Brooke Burke: “I Was Going to Be a Drummer, Dammit!”

THE ALBUM THAT WAS MY DIRTY SECRET
Stevie Wonder
Hotter than July
Motown, 1980
“I first heard this album when I was in high school in Tucson, Arizona. My two older sisters and I were all really, seriously into rock & roll: Def Leppard, Styx, Ratt, Judas Priest, and—oh my God—Ozzy. So Stevie Wonder was just so different from what we were listening to. This album is just happy, organic music. I wasn’t exactly listening to him at parties, that’s for sure. I was jamming to him in the privacy of my own bedroom, crying to ‘Overjoyed.’”

THE ALBUM THAT IS SWEATY AND SPIRITUAL
Sting
Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–1994
A&M, 1994
“At night, I love to light candles and have everything quiet, then I put on some Sting and just chill. I had to pick this one because he just has so many hits. From the outside looking in, there’s a sensuality that surrounds him, and he has this beautiful energy. I loved him when he was with the Police too. It says a lot when somebody, over a nearly 30-year period of time, keeps creating music that is just so good.”

THE ALBUM THAT MATCHED MY ROACH CLIPS
Def Leppard
Pyromania
Mercury, 1983
“The Pyromania tour was the first concert I was allowed to see. I was 13 or 14 and I went…with my mom! I was a serious rocker chick. I wore bandanas on my ankles, wrists and head, roach-clip feathers and concert T-shirts. I wanted to be a drummer when I was growing up, so I started taking lessons, but my father would never break down and get me the drum set. I was going to be a rock & roll drummer, dammit!”

THE ALBUM THAT MAKES ME SWOON
Maxwell
MTV Unplugged
Columbia, 1997
“This is the love album. I saw Maxwell in concert in the mid-’90s at the Universal Amphitheater. He was wearing all white and he had these great dance moves—just effortless. His shirt was opened up and he was just brown and delicious. He was so, so sexy. I was with my girlfriends and we were just swooning. Maxwell just can do no wrong. Every album—I have them all and I love them all. Madly. But I chose Unplugged because it’s a little bit more raw.”

THE ALBUM THAT MADE ME BUILD A SHRINE
Prince and the Revolution
Purple Rain
Warner Bros., 1984
“I was in love with Prince—I had a shrine! I had a black-laced veil on my wall and Prince posters on the ceiling. When the movie Purple Rain came out, I was a high school freshman and since it was rated R, I wasn’t allowed to see it. I snuck in every chance I got! My friends and I used to act it out and do the dances. When I moved to L.A., I saw him in a club—a friend said she’d introduce me, but I crawled under the table. I couldn’t handle it.”

THE ALBUM THAT IS OLDER THAN IT SOUNDS
Joss Stone
Mind, Body & SoulS-curve, 2004
“Joss Stone is so hot and she just gets it. And she’s so soulful for such a young girl! A friend of mine, a hairdresser, turned me on to this album—a lot of artists are into her. Whenever we are working together, we try to find the perfect mood music, music that just allows you to lose yourself and to feel free. Mind, Body & Soul is very sensual.”

THE ALBUM THAT'S LIKE A SWISS ARMY KNIFE
Seal
Seal IV
Warner Bros., 2003
“This is one of the few CDs that you can listen to anywhere, doing anything: a backyard party, a dinner party, alone, in a crowd. ‘Love’s Divine’ is one of my favorite songs of all time. The first time I heard it was when he performed at a very intimate breast cancer charity event and I was like, “Whoa, what is this?” He was up onstage and he goes, ‘I really want to keep playing all night, but I’m limited to three songs. Shit!’”

THE ALBUM (NOT) TO DRINK AND DRIVE TO
Angie Stone
Stone Love
J Records, 2004
“I was turned on to Angie Stone by one of my friends. We were on a road trip from Tucson to L.A., and the sun was setting when we were playing this. The ride is just one long stretch of highway. It’s amazing to be in the desert for that stretch of time, to not have anybody around, only a few cars, and to be listening to great tunes with your best friend. Perfect music to have a beer to—not that you should drink and drive! But you know what I mean—smoking, drinking, hanging out.”

THE ALBUM THAT I KNOW IS CHEESY, BUT…
Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Epic, 1992
“I like to think I have great taste, but … there was someone in particular when this came out, one of those tragic loves. ‘Water From the Moon’ is like, ‘What do I have to do? Do I have to get water from the moon? What is it going to take?’ And I totally related it to this one person. Every song on the album is about that. We were young and fearful and we fucking missed our opportunity, but whatever. Don’t knock her till you try it.”

THE ALBUM THAT GIVES ME A LITTLE CRED
The Killers
Hot Fuss
Island, 2004
“I have this incredible sound system in my Hummer and when we drive up the coast, I crank ‘Mr. Brightside’ and ‘Smile Like You Mean It.’ The Killers make great cruising music. I’m not usually aware of what’s hip or cool and I was never into new wave, but I like the sound of this record. I don’t even think it makes me want to go back and discover and explore new wave. I don’t know why. Maybe because it’s not soulful enough for me, but this album is fun.”