General Gregory N. Pigott: Late Night Music World Cup Edition Part 178......"Songs of David Foster"

Like I did earlier with Dianne Warren, sometimes the songwriters are the true stars of a record. David Foster is no exception to that rule with his illustrious career spanning nearly 40 years with some of the biggest acts in music and winning numerous awards. His musicianship is overshadowed sometimes by the "pizazz" of some of the mainstream artists, but his talent cannot be denied. So, tonight's list will feature some of the greatest songs written by Canadian pianist and composer David Foster.

"After The Love Has Gone"- Earth, Wind, and Fire. David Foster made his first splash in 1979 when he was one of the songwriters for this Earth, Wind, and Fire smash off of their album I Am. This single peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and established Foster as a true ballad writing genius. It also earned him a Grammy Award for Best R & B Song. This single came out at the peak of Earth, Wind, and Fire's popularity, as they still had a good two years in the spotlight before their flame (no pun intended) faded a bit. This song seems to be perfect for the blend of Maurice White and Phillip Bailey, as usual, they complemented each other like so few other singers in the soul genre. This is a great live performance here from the band's "Live in Japan" DVD which features a lengthened saxophone solo not featured on the original. I would also like to add that it makes me mad that Maurice White was able to stay so dang skinny for so long. It's not fair!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUCLNPOjPZw

"Hard To Say I'm Sorry"- Chicago. Even though this was a great piece by Foster, I still think the wrong band sang this. I always scratch my head when I see how Chicago went from a cool rock band from the 1970's to a sappy Peter Cetera backup group of the 1980's. Peter Cetera can thank David Foster for turning his career in a new direction with this and other songs (more on that in a minute). This track from Chicago 16 not only featured the most stark change in Chicago's history, but it also featured Foster himself on piano and three members of the band Toto on the track, a huge change from the usual practice of Chicago. See what I mean about Peter Cetera (who also co wrote the song with Foster) having a back up band? Despite all of this, this song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured a segue into the band's single "Get Away" on the album version which is still popular at Chicago shows today. This song remains a fan favorite and was partially responsible for jump starting Chicago's fading career providing a much needed shot in the arm that would last for several more years until Peter Cetera to no one's surprise jumped ship for a solo career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEwNcnklcsk

"Through The Fire"- Chaka Khan. Man this song right here! David Foster himself said that he usually wrote songs with no idea how they would be received or recorded while he was writing them, but admits that the working title of this song was "Chaka" just because he was so sure that Chaka Khan would be the one record the song. Thankfully, for all of us, he was right. This single supported Chaka's 1985 successful album I Feel For You and peaked at #60 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was one of her first crossover to the Adult Contemporary Charts where it peaked at #16. This video shot in Los Angeles Union Station purposefully kept the focus on Chaka's face just because the director thought she was too big to be a good female lead. Despite this, Chaka gives a great performance and her hair, like always was freaking awesome in this video. In what would become somewhat of a tradition, Foster is featured on the keyboards on one of his best songs ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymuWb8xtCsc

"Look What You've Done To Me"- Boz Scaggs. Boz Scaggs pulls off a spectacular live performance of his David Foster written song here that was featured on the soundtrack to the 1980 movie "Urban Cowboy". This track, according to Foster and Scaggs, was written in one night and had to be rushed to the film set for the scene the next day. This single went on to peak at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured Eagles Don Felder, Glenn Frey, and Timothy Schmit as well as members of Toto, and as usual Foster himself on keyboards. By the way, I had no idea that Boz Scaggs was the original lead singer of the Steve Miller Band. The things you learn when you write. I'd also like to add that I think Scaggs was a super underrated guitar player. This song just never screamed "John Travolta in New York City as a cowboy" to me. That being said, the movie was quite successful following the success of Travolta in "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever". This would be just the first of Foster's additions to blockbuster soundtracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOyMpQQriY0

