A segment from the Australian music interview TV series The Meldrum Tapes, of which 24 episodes aired on the ABC in 1986. The Meldrum Tapes featured full length interviews that Countdown Talent Co-Ordinator, Ian 'Molly' Meldrum, conducted over his many overseas trips during the Countdown years, which aired on the ABC from 1974-1987. Where Countdown would feature a small part of the interview (constrained due to time), The Meldrum Tapes aired the interviews in full.
Segments of this particular interview originally aired during the Countdown episode of September 16, 1986, on the ABC, the clip of which can be viewed here:
• Countdown (Australia)-...
This clip features an interview of American singer Cyndi Lauper conducted by Countdown Talent Co-Ordinator Molly Meldrum in Tokyo, Japan.
The interview begins with a discussion about the beginning of Cyndi's music career, which she explains started at the age of two, where her parents would get her to sing Italian songs (her mother is of Italian background), and then explains her changes in musical taste as she gets older.
Cyndi discusses her time at art school, which she claimed she failed. She also discusses her early forays into amateur music gigs, and then proceeds to describe her first professional gigs as part of a disco band.
Cyndi also discusses when she first started writing songs at age 11, with her sister accompanying her on guitar.
Cyndi also describes how she felt she was born in the wrong time, until she became popular, and when New Wave music became popular.
Molly also discusses an incident where Cyndi asked Tina Turner to sign a music sheet, and mentions that she has autographs from many other musicians, one of her first being from the British band Herman's Hermits.