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Sensational: SoulMusic Collects Starpoint's Elektra Discography on 6-CD Box Set

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Starpoint Object of My Desire

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SoulMusic Records has kicked off 2023 with a 6-CD box set from Dionne Warwick, and a 3-CD collection from Philip Bailey is coming up next.  But we're turning back the clock to the waning days of 2022 for a look at the label's 6-CD box shining a light on Maryland funk outfit Starpoint.  Object of My Desire: The Elektra Recordings (1983-1990) brings together expanded editions of the group's six albums for the Elektra label.

Starpoint began their career at the Casablanca imprint Chocolate City.  Brothers Ernesto, Lloyd, George Jr., Orlando, and Gregory Phillips had first played together in their youth as J.R. and the Royals, then as Licyndiana before coalescing as Starpoint.  Lloyd had departed the group by that point, and Renee Diggs and Kayode (Ky) Adeyemo had joined the roster.  With Ernesto on lead guitar and vocals; Gregory on drums and percussion; George on keyboards and vocals; Orlando on bass and saxophone; Kayode as bassist and percussionist; and Renee as lead vocalist, Starpoint recorded a demo which found its way to Trinidadian producer Lionel Job.  He would become their manager and producer, guiding them through four albums on Chocolate City and a string of R&B chart singles including "I Just Wanna Dance with You," "Keep On It," "Wanting You," and more.

Starpoint moved to Boardwalk Records for It's So Delicious, the 1983 album that opens SoulMusic's new collection.  Founded by Casablanca's Neil Bogart, Boardwalk positioned itself as a mini-major with such high-profile signings as Carole Bayer Sager (whose lone Boardwalk LP, Sometimes Late at Night, was recently reissued in an expanded edition by Iconoclassic Records), Harry Chapin, Mike Love, Ringo Starr, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Curtis Mayfield.  But by the time Starpoint signed with Boardwalk, Bogart had passed away at the age of 39 and the label was struggling to stay afloat.  Lionel Job arranged for the group to take its album master to Elektra, beginning a relationship that would continue through 1990 and Starpoint's final LP, Have You Got What It Takes.  Remarkably, the lineup stayed intact for all of these albums as chronicled on SoulMusic's box.

While It's So Delicious failed to make much traction, Elektra didn't lose faith in the band.  Starpoint's third Elektra LP, 1985's Restless, became their commercial breakthrough.  Produced by Lionel Job and Keith Diamond (Billy Ocean, James Ingram), Restless aggressively pursued a more commercial direction that leaned into contemporary pop and R&B while not completely abandoning the funk foundation that was always at the core of Starpoint.  Penned by Ernesto Phillips, Kayode Adeyemo, and Keith Diamond, the irresistible "Object of My Desire," the title track of the new box set, was Starpoint's first to make the top ten Billboard R&B survey and their first to make the Hot 100 with an impressive No. 25 placement.  It also entered the Dance charts and made the top 100 in the U.K., as well.  "What You Been Missin'" went on to make the R&B top ten, too, while "Restless" scored another trifecta (No. 46 Pop/No. 13 Dance/No. 11 R&B).

Starpoint embarked on high-profile tours with such artists as Luther Vandross, Morris Day, and Atlantic Starr while continuing to record for Elektra.  1987's Sensational was produced by Lionel Job and Thom Bell protégé Preston Glass (Aretha Franklin, Johnny Gill and Stacy Lattisaw, Whitney Houston) and also welcomed the participation of Thor Baldursson (Grace Jones, Donna Summer) on keyboards.  It spun off another top ten R&B hit, "He Wants My Body."  CHIC co-founder Bernard Edwards joined the team to produce a handful of songs for 1989's Hot to the Touch while Lionel Job welcomed Teddy Riley and Gene Griffin for 1990's New Jack Swing-flavored Have You Got What It Takes.

Have You Got What It Takes ended the Starpoint story, though the bandmates stayed involved in music.  Renee Diggs, after a valiant battle with multiple sclerosis, died in 2005 from complications of a heart condition.  Her 1993 shelved solo album Oasis, co-produced by Ernesto Phillips, finally made it to CD in 2000.  Ernesto predeceased her in 2004.  In 2011, George, Orlando, Gregory, and Kayode reunited for a one-off show in France; George died in 2021.  Ky launched "Starpoint Too" in 2019 and has released new music to digital and streaming services (some featuring previously unheard vocals by Renee).

A whopping 34 bonus tracks have been spread across the six albums, culled from the various single versions and remixes issued contemporaneously with the LPs.  Donald Cleveland has newly remastered the audio to splendid effect; note that Boardwalk masters were unavailable for the single edits of "Don't Be So Serious" and "Let Go" from It's So Delicious, so those two tracks were sourced from the best available vinyl.

Object of My Desire: The Elektra Recordings (1983-1990) has been expertly produced and compiled by Adam Mattera, currently also doing stellar work with the Sheena Easton catalogue for Cherry Red.  It's housed in a clamshell case and designed in SoulMusic's familiar style.  Charles Waring provides the essay in the 24-page booklet which also includes various picture sleeves and single labels.  This 6-CD celebration of Starpoint's joyous brand of funk and R&B is out now from Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records.

