No Protection is the second studio album by American rock band Starship . It was released on July 6, 1987, by Grunt Records and RCA Records . The album featured the number-one single "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now ", and the top-10 single "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)", the former of which appears in the fantasy comedy film Mannequin and the latter of which was a tune originally performed the previous year by one-time Manfred Mann's Earth Band frontman Chris Thompson for the soundtrack to the film Playing for Keeps . Third single "Beat Patrol" was #46 on Billboard's Hot 100.
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [ 5]
This was the last album which was released through Grunt Records, and the final Starship album to feature vocalist Grace Slick , who left the band in 1988 and rejoined Jefferson Airplane for their reunion tour and self-titled reunion album, Jefferson Airplane , in 1989. The Diane Warren -penned ballad "Set the Night to Music " was covered in 1991 as a duet between R&B singer Roberta Flack and reggae singer Maxi Priest , released as a single from Flack's album Set the Night to Music . Cash Box said that the single "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)" is "a soaring, anthemic rocker with a winning chorus."[ 6]
Per liner notes[ 7]
Mickey Thomas – lead vocals (1–6, 8, 9, 11), backing vocals (1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 11)
Grace Slick – lead vocals (1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 11), backing vocals (1–6, 8, 9, 11)
Craig Chaquico – lead guitar, backing vocals (5, 8–11)
Donny Baldwin – electronic drums (1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11), drums (5–7, 9, 11), backing vocals (2, 4, 7–11)
Additional personnel
Pete Sears – bass (2)
Peter Wolf – keyboards (1, 4–7, 11), synth bass (1, 5, 6), bass (4, 7, 11)
Larry Williams – keyboards (3, 8–10)
Bill Cuomo – keyboards, bass (3, 8, 9)
Alan Pasqua – keyboards (3, 8, 9)
Walter Afanasieff – keyboards (2)
Corrado Rustici – Charvel MIDI guitar (2)
Narada Michael Walden – electronic drums (2)
Bongo Bob – drum sampling, percussion (2)
Bret Bloomfield, Maxi Anderson, Siedah Garrett , Sharon Hendrix, Phillip Ingram , Clif Magness, Jeff Pescetto , Oren Waters , Ina Wolf – backing vocals (1, 4–7, 11)
Tommy Funderburk – backing vocals (3, 8, 9)
Kitty Beethoven, Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals (2)
Production
Peter Wolf – producer (1, 4–7, 11)
Keith Olsen – producer (3, 8–10)
Narada Michael Walden – producer (2)
Brian Malouf – engineer for Peter Wolf
Ed Thacker, Dan Garcia, John VanNess – additional engineers for Peter Wolf
Brian Foraker – engineer for Keith Olsen
David Frazer – engineer for Narada Michael Walden
Bino Espinoza, Dana Chapelle, David Luke, Steve Holroyd, Steve Krause, Ron Dasilva – assistant engineers
Starship – arrangements (3, 8, 9)
Larry Williams – arrangements (10)
Skip Johnson – production coordinator
Bernie Grundman – mastering engineer
Raess Design (Ted Raess) – art direction
Jeff Katz – photographer
Lisa Marie Avila – make up
Recorded at Lighthouse Studios, Goodnight L. A., Tarpan Studios, Soundcastle Recording Studio, Fantasy Studios , Manzanita Studios
Mixed at Image Recorders
"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" mixed at Tarpan Studios
Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering
Michael Hill – reissue liner notes
Dalita Keumurian – reissue project director
Bill Lacey – reissue audio restoration
Paul Williams – reissue coordination vocal
^ "FMQB" (PDF) . p. 44.
^ "FMQB" (PDF) . p. 42.
^ "FMQB" (PDF) . p. 47.
^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography . p. 431. ISBN 9780862415419 .
^ Viglione, Joe. "No Protection – Starship" . AllMusic . Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2011 .
^ "Single Releases" (PDF) . Cash Box . June 20, 1987. p. 9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2022-08-08 .
^ No Protection (liner notes). Grunt. 1987. FL86413.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 291. ISBN 0-646-11917-6 .
^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0852" . RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved March 25, 2024.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Starship – No Protection" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
^ "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF) . Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 31. August 8, 1987. p. 24. OCLC 29800226 . Archived (PDF) from the original on May 11, 2022 – via World Radio History.
^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava . ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5 .
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Starship – No Protection" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved March 25, 2024.
^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Starship – No Protection" . Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Starship – No Protection" . Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Starship – No Protection" . Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved March 25, 2024.
^ "Starship Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Retrieved March 25, 2024.
^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0918" . RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved March 25, 2024.
^ "Canadian album certifications – Starship – No Protection" . Music Canada . November 12, 1987. Retrieved September 25, 2020 .
^ "American album certifications – Starship – No Protection" . Recording Industry Association of America . November 5, 1987. Retrieved September 25, 2020 .