David Foster on the stories behind 5 of his silkiest, swankiest, chart-topping hits

As a music producer who has worked with some of the greatest names in the industry, I can confidently say that being part of the creation of “I Will Always Love You” was truly a career-defining moment for me. It all started when Kevin Costner, or so they say, came up with the brilliant idea to use Dolly Parton’s song – a tune I hadn’t even heard before!

“Not all songs have a story,” David Foster says. “But these five do.”

He is well-versed in: Over a career spanning over five decades and crossing borders from his homeland Canada to Los Angeles, Foster has authored, produced, orchestrated, played on, managed, or mentored the performances of countless songs, including some of the most popular (and undeniably emotional) pop tunes ever created.

“Celine Dion’s ‘Because You Loved Me’: A song about standing tall after someone has walked away.

This upcoming Sunday evening at the iconic Hollywood Bowl, I’ll be reflecting on a lifetime of melodies in an extraordinary concert, specially curated to celebrate my 75th birthday. The lineup is nothing short of stellar, featuring the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Jennifer Hudson, Charlie Puth, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian McKnight, El Debarge, and most notably, my incredible wife, the talented singer and actress Katharine McPhee. This promises to be an unforgettable night of music!

Before the performance, Foster took time during his concert tours to share the backstories of five songs that are particularly meaningful to him over the phone.

Earth, Wind & Fire, ‘After the Love Has Gone’ (1979)

David Foster on the stories behind 5 of his silkiest, swankiest, chart-topping hits

This intricate ballad, jointly penned by Foster, Jay Graydon, and Bill Champlin, was powerfully performed by Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White. This song, a standout track on their double-platinum “I Am” album, marked the beginning of Foster’s 16 Grammy Awards. Later, Foster and Graydon’s temporary soft-rock band, Airplay, released their own version of this song.

In a conversation with Berry Gordy, one of my earliest productions was a proposed album, but his response was not very enthusiastic. I tried to reassure him by saying, “But hold on, there’s more!” However, I didn’t have anything else prepared at the moment. He replied, “Prove it.” So, on the spot, I went to the piano and started playing, and right then and there, the melody for “After the Love Has Gone” just flowed out spontaneously.

You didn’t have anything when you sat down at the piano.
I had nothing. Totally bulls—ed him.

In my memoir, Tommy Mottola shares that I initially offered a song to Hall & Oates as I was working with them at the time, but it didn’t align with their rock-oriented direction. Subsequently, I presented the same tune to Maurice White, who was equally impressive to me as Berry Gordy. Impressed by his interest, I remember thinking that Maurice, in my opinion, was outstanding. He expressed a desire to record this song, which sent my heart racing. Intriguingly, he also suggested that I play on it that very night.

“What prevented ‘After the Love Has Gone’ from reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100 instead of stopping there?

I found it somewhat frustrating that “My Sharona” beat us out, given the depth of our own composition. However, in hindsight, I appreciate that song too, and even befriended its drummer. Yet, yes, it was a tad disappointing that a catchy tune like that could win over what we perceived as more substantial music. But, as you well know, the public tends not to focus on such nuances.

What do you think now of the Airplay version of “After the Love Has Gone”?
It’s a little slick.

In my critique, I must confess that the film’s tempo seems a tad deliberate. This is due to an unusual recording process with Earth, Wind & Fire where we didn’t use a click track. As the final scenes were played, it became evident that the rhythm was twice as swift compared to the beginning. Maurice, their maestro, was unperturbed by this, asserting that it felt right to him. Upon listening, you too might sense this intentional, rhythmic evolution.

He was right.
He was always right.

Chicago, ‘Hard to Say I’m Sorry’ (1982)

Chicago was already well-known as a dynamic jazz-rock group when Foster joined the team to spearhead a creative and business revival, working closely with the band’s vocalist, Peter Cetera.

After wrapping up “Chicago 16,” Irving Azoff contacted us with an offer: they wanted us to compose a song for a film titled “Summer Lovers.” Peter dropped by my house in Toluca Lake, and we swiftly created the tune within approximately an hour. Having a movie as a collaborator often makes the process smoother.