"Grown Up Christmas List"- Natalie Cole. In a rare occurrence for Foster, this Christmas 1990 featured Natalie Cole on vocals for Foster's 1990 album River of Love. However, it wasn't until 2 years later when Amy Grant made a huge splash with this song and made this song a song every R & B singer has to include on their Christmas album putting it in a class only matched with "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway. Despite her father singing possibly the most famous Christmas song of all time, the Cole magic didn't transfer to this very underrated David Foster song. In this great live performance from a TV special, Foster himself plays the piano and sings background vocals for a rather spectacular version of this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOic7t1kZog

"Who's Holding Donna Now"- DeBarge. In 1985, somehow DeBarge was one of the hottest acts on the planet despite their terrible hair and dysfunctional life off camera. This Foster penned ballad was included on their 1985 smash album Rhythm of The Night and went to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song remains a staple at DeBarge performances today showing their soul talent after the success of the title track of Rhythm of the Night had put them at #1 just a few months before. I used to have the cassette of this album and I never understood why El DeBarge always was singing lead while making his brothers sing backup. Maybe the band should have been called "El DeBarge and the backup singers".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up5QZkChaws

"Voices That Care"- Voices That Care. Despite this song's great message and arrangement, the unfortunate timing of this song always baffles me. This Foster/Peter Cetera written single to help boost the morale of troops in Operation Desert Storm made its international TV debut when this video debuted on FOX on February 28, 1991. However, the same day, a ceasefire was called in Iraq, thus immediately outdating this song that features quite a collection of diverse and talented artists (most of which Foster had or did work with at some point in his career- in particular the then up and coming Celine Dion who was just being introduced to the English speaking North American public). Despite the obsolete timing of the single, it nonetheless reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The closing lines of the song were sung by Warren Wiebe, who was a relatively unknown session musician and personal friend of Foster. Unlike other all star singles, the chorus of the song featured non-music related actors and athletes which added to the popularity of the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol6vr5_CY1o

"I Have Nothing"- Whitney Houston. Foster made one of his biggest splashes ever when he produced the soundtrack album of the 1992 Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston movie "The Bodyguard" which is still to this day the best selling soundtrack album in music history. In addition to his production credits, Foster added this powerful ballad to the album and film that is done majestically by Whitney Houston in one of my personal favorite performances from her illustrious career. Despite the movie being universally panned by critics and fans alike, the success of the soundtrack helped this track peak at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 helping Foster capture an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song and share the Grammy Award for Best Album at the same year's ceremony. Foster would also win the Grammy for Record of the Year for "I Will Always Love You", but we'll leave that one alone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxYw0XPEoKE

"The Prayer"- Josh Groban and Angie Stone. This song written originally for Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, is seen here in a much better version with Josh Groban and Angie Stone. This great performance from Josh Groban's 2002 DVD "Josh Groban In Concert" and features Foster on piano. This song originally appeared on the soundtrack for the 1998 movie "The Quest for Camelot" and captured Foster a Golden Globe Award and yet another Grammy and Academy Award nomination. A version re recorded by Dion and Groban peaked at #70 on the Billboard Hot 100, but has become a classic being covered by several artists of both Christian and mainstream genres. This, to me, is still the best version of the song and really shows the diversity of Stone and how Groban can make magic with any duet partner, as he did with Beyonce at the Academy Awards performance......I smell a bonus video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw9IaNyVMrE

"Theme From St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)"- John Parr. Foster teamed up with John Parr in this classic piece from the 1985 movie of the same name that was during the height of the brat pack genre of the 1980's where the film would become a critical and commercial success and helped launch the careers of actors like Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, and Judd Nelson. Like other Foster songs, several members of the band Toto appear on the record as well. This single shot to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In a rare move from songs from soundtrack songs, the cast members of the movie came back to film the music video with all original video instead of using clips from the movie. I personally prefer Foster's solo single and "Love Theme" from the movie which peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 that same year......bonus video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOvMpND2OZY

