Who Did It Better? Starmaker

Who Did It Better? 

Starmaker

Oh, no... not another song nobody has ever heard of!

Yes! Another song nobody has heard of. Why? Because I adore the singer/songwriter who first recorded it. And... it actually did become a big hit - in the UK and Ireland.

Today? You get the opportunity to learn a little bit about an incredible songwriter and one of my favorite recording artists of all time, Bruce Roberts.

So, here's a bit of trivia: Bell Records signed Roberts back in 1972. They wanted to pitch him as a Teenbeat heartthrob, but the three singles released under his own name (all self-penned) on Bell Records failed to go anywhere. However, Bell Records wasn't through with Roberts. It seems labelmate, Danny Bonaduce (The Partridge Family) was set to release a solo album in order to capitalize on his television popularity. Problem was... Bonaduce wasn't that impressive of a singer. In an interview given in 2000, Bonaduce fessed up, crediting Bruce Roberts as having sung most of the vocals on the album ("especially the high notes.") But that? That was hardly the end of Roberts.

He continued as a songwriter, penning numerous songs with Carole Bayer Sager, and was one of her chief songwriting partners - until she fell in love with and married Burt Bacharach. But she was not his only collaborator.

Bruce was a frequent songwriting partner of Donna Summer. In fact, the two recorded a duet together - Whenever There's Love, the theme song from the 1996 Sylvester Stallone movie Daylight. Also, he, along with Paul Jabara, is responsible for what I consider the last gasp of disco, No More Tears (Enough Is Enough), the 1979 #1 duet sung by Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer.

In fact, Streisand considered singing today's song for her 1978 Songbird album, but decided to go with Robert's I Don't Break Easily, instead. Pity, because I think Streisand could have brought a whole new dimension to this song.

Instead, we will have to make due with Robert's own version, recorded for his 1977 debut album on Elektra Records, Paul Anka's 1978 RCA recording, Judy Collin's 1979 take on the song from her Hard Times For Lovers, and a version sung and released by The Kids From Fame - an interesting offshoot of the popular syndicated television program (1982-87).

Starmaker is a song written by Bruce Roberts and Carole Bayer Sager.

Roberts would include the song on his self-titled Elektra Records debut album. It was also issued as the album's first single, which bore a picture sleeve proclaiming "The record sells itself." Sadly, that turned out not to be the case. Despite favorable reviews, including an absolute rave in, of all places, Rolling Stone magazine, the album and Roberts failed to catch on. 

In 1978, Paul Anka, after over two decades in the business, was still considered a viable hitmaker. Coming off a string of hits (many self-penned) on the United Artists label, he was transitioning to a new contract with his former label, RCA, selecting Starmaker as the closing number for his Listen To Your Heart album.

1979 found Judy Collins putting together what she and Elektra hoped to be her full-fledged transition from folk into MOR pop. Starmaker was one of the songs selected for her album, Hard Times For Lovers.

Fame, which detailed the the struggles of a bunch of students at NYC's High School for the Performing Arts, began life as a popular 1980 movie, starring Irene Cara. Sensing an opportunity, in 1982, NBC-TV developed a television program featuring another bunch of students. This, in turn became the basis for the syndicated program which ran until 1987. During its run, the show would feature the talents of Janet Jackson, Debbie Allen, Jimmy Osmond, and Cynthia Gibb. It turned out to have quite the following, so to capitalize on that popularity, the powers that be took songs featured on the show and issued them as albums and singles. To support these albums, during the off-season, the cast toured throughout the world.  

Cast regulars Carlo Imperato, Erica Gimpel, Gene Anthony Ray, Jesse Borrego, Lee Curreri, Lori Singer, Nia Peeples, P.R. Paul, and Valerie Landsburg made up the singers who performed as The Kids From Fame. Issued on RCA and BBC Records in 1982 and 1983, the group released six albums: five studio and one live.

Their first album, The Kids From "Fame"  was huge in the UK, peaking at #1 and remaining there for twelve astounding weeks! Starmaker, the lead track on the album, was the second single released. It proved hugely popular in both the UK and Ireland, where it snagged the #3 and #1 spots, respectively.

And that's the whole story. 

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: Starmaker

The Competition: Roberts vs. Anka vs. Collins vs. The Kids From Fame

Starmaker - Bruce Roberts

Starmaker - Paul Anka

Starmaker - Judy Collins

Starmaker - The Kids From Fame

Bruce Roberts

Roberts is a wonderful pianist. His voice? A bit nasal, but lovely. When he moves into his head voice and hits those high notes? Simply astonishing. His songwriting, though steeped in MOR trappings, always contained an emotional heft other writers rarely brought into play. I love the lilt and break he puts in his voice going into that first chorus. I love this arrangement. It starts out quite simple, but by the time we're on the bridge leading to the chorus - strings, acoustic guitar and woodwinds are subtly added until they soar without ever threatening to overwhelm Roberts. That's partly due to the strength of Robert's voice, but producer Tom Dowd's (Charles Mingus, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, etc.) work here is as masterful as ever, creating a marvelous showcase for Roberts' many talents. 

