David Foster: Music Lover
By Ryan Johnson
Intro. To Music 1010, sec. 48
David Foster: Biography
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Composer, singer, musician,
songwriter, and producer.
Born November 1, 1949 on
Vancouver Island, B.C.
Father was a maintenance worker,
mother was a housewife
Foster was the only boy of 7
children
David Foster: Biography
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Began piano lessons at 4 years old
Able to replay note for note an entire
song he heard 2 or 3 times by age 7
By age 10, was an accomplished
classical pianist
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“I owe much of my success to my classical
foundation” (Foster 32).
David Foster: Biography
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By age 11, moved past classical
music into popular music of the 50s
Middle school band teacher allowed
him to switch instruments
he
learned several instruments
David Foster: Biography
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At 12 years, created rock-n-roll
dance band
At 13, made more money than his
father with gigs
At 13, received scholarship to Univ.
of WA Summer Music Program for
high school students
David Foster: Biography
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Traveled to London with band and
did gigs at 16 years old
Father passed away when he was
18 after telling him to pursue his
dream of music.
David Foster: Biography
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At 19, moved with band, Skylark, to
L.A.
Skylark got a record deal with
Capitol Records
Song, “Wildflower” made #9 on the
Billboard charts
Band broke up, he stayed in L.A.
David Foster: Biography
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At 24, B.J., his wife and agent, had
their 1st child
1st “real job” with a paycheck was
playing piano for the Rocky Horror
Picture Show, starring Tim Curry
and Meat Loaf.
David Foster: Biography
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Helped arrange music for George
Harrisson and Barbara Streisand.
Career morphed from studio pianist
to producer.
David Foster: Biography
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Numerous producing invitations from
celebrity musicians.
Won awards for work with Lionel Richie,
Peter Cetera, Barbra Streisand
Left: Foster and Barbra
Streisand
David Foster: Biography
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In 1985 he “scored the music for
‘St. Elmo’s Fire’” and produced
songs for movies:
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Footloose, Ghostbusters, Pretty
Woman, and Three Men and a Baby
(Foster 107).
David Foster: Biography
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1990s, introduced to Celine Dion
1992, worked with Whitney Houston
on The Bodyguard soundtrack.
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Till present, has
worked with
Michael Bublé, Josh
Groban, Natalie
Cole, and many
more famous
musicians.
David Foster: Composition History
“Hard Habit to Break”
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released in 1984
Foster produced and arranged
performed by Chicago
On album, Chicago 17
been re-made by All-4-One, R&B
group Foster worked with
David Foster: Composition History
“Love Theme From St. Elmo’s Fire”
 Foster composed, produced and
arranged
 recorded in 1985 by Atlantic
Recording Corporation.
 found on the St. Elmo’s Fire
Soundtrack
 song reached #15 on the Billboard
Charts in 1985
David Foster: Composition History
“Love Theme From St. Elmo’s Fire”
 Song and album were nominated
for 3 Grammy awards for:
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Best Instrumental Composition
Best Pop Instrumental Performance
Best Album of Original Score Written
for a Motion Picture (Foster 220).
David Foster: Composition History
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“I Have Nothing”
released in 1992 by Arista Records
performed by Whitney Houston
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written by both Foster and
his third wife, singer and
songwriter, Linda Thompson
released on The Bodyguard:
Original Soundtrack
Left: Foster and Houston at 1992 Grammy
Awards
David Foster: Composition History
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“I Have Nothing”
Nominated for:
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Best Instrumental Arrangement
Accompanying Vocals (credited to
Foster and William Ross)
Best Song Written Specifically for
Motion Picture or TV in 1993 (credited
to Foster and Linda Thompson).
The Bodyguard Soundtrack won
Record of the Year in 1993.
David Foster: Listening Guide:
“Hard Habit to Break”
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Song has 4 verses, a Chorus, Bridge, Chorus w/addon, and a Fadeout.
in quadruple/simple meter, in the major key, with a
conjunct melody.
Two main vocalists (guitarist Bill Champlin and Peter
Cetera) trade off singing the 4 verses of the song.
Vocals are in a high tenor key (relatively high for
male vocals), and blend with the synthesizer playing.
*see Notes for timings and details
David Foster: Listening Guide:
“Hard Habit to Break”
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Chorus is in duple meter, not quadruple like verses
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2-beat rhythm creates tension
Tempo picks up
Dynamics-higher pitch at second half
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Verse 3, changes back to quadruple/simple meter
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Link to video featuring Cetera and Champlin
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*see Notes for timings and details
David Foster: Listening Guide:
“Love Theme From St. Elmo’s Fire”
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Song is in quadruple/simple meter
Is instrumental, or a musical poem that has 2
themes A & B) that are alternately played.
Various synthesized sounds:
 Saxophone, violins, piano, drums,
cello/strings
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Link to video
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*see Notes for timings and details
David Foster: Listening Guide:
“I Have Nothing”
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Song is in quadruple/simple meter, major
key
Song has Intro, 4 Verses, Pre-chorus and
Chorus
Includes synthesized and “real” instrumental
sounds, along with vocals to create varied
dynamics.
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Link to music video
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*see Notes for timings and details
Works Cited
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Blue Desert: the Home of West Coast Music.
David Foster. 2010. Web. 26 Sept 2010.
Chicago. Chicago: the Band. 2010. Web. 26 Sept
2010.
Foster, David. Hitman. New York: Pocket Books:
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2008. Print.
Imdb.com, Inc. Biography for David Foster.
2010. Web. 26 Sept 2010.
Warner Bros. Records. Hit Man: David Foster &
Friends. WB, 2007. Web. 25 Sept. 2010.