The Starlight Continues to Shine

Continuing on my mission to let people know that there's some very nice material in Startlight Express, this is the hit song from the show, called "Only He."  It's the definition of a power ballad, and one of the richest love songs that I think Andrew Lloyd Webber has written (with lyrics here by Don Black).

It may sound familiar.  Much of the song is the same as that song, "Only You," that I posted earlier, as performed on the Tony Awards.  The music is vastly expanded here -- "Only You" only uses part of the song, and then overlaps into counterpoint with the title song.  And the lyrics are totally different, nothing metaphysical here, just a straight-on love ballad.

(Actually, if you listen closely, the song "Starlight Express" is sung in counterpoint here, too, though it's done almost as background arrangement , not as a separate standalone song, as is the case with "Only You.")

The number is sung by the female lead in the show, Stephanie Lawrence, on a 1984 TV appearance.  And since this is from a TV show, there is an absolute lack of heavy mechanical costuming and roller skates.

Stephanie Lawrence had a very successful career on the London stages.  She replaced Elaine Paige in Evita, was in Cats, and starred as Marilyn Monroe in a flop London musical.  She also starred as Mrs. Johnson in Blood Brothers for four years when the show was revived in London 4 years -- and got a Tony nomination for it  on Broadway.  Unfortunately, she passed away in 2000, at the age of only 51.

But here she is, without a roller skate in sight, belting out "Only He."