It is difficult to fully comprehend David Foster’s omnipresence in the popular music of the last half century. In modern music what is corn in modern food, means everywhere, even if you do not expect.
If you remember her work with Whitney Houston or Celine Dion, from Tears Are Not Enoughthe song of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, or the fact that he was, at various times in his life, the stepfather of Brody Jenner and Bella and Gigi Hadid, scratch the surface of theuniverseFoster.
If you have in mind the work he did with Quincy Jones, Kenny Loggins, Dolly Parton, Josh Groban, All-4-One, NSYNC, Gloria Estefan, Brandy and Monica, Andrea Boccelli, Boz Scaggs, Madonna, Olivia Newton -John, Babyface, Barbra Streisand, Air Supply, Chicago, DeBarge, Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Chicago at The Manhattan Transferyou have just explored the first boundaries of this universe.
To celebrate the presentation of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award to David Foster, let’s recall here some highlights of his career.
Skylark, wildflower and collaboration with Chuck Berry and Ronnie Hawkins
As a teenager, David Foster worked as a tour keyboardist for Chuck Berry, one of the first legends of rock and roll, primarily on a tour in the United Kingdom. He also works for the same legendary Ronnie Hawkins, who left his native Arkansas to make his mark on the Canadian rockabilly scene.
His adventure with Ronnie Hawkins began his career. In 1973, he recorded his first hit, wildflower, within the Skylark group. Mostly made up of former Ronnie Hawkins band members, Skylark disbanded immediately, but wildflower allowing David Foster to introduce himself.
Earth, Wind and Fire at I am
David Foster collaborated on their occasion at Earth, Wind and Fire in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but his influence was particularly felt in I Amsince he participated in five of the nine titles of this album released in 1979. In these titles, we see Then love disappearswhich probably remains one of the best breakup songs of all time.
Alice Cooper at From within
Shock rock precursor Alice Cooper may be the last person you expect to work with her, but that’s her genius: she can work with anyone.
David Foster makes the album From within by Alice Cooper in 1978 and wrote the lyrics for several pieces.
The pipes, The Completion of the Backward Principle at Outside Inside
In the 1970s, the San Francisco proto-punk/glam rock/art school group,The Tubes, was promoted to cult group status. His extraordinary show and his intense criticism of modern culture won him die-hard fans.
Unfortunately, that didn’t help the band sell as many records. His show is expensive (New window) and hard to move on tour, and projects like making a concept album loosely based on the novel BeingThereby Jerzy Kosiński (New window), will only attract a limited audience. Released by record company A&M, the group has signed a new contract with the Capitol under which the house has the right to drop it at any time if it is not satisfied with its performance.
The Tubes should then create an album that will find an audience that is more than its loyalists. The band enlisted the help of David Foster as producer and songwriter. The resulting album, Completion back principlebecame the band’s biggest hit to date.
Among other things, there is Talk to Ya Later, a piece signed by David Foster that will be a hit single. The Tubes ’next album for the Capitol, Outside Inside -also produced by David Foster-allows the group to sign a single that will allow them to access the list of the 10 most played songs on the radio: She is a Beauty.
Fee Waybill, the head of The Tubesthanks David Foster for saving the band: If he hadn’t been there yet, the adventure was over in 1980. After A&M released, we were done.
Chaka Khan at By Fire
We should take a moment to appreciate By Fire at its true value. This very powerful ballad is based on a rising chorus; If this piece doesn’t evoke any emotions in you, you can be a machine.
Think about it … In a world where David Foster would not have written By Fireit can never sample Kanye West and he can never be a world star from being Jay-Z’s favorite producer.
Although Kanye has been pretty bad over the past few years, can you imagine, without the horror of horror, a world without Kanye’s first four albums?
Son of Destiny at Fight for love
This Universal Children’s Day 2005 hymn is really that last single Son of Destiny coming out before melting. It was written by David Foster and his daughter, Amy Foster-Gillies.
Strangely, even David Foster and Beyoncé are mechanical pipes, Fight for love did not achieve commercial success, except in South Korea, where the song was a huge success and covered at least three K-pop groups.
Source: Radio-Canada
