Stars is the twelfth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released in April 1975, by Warner Bros. Records. A covers album of rock, pop and other hits, Stars was one in a string of commercial disappointments for Cher in the late 1970s.[1][2] It charted at number 153 on the Billboard 200 at the end of May 1975.[3] Cher's earnest delivery of ballads and uptempo numbers was overwhelmed in a market newly dominated by disco. After two more albums that sold even less well, Cher made a successful (if temporary) comeback in 1979 with the disco album Take Me Home.[4]
| Stars | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1975 | |||
| Recorded | 1974–1975 | |||
| Studio | Sunset Sound (Hollywood, California) | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 39:56 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Jimmy Webb | |||
| Cher chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Stars | ||||
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Production and release
editIn 1974, Cher began recording with Phil Spector. These sessions resulted in the songs "A Woman's Story", and a cover of The Ronettes' "Baby, I Love You". However, the album was eventually shelved. These songs were released as singles but were unsuccessful, and are now considered rarities ; "A Woman's Story" was eventually released in the 2024 compilation Forever Fan. Cher then turned to Jimmy Webb to record this album. Stars was the first record for Warner Bros. Records and was also her very first without Sonny's influence as it followed Cher's divorce with Sonny and the dissolution of her relationship with David Geffen. Another novelty was the lack of the acute accent ( ´ ) on the e in Cher's name, which was always present on past albums.
Only one (non-charting) single was released from the album, "Geronimo's Cadillac" (with the Jackson Browne song "These Days" on the B-side). In an attempt to boost sales, Cher appeared on The Carol Burnett Show and The Flip Wilson Show, performing "Love Hurts", "Just This One Time" and "Geronimo's Cadillac".[2]
The album has never been released on CD or iTunes. According to Billboard, Cher owned this album's master rights and Warner had no right to reissue.[5]
Cher had the album remastered and made available for streaming in its entirety on her official YouTube channel on July 16, 2021.[6]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Billboard | (unfavorable)[8] |
The album received unfavorable reviews from music critics. The Los Angeles Times said Cher's performances were uninspired, like a batting machine that always puts the ball over home plate, but never strikes anyone out.[9] Billboard gave the album an unfavorable review and said that the album's major problems are Cher's voice that sounds "strained and/or overdone on most of the cuts" and "the mood doesn't seem to change a great deal from song to song". They elected "Stars," "Love Hurts," "These Days" and "Geronimo's Cadillac" as the album's best cuts and praised the "excellent musicianship". AllMusic website retrospectively gave the album two out of five stars.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Enough" | Tim Moore | 3:13 |
| 2. | "Bell Bottom Blues" | 4:13 | |
| 3. | "These Days" | Jackson Browne | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Mr. Soul" | Neil Young | 3:07 |
| 5. | "Just This One Time" | Jimmy Webb | 4:53 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Geronimo's Cadillac" |
| 3:03 |
| 2. | "The Bigger They Come, The Harder They Fall" | Jimmy Cliff | 3:33 |
| 3. | "Love Hurts" | Boudleaux Bryant | 5:05 |
| 4. | "Rock and Roll Doctor" |
| 3:13 |
| 5. | "Stars" | Janis Ian | 5:21 |
Personnel
edit- Cher – lead vocals
- Art Munson, David Cohen – guitar
- Dennis Budimir, Fred Tackett, Jesse Ed Davis – guitar solos
- Jeff Baxter, Red Rhodes – pedal steel guitar
- Colin Cameron – bass guitar
- Jimmy Webb, Joe Sample, Larry Knechtel – keyboards
- Gary Mallaber, Hal Blaine, Harvey Mason, Jeff Porcaro, Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner – drums
- Fred Tackett, Pat Murphy – percussion
- Robert Greenidge – steel drums
- Cher Bono, Clydie King, Edna Wright, Herb Pedersen, Sherlie Matthews, Susan Webb – backing vocals
- Gerald Garrett – bass backing vocals
- Art Depew, Lew McCreary, Vincent DeRosa, William Peterson – brass
- Abe Most, Buddy Collette, Don Ashworth, John Rotella – woodwind ensemble
- Skip Mosher – woodwind solos
- Fred Tackett – horn arrangements
- Van Dyke Parks – steel drum arrangements
- "Maestro" Sid Sharp – concertmaster
- Technical
- Jimmy Webb – production, arrangement, conducting
- John Haeny – recording and mixing
- Gary Webb – arrangement assistance
- Bill King – photography cover
- Norman Seeff – photography back
Charts
edit| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] | 100 |
| US Billboard 200[11] | 153 |
References
edit- ^ "Billboard Review - Cher's Stars (1975)". www.billboard.com. April 19, 1975. Archived from the original on October 21, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
- ^ a b Dr. Billy Ingram (2012). "Cher's Lost Records". www.tvparty.com. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
- ^ Cher - Chart History Billboard.com. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ Bego, Mark (2001). Cher: If You Believe. Taylor Trade. pp. 98, 129. ISBN 9780815411536.
- ^ "Ask Billboard: Sharing Cher On CD". Billboard. 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ Cher - Stars | Completely Restored & Remastered | Out July 16, 9 July 2021, retrieved 2021-07-11
- ^ "Cher-Stars : Allmusic Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". www.allmusic.com. 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard® • Newspaper ("Top Album Picks") (p. 60)" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2021). Cher: The Unauthorized Tell-All Biography. Graymalkin Media. p. 253. ISBN 9781631683008.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 61. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard magazine. May 31, 1975. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
External links
edit- Remastered Stars album streaming on Cher's YouTube channel