The Stars We Are
Encyclopedia
The Stars We Are is a studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond
, who had previously been part of the synthpop
/new wave
duo, Soft Cell
.
Released in 1988, the album includes a duet with the German singer Nico
, titled "Your Kisses Burn", which was recorded shortly before her death. Almond also duets with Agnes Bernelle
on the track "Kept Boy", and also with U.S. singer Gene Pitney
as they perform Pitney's 1967 hit "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart". This version became a UK number one hit in early 1989 and was the sixth best-selling single of that year.
The vinyl LP release of the album includes only the first ten tracks.
Marc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
, who had previously been part of the synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
/new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
duo, Soft Cell
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and platinum debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret...
.
Released in 1988, the album includes a duet with the German singer Nico
Nico
Nico was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s...
, titled "Your Kisses Burn", which was recorded shortly before her death. Almond also duets with Agnes Bernelle
Agnes Bernelle
Agnes Bernelle was an actress and singer, long-based in the UK for much of her career, although she later settled in Ireland. Her family had fled Berlin in 1936...
on the track "Kept Boy", and also with U.S. singer Gene Pitney
Gene Pitney
Eugene Francis Alan Pitney, known as Gene Pitney , was an American singer-songwriter, musician and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the...
as they perform Pitney's 1967 hit "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart". This version became a UK number one hit in early 1989 and was the sixth best-selling single of that year.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Marc Almond; except where indicated- "The Stars We Are" (Almond, Annie HoganAnni HoganAnni Hogan is a British musician, record producer, composer and Club DJ, born in 1961. Originally known for her association with British music artist Marc Almond, Hogan now collaborates with a diverse variety of artists including Rachel McFarlane and Cagedbaby....
) - "These My Dreams Are Yours"
- "Bitter Sweet" (Almond, Hogan)
- "Only The Moment" (Almond, Hogan)
- "Your Kisses Burn" (Featuring NicoNicoNico was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s...
) - "The Very Last Pearl"
- "Tears Run Rings"
- "Something's Gotten Hold of My HeartSomething's Gotten Hold of My Heart"Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" is a popular song written by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook.Originally recorded by David and Jonathan, and then Gene Pitney in 1967, the song reached #5 on the UK singles chart but failed to chart in the USA...
" (Roger GreenawayRoger GreenawayRoger Greenaway , is a popular English songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Roger Cook.-Career:...
, Roger CookRoger Cook (songwriter)Roger Cook is an English songwriter who has written many hits for other recording artists. He has also had a successful recording career in his own right.-Early life:Cook was born in Fishponds, Bristol, England...
) - "The Sensualist" (Almond, Hogan)
- "She Took my Soul in Istanbul" (Almond, Billy McGee)
- "The Frost Comes Tomorrow" (Almond, Hogan)
- "Kept Boy" (Almond, McGee)
- "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" (Featuring Gene PitneyGene PitneyEugene Francis Alan Pitney, known as Gene Pitney , was an American singer-songwriter, musician and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the...
)
The vinyl LP release of the album includes only the first ten tracks.
Personnel
- Marc Almond - vocals, arrangements
- NicoNicoNico was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s...
- vocals on "Your Kisses Burn" - Victoria Wilson-James - vocals
- Suraya Ahmed - vocals
- Gini Ball - violin
- Sue Dench - viola
- Julia Girdwood - oboe, cor Anglais
- Derek Hanigan - bass clarinet
- Sally Herbert - violin
- Annie HoganAnni HoganAnni Hogan is a British musician, record producer, composer and Club DJ, born in 1961. Originally known for her association with British music artist Marc Almond, Hogan now collaborates with a diverse variety of artists including Rachel McFarlane and Cagedbaby....
- piano, marimba, vibraphone, arranger - Philippa Holland - violin
- Steve Humphreys - drums, percussion, programming, timpani, sampling
- Christine Jacson - cello
- Bob Kraushaar - percussion
- Billy McGee - bass, keyboards, doubek, arranger, conductor
- Chris Pitsillides - viola
- Jos Pook - viola
- Audrey RileyAudrey RileyAudrey Riley is a cellist and string arranger based in the UK. Riley trained at the Guildhall School of Music with Leonard Stehn and was a cellist for Virginia Astley from 1983 to 1986 and a one-time auxiliary member of The Family Cat. She has been a member of the post-minimalist band Icebreaker...
- cello - Enrico Tomasso - trumpet, flugelhorn
- Chris Tombling - violin
- Audrey Ahmed - vocals
- Sally Hebert - violin
- La Magia - piano, marimba, vibraphone
- Agnes BernelleAgnes BernelleAgnes Bernelle was an actress and singer, long-based in the UK for much of her career, although she later settled in Ireland. Her family had fled Berlin in 1936...
- vocals