The Stars We Are Explained

The Stars We Are
Type:Album
Artist:Marc Almond
Cover:The Stars We Are single.jpg
Border:yes
Released:26 September 1988
Recorded:1988
Studio:Matrix Studios, 35 Little Russell Street, London
Genre:pop
Prev Title:Singles 1984–1987
Prev Year:1987
Next Title:Jacques
Next Year:1989

The Stars We Are is the fourth studio album by British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released in September 1988, reaching number 41 on the UK Albums Chart,[1] and 144 on the US Billboard 200 album chart.[2] It is Almond's highest selling solo album in both countries and was certified silver by the BPI. The Stars We Are includes the singles "Tears Run Rings", "Bitter Sweet", "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" and "Only the Moment".[3]

With his assembled band La Magia (made up of former Willing Sinners members Annie Hogan, Billy McGee and Steve Humphreys) and accompanied by various studio musicians, Almond recorded the album at Matrix Studios in London. The artwork was designed by Huw Feather with a cover photograph by Andy Catlin.

Music and recording

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"[4] (a bonus track on the CD and cassette versions of the album) and also with US 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 UK's sixth best-selling single of that year, being certified Gold by the BPI.[5]

Original editions of the album did not feature Almond's duet with Pitney on "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart", and simply contained Almond's original solo version of the track instead. The duet version was recorded after the album was released and, after the success of the single in 1989, the duet was appended to CD and cassette versions and appeared in-place of the original solo version on some LP versions.

"Tears Run Rings" was Almond's only solo single to peak inside the US Billboard Hot 100.

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Official Charts Company – Marc Almond. Official Charts Company. 20 August 2008.
  2. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p3528|pure_url=yes}} allmusic (((Marc Almond > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums)))]. Billboard. 13 August 2010.
  3. Web site: Rotter . Joshua . 2019-10-26 . Marc Almond speaks on Soft Cell, his new album, and life in Moscow . 2024-05-11 . 48 hills . en-US.
  4. "The Stars We Are" LP
  5. The Stars We Are CD Booklet
  6. Book: Pennanen, Timo . Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 . 2021 . Marc Almond. 15. Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava . Helsinki. 20 June 2022.