Starpeace

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For the online PC game, see StarPeace (PC Game).

Professional reviews
Starpeace

Studio album by Yoko Ono
Released	1985 (reissued 1997)
Recorded	Right Track Recording, New York City
Genre	Pop, New Wave
Length	40:21 (CD reissue: 45:05)
Label	Polygram (Reissued on Rykodisc)
Producer(s)	Bill Laswell and Yoko Ono
All Music Guide (2/5) link Rolling Stone (not rated) link
Yoko Ono chronology
It's Alright (I See Rainbows) (1982)	Starpeace (1985)	Onobox (1992)

Starpeace is Yoko Ono's 1985 concept album, designed to spread a message of peace around the world as an antidote to Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" missile defence system. As with most Ono albums it did not chart extensively but the single release of "Hell in Paradise" reached #16 on the US dance charts. In 1986, Ono set out on a critically acclaimed world tour to accompany the album's message. The CD reissue includes a live recording of "Imagine" from the sellout Budapest show of the tour. Words, music, concept and vocals by Yoko Ono.

1 Track listing
2 Singles
3 Outtakes
4 Personnel
5 Tour
6 References

[edit] Track listing

"Hell in Paradise" – 3:27
"I Love All Of Me" – 3:53
"Children Power" – 2:15
"Rainbow Revelation" – 3:21
"The King Of The Zoo" – 3:01
"Remember Raven" – 2:49
"Cape Clear" – 5:08
"Sky People" – 3:37
"You And I" – 2:50
"It's Gonna Rain (Living on Tiptoe)" – 4:00
"Starpeace" – 3:14
"I Love You, Earth" – 2:45
"Imagine (Live)" [Bonus Track] – 2:00

[edit] Singles

"Hell in Paradise" (7" with instrumental version, 12" with remixes) (Reached #16 on U.S. dance chart and #26 on Billboard's Hot 100)
"Cape Clear" (Promo 12" with re-edit of "Walking On Thin Ice")

[edit] Outtakes

The video documentary release "Yoko Ono: Now & Then" (1984) includes footage of the recording sessions for Starpeace. Over the end credits, Ono performs an unreleased song apparently entitled "Rainbow Time".

[edit] Personnel

Produced by Bill Laswell and Yoko Ono
Recorded and mixed by Rob Stevens
Keyboards - Bernie Worrell, Jeff Bova,
Guitar - Eddie Martinez
Violin - Shankar
Bass - Robbie Shakespeare
Percussion - Sly Dunbar, Tony Williams, Aïyb Dieng, Daniel Ponce, Anton Fier
Whistle - Tony Levin
Background Vocals - Bernard Fowler, Yolanda Lee Lewis and Nona Hendryx

[edit] Tour

In 1986 Yoko set out on a goodwill world tour for Starpeace, mostly visiting Eastern European countries that she felt were in need of her message of peace. Ono refused to tour with a corporate sponsor and personally financed the endeavour herself. The media were largely unfair in their coverage of the tour, accusing Ono of "ego-tripping" and ridiculing her for underselling venues. In one case, a photo of Ono rehearsing to an empty hall before the show was printed as if nobody had come to the actual concert. A German DJ was also encouraging people to turn up and throw glass bottles at her.

However, the fans loved the shows, critics widely praised her for her performances, and she filled a venue of 15,000 in Budapest. That said, planned USA tour dates were postponed and eventually cancelled due to disappointing ticket sales. Rykodisc's 1997 CD reissues of Ono's albums made available live versions of "Imagine" and "Now or Never" from the tour.
The Starpeace setlist usually consisted of:

Midsummer New York/Give Me Something/Kiss Kiss Kiss (Medley)
It Happened
Walking on Thin Ice
Death Of Samantha
Goodbye Sadness
Never Say Goodbye
Hell in Paradise
Sky People
Starpeace
I Love All Of Me
I See Rainbows
Dream Love
Now or Never (refrain)

As encores, Ono performed Lennon's classic "Imagine", which she felt fit into the tour's concept of peace, as well as a spoken-word version of "Give Peace A Chance".