Posted on 11/18/2023 6:18:07 AM PST by DoodleBob
Starship launched the next phase of their career in 1985 with the release of “We Built This City,” the first single from their album Knee Deep in the Hoopla.
The band that began as Jefferson Airplane in 1965 in San Francisco had moved through a lot of changes, evolving into Jefferson Starship in the early ‘70s after a series of lineup shuffles. They would continue to work under that banner until 1984 when founding member Paul Kantner decided to depart following the release of Nuclear Furniture album.There had been a lot of internal conflict leading up to that point, with Kantner and the rest of the group quarreling over the musical direction for the album. He was particularly unhappy with the news, delivered by vocalist Mickey Thomas, that one of his songs would be left off. He and the members of the band continued to disagree so eventually he put in his notice.
READ MORE: How Jefferson Airplane Eventually Became Starship
Kantner would not depart quietly: He took legal action to ensure that the band would not continue to use the Jefferson Starship name. As a result, by the time they released Knee Deep in the Hoopla about a year and a half later, they would be known simply as Starship.
As an opening statement, “We Built This City” was defiantly confident and one that came from an interesting place. The song was worked on in its early stages by Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin, who collaborated with Martin Page. These same writing sessions also produced “These Dreams,” later a monster hit for Heart.
Their original pass “was a very dark kind of mid-tempo song, and it didn't have all this 'We built this city!' It had none of that,” Taupin told Rolling Stone in 2013. “It was a very dark song about how club life in L.A. was being killed off and live acts had no place to go. It was a very specific thing. A guy called Peter Wolf – not J. Geils [Band] Peter Wolf, but a big-time pop guy and German record producer – got ahold of the demo and totally changed it. He jerry-rigged it into the pop hit it was. If you heard the original demo, you wouldn't even recognize the song.”
Page offered additional details about the early version of “We Built This City,” telling Songfacts in 2014 that “the demo was very different from the way Starship actually recorded the record. My demo is much darker, more of a ‘Shock the Monkey’ Peter Gabriel vibe. I'd even recorded from the radio a police report of a riot going down in L.A., which they turned into a [San Francisco-based] DJ." The voice was provided by MTV executive Les Garland, who had been a radio personality and programmer in a number of markets, including San Francisco.
“I saw the words as almost like a rebellion lyric: it was like live music has been taken away from the city,” Page added. “So my demo, it was a little more edgy. And I'm very pleased with what Starship did with it, because they made it a universally appealing song.”
In keeping with the times, the finished track was driven by layers of synthesizers and programming, with upbeat vocals from Thomas and Grace Slick – the lone remaining member from the Jefferson Airplane days. "We Built This City" proved to be an instant earworm for radio listeners beginning in the late summer of 1985, and the single became Starship’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Nov. 16, 1985. Knee Deep in the Hoopla album eventually peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. The track then received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.
Starship would continue to bank additional hit singles, including a second No. 1 for the Knee Deep in the Hoopla album with the power ballad “Sara” in 1986. With the passage of time, however, “We Built This City” became a polarizing topic of discussion.
Blender put the track in the top spot of their 2004 list of the Top 50 Worst Songs Ever. Editor Craig Marks said the single "seems to inspire the most virulent feelings of outrage. It purports to be anti-commercial but reeks of '80s corporate-rock commercialism. It's a real reflection of what practically killed rock music in the ‘80s."
Similarly, "We Built This City" landed at the top spot again in 2011 on Rolling Stone’s reader’s poll list of the 10 Worst Songs of the ‘80s. “This could be the biggest blow-out victory in the history of the Rolling Stone readers poll," the magazine noted. "You really, really, really hate 'We Built This City’ by Starship. It crushed the competition.”
READ MORE: Jefferson Starship Reaches an Arena-Rock Zenith With 'Modern Times'
What is it about “We Built This City” that began to rub folks the wrong way? Mickey Thomas told UCR that he has a theory: "I think there’s a couple of factors involved in that. One, the overriding factor was when a lot of people didn’t care for the direction that rock music was taking in the ‘80s as far as recording techniques, processes and the sounds,” Thomas said. “A lot of rock 'n' roll bands were sort of catering more towards contemporary hits radio."
Then there was their roots back to the Woodstock era. "I think for a band like Starship, that was even taken to another level, because the standards were so different for a band that emerged out of the ‘60s from Jefferson Airplane," Thomas added. "So people had a tendency to really romanticize that era and the whole counter-cultural and underground aspect of music in the ‘60s.
For some people, Starship “was an even bigger sellout than say Journey, Whitesnake or some other band like that, because of the history of the band,” Thomas argued. “I think as I’ve said before that ‘We Built This City’ just kind of became the poster child of a whole trend of music that a lot of people didn’t care for, whether they were wrong or right. And then came Blender magazine, which put the stamp of approval on that whole concept,” Thomas added, with a chuckle.
