Andrea Tafuri began her recording career at the age of 19 when she left Long Island to join the ranks of other young hopefuls in Manhattan. Meeting producer Gordon Mack proved to be fortuitous. Mack's background and talent in R&B was exactly what Tafuri was looking for: "I heard his work and I thought, this is the kind of stuff I want to do."
Continuing to work with Mack (who was Grammy nominated for his work
on Erykah Badu's Live Album), Tafuri inked a deal with Sleeping Bag Records and gathered positive attention for the single "What Am I Gonna Do About Your Love?", a song written and produced by Gordon and Angie Stone. A re-mixed version of the song hit the dance charts and Tafuri's association with dance music had begun. After a three year relationship with the indie label, the singer moved on.
A spirited rendition of the Phyllis Hyman chestnut, "You Know How To
Love Me," (produced by Steve Anderson of Brothers in Rhythm's fame, Gordon Mack, and Angie Stone) grabbed the attention of London Records legend Pete Tong. A short-term deal with Polygram was signed and Tafuri found herself touring the U.K. with Color Me Badd. "That experience was a lot of fun and it taught me a lot about the music business," she says. "I made the most of that opportunity."
