On This Day – ‘We Built This City’ Hits #1 (despite being absolute crap)
Nov 18, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1985 Starship (ex Jefferson Starship, ex Jefferson Airplane, ex Airplane, ex Jefferson, ex Jefferson Steamboat, ex Jefferson Ric Shaw) made it to number 1 with an abomination.
‘We Built This City’ was written by Bernie Taupin (words smith for Elton John), Martin Page (ex Q-Feel), Dennis Lambert (ex Lambert and Nuttycombe (?) who also wrote Rhinestone Cowboy), and Peter Wolf (ex the wonderful J Geils band – he should have known better). It was produced by Jeremy Smith and Peter Wolf (he REALLY should have known better).
It was Starship’s first single. It also managed to reach the list of the “Worst 50 Songs Ever” as compiled by Blender.com to mange the feat the songs had to be both popular, and dreadful. This one managed on both fronts, in spades. It shares this accolade with such songs as “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da” by Marmalade, “I would Do Anything For Love” by Meatloaf, and “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus. (Of course Celine Dion was also represented in the list – goes without saying)
The sight of a big haired, shoulder padded, spanky clean Grace and co singing such banal (but catchy) lyrics is appalling. Almost as much as the premise is that this is some sort of anti-commercial anthem while it is, in fact, steeped in 80s corporate rock commercial values and production.
Forgive me, but you have been warned!
Now For Some Covers!
This is Great!
I was looking for a copy by Frenzal Rhomb but couldn’t find one…..I also could not find a clip of the great Kid Carpet (another bristol boy) performing where he often sings “We built this city on slavery” as a reference to Bristol’s past. Never mind, if you get the chance go and see him and find out just what can be done with musical toys.
Really, forget this, go back to the start, when Grace and co made music to be proud of. From White Rabbit to this, it beggars belief.
Tags: Grace Slick, jefferson airplane, jefferson starship, On This Day, rock and blues, we built this city, white rabbit
On This Day – 1st July
Jul 1, 2009 On This Day
I have a friend who does a mean ‘White Rabbit’ karaoke. Most people seem not to know what song she is singing when the music start but they all stop drinking to listen. Jo owes all that to this day in 1967 when Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit entered the Billboard chart. Mind you, the best version of this song is by Patti Smith (I know, heresy).
On this day in 1969 Sam Phillips sold Sun Records to Shelby Singleton. Whether it was a ‘good thing’ for either music, or the label, is an argument for another time. Just think about the people Sam recorded;
Elvis Presley
Carl Perkins
Roy Orbison
Johnny Cash
Jerry Lee Lewis
Tags: On This Day, sun records, white rabbit