In your words, we had a specific moment or mood set up in the film. The tune starts playing — Peter says, “Everybody needs…” — and there’s this motor scooter in the background that actor Peter Gallagher is driving. As the scene progresses, the sound of that scooter becomes increasingly loud, almost drowning out our song.

As a movie critic, I find myself captivated by the extraordinary quality of Cetera’s voice. It’s as if he’s a versatile horn section, pouring out soulful melodies that soar high and resonate beautifully. Listening to him hum-alongs at the piano is an inspiring experience, like having a harmonious duet with a virtuoso. He creates his own improvised lyrics, using syllables and vowels, much like songwriters do. Yet, every word seems perfectly crafted, filling me with awe.

Is there a similarity between Chicago and certain bands, such as The Doobie Brothers or Fleetwood Mac, where they underwent a change in leadership that led to a significant shift in their sound?

In essence, I served as the bassist, pianist, co-songwriter, producer, and arranger for most of our projects. It wasn’t clear to me at the time that I was influencing them more than I intended to be influenced by them. I aimed to mimic their styles, but it seems my own personality shone through more than expected. This didn’t sit well with them as they weren’t interested in being a ballad-oriented band.

It seems like you’re planning to instill a sense of renewal in Chicago. I was captivated by its grandeur back in the late ’60s when it was known as the Transit Authority. However, by the time of “Chicago 16,” it seemed they had lost sight of their greatness. In essence, I understand why they might feel upset.

Despite ‘Hard to Say I’m Sorry’ reaching No. 1, it didn’t necessarily make them any less bitter or salty, as they had already achieved significant success prior to this hit. Given their high regard among critics and fans, it seems the error was more on my part in phrasing that question.

David Foster, ‘Love Theme From “St. Elmo’s Fire” ’ (1985)

In the pulsating ’80s, I marveled at how the captivating theme from the iconic Brat Pack movie found its way into the Top 20 of the pop charts, making it a unique instrumental hit.

I don’t often find myself moved to compose a tune from observing a sunset or the sea. That’s simply not my nature. However, one rare occasion when I felt inspired was while driving across the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver. There, a love theme for “St. Elmo’s Fire” came to me. I quickly recorded it on a tape recorder in my car and made a demo to send to director Joel Schumacher, whom I admired working with. Unfortunately, he rejected it, saying, “No, no, no, no, no, no — this is completely off the mark for my movie.” Needless to say, I was disheartened by his rejection.

A few days passed, and Quincy Jones phoned me, explaining, “There’s a project here titled ‘We Are the World.’ You should initiate something similar in Canada.” After pondering, I reached out to Bruce Allen, the manager, who eventually agreed, leading us to gather Canadian artists for our own rendition of “We Are the World,” entitled “Tears Are Not Enough.” The tune we selected was finalized by Bryan Adams and his partner, Jim Vallance; it was actually a song that Joel had initially turned down.

The funny thing is that after Bryan did this amazing demo, Joel calls and he goes, “Oh my God, David, I’ve made such a big mistake — I put your melody up against the movie, and it’s perfect.” I said, politely, “You snooze, you lose.” Then I panicked and ran to the piano and came up with what became “Love Theme from ‘St. Elmo’s Fire.’ ”

Natalie Cole with Nat ‘King’ Cole, ‘Unforgettable’ (1991)

As a movie buff reminiscing about music, let me share an interesting tale from my favorite artist, Natalie Cole. In her 1991 collection of timeless standards, she chose the elegant love ballad that was initially made famous by her father four decades prior – a tune that Nat “King” Cole had once graced with his voice. Strikingly, she recorded it as if they were performing together, even though he had passed away in 1965. The single and album, titled ‘Unforgettable,’ went on to create history by winning the prestigious awards for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year at the Grammys that year.

After the turbulent ’80s took a toll on my career, I found myself in a challenging phase. When that intriguing project presented itself, I pondered, given my fondness for this genre of music and Natalie, even though it wouldn’t generate sales, it would surely offer a deeply satisfying musical journey.

She gathered three producers — me, Tommy LiPuma and her husband at the time, Andre Fischer — and we all met at Du-par’s in the Valley. Natalie put 22 song titles out on the table and told us to pick the songs we loved. I picked “Mona Lisa” as my first pick, and then second or third round, I took “Unforgettable.”

