"You've got the touch, you've got the power!"...is perhaps the most famous
song introduction among rabid fans of legendary 80's cartoon animation. I
am of course referring to Transformers, and more specifically the 1986 animated
feature film Transformers: The Movie. The uplifting, positive, and
inspiring song was forever burned into my brain as new Autobot leader Rodimus
Prime
opened
up The Matrix
and discovered his secret powers. Hey, I was 10.
The man behind the song was Stan Bush. Stan released his first self-titled
album in 1983, but it was just before the release of his second album, Stan
Bush and Barrage, that he got the chance to have his music heard on
a larger stage
through the Transformers: The Movie Soundtrack. From there Stan
contributed music to some of the best cult-classic action movies of the eighties: Bloodsport,
Kickboxer, and The Wraith. Bush went on to win and Emmy
Award and have his music featured at the 1996 Olympic games.
When musical climates changed, Bush found a fan-base over in Europe and
Japan where he continued to release albums. His 11th album, In This Life,was
released on 7-7-07 (earlier overseas) to coincide with the live-action Transformers movie. In
This Life (CD
review) is Bush's strongest melodic rock album to
date. I know everyone says that about an artist's latest album, but it's
true. I rated it a 5/5, it finished in the top 5 for Best of 2007 here, and
many other
sites agreed (some even ranking it #1).
For the U.S. release of In This Life, Stan included an updated
version of "The Touch" plus a new song entitled "Till All Are One" that
he submitted
for consideration for the latest Transformers movie. The song wasn't
used for some reason or another, but Hollywood can be a bitch sometimes.
Stan
may have not achieved Superstar status, but he still managed to carve out
a spot for himself in pop-culture history.
-- The success of his 11th album In This Life
-- His overseas appeal
-- How he landed "The Touch" in the animated Transformers movie
-- What 80's movie "The Touch" was supposed to appear in
-- Why his contribution to the live action Transformers Movie was excluded
-- Which Van Damme movie Jean-Claude thought Bush's music was better than
-- Highlights and low-lights of working in the music industry
-- His thoughts on Mark Wahlberg butchering his song in Boogie Nights -- How his music was used in the '96 Olympics & winning and
Emmy for another
-- Did he or didn't he work with Mick Jones when Foreigner broke up?
--
What ever happened to Barrage?
-- Musician by night, scholar by day?
STAN
BUSH