"After Tonight"- Mariah Carey. This great ballad from Carey's 1999 album Rainbow saw Carey continue her transition to a more hip hop and soul sound including this Foster song that was co written with ballad legend Diane Warren (who also has her own list in my series). Like usual, Foster plays the keyboards on this track that was one of the better tracks on a decent album. Carey made the move to use Warren and Foster as her primary balladeers replacing the obsolete Walter Afanasieff in 1997. Despite the positive fan response and stellar effort of this song, it was not included as a single despite being a staple at Carey shows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eKSKa6qmmE

"This Time Next Year"- Toni Braxton. After producing Toni Braxton's smash hit "Un-Break My Heart" in 1996, Foster worked with Braxton again writing this song to be included on her 2001 Christmas album Snowflakes. Foster co-wrote this very underrated song with Babyface and Braxton herself, and adds a beautiful piano accompaniment on the track. I've always been a huge supporter of Toni Braxton, and her voice is so just so dang sultry, and Foster had to have written this song with her in mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS6D7hey_yE

"Stand Up For Love"- Destiny's Child. Destiny's Child was on the way to their end as a group in 2005, but they left us with a David Foster ballad before disbanding. This was Destiny's Child one and only (and final single as a group) single from their 2005 Greatest Hits Album, #1's and again featured Foster on keyboards in this song that was released in conjunction with World Children's Day partnering with the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Despite this and this big budget video which received a World Premiere on MTV (when they still showed music), VH1, and BET, this single astonishingly became the one and only single of Destiny's Child to fail to reach any chart in the United States. Perhaps the "writing was on the wall"......pun definitely intended. Despite that, I think I could look at Beyonce all day. Also, 2 years before this video, I saw Kelly Rowland in person on the set of "The Tonight Show" with Katie Couric and she has got to be the skinniest person I've ever seen that didn't look sick. That dress does a great job of showing her unreal petite frame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDp6jpOuttU

"I Will Be There With You"- Katharine McPhee. This promotional single for Japan Airlines shows the beautiful voice of former "American Idol" runner up and star of the NBC show "Smash" Katharine McPhee. Surprisingly, this is a great marketing song for the airline industry. Not surprisingly, this is a great piano piece by Foster and beautiful song by the vastly underrated McPhee. I hate "Smash" didn't make it past season 2, because I love hearing this woman sing! I am also always perplexed as to how Japanese and other Asian artists record in English so much (not saying McPhee is Japanese- but why is an English song being released for a Japanese company?) is English really that prominent in Asia? I need to know!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-_r9VXwkP8

"In This Song"- Charice. Speaking of Asian artists, Filipino superstar Charice steals the show again with this Foster written song from her 2010 self-titled album. She absolutely is astonishing in this live performance here from NBC Sports 2010 special "Skate For The Heart" which was aired to raise awareness about heart disease. If anything, Charice gave people heart failure after hearing her voice in this song. Few singers can give me chills like this. This Asian sensation is getting bigger by the day not just across the Pacific, but all over the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-IY21FfBF8

"Meant To Be"- Ruben Studdard. Foster contributed this solid soul ballad to the 2014 comeback album Unconditional Love for the reinvented and slimmed down Ruben Studdard. Foster outdid himself on this soul ballad showing his true roots are definitely in the soul genre. I'm really pulling for Ruben to get back on track from his personal and professional struggles because the guy is a genuine nice guy and a true singer that doesn't use gimmicks to try to sell his music. There's no doubt this guy can sing his ass off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxt9G-p-1-A

BONUS VIDEOS- "Believe"- Josh Groban and Beyonce.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbVKPvvTZ8E

"Love Theme From "St. Elmo's Fire"- David Foster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXSmXthmkvo

"Listen"- Charice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvXaOCTC6wU

"Rhythm Of The Night"- DeBarge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAQSZhazYk8

"We're All Alone"- Boz Scaggs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UAAZZrzNXk

"Run"- Katharine McPhee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw7ceRutZcM