Number One Songs—St. Elmo's Fire
"St. Elmo's Fire" is a mysterious #1 song from 1985. It's mysterious not only because of the mysterious nature of its title:St. Elmo's fire (also called St. Elmo's light) is a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a coronal discharge from a grounded object in an electric field in the atmosphere (such as those generated by thunderstorms created by a volcanic eruption)St. Elmo's fire is named after St. Erasmus of Formiae (also called St. Elmo, the Italian name for St. Erasmus), the patron saint of sailors. But also because the artist who took it to #1 is a mystery to most people. Can you name him? His name is John Parr, a singer from the UK with only one other Top 40 hit to his credit, "Naughty Naughty." Parr's self-titled 1984 debut spawned a modest hit with "Naughty Naughty," a track that possessed a rock edge but managed to be melodic at the same time (almost identical to the same formula that such other '80s rock bands as Bon Jovi and Poison would soon ride to the top of the charts). But Parr's biggest hit was just around the corner -- "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)," the theme song from the 1985 movie St. Elmo's Fire (which starred such '80s heartthrobs as Rob Lowe and Emilio Estevez). But just as it appeared as though Parr may be connecting with a large mainstream audience, the hits suddenly dried up. After only one more full-length release, 1986's Running the Endless Mile, nothing more was heard from Parr. —Allmusic.com The pop hit is registered at ASCAP as "St Elmo's Fire," "Man In Motion," and also as the "Theme from St. Elmo's Fire." Clearly its use in the film of the same name propelled the catchy song to #1. Yes, the real phenomenon behind the huge success of "St. Elmo's Fire" is the phenomenon known as Hollywood. Nothing sells a song faster or longer than making it featured in a blockbuster movie! The song was co-written by Parr and the legendary Hollywood music writer and producer David Foster. ...lending his signature sweeping power ballad aesthetic to smash hits from Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, and Josh Groban while virtually defining the adult contemporary format. Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Foster began studying piano at the age of five and enrolled in the University of Washington's music program eight years later. He joined Chuck Berry's backing band as a 16-year-old and relocated to Los Angeles in 1971... [Foster is clsoely associated with] superstars including John Lennon, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, and Rod Stewart.—Allmusic.com St. Elmo's Fire the movie was directed by Joel Schumacher (famous for Batman movies), and starred a young Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, among other now-famous faces such as Emilio Estevez and Andie McDowel. According imdb, the film grossed nearly $40 million in theaters. Both the song and the movie are familiar to "millennia" audiences and are still entertainment staples for Generation Xers For more on the scientific phenomenon known as "St. Elmo's Fire," see this article at The Weather Doctor. St. Elmo's Fire Lyrics Growin' up Play the game CHORUS: I can see a new horizon Oooh... Burnin' up (CHORUS) I can climb the highest mountain Just once in his life I can hear the music playin' (CHORUS) I can climb the highest mountain Burnin' Comment on #1 SongsComment on #1 Songs... |
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