This is a top tier sophisticated pop ballad. It was #1 on the US charts for 3 weeks and won an Oscar and Golden Globe for best original song. Taylor Swift could never.
Anyone else love this amazing song?
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This is a top tier sophisticated pop ballad. It was #1 on the US charts for 3 weeks and won an Oscar and Golden Globe for best original song. Taylor Swift could never.
Anyone else love this amazing song?
by Anonymous | reply 95 | February 13, 2024 1:51 PM |
WHET Christopher Cross
by Anonymous | reply 1 | February 11, 2024 12:22 AM |
Not really.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | February 11, 2024 12:31 AM |
When you get caught between the moon and New York Shitty. I know it'sh crashy but it'sh true.....
by Anonymous | reply 3 | February 11, 2024 12:33 AM |
It’s one of those songs that got played so much at the time I don’t ever feel the need to listen to it again. Plus it was popular the year I started middle school which was a horrible time for me so I don’t really have fond memories of it. Same with It Might Be You from Tootsie the following year
by Anonymous | reply 4 | February 11, 2024 1:10 AM |
I love it, too, OP. And I also love It Might Be You from Tootsie, so I guess R4 and I won't ever be best friends.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | February 11, 2024 1:15 AM |
These seemed like bland, easy listening movie songs to me.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | February 11, 2024 1:18 AM |
OP = Christopher Cross.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | February 11, 2024 1:32 AM |
I love Christopher Cross!
by Anonymous | reply 8 | February 11, 2024 1:33 AM |
R4- Wasn't it called Junior High School in 1981?
by Anonymous | reply 9 | February 11, 2024 1:34 AM |
R9 yes. It was still Junior High in 2000 when I went.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | February 11, 2024 1:43 AM |
It is very pleasant as would be expected from CC, but calling it a masterpiece, in caps yet, is way over the top. I don’t even think it is particularly exceptional in the easy listening genre. If any of them are. That might be a good thread.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | February 11, 2024 1:44 AM |
CC sounded rather homosexual
by Anonymous | reply 12 | February 11, 2024 1:48 AM |
OP, there are many more superior songs than this one. Your reference to Taylor Swift is odd. Are you a Log Cabinette?
by Anonymous | reply 13 | February 11, 2024 1:49 AM |
Christopher Criss Cross
by Anonymous | reply 14 | February 11, 2024 1:51 AM |
Where I grew up it was middle school, r9. Grades 6 through 8. I read somewhere that junior highs started with grade 7 but I have no idea if that’s true or universal. I grew up in Texas so maybe it’s a regional thing
by Anonymous | reply 15 | February 11, 2024 2:01 AM |
No, it's dreadful. But then I'm not a big caught in the am er if the early Eighties like a lot of DLers.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | February 11, 2024 2:02 AM |
R15- My junior high school at the time was 6th grade to 8th grade and it was called Junior High School - this was in the late 1970's in a suburb of NYC.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | February 11, 2024 2:03 AM |
R15 no.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | February 11, 2024 2:03 AM |
R17 in a suburb of NY.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | February 11, 2024 2:03 AM |
Overplayed song with awkward phrasing.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | February 11, 2024 2:13 AM |
The only line I liked was "when you get caught between the moon and NYC" because I've been in plane landing situations like that and it is beautiful.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | February 11, 2024 2:13 AM |
My junior high school was grades 7-9, high school was 10-12.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | February 11, 2024 2:16 AM |
Peter Allen’s contribution to the song was the”When you get caught between the moon and New York City” part.
Here’s the Oscar performance. He’s off key and nervous.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | February 11, 2024 2:23 AM |
Wasn't Liza in that movie? If so, why didn't they ask her to sing the theme song?
by Anonymous | reply 24 | February 11, 2024 2:30 AM |
Chris wrote most of the song r24. He sang his song.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | February 11, 2024 2:40 AM |
R23 he was clearly nervous. It happens.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | February 11, 2024 2:41 AM |
And them winning the Oscar for their song.
Bette Midler was insufferable. I know everyone was wanting her to STFU
by Anonymous | reply 27 | February 11, 2024 2:46 AM |
My high school job was at a mulit-plex movie theater. When I first started there, "Arthur" was playing in our main theater. I heard that song mulitple times every time I worked for those first few weeks. I got pretty tired of hearing it.
