The unhappy passing of Leon Russell in November 2016 had many people reappraising each his profession achievements and his marvellous songbook. The posthumous launch of his last album On A Distant Shore was one other reminder of his legacy. At present we take a look at one in every of his most-covered numbers with the assistance of Leon himself, who reveals its little-known connection to a serious feminine vocalist from the mid-Sixties onwards.
“Superstar” was, after all, ultimately changed into an effortlessly stylish, grownup modern manufacturing by the Carpenters, in a characteristically easy rendition that we got here to know so properly.
That model was based mostly on the earthy however romantic story of a lady’s one-night stand with a rock star, whom she then hopes will return to her. For that purpose, its working title was “Groupie Song,” and when it was first recorded by Delaney & Bonnie, with vocals by its co-writer Bonnie Bramlett, it was beneath the title “Groupie (Superstar).”
Like Eric Clapton, Russell was a part of the circle of musical associates that got here to be often known as Delaney & Bonnie and Pals. Way back to the mid-Sixties, Leon and Delaney Bramlett had performed collectively within the Shindogs, the home band for the hit TV music present Shindig!
After signing to Stax, the Bramletts had launched their first album House in Might 1969, with Russell on keyboards and additional contributions from Stax alumni equivalent to Booker T and the MGs, Isaac Hayes and William Bell. Quickly afterwards, they moved to Elektra for The Authentic Delaney & Bonnie & Pals, and by the tip of the 12 months, have been touring with Clapton and the musicians with whom he would kind Derek and the Dominos. The one that accompanied that tour, ”Comin’ House” (on one other new label, Atlantic) featured “Groupie (Superstar)” on the B-side.
The primary famous person
In a BBC Radio 2 documentary on Russell made by this author in 2010, Singing This Tune For You, Russell defined the track’s origins. “Rita Coolidge was the first person I ever heard use that word, ‘superstar,’” he stated. “She was speaking about Dionne Warwick, who was down in Memphis slicing a file, and Rita stated ‘She was the first superstar I ever saw.’
“So that kind of struck me, I was not familiar with the word, and I started trying to started trying to write [the song], and I ended up finishing it with Bonnie Bramlett,” he continued. “And then Karen [Carpenter] sang it, and of course she had a definitive version.”
Coolidge, in the meantime, was the featured vocalist on the track (by now referred to as “Superstar”) when it grew to become a part of the set for Joe Cocker’s Mad Canines and Englishmen tour, album and movie, with Russell as musical director.
After covers by Cher, Vikki Carr, former Smith singer Gayle McCormick, and others, the Carpenters recorded their model in early 1971 and it was launched by A&M that summer time. It topped the Grownup Modern chart, went to No.2 pop and made the Prime 20 within the UK. As A&M co-founder Herb Alpert stated within the BBC documentary: “The Carpenters were always looking for good material, and Richard Carpenter had an ear for great melodies. And Leon had that touch.”
Among the many numerous readings of the track which have continued to reach, there was one which took it to a brand new soul viewers. Luther Vandross recorded it for his third studio album, 1983’s Busy Physique, cleverly combining it with Aretha Franklin’s R&B basic “Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do).” Launched as a single the next 12 months, the medley reached the soul Prime 5.
In one other second of poignancy, Bonnie Bramlett carried out the track reside at Music Metropolis Roots Dwell in June 2016, with Leon within the viewers, simply 5 months earlier than his demise.
Hearken to the perfect of Leon Russell on Apple Music and Spotify.