His voice and delivery is somewhat similar to Art Garfunkel; the difference being that where Garfunkel would go all airy reaching for a climatic moment, Robert's digs in and down. You could argue that the downside of this song is the lyrics in the chorus; the term 'mawkish' springs to mind. That said, I find the lyrics in the verses to be positively stellar. 

I adore that little vocal run he does on 'oh' in the second chorus. The instrumental bridge is problematic. That guitar? Though it does cut through the gloss, which is good, it also feels a bit intrusive. Me? I'm adrift on the ocean - sailing - until that guitar hits. I guess it's a matter of taste, but the overall tone of the solo bothers me. It's well done, and 'epic' in its way. It simply feels very noisy. Though I can see its purpose; it does take the song to that next emotional level. By the third verse, everything is feeling very strident, proclaimed, and pronounced. As we modulate up, Roberts gets a bit of assist in the chorus in the form of some vocal treatment, but it's nothing that calls attention to itself. Afterall, he is competing with those screaming strings and the underpinning of that electric guitar. 

One of the things that has always puzzled me about this recording? Roberts parting shots. "We're so happy now. We're so happy now." It's a really interesting, dramatic risk, one, that again, cuts through what could have been, in lesser hands, a treacly mess. I also adore the crunch of that electric guitar and the subsequent rise of that sustained string sting. Very dramatic and effective. There's something immensely cinematic about this whole recording from start to finish. 

Paul Anka

Huh. Piano intro is fine, but Paul? He barely registers. Also, his voice seems... feeble? He comes on much stronger in the second stanza, but his vowel sounds are hooded; shut down. And then he breaks "starmaker" into two words? I do love the piano - clean and clear. Very Barry Manilow. 

Vocally, Anka's age is beginning to tell on him. Producer David Wolfert (Melissa Manchester, Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton) wisely keeps the production fireworks to a minimum, keeping a tight reign on those strings. Still, Anka lacks power. I dislike his hooded vocals. And then there's the matter of those drums, mixed too high, which I also find annoying. At the 2:21 mark, Anka seems to have peaked. I can't imagine where he thinks he's headed. I don't believe he has anything more to offer.

Oh, dear. That instrumental bridge. What is that? A synth line? Poor choice. The acoustic piano had been driving this thing, and this recording's saving grace. Why muck that up? That is such a waste. It barely registers and adds nothing. Modulation made obvious, we then get treated to some kind of extraterrestrial frill leading into the third verse. Anka is not connecting emotionally to this song. He really should have been encouraged to go full Neil Diamond with this number, making it drama-filled and full of overwrought self-reflection. Instead, he seems content just to spit out the words and hit the notes. 

Well, I gotta hand it to him. He lands that high F# with conviction as we launch into the final chorus. Oh, but then Wolfert does him no favors as that annoying - what is it - a synth guitar(?) - overwhelms Anka on the second line. This is not a singer in a condition to compete in such a fashion. That's a shame. Had they opted instead to pound the crap out of the acoustic piano and rev up the frills that way, this would have been a much more effective finish. A very schlocky walk-off coda. Subtle backing vocals, but that bloated synth guitar feels so smarmy. Ah, there's the piano, finally... and a long fade. 

Very Manilow. 

Judy Collins

Wolfert as producer, again. Acoustic guitar with spanish flourishes and a harp(?) Interesting choice, but then it suits Collin's voice. By the way, there were three different uploaded versions of this on YouTube and every one of them is hard to hear. I am thinking the track itself might have been mixed low - too low. I finally broke down and plugged in some ear buds so I could hear it properly. Nice reverb on her voice. She's choosing a very odd tempo. Pitchy in places. Lots of air. It's like she's ironing the melody as evenly as possible. 

She hits the chorus nicely. Strings rush in. Pitch issues continue. But then, that's part of Collin's charm. This version is much less driven than the previous two, definitely accommodating the style of the singer. She's being incredibly strident with her meter... every... word... is... punched... the same. The piano takes over as focus of the instrumentation, bringing all the syncopation the singer is not bringing to the table. 

So, it's a stylistic choice. She's carefully stringing the words together and concentrating on open vowel sounds. Unfortunately, it doesn't make for much of an emotional reading. Collin's fairy dust waif of a voice has enough emotional weight, so why add the drama of syncopation? I'm not sure I'm understanding this choice.

