David Foster wrote the 'St. Elmo's Fire' theme song, which was originally intended for both the movie and Rick Hansen's 'Man in Motion' campaign. The lyrics, written by John Parr, were about a wheelchair athlete, not the movie's plot. The phrase 'St. Elmo's fire' was added to the chorus for the movie, even though it had no relevance to the lyrics.
Rob Lowe and David Foster met in 1984 when Foster scored the movie 'St. Elmo's Fire,' in which Lowe starred. Their friendship began when Lowe, who loved music, agreed to be in the music video for the movie's theme song.
David Foster and Rob Lowe had a gag where Lowe would mimic the saxophone part of the 'St. Elmo's Fire' theme, with a hidden musician actually playing. During a performance at Michael King's house, President Clinton and Barbara Streisand were so impressed that Clinton later invited Lowe to the White House for a duet. Foster had to reveal the prank to avoid further embarrassment.
David Foster discovered Celine Dion at a state fair in Quebec, where she was singing 'I Will Survive' phonetically due to her limited English. Foster helped bring her to LA and produced her first record, launching her international career.
The 'Boom and I' moment refers to the dramatic pause and build-up in Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You,' which David Foster produced. This moment was designed to create a powerful emotional impact, making the audience feel as if they were witnessing a live performance.
David Foster and Peter Cetera wrote 'You're the Inspiration' for Kenny Rogers, who initially rejected it, saying it wasn't a hit. Foster and Cetera then recorded it with Chicago, and it became one of the band's most iconic songs.
It’s a special holiday re-release of “Literally!” Katharine McPhee and David Foster join Rob Lowe to discuss their new album, “Christmas Songs,” Rob and David’s decades of friendship, why Rob prefers classic Christmas songs, the surprising origins of the “St. Elmo's Fire” theme, the genius of Celine Dion, and the incredible story of how Rob and David managed to prank President Clinton, Barbra Streisand, and Quincy Jones.
Note: This episode was recorded in November 2023.
You can watch the full episode on YouTube at YouTube.com/@LiterallyWithRobLowe)!
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