Maps of Music

Star Turtle (1996)

Where the lyrics of Star Turtle take you, and where it was really made.

The four "Star Turtle" pieces tell of a giant space turtle that visits New Orleans, and Connick plays every instrument and sings every word on them.

Key places

Recorded at Power Station (1996)

Recording site Power Station Studio — The album's recording is credited to Power Station in New York City, where the album was made. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Mixed at Sony Music Studios (1996)

Recording site Sony Music Studios — The album was mixed at Sony Music Studios in New York City, and it was also mastered there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Star Turtle: album by Harry Connick Jr., released 2 July 1996
• Primarily a funk album, also featuring pop, Mardi Gras rhythms, ballads, and rock
• Standard listing of 15 tracks; all music and lyrics by Connick
• Target bonus track: "Voodoo Mama", 7:12
• "City Beneath the Sea" describes unique New Orleans street scenes
• "Hear Me in the Harmony" is a tribute to James Booker
• Four "Star Turtle" pieces form a story running through the album

Background

• The four Star Turtle tracks tell of a giant space turtle coming to New Orleans, looking for music salvation
• The turtle is given a tour through the city and samples its musical diversity
• Stops on the tour: a funk club, a jazz club, and a street parade

Recording

• Connick plays every instrument on the four Star Turtle pieces and is the voice of every word heard on them
• The first Star Turtle piece is a wild arrangement of drums, horns, guitars and overdubbed whispery voices
• "City Beneath the Sea" features a brief but notable piano solo
• Gregg Rubin: recording and mix engineer; Tracey Freeman: producer
• Recorded at Power Station and mixed at Sony Music Studios, both in New York City; mastered at Sony Music Studios
• Musicians include Jonathan DuBose Jr. (guitar, vocals), Howard Kaplan (keyboards), Tony Hall (bass, vocals), and Raymond Weber (drums, percussion)
• "Mind on the Matter" is sung by Tony Hall, the bassist
• The CD includes a CD-ROM multimedia presentation

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Born September 11, 1967 in New Orleans; raised in the Lakeview neighborhood.
• Began learning keyboards at age three, performed publicly at five, and recorded with a local jazz band at ten.
• At nine performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra.
• Developed his talent at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts under Ellis Marsalis Jr. and James Booker.
• Moved to New York, studied at Hunter College and the Manhattan School of Music, and signed with Columbia Records.

Career

• Score for When Harry Met Sally... (1989) brought his first Grammy for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance; a second followed for We Are in Love (1990).
• Acted in Memphis Belle (1990), Copycat (1995), Independence Day (1996), Hope Floats (1998), and The Iron Giant (1999, voice).
• Starred as Leo Markus on NBC's Will & Grace from 2002 to 2006.
• Only You (2004) reached No. 5 in the U.S. and No. 6 in Britain.
• Hosted the daytime talk show Harry from 2016 to 2018.
• Recorded Cole Porter reinterpretations in 2019 and Alone with My Faith in 2021, earning his 16th Grammy nomination.
• Sold over 30 million albums worldwide as of 2019; won three Grammys and two Emmys.

Reception

At release

• Released 1996; Wikipedia describes it as primarily a funk album
• The album also mixes pop, Mardi Gras rhythms, ballads, and rock
• "Hear Me in the Harmony" became an MTV hit
• The four Star Turtle pieces carry a single narrative: a giant space turtle visits New Orleans
• The turtle tours the city, sampling a funk club, a jazz club, and a street parade

Records

• Gold Album Certification on July 8, 2004, eight years after the 1996 release
• The certification is listed as the album's main recognition in the source

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• "Hear Me in the Harmony" became an MTV hit. The song is a tribute to James Booker.
• "Mind on the Matter" is sung by Tony Hall, the bassist, rather than by Connick.
• The four Star Turtle pieces use overdubbed, whispery voices, and Connick is the voice of every word on them.
• The Target bonus track "Voodoo Mama" runs 7:12.
• The CD includes a CD-ROM multimedia presentation.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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