Starpeace

Infobox Album | Name = Starpeace
Type = Album
Artist = Yoko Ono


Released = 1985 (reissued 1997)
Recorded = Right Track Recording, New York City
Genre = Pop, New Wave
Length = 40:21 (CD reissue: 45:05)
Label = Polygram (Reissued on Rykodisc)
Producer = Bill Laswell and Yoko Ono
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3pkpu325an1k link]
*Rolling Stone (not rated) [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/201645 link]
Last album = "It's Alright (I See Rainbows)"
(1982)
This album = "Starpeace"
(1985)
Next album = "Onobox"
(1992) |

"Starpeace" is Yoko Ono's 1985 concept album, designed to spread a message of peace around the world as an opposition to Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" missile defence system. As with most Ono albums it did not chart extensively but the single release of "Hell in Paradise" reached #16 on the US dance charts.

In 1986, Ono set out on a critically acclaimed world tour to accompany the album's message. The CD reissue includes a live recording of "Imagine" from the sellout Budapest show of the tour. An a'capella version of "Now or Never" from the same show was also a bonus track on "A Story". Words, music, concept and vocals by Yoko Ono.

The video documentary release "Yoko Ono: Now & Then" (1984) includes footage of the recording sessions for "Starpeace". Over the end credits, Ono performs an unreleased song apparently entitled "Rainbow Time".

A 12" promo single was released for the song "Cape Clear", featuring a re-edit of "Walking on Thin Ice" on the flipside.

Track listing

# "Hell in Paradise" – 3:27
# "I Love All Of Me" – 3:53
# "Children Power" – 2:15
# "Rainbow Revelation" – 3:21
# "The King Of The Zoo" – 3:01
# "Remember Raven" – 2:49
# "Cape Clear" – 5:08
# "Sky People" – 3:37
# "You And I" – 2:50
# "It's Gonna Rain (Living on Tiptoe)" – 4:00
# "Starpeace" – 3:14
# "I Love You, Earth" – 2:45
# "Imagine (Live)" [Bonus Track] – 2:00

ingles

* "Hell in Paradise" (7" with instrumental version, 12" with remixes) (Reached #16 on U.S. dance chart and #26 on Billboard's Hot 100)
* "Cape Clear" (Promo 12" with re-edit of "Walking On Thin Ice")

Personnel

* Produced by Bill Laswell and Yoko Ono
* Recorded and mixed by Rob Stevens
* Keyboards - Bernie Worrell, Jeff Bova
* Guitar - Eddie Martinez
* Violin - Shankar
* Bass - Robbie Shakespeare
* Percussion - Sly Dunbar, Tony Williams, Aïyb Dieng, Daniel Ponce, Anton Fier
* Whistle - Tony Levin
* Background Vocals - Bernard Fowler, Yolanda Lee Lewis and Nona Hendryx

Tour

In 1986 Yoko set out on a goodwill world tour for Starpeace, mostly visiting Eastern European countries that she felt were in need of her message of peace. Ono refused to tour with a corporate sponsor and personally financed the endeavour herself. The media were largely unfair in their coverage of the tour, accusing Ono of "ego-tripping" and ridiculing her for underselling venues. In one case, a photo of Ono rehearsing to an empty hall before the show was printed as if nobody had come to the actual concert. A German DJ was also encouraging people to turn up and throw glass bottles at her.

However, the fans loved the shows, critics widely praised her for her performances, and she filled a venue of 15,000 in Budapest. That said, planned USA tour dates were postponed and eventually cancelled due to disappointing ticket sales. Rykodisc's 1997 CD reissues of Ono's albums made available live versions of "Imagine" and "Now or Never" from the tour.
The Starpeace setlist usually consisted of:
*"Midsummer New York"
*"Give Me Something"
*"Kiss Kiss Kiss"
*"It Happened"
*"Walking on Thin Ice"
*"Death of Samantha"
*"Goodbye Sadness"
*"Never Say Goodbye"
*"Hell in Paradise"
*"Sky People"
*"Starpeace"
*"I Love All of Me"
*"I See Rainbows"
*"Dream Love"
*"Now or Never"
*"Imagine" (encore)
*"Give Peace a Chance" (encore)

References

* [http://www.instantkarma.com/starpeacemenu.html Instant Karma!] - Starpeace Tour 1986 special