Also, in my suburban Dallas school district in the 70s and 80s, K-6 was elementary school, 7-8 was middle school, and 9-12 was high school.
by Anonymous | reply 28 | February 11, 2024 2:51 AM |
Love the song.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | February 11, 2024 2:53 AM |
R28 it was Junior High School. Middle School became a thing in the 00s.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | February 11, 2024 2:53 AM |
In the 1960s it was proposed that Junior High should be changed to Middle School. Very few pockets around the country went along with it though. The movement did begin in the 60s so it’s possible some people did go to “Middle Schools” back in the 70s and 80s but it’s unlikely because it was called that in only a few districts in the country. It did not become Middle School official until the 00s. Some places still called it Junior High as recent as 2015.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | February 11, 2024 2:59 AM |
OK, R30. I guess you know better than me what my school experience in the 70s and 80s was. I must have just imagined that the sign in front of my school or my 7th and 8th grade yearbooks said "middle school" instead "junior high".
by Anonymous | reply 33 | February 11, 2024 3:01 AM |
Sailing was better
by Anonymous | reply 34 | February 11, 2024 6:50 AM |
R34 cool. But this isn’t about that song. Nor was it a song for a film
by Anonymous | reply 35 | February 11, 2024 9:44 AM |
Produced by the stellar Michael Omartian and played by legendary studio musicians. Quintessential Yacht Rock.
Christopher Cross – lead and backing vocals, guitar
Michael Omartian – keyboards, synthesizers, string arrangements
Michael Boddicker – synthesizer programming
Steve Lukather – guitar
Marty Walsh – guitar
David Hungate – bass
Jeff Porcaro – drums
Paulinho da Costa – percussion
Ernie Watts – saxophone
by Anonymous | reply 36 | February 11, 2024 10:46 AM |
Burt Bacharach was a god. there was a period of time when it was fashionable to write his music off as lightweight because his image wasn't sexy or aggressive, but there's so much there musically. The phrasing and musical complexity of this little song is so unusual and innovative for pop , indeed miles away from anything Taylor Swift could ever hope to come up with.
If you think it shows sophistication to roll your eyes at this song. You. Are. Wrong.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | February 11, 2024 10:53 AM |
I hate this song. The movie however was one of my mom's absolute favorites I'm not sure why I've only seen parts of it I've caught while she was watching it but I've never watched it all the way through. I'm not sure how she felt about Arthur 2 though.
by Anonymous | reply 38 | February 11, 2024 10:57 AM |
Many people loved it r38. It was a huge hit too. It earned $95 million at the domestic box office, which is equivalent to over $318 million in 2024.
by Anonymous | reply 39 | February 11, 2024 11:02 AM |
decent elevator music
by Anonymous | reply 41 | February 11, 2024 11:10 AM |
R39 oh good I'm glad other people could like it in spite of my bad taste for it.
by Anonymous | reply 42 | February 11, 2024 11:11 AM |
It IS a masterpiece, OP. Have you seen the opera adaptation by John Adams with libretto by Peter Sellars? It blew me away at the Salzburger Festspiele.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | February 11, 2024 11:36 AM |
I hated this song at the time. Maybe because my straight male friend played it constantly when we were out causing in the parents car at midnight, sneaking out of the house, pushing the car down the driveway, driving around on mountain roads with the lights off at the age of 14. That's when you play loud rock music, not Muzak hits. I swear he was a 40 year old man in a 14 year old body.
by Anonymous | reply 44 | February 11, 2024 11:47 AM |
christopher cross didn't take off because he's ugly and fat. when the music video for sailing came out it hurt his career quite a bit i think.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | February 11, 2024 12:06 PM |
Bette presents the Oscar to Alen, Bacharach, Cross and Sager
by Anonymous | reply 46 | February 11, 2024 12:07 PM |
In some documentary about MTV, they showed a clip of Christopher Cross to illustrate the point that musicians now had to be sexy and good looking after music videos came in in the early 80s
by Anonymous | reply 47 | February 11, 2024 12:46 PM |
No.
by Anonymous | reply 48 | February 11, 2024 1:17 PM |
It's a great song. Cross had a good career but it should have been bigger. I agree it was his looks that killed it for him.
by Anonymous | reply 49 | February 11, 2024 1:39 PM |
R37: The complicated phrasing previously had been supplied by Hal David. Bachrach didn't write lyrics. He wrote tunes with complicated time signatures. They worked as songs because he had a collaborator who knew what to with them and singers like Dionne Warwick who could sing them. Warwick had classical training, in addition to gospel---she was the perfect interpreter for so many of their songs.
