“We Built this City”
Starship is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. It was, initially, a continuation of Jefferson Starship, a group formed in 1974 by former Jefferson Airplane members, Paul Kantner and Grace Slick, evolving from several solo albums they recorded. They were joined by David Freiberg, Craig Chaauico, John Barbata, Pete Sears, and Papa John Creach. The band had a subsequent loss in personnel, underwent a change in musical direction, and became embroiled in a lawsuit. In June 1984, Paul Kantner, the last remaining founding member of Jefferson Airplane, left Jefferson Starship, and in October of that same year, took legal action over the Jefferson Starship name against his former bandmates, with the settlement leading to the name change.
Starship’s debut album, Knee Deep in the Hoopla (1985), was certified platinum and produced two US number one singles, “Sara,” and the featured song, “We Built this City.” Their follow up album, No Protection (1987), produced their third number one single, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” After a short hiatus in the early 1990s, the band reformed in 1992 as “Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas,” and resumed touring.
“We built this City” was written by English musicians, Martin Page and Bernie Taupin, who were both living in Los Angeles at the time, and was originally intended as a lament against the closure of many of Los Angeles’s live music clubs. Though the song was originally written about Los Angeles, the Starship rendition references San Francisco, the hometown of both Starship and its predecessors, Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.
For this featured song, the “annoying” factor has more to do, as far as I am concerned, with the abovementioned “change in musical direction” that the newly christened band took. As a teenager, when I first cut my teeth on Jefferson Airplane’s hits in the late 60s, like “White Rabbit,” “Somebody to Love,” “Wooden Ships,” and “Volunteers,” among others, this is what I held up as the sound that I was looking for, the “vibe” that for me defined the times. While Jefferson Starship’s hits from the 70s and early 80s, like “Miracles, “Ride the Tiger” (70s), and “Jane,” “Count on Me,” “Runaway,” and “No Way Out,” were songs that I enjoyed and appreciated, by that time the 60s “vibe” had certainly transformed into something else. Jefferson Airplane’s and Jefferson Starship’s songs moved me in a special way for their respective times, while Starship’s “We Built this City” only moved me to change the station on the radio after the first bars! There is no way this type of music was going to supplant the likes of Grace Slick or Janice Joplin. So, let’s just say it’s an annoying song because of what it wasn’t, at least for me.
SingitLive is an Australian cover band ensemble that is actually a spin-off of another Australian ensemble that I have featured many times on my DUTC page, Hindley Street Social Club (HSCC). It was founded by keyboardist/producer, Darren Mullan, who along with bass player, Con Delo, co-created HSCC after the two had a falling out. There is a revolving list of musicians that make up SingitLive, including three bass players, two percussionists, four guitarists, four male vocalists, and five female vocalists. Their rendition of “We Built this City,” is from a live band performance and features Darren Mullan on keyboards/lead vocals, Michael Marino (drums), Stuart Day (bass/vocals), Tzan Niko (guitar/vocals), and Melissa McCaig (lead vocals). I must say that I absolutely love the harmonies of this cover.
Enjoy!
Starship. “We Built this City” 1985.
SingitLive. “We built this City” cover 2022.
Los Angeles 2025
I can appreciate your annoyance as “We Built this City” would not have been recorded by their predecessors that it for sure. But it’s hard to hate this little pop rock ditty. That said it’s early covers were more of a novelty and then it was the dreaded a cappella circuit! Ok that is annoying!
“We Built This City” is one of those songs that was hugely popular when it came out but eventually turned into one of the most reviled rock songs ever. I agree with you about its main drawback being that it reflected the devolution of the once great and groundbreaking band that was Jefferson Airplane. While not a terrible song, it was pure mid-80s formula music that sounded like scores of other anthemic songs of that time period, and it’s still puzzling that Bernie Taupin was involved in its creation. I think if it had been recorded by some other generic band, or say a band like Survivor, it would still have been a sizable hit but wouldn’t have become so hated.
I know what you mean about Bernie Taupin. I couldn’t believe when I read that he co-wrote the song!
You’re right, it’s an annoying as f*ck song. It’s like the drool left after a banquet of songs like “White Rabbit.”
What you said! Big Lol.
🙂
Pretty awful song. Seems so commercially pop-y and, well, bouncy! Also just inane. Agree that it does NOT sound anything like a Bernie Taupin song. It reminded me of the kind of song that would be part of a gritty teen noir movie like “Streets of Fire”. However, I LOVE that music, and this song would have ruined it. Good choice, bad song.
The cover isn’t bad, but simply copies the song without making it their own and in the end is a little flat. I actually enjoy the original and while it doesn’t hit the same stature as Airplane’s stuff, I have always found it a catchy, enjoyable track. Overplayed, yes, but it’s still a toe-tapper in my books.
Can’t blame the songwriters for this one. The song is okay, not my jam, but the intended association with the music of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship is the main offense.
I truly dislike this song so much. It’s so slick and corporate…one of those songs where they tried to make a hit…it may have been a hit but a very bad one.