I think it has to do with an aging voice. She's lost control of her vibrato - that's what's causing the pitch issues. In order to minimize that, she's stringing the words together, moving from one open vowel sound to another. I believe that's what's going on here, for this is certainly an odd reading.  

Those strings swell up to bring the drama, soon joined by the full band. Oddly, I actually like it and Collins seems to be responding well to the addition of a rhythm section. When she takes 'dream breaker' up a fourth (a fifth?), it works surprisingly well. Considering how bombastic this is becoming, I can see why they had to start the mix so low. 

At the end, by the third time she starts to sing the chorus? I am done. Yet I can see why the producer kept the beginning of the third time a full volume and not beginning the fade until after the first two stanzas. Collins goes for broke and rather wins, hitting those notes for all their worth. 

The Kids From Fame

That is some bright piano, mixed way hot. The single string beam brings the drama. I could do without the synthesized glissando. 

Wow... that is interesting. It's like opening a box of chocolates and taking a small bite out of  four very different pieces. Only the fourth voice disappoints. Stupid glissando reappears. Ooo... singer number five is pitchy and under the note a lot. The sixth singer brings the fire. Wow. 

So, this is like one of those schlocky opening numbers on American Idol where all the contestants take a bite of a song and hope to make some kind of impression in a matter of four to eight bars. Such an approach? Typically does not serve the song well. But then, this is a song being sung by a group of art school hopefuls and in that context I can see it working - with a visual component. But on the radio? No.

Wow... they go full choir on the first chorus. Okay, kids... now? Tell me... where do you have to go? Huh? 

I do not care for the string arrangement at all. Treacly garbage. And.. magic synthesized glissando. Ugh. It's like using a star swipe in a powerpoint presentation. Singer who begins verse two was told to emphasize his vowel sounds, hitting them far harder than necessary. Such singing renders lyrics meaningless. What did he intend to communicate there? But then again, he's making the most of the eight bars he's been given. Again. This is not an ideal way to get to know a singer or render service to a song. The singers end up over-singing in the hopes of making an impression on the listener, with the song as a whole never being considered. This cookie cutter approach, cutting up phrases and abutting voices that do not compliment one another sound-wise or stylistically is musically nonsensical. I think that's the reason I ended up despising musical theatre - because this approach and sound became acceptable. 

Wow, if possible, the choir actually sounds much worse on the second chorus. That's a lot of guitar fill taking us into the third verse. Okay, for the first time, the kids are singing together. Third verse is working for me. Yes, very Up, Up With People, but what did you expect? Huh... they bring it on the chorus, too... that's a very creative vocal arrangement, going into chorus three. Now it is like listening to a cast recording. I can see where one might get chills listening. Oh, dear, they just keep piling on the instruments. That's unfortunate. For the fourth take on the chorus, they should have dropped everything out and let the choir work acapella. Then ended with a single voice and a simple piano line. As is, I don't think the fourth chorus is necessary, as it doesn't take us anywhere new. Glad they fade at the top of the fifth. The goosebump moment happens with the third chorus - end of game. 

The Verdict

I am going to stick with Bruce Roberts. I adore what he does with the ending and Tom Dowd's work on the piece is amazing, bringing out the best in Roberts time and time again. The arrangement is very complimentary to Roberts interp. He simply tells the story the best. 

Anka seems to be phoning it in. He certainly fails to connect emotionally with the song, which is odd, considering the many ups and downs of his career. I do appreciate all that Barry Manilow style piano, though. 

Collins is caught up in a weird moment. Given her changing vocal qualities, this was not a good choice for her. Nor was MOR, for that matter. I have listened to Hard Times For Lovers and the follow-up, Running For My Life a great deal. I adore her take on some of the songs, and all the songs, in and of themselves are stellar choices - but not necessarily for Collins. Elektra wanted to catch lightning in a bottle a second time and repeat the success she'd experienced with Sondheim's Send In The Clowns. However, that was a fluke and not the type of music that suited Collins abilities. Here, she's tasked with a song that doesn't work for her at all.

The Kids From Fame? The less said the better. 

Sometimes? The songwriter knows best. And when ably assisted by someone as knowing as Tom Dowd? How could they fail? But what really sells it is Roberts voice. It's rare that a songwriter is as vocally gifted as Roberts. Producer and artist seize the moment here.

For me, he's the one. 

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Okay, that's my two cents worth. Your turn. What did you think? Who's your pick? 

Leave your choice and your thoughts in the comments section. A differing opinion? Always welcome. 

That's all for now. 

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Starmaker - The Kids From Fame