me Do You Miss Me. Since 2010, Phillips has voiced various characters in Mary Shelley's Frankenhole, most noticeably Elizabeth Frankenstein. Both Moral Orel and Mary Shelley's Frankenhole were created by Dino Stamatopoulos. In 2010, Phillips appeared alongside Wareham on Yo Gabba Gabba!, in the episode titled "Ride".[13]

Phillips had a cameo, along with Dean Wareham, in the 2012 Noah Baumbach film Frances Ha, written by Baumbach and Greta Gerwig.[14]

Radio and podcast appearances

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Phillips appeared on Ken Reid's TV Guidance Counselor podcast on December 9, 2016.

Personal life

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Phillips married musician Jody Porter, but the couple later divorced.[15] In 2006, she married musician and Luna bandmate Dean Wareham during the recording sessions for their album Back Numbers.[16]

Discography

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Solo album

Year Title Label
2016 Luck or Magic Double Feature

Singles

Year Title B-side
1984 "Through the Eyes" "Through the Eyes" (instrumental)
1985 "Don't Think Twice" (Promo-only) "Don't Think Twice"
1986 "I Just Can't Help Myself" "I Just Can't Help Myself" (instrumental)
2009 "Shine Your Light" (with James Iha) "You Can't Escape"
2014 "Love" (with Dean Wareham) "Fallin' in Love" (with Dean Wareham)

References

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  1. ^ "From the Vault: Britta Phillips interview « NewBeats". Newbeats.com. February 17, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
  2. ^ "Simon & Garfunkel Central Park Tribute - dedication to Peter Phillips". Contactmusic.com. June 10, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  3. ^ "Drew Ullrich Interviews Britta Phillips | Smalldoggies Interviews: Britta Phillips". Smalldoggies Magazine. August 19, 2010. Archived from the original on March 19, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
  4. ^ "Britta Phillips of Belltower interview". Whenthesunhitsblog.blogspot.com. September 13, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  5. ^ "Dean & Britta tour schedule". Deanandbritta.com. January 3, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  6. ^ "Drew Ullrich interviews Britta Phillips". Smalldoggiesmagazine.com. August 19, 2010. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  7. ^ "Thinking Room personnel". Cduniverse.com. March 5, 2002. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  8. ^ "MGMT official website "Congratulations" personnel". Whoismgmt.com. April 13, 2010. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  9. ^ "Cartoon Character Puts Singer Into Spotlight". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  10. ^ Tim Stack (October 25, 2018). "A tale of two Julias: Inside the making of the edgiest roles of Julia Roberts' career". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  11. ^ "Britta Phillips Interview and acting career details". Newbeats.com. February 17, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  12. ^ "Rock Jem Britta Phillips interview". Rockjem.com. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  13. ^ "Yo Gabba Gabba Dean & Britta details action". Stereogum.com. August 17, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  14. ^ Noah Baumbach: "Frances Ha" is my reinvention, May 16, 2013, retrieved May 7, 2016
  15. ^ Queen, Larry (2011), Sixty most beautiful minutes with Britta Phillips: Indie Rock Siren, retrieved May 7, 2016
  16. ^ Dean & Britta, archived from the original on June 5, 2016, retrieved May 7, 2016
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