Later on, Natalie shared with me that the song I chose is one she wants to attempt as a duet with her father. She asked if I knew how to make this happen, and I responded that I wasn’t sure but would find a way. What followed was some creative problem-solving: I had Natalie sing the lead, her father join in, and Natalie respond to him. The tricky part was getting her father to respond to her. So when she sang, “Unforgettable“, he sang it right behind her, as if standing over her shoulder. It was a magical moment.

Now, it’s quite straightforward: Shift his voice over here, shift his voice over there – with just a click. In olden days, visualize the technology. Oh, it was ruthless.

Some individuals expressed dissatisfaction over the Grammys honoring traditional music during a time when Nirvana’s “Nevermind” and Ice Cube’s “Death Certificate” were popular. What are your thoughts on this controversy? (I wasn’t directly told this, but it was likely discussed among some people.)

Whitney Houston, ‘I Will Always Love You’ (1992)

In the past three years, Foster has received his second Grammy for a yearly record, this time with Houston’s emotive version of Dolly Parton’s country ballad. The track significantly boosted the sales of “The Bodyguard” soundtrack to over 18 million copies in the U.S. alone.

Did Whitney know Dolly’s song before she remade it?
She did not. I didn’t know it either.

It’s said that it was Kevin Costner who came up with the idea of using the song, but I’ve also heard rumors that his assistant suggested it first. At first, they considered “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted,” and I even recorded two demos for Whitney Houston, going down to Los Angeles both times where she was filming. However, I wasn’t fully convinced about the song, feeling it didn’t have enough substance for a powerhouse singer like Whitney Houston. Perhaps my uncertainty affected her reaction, as she didn’t care for either demo.

After that, wouldn’t you know it, the song made its way onto the Hot 100, in a cover by Paul Young. I had to pretend to be disappointed: “Kevin, you’re not going to believe this…”, he replies, “Alright, give me a moment,” and suddenly, he hands me the title “I Will Always Love You”.

Back then, I had to physically visit a record store to listen to new tunes. I delegated this task to an assistant, who upon return, played Linda Ronstadt’s version instead of Dolly’s. Interestingly, Linda’s rendition only consisted of two verses, and I presumed that was the entire song, unaware that there even was a third verse.

In Florida, we captured the recording, and since I had collaborated with Dolly on numerous tracks, I reached out to her and shared that Whitney was covering one of her songs. She expressed excitement, mentioning she was eager to listen to Whitney sing the third verse. However, there was no third verse in our arrangement. Baffled, Dolly insisted it concluded the song with the lyrics, “I wish you joy and happiness.” This is when I apparently came up with the drum element, which I believe added a unique touch to the recording.

Is it true that the powerful drum moment in your songs has been linked with a key change? That’s something I consistently aim for when producing records – creating that instant where I envision the crowd standing up and cheering during the song.

How come a saxophone solo? Both of my massive hits at that time featured sax solos – the other one being “I Swear” by All-4-One. Recently, Adam Levine and I had a chat about saxophones because he was showing me a track with sax in it. I jokingly said to him, “Welcome to the club!

“I Will Always Love You” spent 14 weeks at No. 1, the longest stretch of all time until —
Mariah.

They held the number one spot for sixteen weeks with “One Sweet Day,” which came as quite a surprise to them; they had initially believed that record would stand indefinitely.

A while back, Babyface shared with me, “There’s no other recording where someone delivered a better performance than ‘I Will Always Love You.’ That’s the end of the game.” As for whether he’s correct, that’s debatable. However, I vividly recall when Whitney was singing the a cappella part in front, her mother was beside me. She whispered, “You’re witnessing greatness right now,” and she was absolutely spot on.

As a movie enthusiast, I had an idea to eliminate the a cappella segment in our project, which was originally suggested by Kevin. I agreed to it for his film with a caveat: “Once we’ve wrapped up production, this part is going to be cut.” To be honest, I didn’t put it quite so bluntly at first. However, when she began singing, “If I…,” I was taken aback and thought, “Oh my goodness, how could this movie possibly begin any other way?” Needless to say, after that powerful performance, I had second thoughts about making the cut.

2024-11-01 20:02

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