Knee Deep in the Hoopla

Knee Deep in the Hoopla
Knee Deep in the Hoopla
Studio album by Starship
Released	September 10, 1985
Recorded	1984−1985
Studio	Record Plant, Sausalito; Music Grinder, Los Angeles;
Genre	AOR, pop rock
Length	40:28
Label	Grunt/RCA
Producer	Peter Wolf; Jeremy Smith; Dennis Lambert (executive producer);
Starship chronology
Singles from Knee Deep in the Hoopla
	"We Built This City"; Released: August 1985 (US)[1]; "Sara"; Released: December 1985; "Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight"; Released: April 1986; "Before I Go"; Released: June 1986[2];

Knee Deep in the Hoopla is the debut studio album by American AOR band Starship, the succeeding musical project to Jefferson Starship. It was released on September 10, 1985, through record label Grunt.

Four singles were released from the album: the No. 1 hits "We Built This City" and "Sara", "Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight" (No. 26 US Hot 100) and "Before I Go" (No. 68 US Hot 100).

Content

AllMusic retrospectively described Knee Deep in the Hoopla as the Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship project's "most overtly commercial effort to date".[3]

The track "Desperate Heart", written by Michael Bolton and Randy Goodrum, also appears on Bolton's album Everybody's Crazy, released the same year. Two songs sung by Grace Slick were recorded for but left off the album: Slick's own "Do You Remember Me?" (released on The Best of Grace Slick) and the Peter Wolf–Jeremy Smith composition "Casualty" (included as a bonus track on the 1999 remaster). Jeannette and Pete Sears wrote a song for the album called "One More Innocent", but it was rejected for its political lyrics.[4]

Cash Box said of the track "Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight" that "Mickey Thomas’ sensational lead vocal keeps this cut aloft with exhilerating sonic flight" and that "It slices like a double bladed sword, and backed by searing rock guitars and a churning rhythm."[5] Billboard called that song "exemplary American AOR of the '80s, interrupted only by an ethereal bridge."[6]

Release

Knee Deep in the Hoopla was released on September 10, 1985, through record label Grunt.

Four singles were released from the album: the No. 1 hits "We Built This City" and "Sara", "Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight" and "Before I Go".

The album was certified platinum by the RIAA.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
People	negative[7]

Knee Deep in the Hoopla received a negative response from professional music critics.

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"We Built This City"	Bernie Taupin, Martin Page, Dennis Lambert, Peter Wolf	4:53
2.	"Sara"	Ina Wolf, P. Wolf	4:52
3.	"Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight"	Steven Cristol, Robin Randall	3:41
4.	"Rock Myself to Sleep"	Kimberley Rew, Vince De la Cruz	3:24
5.	"Desperate Heart"	Randy Goodrum, Michael Bolton	4:04

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Private Room"	Craig Chaquico, Mickey Thomas	4:51
7.	"Before I Go"	David Roberts	5:30
8.	"Hearts of the World (Will Understand)"	Stephen Broughton Lunt, Arthur Stead	4:21
9.	"Love Rusts"	Taupin, Page	4:57

Remastered CD bonus track
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
10.	"Casualty"	P. Wolf, Jeremy Smith	4:34

Personnel

Mickey Thomas – lead (1-3, 5-7, 9) and backing (1, 4, 8, 9) vocals
Grace Slick – lead (1, 4, 8, 9) and backing (1, 5, 6, 9) vocals
Craig Chaquico – lead guitar (all but 6), rhythm guitar (all tracks), backing vocals (5-7)
Pete Sears – bass guitar (4, 5-7), backing vocals (5-7)
Donny Baldwin – drums (4), backing vocals (1, 5-8)

Additional personnel

Peter Wolf – keyboards, synthesizers (all tracks), LinnDrum programming (all but 4)
Les Garland – DJ voice (1)
Peter Beckett, J. C. Crowley, Siedah Garrett, Ina Wolf – backing vocals (3)
Kevin DuBrow – backing vocals (4)
Dave Jenkins – backing vocals (5)