“I understand it, but would I take it back? The first No. 1 single in the history of the band? That was an exciting time for us,” he said. “We were digging that – and the song, we accomplished exactly what we set out to accomplish. We thought, ‘We’re going to reinvent the band. This is the sound we’re going for, and we’re going to use all of these new modern machines, techniques and recording processes and sounds to our advantage and have fun with it.’ It was like a whole new palette of colors to work with. So that’s what we set out to do and we did it!”
Slick later split with Starship, and ended up taking a shot or two at the song. But Thomas remained a staunch defender, saying its lyrics weren't meant to be taken literally.
He felt that Taupin's use of the word “city” was “an allegory for any collection of people anywhere who came together to express themselves through the power of music. … It was both a celebration of rock 'n' roll and a protest against those who try and tame it. I never for a moment thought that anyone would think that I was actually singing about concrete and steel or bricks and mortar. … The ‘we’ in the lyric to me always signified a collective we: the artist and the audience singing together as one.”
Either way, Starship fans continue to sing along, despite what critics may think. And the best part is that nobody has to revisit their own questionable ‘80s fashion choices.
Me, too.
Grace Slick is still my all time favorite female vocalists. Jefferson Airplane was the best. Never liked Starship. Favorite album is “Manhole.” Song “Theme from Manhole” is the best ever. Her vocals are like butter.
“Miracles” is the most gawd awful song from Jefferson Starship.
“He felt that Taupin’s use of the word “city” was “an allegory for any collection of people anywhere who came together to express themselves through the power of music. … It was both a celebration of rock ‘n’ roll and a protest against those who try and tame it.”
Jefferson Airplane/Starship were strongly associated with San Francisco.
Anyone who was familiar with the roots of the band likely took that lyric to mean they thought they built the San Francisco rock scene. And they did ... to a certain extent along with the Dead and others.
They. ound a formula for making commercially successful music that made them a lot of money. That said, it sucks.
Grace Slick grew up down the street from us as Grace Wing in a big Palo Alto House. Didn’t know her but knew her younger brother Chris Wing who got tangled up with drugs (late 60’s - who didn’t?) and I heard ended up homeless. Hope he’s OK.
“It’s just another Sunday in a tired old street
Police have got the choke hold, oh, then we just lost the beat”
I’m not a big Airplane or Starship fan. But Freedom at Point Zero is a great album. With Aynsley Dunbar on drums, the single Jane is a perfect mix of light touch, rocker, and braggadocio.
It’s not my favorite, but I’ve never understood why it stands out as being exceptionally bad. I have heard worse, including some songs that are celebrated as “iconic.”
Ditto. Springsteen and Bon Jovi suck...as does Journey.
I hate to admit it but if I go long enough between times I actually like “we built this city”. Gracie Slick makes it.
Yup. I like the song and it is on my 80’s jam list. A great reminder of a great decade. More importantly though, my students today love the song and wonder why it is so often given a bad rap. Almost like they question the so-called music authorities. That is a small good sign.....
“A rule of thumb that works pretty well is that the worst song on any given album is the one that will get the most airplay.”
Absolutely. I’m going to think about that all day
I think it’s the two minute rule whatever it is
My sweet lord from the Great all things must pass
Help me. From Joni Mitchell. Court and spark
The eagles take it easy
After an excellent first album, it is all downhill for Journey after that.
Editor Craig Marks said the single "seems to inspire the most virulent feelings of outrage. It purports to be anti-commercial but reeks of '80s corporate-rock commercialism. It's a real reflection of what practically killed rock music in the ‘80s."
Sure, but it was always a business, always looking for some kind of sellable hook to grab listeners.
I was curious about just what a "power ballad" was and I found this article. It's long and rambling, and takes forever to get to the point, but it does have some interesting things to say, notably about the influence Barry Manilow (of all people) had on Eighties rock, and about the similarity between the lyrics of rock ballads and 19th century Romantic poetry.
easy fellas
“Ditto. Springsteen and Bon Jovi suck...”
Hey now
Let me be clear: I used to live outside of NYC. Back in the 2010s, Springsteen would donate anonymously to causes etc in Asbury Park. It was a loosely guarded secret. I give him props for that.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town is his best song. The late Clarence Clemons could play, and Max Weinberg is an excellent drummer.
That said…
I grew up outside of Philadelphia. Springsteen was inescapable. WMMR and WYSP would play his music all the time. When he came to town, it was like a religious pilgrimage of everyone I hated in High School…jocks, cheerleaders, the wine cooler crowd.
I got the working-man-blues-I-just-want-a-chance-I-gotta-be-me imagery. Others fell for it. Even as a teen I could smell the fakery, and his songs were just meh at best.
Bruce simply blows. His politics are just another reason to hate him.
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