This just comes across as awkward and Cross seemed to be adopted by programming consultants at a time when am radio was dying but they could still foist stuff on the public.
by Anonymous | reply 50 | February 11, 2024 1:39 PM |
R49 Omartian went on to produce Summer's 1983 hit album (and single) 'She Works Hard for the Money' and her 1984 follow-up 'Cats Without Claws' (which flopped). Summer liked what he did with Cross in the early 80s, and bonded with him over being Christian.
by Anonymous | reply 51 | February 11, 2024 2:42 PM |
Cats Without Claws flopped because of the alleged anti-gay shit Summer said. Her gay fans turned on her.
by Anonymous | reply 52 | February 11, 2024 3:00 PM |
"Endless Love" should have won the Oscar, hands down. It was the one of the most popular songs of 1981 (coming in at #2 for the end of the year's Hot Singles), spending 9 weeks at #`1 in the summer of 1981. Ross and Ritchie made the perfect duet partners, and this song has stood the test of time. For decades, it was 'the wedding song'.
I think the Academy figured it had gotten enough accolades all year long, and decided not to give it an Oscar.
by Anonymous | reply 53 | February 11, 2024 3:17 PM |
The Academy is comprised of a lot of different voters, if you want to be real about it. "The Academy" doesn't "decide" anything.
by Anonymous | reply 54 | February 11, 2024 3:44 PM |
It would be a better song if it weren’t specific to a movie. If you don’t know the film, the references to Arthur make no sense.
by Anonymous | reply 55 | February 11, 2024 3:51 PM |
[quote] "Endless Love" should have won the Oscar, hands down...For decades, it was 'the wedding song'.
Which is hilarious, considering it was the theme song for a psychotically obsessive boy who burns down his girlfriend's house when her parents force them apart.
by Anonymous | reply 56 | February 11, 2024 3:52 PM |
Middle school = 7th and 8th grades
Junior High School = 6th, 7th, and 8th grades or 7th, 8th, and 9th grades
by Anonymous | reply 57 | February 11, 2024 3:53 PM |
R56 Is that how you interpreted it ?
by Anonymous | reply 58 | February 11, 2024 4:10 PM |
I went to a Middle School from 1982 to 1985 and it was grades 6-8.
The term was used at different times in different places with different grades. The people trying to insist they and only they know what defines the term "middle school" need to give it up.
by Anonymous | reply 59 | February 11, 2024 4:12 PM |
R56: "Endless Love" is another annoying, overplayed song. A good example of why awards often are meaningless.
by Anonymous | reply 60 | February 11, 2024 4:17 PM |
Now I have this song - that I can't stand - in my head. Thanks, OP.
by Anonymous | reply 61 | February 11, 2024 4:21 PM |
I remember in my school district (Rhode Island), when I started fifth grade (September, 1973), there was massive confusion on where to send students that year. Some elementary schools had fifth grade, while other elementary schools (like mine) had gotten rid of fifth grade (added extra fourth grade classes) and fifth grade was moved to the new 'middle schools' which now housed 5,6,7,8 grades. One of these middle-schools was less than a half mile away from me (and my friends in the neighborhood), yet we were assigned to another elementary school for fifth grade - getting bused three miles away just for fifth grade. It made no sense. I ended up going to 'middle school' for 6,7,8 grades - the school which I walked to, a half mile from my house.
I think the school district finally straightened the mess out years later, when I was in high school. It took years and plenty of money to find the 'solution'.
by Anonymous | reply 62 | February 11, 2024 4:23 PM |
Exactly, R59. In my school district in the late 70s, middle school was 7th and 8th grades. In that same district now, middle school includes 6th grade as well. Regardless, that district stopped calling them "junior highs" in the early to mid 70s and they have been "middle schools" ever since.
Back on topic, the only Christopher Cross worth listening to is "Ride Like the Wind".
by Anonymous | reply 63 | February 11, 2024 4:25 PM |
I always found this one, and his "Sailing", tedious.
by Anonymous | reply 64 | February 11, 2024 4:25 PM |
He didn't have much of a voice, either.
by Anonymous | reply 65 | February 11, 2024 4:41 PM |
R45 once again speaking about shit out of your pay grade. Tons of artists were not attractive back then. It had nothing to do with his looks and all to do with the change of sounds the music industry had. His music style wasn’t popular anymore by 1983.
by Anonymous | reply 66 | February 11, 2024 8:51 PM |
R46 see r27. But you did. So why post it again, retard?
by Anonymous | reply 67 | February 11, 2024 8:56 PM |
r66 MTV definitely played a hand in ending Cross's popularity. He was fat and homely and did not fit in the MTV era.
by Anonymous | reply 68 | February 11, 2024 8:57 PM |
R54 only the music branch of the academy votes for score and song. Actors etc. don’t.
