The Broadway Album is one of the milestones of Barbra Streisand’s illustrious career. Released in November 1985, this stunning collection of classic show tunes reached #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 and went on to sell over four million copies in the US and about eight million worldwide.

David Foster’s state-of-the-art production of “Somewhere” from the legendary musical “West Side Story” is the hit single off the album and quickly became one of Ms. Streisand’s concert staples as well as a Grammy winner for The Hitman as Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s). ForThe Broadway Album, Foster also produced a magnificent rendition of “I Know Him So Well” from “Chess” that’s this week’s review.

Despite the superior value of “I Know Him So Well,” the recording didn’t make the final cut of the album. It seems Ms. Streisand considered the arrangement too pop and radio-friendly, not in line with the musical atmospheres of the album. She was also afraid that such a catchy ballad could be considered a too obvious attempt for a hit single. Another solid reason was that “Chess” didn’t premiere on Broadway until 1988 so its inclusion on The Broadway Album could have seemed forced in 1985. Luckily, “I Know Him So Well” resurfaced in 1991 on Ms. Streisand’s Just For The Record, a retrospective box set of her unprecedented singing career. Foster’s arrangement took that classic melody, co-written by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Bjorn Alvaeus with lyrics by the renowned Tim Rice, and took it into his familiar adult contemporary territories. Fosterized as it was, “I Know Him So Well” was certainly more attuned with Ms. Streisand’s pop albums and could have been a big North American hit in the eighties. The gifted diva delivered a fantastic vocal performance joined by special guest Richard Page of Pages and Mr. Mister fame. Those two amazing singers beautifully harmonize together with the tasteful backing of Foster’s keyboards and the result was a true showstopper. “I Know Him So Well” can be found as a bonus track in subsequent cd releases of The Broadway Album.

Listen

Lead Vocals: Barbra Streisand
Guest Vocals: Richard Page
Keyboards: David Foster
Guitar: Michael Landau

Produced & Arranged by David Foster

Lyrics

Nothing is so good it lasts eternally
Perfect situations must go wrong
But this has never yet prevented me
From wanting far too much for far too long
Looking back, I could have done it differently
Won a few more moments, who can tell?
But it took time to understand the man
Now at least I know, I know him well

Wasn’t it good, Wasn’t it fine
Isn’t it madness he can’t be mine
But in the end, he needs a little more than before
Security, he needs his fantasy and freedom
I know him so well

No one in your life is with you constantly
No one is completely on your side
And though I move my world to be with him
Still the gap between us is too wide
Looking back, I could have played it differently
Learned about the man before I fell
But I was ever so much younger then

Wasn’t it good (oh so good), Wasn’t it fine (so fine)
Isn’t it madness he can’t be mine

Didn’t I know how it would go
If I knew from the start
Why am I falling apart

Wasn’t it fine
Isn’t it madness he can’t be mine
But in the end, he needs a little more than before
Security, he needs his fantasy and freedom
I know him so well
It took some to understand him
Hoo ooh I know him so well

Last week we mentioned “The Best Of Me” as one of David Foster’s trademark ballads and a very successful chapter of his golden songbook. Around 1982, Foster co-wrote the song with composer/arranger extraordinaire Jeremy Lubbock and the great pop/rocker Richard Marx. Marx was only nineteen years old then and worked as Foster’s studio assistant. Through the years, the charm of this sweet love song has attracted singers including Barry Manilow, Michael Buble, Kenny Rogers and Phil Perry. Yet the most successful rendition of the tune belongs to veteran UK superstar Cliff Richard who, in 1989, scored a #2 hit in his homeland with it.

In 1986, Foster recorded a duet version of “The Best Of Me” with his friend and international superstar Olivia Newton-John. This catchy pop duet was included in Foster’s self-titled release and was eventually the second single off the album. Considering that Foster isn’t known as a great singer, his vocal performance on this number is absolutely respectable and obviously enhanced by the presence of Newton-John whose voice blended beautifully with Foster’s. Their successful performances, the song’s memorable melody, the immaculate production by Foster and his old partner Humberto Gatica who graced the tune with a radio-friendly arrangement helped bringing “The Best Of Me” to #6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. This ballad was also a minor entry on Billboard’s Hot 100 at #80 and even scored a Top Forty position in Canada at #32.

