Stars (Cher album)

Last updated

Stars
Cherstars.jpg
Studio album by
Cher
ReleasedApril 1975 [1]
Recorded1974–1975
Studio Sunset Sound (Hollywood, California)
Genre Pop
Length39:56
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Jimmy Webb
Cher chronology
Greatest Hits
(1974)		Stars
(1975)		 I'd Rather Believe in You
(1976)
Singles from Stars
  1. "Geronimo's Cadillac"
    Released: 1975

Stars is the twelfth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released in April 1975, by Warner Bros. Records. A covers album of rock, pop and other hits, Stars was one in a string of commercial disappointments for Cher in the late 1970s. [2] [3] It charted at number 153 on the Billboard 200 at the end of May 1975. [4] Cher's earnest delivery of ballads and uptempo numbers was overwhelmed in a market newly dominated by disco. After two more albums that sold even less well, Cher made a successful (if temporary) comeback in 1979 with the disco album Take Me Home . [5]

Contents

Production and release

In 1974, Cher began recording with Phil Spector. These sessions resulted in the songs "A Woman's Story", and a cover of The Ronettes' "Baby, I Love You". However, the album was eventually shelved. These songs were released as singles but were unsuccessful, and are now considered rarities ; "A Woman's Story" was eventually released in the 2024 compilation Forever Fan. Cher then turned to Jimmy Webb to record this album. Stars was the first record for Warner Bros. Records and was also her very first without Sonny's influence as it followed Cher's divorce with Sonny and the dissolution of her relationship with David Geffen. Another novelty was the lack of the acute accent ( ´ ) on the e in Cher's name, which was always present on past albums.

Only one (non-charting) single was released from the album, "Geronimo's Cadillac" (with the Jackson Browne song "These Days" on the B-side). In an attempt to boost sales, Cher appeared on The Carol Burnett Show and The Flip Wilson Show , performing "Love Hurts", "Just This One Time" and "Geronimo's Cadillac". [3]

The album has never been released on CD or iTunes. According to Billboard , Cher owned this album's master rights and Warner had no right to reissue. [6]

Cher had the album remastered and made available for streaming in its entirety on her official YouTube channel on July 16, 2021. [7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Billboard (unfavorable) [9]

The album received mostly unfavorable reviews from music critics. The Los Angeles Times said Cher's performances were uninspired, like a batting machine that always puts the ball over home plate, but never strikes anyone out. [10] Billboard gave the album an unfavorable review and said that the album's major problems are Cher's voice that sounds "strained and/or overdone on most of the cuts" and "the mood doesn't seem to change a great deal from song to song". They elected "Stars," "Love Hurts," "These Days" and "Geronimo's Cadillac" as the album's best cuts and praised the "excellent musicianship". AllMusic website retrospectively gave the album two out of five stars.

However, in a positive review, Cash Box opined that "Cher's exquisite voice is as lovely and moving as ever as she glistens on all eleven great tracks," and that the album's producer, Jimmy Webb, "assembled a fine orchestra and background vocals that greater compliment the Cher sound." The songs "Love Enough," "Mr. Soul," "Harder They Fall," and the title track, "Stars," were highlighted as the favorite cuts. [11]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Love Enough" Tim Moore 3:13
2."Bell Bottom Blues"
4:13
3."These Days" Jackson Browne 4:15
4."Mr. Soul" Neil Young 3:07
5."Just This One Time" Jimmy Webb 4:53
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Geronimo's Cadillac"
3:03
2."The Bigger They Come, The Harder They Fall" Jimmy Cliff 3:33
3."Love Hurts" Boudleaux Bryant 5:05
4."Rock and Roll Doctor"
3:13
5."Stars" Janis Ian 5:21

Personnel

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Stars
Chart (1975)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [12] 100
US Billboard 200 [13] 153
US Cash Box Top Pop Albums [14] 151

References

  1. ↑ "Billboard® • Newspaper (p. 96)" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Billboard Review - Cher's Stars (1975)". www.billboard.com. April 19, 1975. Archived from the original on October 21, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Dr. Billy Ingram (2012). "Cher's Lost Records". www.tvparty.com. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  4. ↑ Cher - Chart History Billboard.com. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  5. ↑ Bego, Mark (2001). Cher: If You Believe. Taylor Trade. pp. 98, 129. ISBN   9780815411536.
  6. ↑ "Ask Billboard: Sharing Cher On CD". Billboard. July 25, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  7. ↑ Cher - Stars | Completely Restored & Remastered | Out July 16, July 9, 2021, retrieved July 11, 2021
  8. ↑ "Cher-Stars : Allmusic Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". www.allmusic.com. 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Billboard® • Newspaper ("Top Album Picks") (p. 60)" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  10. ↑ Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2021). Cher: The Unauthorized Tell-All Biography. Graymalkin Media. p. 253. ISBN   9781631683008.
  11. ↑ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox Magazine. April 12, 1975. p. 26. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  12. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 61. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  13. ↑ "Billboard 200". Billboard magazine. May 31, 1975. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Top Albums" (PDF). Cashbox . p. 46. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.