Love Rusts backing vocals

Peter Beckett
J. C. Crowley
Siedah Garrett
Ina Wolf
Simon Climie
Lorraine Devon
Phillip Ingram
Martin Page
Chris Sutton
Oren Waters

Production

Peter Wolf – producer, arrangements
Jeremy Smith – producer, engineer
Dennis Lambert – executive producer
Skip Johnson – production coordinator
Bill Thompson – manager
Bill Bottrell – mixing engineer (1)
Tom Size – additional engineering
Paul Ericksen, Dana Chappelle, David Luke, Maureen Droney – assistant engineers.
Stephen Marcussen – mastering engineer
Raess Design (Ted Raess) – art, design
Bill Robbins – photography
Recorded at The Plant Studios (Sausalito, CA); The Music Grinder (Los Angeles, CA).
Mixed at Fantasy Studios (Berkeley, CA).
"We Built This City" re-mixed at The Soundcastle, L. A.
Mastered at Precision Lacquer (Los Angeles).

Singles

"We Built This City" (1985)
"Sara" (1986)
"Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight" (1986)
"Before I Go" (1986)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart performance for *Knee Deep in the Hoopla*
Chart (1985–1986)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[8]	34
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9]	65
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10]	45
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11]	43
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[12]	22
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13]	29
US Billboard 200[14]	7

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for *Knee Deep in the Hoopla*
Chart (1986)	Position
US Billboard 200[15]	13

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[16]	Platinum	100,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)[17]	Platinum	1,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

RIAA Gold and Platinum Database
Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 430. ISBN 9780862415419.
McCombs, Joseph. "Knee Deep in the Hoopla – Starship | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
Sears, Jeannette (January 3, 2012). "We Built This City". jeannettesears.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
"Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. April 5, 1986. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
"Reviews". Billboard. April 5, 1986. p. 71. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
"Pick and Pans Review: Knee Deep in the Hoopla". People. November 11, 1985. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 291. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
"Dutchcharts.nl – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
"Offiziellecharts.de – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
"Charts.nz – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
"Swedishcharts.com – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
"Swisscharts.com – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
"Starship Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
"Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
"Canadian album certifications – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Music Canada.
"American album certifications – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

Knee Deep in the Hoopla at Discogs (list of releases)
Starship: Too Old to Rock?, Los Angeles Times

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[RIAA-1] RIAA Gold and Platinum Database

[2] Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 430. ISBN 9780862415419.

[AllMusic-3] McCombs, Joseph. "Knee Deep in the Hoopla – Starship | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2019.

[4] Sears, Jeannette (January 3, 2012). "We Built This City". jeannettesears.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.

[cb-5] "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. April 5, 1986. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-08-04.

[6] "Reviews". Billboard. April 5, 1986. p. 71. Retrieved 2022-08-03.

[7] "Pick and Pans Review: Knee Deep in the Hoopla". People. November 11, 1985. Retrieved March 12, 2019.

[aus-8] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 291. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[ac_Netherlands_Starship-9] "Dutchcharts.nl – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2021.

[ac_Germany4_Starship-10] "Offiziellecharts.de – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 7, 2021.

[ac_New_Zealand_Starship-11] "Charts.nz – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2021.

[ac_Sweden_Starship-12] "Swedishcharts.com – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2021.

[ac_Switzerland_Starship-13] "Swisscharts.com – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2021.

[ac_Billboard200_Starship-14] "Starship Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2021.

[15] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.

[CanadaStarshipKnee_Deep_in_the_HooplaalbumCertRef-16] "Canadian album certifications – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Music Canada.

[United_StatesStarshipKnee_Deep_in_the_HooplaalbumCertRef-17] "American album certifications – Starship – Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Recording Industry Association of America.