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.
Thinking he helped a few tri-state musicians pay their mortgages. And that’s a good thing!
Like I said, I will defend Broooce on his legitimate positive traits forever.
His songs and persona…well…
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.....
“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.”
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Ditto the sentiment. JA was awesome in the late 60’s with Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Cassidy. Grace Slick’s voice was second to none, with the possible exception of Janis, but they were different styles, both unique and great. She had that iconic sustain and vibrato and strength and stage presence. She totally kicked ass at Woodstock with White Rabbit.
If you didn’t like the original JA, you don’t know jack about music. But that can be said for a lot of Freepers.
Sp. That is, Nova Caesarea. (Pronounce the “Cae” as “Jae” or “Chae” and you’ll start to hear the modern word “Jersey” may have come from.
It was an alternate name for the original colony.
We’ll take all the good signs we can get, even if they’re small!
I agree. Grace Slick might not be my clear favorite female vocalist (there have been so many greats), but she’s right up there. I remember the first time I heard “Theme from the Movie Manhole” in 1975, and I still listen to it from time to time. Wonderful song.
“My vote for most cringy song/video combo of the 80s is Journey’s “Separate Ways.” I’d rather listen to Milli Vanilli.”
I will have to agree that video was most definitely cringe-worthy.
However, as a 14 year old adolescent girl when this came out, I absolutely loved this song. And it is still among one of my favorite Journey songs.
Bruce simply blows. His politics are just another reason to hate him.*** THE SPRINGSTEEN STILL BLOWS AND HIS POLITICS ARE STILL JUST ANOTHER REASON TO HATE HIM PING LIST!!! ***
I’m addicted to the album. Listen to it a lot!
I spent the entire 80s living in and around Philadelphia.
I thought Springsteen was this huge national star. Didn’t realize he was sort of a regional star, because I heard so much of him on Philly radio.
I never thought he was that great. He’s not bad. George Thorogood wasn’t bad either, but they’re both decent rockers who had pretty good band. They’re not the be-all and end-all.
Thanks for reminding me of WMMR and WYSP.
“we built this titty on silicone” ;)
I always liked the song also. Never understood why it’s so hated, and this article doesn’t really splain it. 80’s pop was refreshing after 70’s disco.
There’s a lot to dislike - corrupt politicians, centrists or right-leaning people who vote Dem because they’re easily intimidated, RINOs of the most despicable kind (Christy Todd Whitless and Krispy Kreme come to mind), and of course Brooce.
But the Deplorables in NJ are amongst the most rabid, pro-liberty, pro-American variety. Indeed, I’ve said they’re prolly more patriotic than Deplorables from Deep red states because the NJ patriots know of liberty stolen and desired.
Remember when the Legislature tried to regulate homeschooling? The homeschoolers marched on Trenton and totally f’ed up that statist pig Loretta Weinberg’s dream. Soon afterward, a small group of homeschooling parents began following Weinberg around the capitol. The barrage of phone calls from homeschooling advocates so jammed her office phone lines that staffers had to use their private cellphones to conduct business. “You would have thought I’d recommended the end of the world as we know it,” said Weinberg. “Our office was besieged… There are very few fights I have given up in the more than 20-some-odd years I have been involved in the state Legislature, but this was one of them..”
That is just a taste of that spirit for self-determination that simmers in NJ. Unless you’re there, it’s easy to get manipulated by the MSM into thinking everyone in NJ is a Dem, RINO, etc.
I still hate the Giants, unless they’re playing the Patriots in a Super Bowl, and Springsteen and Bon Jovi can gargle with glass. But don’t mess with a Deplorable NJ resident; I’ll stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them any day.
Oh, and the diners rock.
Yep, from success to failure, that's what did it.
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