"Beat Patrol" by Starship

Song#:  3277
Date:  09/26/1987
Debut:  83
Peak:  46
Weeks:  10
Genre:  Pop, Rock



Pop Bits:  The Starship single "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)" was the second Top 10 (#9) hit from their second album No Protection. For a follow-up, this album-opening track was selected. It couldn't match the Top 10 results of the previous two singles and even stopped short of the Top 40. It was also unable to get on the Rock chart. Still, by this point in time the album had already peaked at #12 and was on the verge of going gold, which it would do in November of '87.

ReduxReview:  Starship totally left behind any rock cred with No Protection. It was obvious that they were going for a mainstream sound and trying to find hooky tunes that would reel in pop listeners. It worked a bit with a couple of hit singles, but the well quickly dried up. This bouncy tune could have made a fun power pop track, but Starship's 80s synth-heavy production diluted all the good stuff right out of it. The song is not all that bad. It just came off as goofy in the hands of Starship.

ReduxRating:  3/10

Trivia:  This is a remake of a song originally written and recorded by English singer/songwriter Johnny Warman. Warman's 1984 recording, originally titled "(Here Comes) The Beat Patrol," was released as a single in the UK, but it failed to chart. In the 70s, Warman join the band Bearded Lady, but as the 80s neared he tried for a solo career. His second LP, 1981's Walking into Mirrors, generated the single "Screaming Jets," which reached #9 in Australia. After a follow-up album failed to do anything, Warman was dropped from his label. He gave it one more try recording and releasing "Beat Patrol," but it didn't catch on. He then focused on writing for other artists. A few year later, Starship picked up "Beat Patrol" and recorded it. The flip side to Warman's "Beat Patrol" single was "Don't Call Me" and it would later be recorded by rock group Asia for their 1992 album Aqua.

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