Stereotomy (song)

Last updated
"Stereotomy"
Single by The Alan Parsons Project
from the album Stereotomy
B-side "Urbania"
Released10 February 1986 [1]
Recorded1985
Studio Mayfair Studios, London, England
Length7:18
Label Arista
Songwriters Eric Woolfson, Alan Parsons
Producer Alan Parsons
The Alan Parsons Project singles chronology
"Days Are Numbers"
(1985)		"Stereotomy"
(1986)		"Limelight"
(1986)

"Stereotomy" is a song by The Alan Parsons Project, the opening track to their 1985 album Stereotomy . John Miles sang lead vocals on the song and additional vocals were provided by Eric Woolfson, who co-wrote the song with Alan Parsons. It was released as the album's first single and became the band's final song to reach the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at No. 82. A music video was created to coincide with the release of the single.

Contents

Background

Woolfson said that he found the word stereotomy in an Edgar Allan Poe short story titled Murders in the Rue Morgue . Woolfson recounted the discovery of the word to Dave Zimmer of BAM magazine in 1986. [2]

When I saw this word...'stereotomy'...I thought, 'Wow! Poe's come up with a rock and roll word!' To me, it sounded like it should describe a magnificent collection of sounds. The real meaning, I've been told, has something to do with the shaping of solids. [2]

— Eric Woolfson

The guide vocal on "Stereotomy" was sung by Woolfson, after which John Miles replaced it with a different take that was used on the final mix. In 2008, the early mix with Woolfson's vocals was included on the remastered edition of Stereotomy. [3] The brass sounds were recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra as an overdub; the ensemble featured bass trombones and tubas among other instruments. [4]

Release

"Stereotomy" was serviced to album oriented rock radio rock stations in January 1986. During the week of 10 January 1986, it debuted at No. 17 on the Top AOR Tracks listing for Radio & Records , having received 81 new adds to stations in that format. In doing so, 114 album oriented rock stations had included the song in their playlists, comprising 73 percent of all album oriented stations reporting to Radio & Records. [5] It debuted at No. 31 on the US Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart and ascended to No. 11 on that listing by the end of January. [6] That same month, it was listed by the editorial staff of Europtipsheet as a suggested song for airplay on European radio stations. [7]

"Stereotomy" released as a physical single by Arista Records on 10 February 1986 with "Urbania" as the B-side. [1] By this point, the song had already crossed over to contemporary hit radio. [8] By the time "Stereotomy" was released as an official single, it had reached the top five on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart and also debuted at No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100. [9] It later peaked at No. 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent a total of five weeks on the listing. [10] The single also received airplay in Spain, where it was the eighth most played song during the week of 5 April 1986 from Cuarenta Principale, covering the main Spanish stations. [11]

When asked by Keyboard magazine if there were any other songs on Stereotomy other than the title track that would have worked as singles, Woolfson expressed his opinion that "there were better choices." He also called it "a very good track for AOR radio" and felt that it did not resonate with people who primarily purchase top 40 singles. [4]

Music video

The song's music video was launched on MTV for the week of 14 February 1986 where it was placed on power rotation. It was directed by Zbigniew Rybczyński and produced by Kris P through Zbig Vision Ltd. [12] John Servideo of Betelgeuse Productions at Panavideo was responsible for the video's special effects. The music video showcases a gymnast performing choreographed tricks aligned with the song. [13]

Critical reception

Billboard referred to the track as a "Floydish stomper." [14] Margaret Warner of the Bangor Daily News highlighted the vocals of John Miles on the track and interpreted some of the lyrics as pertaining to the handling of fame and the practice of cutting solids into shapes, the latter of which relates to the definition of stereotomy. [15] Writing for AllMusic, Mike DeGagne thought that Miles' "angriness" and "forceful voice" made the song a "passable rock tune." [16]

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (1986)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 [10] 82
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [17] 5
US Cashbox Top 100 [18] 71

References

  1. 1 2 "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 8 February 1986. p. 12. Retrieved 8 November 2025– via World Radio History.
  2. 1 2 Zimmer, Dave (April 1986). "The Alan Parsons Project: Studio Rats" . BAM . Retrieved 9 November 2025– via Rock's Backpages.
  3. ↑ Stereotomy (Remastered) (Liner Notes). United States: Arista Records. 2008. 82876838602.
  4. 1 2 Aikin, Jim; Doerschuk, Bob (August 1986). "The Essence of Studio Rock". Keyboard Magazine .
  5. ↑ "Radio & Records National Airplay | AOR Tracks" (PDF). Radio & Records . 10 January 1986. p. 69. Retrieved 9 November 2025– via World Radio History.
  6. ↑ "Top Rock Tracks" (PDF). Billboard . 25 January 1986. p. 18. Retrieved 9 November 2025– via World Radio History.
  7. ↑ "Euro Tip Page" (PDF). Music & Media . 6 January 1986. p. 11. Retrieved 9 November 2025– via World Radio History.
  8. ↑ "Radio & Records National Airplay | Contemporary Hit Radio" (PDF). Radio & Records . 7 February 1986. p. 86. Retrieved 9 November 2025– via World Radio History.
  9. ↑ "Experience Stereotomy" (PDF). Billboard . 15 February 1986. p. 79. Retrieved 9 November 2025– via World Radio History.
  10. 1 2 "Alan Parsons Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "European Playlist Reports" (PDF). Music & Media . 5 April 1986. p. 15. Retrieved 9 November 2025– via World Radio History.
  12. ↑ "New Video Clips" (PDF). Billboard . 22 February 1986. p. 29. Retrieved 9 November 2025– via World Radio History.
  13. ↑ Moleski, Linda, ed. (15 March 1986). "Video Track" (PDF). Billboard . p. 59. Retrieved 9 November 2025– via World Radio History.
  14. ↑ "Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . 8 February 1986. p. 73. Retrieved 8 November 2025– via World Radio History.
  15. ↑ Warner, Margaret (22 March 1986). "Alan Parsons Project sneaks up on you". Bangor Daily News . p. M3. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  16. ↑ DeGagne, Mike. "Stereotomy - Alan Parsons Project". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  17. ↑ "Alan Parsons Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  18. ↑ "Cashbox Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Cashbox . 8 March 1986. p. 4. Retrieved 9 November 2025– via World Radio History.
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