The Hitman with his usual kindness has sent us a note about this recording:

“I was shocked that at the height of Olivia’s career she agreed to sing “The Best Of Me” with me. This is a song that was co written mostly by Richard Marx and Jeremy Lubbock, I was a distant third participant. We wrote it at my house in Toluca Lake. When I went to do Olivia’s vocal with Humberto Gatica she just had a baby and couldn’t come to the studio so we had to take a recording truck up to her house in Malibu and record the vocal in the living room. This was back in the eighties when portable studios were not very common. It was a huge truck full of gear just to get her vocal. Nowadays of course you can achieve the same result with just a laptop, a good mike and a set of earphones. The thing I remember the most about that recording was that it was pouring down rain and Olivia would sing some then stop to breast feed her baby and then sing a little more. She did an amazing job and her attitude was absolutely the best of any singer I’ve ever worked with. It was always magic and pure joy to work with her. We’re still great friends today, in fact we’ll be performing together for a charity in Toronto on July 8^th.”

Listen

Lead Vocals: David Foster & Olivia Newton-John
Keyboards: David Foster
Guitar: Michael Landau
Drum Programming: Tris Imboden

Arranged by David Foster
Produced by David Foster & Humberto Gatica

Lyrics

So many years gone, still I remember
How did I ever let my heart believe
In one who never gave enough to me
And so many years gone, a love that was so wrong
And I can’t forget the way it used to be
And how you change the taste of love for me

You were my one more chance I never thought I’d find
You were the one romance I’ve always known in my mind
No one will ever touch me more
I only hope that in return
I might’ve saved the best of me for you

And we’ll have no ending, no no
If we can hold on
And I think I’ve come this far because of you
Could be no other love but ours will do

You were my one more chance I never thought I’d find
You were the one romance I’ve always known in my mind
No one will ever touch me more
I only hope that in return
I might’ve saved the best of me for you

No one will ever touch me more
I only hope that in return
No matter how much we have to learn
I’ve saved the best of me for you

written by David Foster & Peter Cetera

After a massive comeback with “Chicago 16” and “Hard To Say I’m Sorry,” supergroup Chicago walked back into the studio in 1983 to work on a new album, again with David Foster at the helm. The first fruit of those sessions saw the light of day in the spring of 1984 with the release of the debut single “Stay The Night”  from “Chicago 17.”This time around the band delivered a synth-driven rocker packed with energetic guitar playing and strong vocals by Peter Cetera. “Stay The Night” was another Cetera/Foster collaboration and was tailor-made for radio playing. This song also marked the first time that Chicago shot a video to promote the song on new TV music channels like MTV and VH1. The video shows Cetera chasing after a girl with all the other band members appearing in various cameos as the story develops.

“Stay The Night” was an out-of-the-box hit, reaching #16 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It opened the door to the amazing, seven times platinum success of “Chicago 17” that was eventually reinforced by other giant hits like “Hard Habit To Break” and “You’re The Inspiration.” “Stay The Night” is also the first song ever in the Chicago catalogue not to be played by Danny Seraphine on drums. Chicago’s legendary drummer wasn’t in a great moment, so Foster asked the late Jeff Porcaro of Toto to sit in and play on the track. The single’s b-side was another great song entitled “Only You.” Co-written by Foster with trombonist James Pankow, “Only You” is a total change of atmosphere compared to “Stay The Night.” It leans towards the R&B/Jazzy roots of the band thanks to the rich horns texture and the soulful vocals by Robert Lamm and Bill Champlin. Both songs are a joy to listen to and show how elegant and catchy Chicago’s pop music was around those days.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/stay_the_night|titles=Stay the night|artists=Chicago]

Lead Vocals & Bass: Peter Cetera
Keyboards: David Foster, Bill Champlin & Robert Lamm
Drums: Jeff Porcaro
Guitar: Chris Pinnick
Guitar & Solo: Michael Landau
Background Vocals: Peter Cetera, Bill Champlin & Robert Lamm

Arranged by David Foster & Peter Cetera
Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

I don’t want you to misunderstand me
I just wanna say what’s on my mind
No need to hit me with an attitude
Because I haven’t got the time
I want you to know one thing’s for certain
I surely love your company
And I won’t take no if that’s your answer
At least that’s my philosophy
CHORUS:
Stay the night
There’s room enough here for two
Stay the night
I’d like to spend it with you
Stay the night
Why don’t we call it a day
No one can stop us, nothing is in the way
Have some friendly conversation
And if you still don’t have a clue
Unless there’s something else you’ve got in mind
We’ve got better things to do
CHORUS
Just to have you near me
Here by my side
Just to have you near
And when I get next to your body
Just to have you near me
I wanna tell you something, make it perfectly clear
We’re gonna have a very good time
CHORUS