from ST. ELMO’S FIRE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
Written by David Foster, Jay Graydon, Steve Kipner & Peter Beckett
The original soundtrack of the 1985 “brat pack” hit movie, St. Elmo’s Fire, was touted as one of the most successful music scores of David Foster’s career. Foster composed the music for the now-classic movie. Foster also co-wrote and produced the entire soundtrack. St. Elmo’s Fire peaked at #21 on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart and was eventually certified platinum in the US.
A gem included was Foster’s own top 15 instrumental hit “Love Theme From St. Elmo’s Fire.” John Parr’s worldwide #1 rock anthem, “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion),” also stole the attention of radio programmers and music lovers everywhere. Yet, there was a lot more to discover on St. Elmo’s Fire. Some goodies include “This Time It Was Really Right” sung by Jon Anderson, the frontman of the legendary rock band Yes, and Vikki Moss’ “If I Turn You Away” have already graced the weekly page and, along with the aforementioned hits, can be rediscovered in the archives. This time around, the spotlight shines on Airplay’s “Stressed Out (Close To The Edge).”
After their 1980 milestone album, Foster and Jay Graydon put Airplay on hiatus to focus on their blossoming careers as top producers. When Foster was working on material for St. Elmo’s Fire, he and Graydon decided to resurrect that legendary moniker for a brand new song. They co-helmed the heavily-programmed, up-tempo “Stressed Out (Close To The Edge).” Steve Kipner, who co-wrote some of the best things included on Airplay, and Peter Beckett, the leader of pop/rock band Player of “Baby Come Back” fame, composed the song with Foster and Graydon. Beckett handled the lead vocals on the song. “Stressed Out (Close To The Edge)” was a far cry from the quality pop of Airplay and resulted in a fascinating hybrid of funk, AOR and new-wave. The track was founded on a powerful programmed beat supported by a successful blend of rhythm guitars and various synthesizers with Beckett’s suggestive vocal performance on top. The mood of this tune wasn’t far from the sounds of a popular modern rock act like INXS. Unfortunately, “Stressed Out (Close To The Edge)” was also Airplay’s swansong. Foster and Graydon, however, kept collaborating through the decade on various productions often with great results.
Listen
[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/airplay-stressed-out-close-to-the-edge.mp3|titles=Stressed Out|artists=Peter Beckett]
- Lead Vocals: Peter Beckett
- Keyboards & Synthesizer: David Foster
- Synthesizer Programming: Steve Porcaro
- Guitar: Jay Graydon & Michael Landau
- Background Vocals: Richard Page
- Produced & Arranged by David Foster & Jay Graydon
Lyrics
All for one and one for all
All in it together
That’s the way it used to be
Nothing lasts forever
Stranger than fiction
Life is a mystery
Nothing is tuning (Turning out)
The way that we planned it to be
I’m close to the edge
And I have a fear of falling
I carry the curse
(And) Things keep going from bad to worse
Making trouble, raising hell
Were the things we did so well?
Things ain’t what they used to be
Gotta wake up to reality, it’s
Stranger than fiction
Life is a mystery
Nothing is tuning (Turning out)
The way that we planned it to be
I’m close to the edge
And I have a fear of failing
The time in between
Has buried the past
So close to the edge
The mirror reflects a stranger
It’s all in reverse
And things keep goin’ from bad to worse
Stranger than fiction
Life is a mystery
Nothing is tuning (Turning out)
The way that we planned it to be
I’m close to the edge
And I have a fear of falling
I carry the curse
(And) Things keep going from bad to worse
Close to the edge
Close to the edge
Close to the edge
Close to the edge