An Original

Confession time over tea. British singer Corinne Drewery, of the pop group Swing Out Sister, reveals one of the most unsettling moments of her life:

“It was when I finally realized I wasn’t a soul singer,” says Drewery, best known for “Breakout,” the Top 10 single from the group’s 1987 debut album, “It’s Better to Travel.”

Drewery, 30, spent her late teens copying R&B; singers such as Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder. During her aborted soul-singing attempts, she ignored certain signs.

“Like the fact that I’m white, English and don’t have any soul,” she deadpans. “I thought to myself: ‘Now what do I do?’ ”

Keyboard player Andy Connell and drummer Martin Jackson, who formed Swing Out Sister with her in 1983, advised her to sing naturally and not copy anyone.

Great advice, as it turns out.

Mostly thanks to Drewery’s vocals, the band’s first PolyGram album, “It’s Better to Travel,” sold more than 700,000 copies. The new Swing Out album, “Kaleidoscope World,” is due out in about a week.

She has a wispy, exotic voice, sounding somewhat like June Christy, the superb ‘40s ballad singer. Drewery’s voice, quite unlike any other in pop music today, has a gossamer texture-- tailor-made for romantic songs.

“I don’t know what I do,” she says when asked to describe her singing. Then, pointing to her chest: “I just sing, from somewhere down here.”

Swing Out Sister’s mainstream success is a big surprise because of its strong jazz influence--usually the kiss of death in pop circles. “We use rhythms in a very modern way,” she says. “There’s a strong contemporary feel. That’s stronger than the jazz feel. People really respond to the rhythms.”

As terrific as Drewery’s voice is, though, she confesses that she would gladly trade it in.

For what?

“To be able to sing like Stevie Wonder or Diana Ross.”