Starpoint, Object of My Desire: The Elektra Recordings (1983-1990) (Cherry Red/SoulMusic QSMCR-52068X, 2023) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: It's So Delicious (Boardwalk LP NB 33266-1/Elektra LP 60291-1, 1983)

  1. Don't Be So Serious
  2. Put Your Love on Me
  3. Somethin' in Your Eyes
  4. It's So Delicious
  5. Behind Your Back
  6. Give Real Love a Try
  7. I'm So Crazy 'Bout You
  8. I Got the Love
  9. Let Go
  10. Don't Be So Serious (Short Version) (Boardwalk single NB-12-178-7, 1983)
  11. It's So Delicious (Dance Mix Edit) (Elektra single 7-69793, 1983)
  12. Let Go (Edited Version) (Boardwalk (Germany) 12-inch single 120-16-006, 1983)
  13. It's So Delicious (Dance Mix) (Elektra 12-inch single ED 4932, 1983)
  14. It's So Delicious (Instrumental Dub) (Elektra 12-inch single ED 4932, 1983)

CD 2: It's All Yours (Elektra LP 60353-1, 1984)

  1. It's All Yours
  2. Am I Still the One
  3. Satisfy Me, Lover
  4. Send Me a Letter
  5. Breakout
  6. This Is So Right
  7. Use Me
  8. Always on My Mind
  9. Breakout (Edit Version) (Elektra single 7-69726, 1984)
  10. Am I Still the One (Edit Version) (Elektra single 7-69711, 1984)

CD 3: Restless (Elektra LP 9 60424-2, 1985)

  1. Object of My Desire
  2. One More Night
  3. Emotions
  4. See the Light
  5. Till the End of Time
  6. Don't Take Your Love Away
  7. Restless
  8. What You Been Missin'
  9. Object of My Desire (Vocal/Edit) (Elektra single 7-69621, 1985)
  10. What You Been Missin' (Vocal/Edit) (Elektra single 7-69588, 1985)
  11. Restless (Vocal/Edit of Remixed Version) (Elektra single 7-69561, 1986)
  12. Till the End of Time (Vocal/Edit) (Elektra single 7-69534, 1986)
  13. Object of My Desire (Vocal/12" Version) (Elektra 12-inch single 0-66891, 1985)
  14. What You Been Missin' (Vocal/Male Version) (Elektra single 7-69588, 1985)
  15. Restless (Vocal/Extended Remix Version) (Elektra 12-inch single 0-66860, 1986)
  16. Object of My Desire (Instrumental Version) (Elektra 12-inch single 0-66891, 1985)
  17. Restless (Dub Version) (Elektra 12-inch single 0-66860, 1986)

CD 4: Sensational (Elektra LP 60722-1, 1987)

  1. He Wants My Body
  2. Y.B.O.
  3. Prove It Tonight
  4. Sensational
  5. Another Night
  6. The More We Love
  7. Touch of Your Love
  8. Second Chance
  9. He Wants My Body (Vocal/Edit) (Elektra single 7-69489, 1987)
  10. Y.B.O. (Vocal/Edit) (Elektra single 7-69467, 1987)
  11. The More We Love (Vocal/Edited Version) (Elektra single 7-69451, 1987)
  12. He Wants My Body (Vocal/Extended Remix) (Elektra 12-inch single 0-66824, 1987)
  13. Another Night (Dub Version) (Elektra 12-inch single 0-66798, 1987)
  14. Touch of Your Love (Vocal/Extended Remix) (Elektra 12-inch single 0-66787, 1987)

CD 5: Hot to the Touch (Elektra LP 60810-1, 1988)

  1. Fresh Start
  2. One Step Closer to Your Love
  3. Tough Act to Follow
  4. Say You Will
  5. Hot to the Touch
  6. Swept Away
  7. After All Is Said and Done
  8. Heart Attack
  9. Park It
  10. Say You Will (Edit) (Elektra single 7-69373, 1988)
  11. Tough Act to Follow (Edit) (Elektra single 7-69319, 1988)
  12. Say You Will (Extended Version) (Elektra 12-inch single 9 60812-2, 1988)
  13. Fresh Start (Extended Version) (Elektra CD 0-66738, 1988)
  14. One Step Closer to Your Love (Extended Version) (Elektra CD 0-66738, 1988)
  15. Say You Will (Instrumental) (Elektra 12-inch single 0-66738, 1988)

CD 6: Have You Got What It Takes (Elektra LP 60923-1, 1990)

  1. I Want You - You Want Me
  2. Your Lover
  3. Midnight Love
  4. Have You Got What It Takes
  5. When They Love You Back
  6. I Don't Need Another Lover
  7. Step by Step
  8. True Love
  9. I Want You - You Want Me (Edit Version) (Elektra cassingle 4-649709, 1990)
  10. Midnight Love (Edit Version) (Elektra cassingle 9 4-64956, 1990)
  11. I Want You - You Want Me (Extended Version) (Elektra 12-inch single 0-66643, 1990)
  12. I Want You - You Want Me (Teddy's House Mix) (Elektra CD 9 60923-2, 1990)
  13. I Want You - You Want Me (Def House Mix) (Elektra 12-inch single 0-66643, 1990)
  14. I Want You - You Want Me (Red House Mix) (Elektra 12-inch single 0-66643, 1990)
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Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others. Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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Comments

  1. A fantastic set even with the two vinyl-sourced tracks. If I had one disappointment, it'd be the missing "Special Dance Mix" of It's All Yours. I don't think that track has ever appeared on CD.

    Reply

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