The Stars We Are
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name = The Stars We Are
| type = Album
| artist = Marc Almond
| cover = The Stars We Are single.jpg
| border = yes
| alt =
| released = 26 September 1988
| recorded = 1988
| venue =
| studio = Matrix Studios, 35 Little Russell Street, London
| genre = pop
| length =
| label = {{hlist|Parlophone|Some Bizzare|Capitol}}
| producer = {{hlist|Marc Almond|Annie Hogan|Bob Kraushaar|Billy McGee}}
| prev_title = Singles 1984–1987
| prev_year = 1987
| next_title = Jacques
| next_year = 1989
| misc = {{Singles
| name = The Stars We Are
| type = album
| single1 = Tears Run Rings
| single1date = 22 August 1988
| single2 = Bitter Sweet
| single2date = 24 October 1988
| single3 = Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
| single3date = 3 January 1989
| single4 = Only the Moment
| single4date = 28 March 1989{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-03-25.pdf|title=Music Week|page=39}}
}}
}}
The Stars We Are is the fourth studio album by British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released in September 1988, reaching number 41 on the UK Albums Chart,{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/| title=The Official Charts Company – Marc Almond| publisher=Official Charts Company| access-date=20 August 2008}} and 144 on the US Billboard 200 album chart.{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p3528|pure_url=yes}} | title=AllMusic ((( Marc Almond > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))| magazine=Billboard| access-date=13 August 2010}} It is Almond's highest selling solo album in both countries and was certified silver by the BPI. The Stars We Are includes the singles "Tears Run Rings", "Bitter Sweet", "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" and "Only the Moment".{{Cite web |last=Rotter |first=Joshua |date=2019-10-26 |title=Marc Almond speaks on Soft Cell, his new album, and life in Moscow |url=https://48hills.org/2019/10/marc-almond-speaks/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=48 hills}}
With his assembled band La Magia (made up of former Willing Sinners members Annie Hogan, Billy McGee and Steve Humphreys) and accompanied by various studio musicians, Almond recorded the album at Matrix Studios in London. The artwork was designed by Huw Feather with a cover photograph by Andy Catlin.
Music and recording
The album includes a duet with the German singer Nico, titled "Your Kisses Burn", which was recorded shortly before her death. Almond also duets with Agnes Bernelle on the track "Kept Boy""The Stars We Are" LP (a bonus track on the CD and cassette versions of the album) and also with US singer Gene Pitney as they perform Pitney's 1967 hit "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart". This version became a UK number one hit in early 1989 and was the UK's sixth best-selling single of that year, being certified Gold by the BPI.The Stars We Are CD Booklet
Original editions of the album did not feature Almond's duet with Pitney on "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart", and simply contained Almond's original solo version of the track instead. The duet version was recorded after the album was released and, after the success of the single in 1989, the duet was appended to CD and cassette versions and appeared in place of the original solo version on some LP versions.
"Tears Run Rings" was Almond's only solo single to peak inside the US Billboard Hot 100.
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r439|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]
|rev2 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
|rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2011 |publisher=Omnibus Press |isbn=9780857125958 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&dq=cowboy&pg=RA3-PA2005-IA45 |access-date=1 May 2019}}
|rev3 = Record Mirror
|rev3score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Culp |first=Nancy |date=1 October 1988 |title=33 |magazine=Record Mirror |page=40 |issn=0144-5804}}
}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| collapsed =
| headline = Side one
| extra_column =
| total_length =
| all_writing = Marc Almond; except where indicated
| title1 = The Stars We Are
| writer1 = Marc Almond, Annie Hogan
| length1 = 3:44
| title2 = These My Dreams Are Yours
| writer2 =
| length2 = 5:28
| title3 = Bitter Sweet
| writer3 = Almond, Hogan
| length3 = 3:21
| title4 = Only the Moment
| writer4 = Almond, Hogan
| length4 = 4:41
| title5 = Your Kisses Burn
| writer5 =
| note5 = Duet with Nico
| length5 = 4:43
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side two
| title6 = The Very Last Pearl
| writer6 =
| length6 = 4:45
| title7 = Tears Run Rings
| writer7 =
| length7 = 4:22
| title8 = Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
| writer8 = Roger Greenaway, Roger Cook
| length8 = 4:40
| title9 = The Sensualist
| writer9 = Almond, Hogan
| length9 = 5:28
| title10 = She Took My Soul in Istanbul
| writer10 = Almond, Billy McGee
| length10 = 6:22
}}
{{track listing
| headline = CD bonus tracks
| title11 = The Frost Comes Tomorrow
| writer11 = Almond, Hogan
| note11 = B-side of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" 12"
| length11 = 4:18
| title12 = Kept Boy
| writer12 = Almond, McGee
| note12 = With Special Guest Star Agnes Bernelle
| length12 = 6:14
| title13 = Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
| writer13 = Greenaway, Cook
| note13 = Featuring Gene Pitney
| length13 = 4:40
}}
Personnel
- Marc Almond – vocals, arrangements
- Nico – vocals on "Your Kisses Burn"
- Victoria Wilson-James – vocals on "These My Dreams Are Yours"
- Suraya Ahmed – vocals on "She Took My Soul in Istanbul"
- Gini Ball – violin
- Sue Dench – viola
- Julia Girdwood – oboe, cor Anglais
- Derek Hannigan – bass clarinet
- Sally Herbert – violin
- Annie Hogan – piano, marimba, vibraphone, arranger
- Philippa Holland – violin
- Steven Humphreys – drums, percussion, programming, timpani, sampling
- Christine Jackson – cello
- Bob Kraushaar – additional percussion, mixing, producer on "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart"
- Billy McGee – bass, keyboards, doubek, string arranger, string conductor
- Chris Pitsillides – viola
- Jocelyn Pook – viola
- Audrey Riley – cello
- Enrico Tomasso – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Chris Tombling – violin
- Audrey Ahmed – vocals
- Agnes Bernelle – vocals
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for The Stars We Are !Chart (1988) !Peak |
| {{albumchart|Austria|15|artist=Marc Almond|album=The Stars We Are|rowheader=true|access-date=20 June 2022}} |
| {{albumchart|Netherlands|26|artist=Marc Almond|album=The Stars We Are|rowheader=true|access-date=20 June 2022}} |
| scope="row"|Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen albumilista){{cite book |url=https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf#page=15|first=Timo |last=Pennanen |year=2021 |title=Sisältää hitin – 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 |section=Marc Almond|page=15|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava |location=Helsinki|access-date=20 June 2022}}
|16 |
|---|
| {{albumchart|Germany4|9|artist=Marc Almond|album=The Stars We Are|id=842|rowheader=true|access-date=20 June 2022}} |
| {{albumchart|Switzerland|5|artist=Marc Almond|album=The Stars We Are|rowheader=true|access-date=20 June 2022}} |
| {{albumchart|UK|41|artist=Marc Almond|rowheader=true|access-date=20 June 2022}} |
| {{albumchart|Billboard200|144|artist=Marc Almond|rowheader=true|access-date=20 June 2022}} |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for The Stars We Are}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Marc Almond|title=The Stars We Are|type=album|award=Silver|relyear=1988|certyear=1989|access-date=1 December 2020|id=7338-3660-2}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Marc Almond}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stars We Are, The}}