Superstar (Delaney and Bonnie song)
"Superstar" is a 1969 song written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell with a songwriting credit also given to Delaney Bramlett that has been a hit for many artists in different genres and interpretations in the years since; the best-known version is by the Carpenters in 1971.
Original Delaney and Bonnie version
came up with this song idea based on observing female groupies' relationships with rock stars of the late 1960s.In its first recorded incarnation, the song was called "Groupie," and was recorded and released as a B-side to the Delaney & Bonnie single "Comin' Home" in December 1969. Released by Atlantic Records, the full credit on the single was to Delaney & Bonnie and Friends Featuring Eric Clapton.
"Comin' Home" reached number 84 on the US pop singles chart, although it achieved a peak of sixteen on the UK Singles Chart.
The original version finally surfaced on an album in 1972 when D&B Together was released, shortly before their marriage and collaboration ended. This version was also included as a bonus track on a 2006 reissue of the 1970 album Eric Clapton.
Bonnie Bramlett later re-recorded the song on her 2002 solo album I'm Still the Same. Now using just the "Superstar" title, she rendered it this time as a very slow, piano-based torch song.
Carpenters version
The song "Superstar" became most popular after its treatment by the Carpenters. Richard Carpenter became aware of the song after watching Bette Midler sing the song on the February 15, 1971 edition of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.Produced by Richard Carpenter with Jack Daugherty, it was recorded with members of "The Wrecking Crew," a famed collection of Los Angeles area session musicians. As the song's storyline was originally more risqué than what was typical for the Carpenters, Richard changed a lyric in the second verse from "And I can hardly wait/To sleep with you again" to the somewhat less suggestive "And I can hardly wait/To be with you again." The track was finished in one take.
Karen Carpenter's vocal was praised for its intensity and emotional nature. David Hepworth commented about Karen Carpenter's performance: "Even with only half her mind on the job, she delivered a perfect performance. The guide vocal never needed to be replaced."
The duo's rendition was included on the May 1971 album Carpenters, and then released as a single in August 1971, rising to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, and spending two weeks at number one on the Easy Listening chart that autumn and earned gold record status. It also reached number 18 on the UK pop singles chart and did well in Australia and New Zealand as well.
Richard would be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist for his efforts. "Superstar" would go on to appear on two mid-1970s Carpenters live albums as well as innumerable compilation albums. For instance, it appeared on the Carpenters's 2004 SACD compilation, The Singles: 1969–1981, as a remix of the original 1973 mix on the similarly titled compilation .
Personnel
- Karen Carpenterlead & backing vocals
- Richard Carpenterbacking vocals, piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, orchestration
- Joe Osbornbass guitar
- Hal Blainedrums
- Earle Dumleroboe
Chart performance
| Chart | Peak position |
| Australia | 35 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 3 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| Japanese Singles Chart | 7 |
| New Zealand | 9 |
| UK Singles Chart | 18 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 2 |
Year-end charts
| Chart | Rank |
| Australia | 173 |
| Canada | 52 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 30 |
| U.S. Adult Contemporary | |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 71 |
Luther Vandross version
In the early 1980s, American R&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross had "Superstar" in his stage act, sometimes in a rendition that stretched to 12 minutes, with vocal interpolations and an interpretive dancer.Vandross then recorded "Superstar" in 1983 in a slower, more soulful fashion, as part of a medley with Stevie Wonder's "Until You Come Back to Me " on his album Busy Body. Released as a single the following year, it became an R&B hit, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Top R&B Singles chart. It did not have much pop crossover effect, however, only reaching number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 87 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B Singles | 5 |
Ruben Studdard version
American Idol contestant Ruben Studdard found his melismatic, R&B groove early in the Final 12 rounds when he performed a Vandross-influenced "Superstar". It got rave reviews from the judges and established Studdard as one of the early leaders in the competition, a position he held through his narrow May 2003 win over second-place finisher Clay Aiken.By now his signature song, Studdard recorded "Superstar" as the B-side of his June 2003 first single and number two hit, "Flying Without Wings". Studdard earned a 2004 Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Superstar", but he lost to his own idol, Vandross, who won for "Dance with My Father". Studdard's treatment was also included on his December 2003 debut album, Soulful.
Other versions
- In August 1970, the live album Mad Dogs and Englishmen by Joe Cocker was released, using performances of the song under the title "Superstar," recorded in March and June of that year. The Mad Dogs album became a hit, reaching number 2 on the Billboard pop albums chart and number 23 on the Billboard Black Albums chart.
- Bette Midler's recording of the song appeared on her 1972 debut album, The Divine Miss M.
- In 1970, Cher recorded "Superstar" as a single for Atco Records.
- Australian rock-group McPhee recorded the song for their eponymous first album in 1970. Vikki Carr used the song as the title track of a 1971 album. Also in 1971, ex-Smith singer Gayle McCormick recorded the song on her self-titled debut solo album on Dunhill Records. The following year, Peggy Lee included the song on her album Norma Deloris Egstrom from Jamestown, North Dakota. In Australia, Colleen Hewett's recording of "Superstar" was released by May 1971.
- In 1972, American Spring released "Superstar" on their debut album, Spring.
- On the soundtrack of Wayne's World 2, the band "Superfan" performs "Superstar." Superfan is a collective including Chrissie Hynde on vocals and the musicians from Urge Overkill.
- Joi Cardwell covered the song and released it as the second single of her third album Deliverance.
- The Salsa musician and arranger Andy Harlow covered the song in tempo of bolero, with the vocals of Johnny Vasquez. This cover is the third track from his first studio album Sorpresa La Flauta recorded in 1972 for the label Vaya Records and produced by his brother, the Salsa pianist Larry Harlow. The Spanish translation was made by Ismael Miranda.
- The band Sonic Youth, which had always found inspiration from the Carpenters, recorded a version of the selection for the 1994 tribute album If I Were a Carpenter. This version was later included on the soundtrack for the 2007 film Juno. It was also featured in the film The Frighteners and in the theatrical trailer for High Tension. It likewise appeared in professional skateboarder Jerry Hsu's part in Bag of Suck. On a November 28, 2009 transmission of the National Public Radio program Fresh Air, Richard Carpenter expressed his distaste for this version.
- Usher Raymond IV performed the selection, in homage to the now-late Vandross's version, on the 2005 album ; for his version, he received a Grammy nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
- On the April 24, 1976 episode of the first season of Saturday Night Live, John Belushi and episode host Raquel Welch sang the song as a duet.
- The song's refrain is featured in the song "It's Alright," on American rapper Saigon's debut album The Greatest Story Never Told, released in 2011.
- The band Dogstar, whose bassist is actor Keanu Reeves, recorded a cover in 2000.
- Actor Trai Byers did the late Luther Vandross's version of the song for the show Empire in 2017.
- Instrumental version by David Spinozza on the 1978 album "Spinozza". Parts of the lyrics are sung by Luther Vandross, David Lasley and Diva Gray on backing vocals.
- A version of the song is included on the 1992 album The Phantoms & The Archetypes by Paul Quinn and The Independent Group.