A lot of you don’t have a clue how the voting works and it shows.
by Anonymous | reply 69 | February 11, 2024 8:59 PM |
Endless Love was a bigger song but not a better song.
by Anonymous | reply 70 | February 11, 2024 9:00 PM |
R68 yes. MTV changed the landscape of music and yea, appearance started to matter more but still plenty of unconventional people were successful. Cross was a classical singer, not a pop FM singer.
by Anonymous | reply 71 | February 11, 2024 9:01 PM |
Ugly and fat are OK again, just ask Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi, and Sam Smith.
by Anonymous | reply 72 | February 11, 2024 9:05 PM |
How can we live in a world where this song has an Oscar and "You don't bring me flowers" has nary an award. Where is justice!
by Anonymous | reply 73 | February 11, 2024 9:17 PM |
Christopher Cross was meant for VH1 which sadly didn’t exist at the time he was most popular
by Anonymous | reply 74 | February 11, 2024 9:25 PM |
R69, you're the one that knows fuck all about voting. [quote]Nominations are made by Academy members who are songwriters and composers, and the winners are chosen by the Academy membership as a whole.
by Anonymous | reply 75 | February 11, 2024 10:18 PM |
[R69], you're the one that knows fuck all about voting.
[quote]Nominations are made by Academy members who are songwriters and composers, and the winners are chosen by the Academy membership as a whole.
by Anonymous | reply 76 | February 11, 2024 10:19 PM |
Does anyone even still care about Academy Awards?
by Anonymous | reply 77 | February 12, 2024 12:52 AM |
R23 - that number needed some dancers to spice it up.
by Anonymous | reply 78 | February 12, 2024 2:13 AM |
THANK GOD we are having a discussion about middle school vs Jr high in the middle of a thread about “Arthur’s Theme.”
Very few people catch that hidden subtext in the song.
by Anonymous | reply 79 | February 12, 2024 6:34 AM |
I was 15 when it was released. I don't know a single one of my peers who liked it. It was old people's music. Something they played on the radio to keep your mom from switching stations.
by Anonymous | reply 80 | February 12, 2024 7:42 AM |
R50 - R37 is obviously referring to musical phrasing.
by Anonymous | reply 82 | February 12, 2024 8:18 AM |
He was so over rated, so over played, very mediocre, everyone was sick of him. It was a very bleak time in American pop music.
by Anonymous | reply 83 | February 12, 2024 8:29 AM |
R81, his lack of looks was already so feared by his company that they made an album cover without his picture. The back had the lyrics. When he started appearing on Awards shows, a lot of women were really disappointed.
by Anonymous | reply 84 | February 12, 2024 8:37 AM |
Cross has a face made for radio
by Anonymous | reply 85 | February 13, 2024 2:26 AM |
How does one get trapped between the moon and New York City?
by Anonymous | reply 86 | February 13, 2024 3:31 AM |
Anyway, he's no Crosby Stills and Nash.
by Anonymous | reply 87 | February 13, 2024 3:35 AM |
I've never understood this lyric:
[quote]Arthur, he does as he pleases
[quote]All of his life, his master's toys
[quote]Deep in his heart, he's just, he's just a boy
by Anonymous | reply 88 | February 13, 2024 3:38 AM |
southern cross
by Anonymous | reply 89 | February 13, 2024 3:38 AM |
Hi real last name is Geppert and “Christopher Cross” was the name of his band in the 70s but when he singed with Warner brothers they had him keep “Christopher cross” as his stage name. He’s well liked in the industry and has a devoted fan base. His big years were 1980-84. He came in at a good and bad time as soft/yacht rock was having a moment but MTV wasn’t too far behind. Also in 1980 you still had a diverse hot 100 with AC, R&B, disco, pop, county, and rock all coexisting on the charts. By 1985 that was completely gone.
by Anonymous | reply 92 | February 13, 2024 3:52 AM |
Funny people keep saying that Cross' looks ruined his career as music videos took over and yet...wasn't Phil Collins one of the biggest selling recording artists of the mid to late '80s...
by Anonymous | reply 93 | February 13, 2024 4:00 AM |
It's an OK song. I can't quite stir up the passion to call it a masterpiece.
I did like Sailing and Think of Laura.
For adult contemporary music of the same era I'd go with "It Might Be You" by Stephen Bishop.
by Anonymous | reply 94 | February 13, 2024 4:14 AM |
[quote]...wasn't Phil Collins one of the biggest selling recording artists of the mid to late '80s...
and he put a closeup of his ugly face on his albums
by Anonymous | reply 95 | February 13, 2024 1:51 PM |
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