"Object of My Desire" by Starpoint

Hey Dialophiles! Tonight, the big ‘ole, bad ‘ole Radio Dial brings you a tasty track all about fantasizing about that person you’ve just met. Crank it up, and feel the groove laid down by Starpoint, and their now-overlooked mid 80s groove “Object of My Desire”!!!

“You glanced my way, I lost all control. Anxiety had taken hold. My body quivered, hot flash just ignited in me…”

Using the well-mined plot device of a lovesick woman, longing for the man who excites her, (reminding me of Animotion’s “Obsession”, among others…) “Object” is marked by Renee Diggs’ powerful vocals, and memorable keyboard and guitar work which creates a sound that is definitely a slice of the era in which it stems from.

The lead single from Starpoint’s 1985 LP Restless, “Object” was one of those songs that I had completely forgotten about until I happened to hear it on the radio again in the late 90s. As soon as that opening synthesizer riff began, I was transported back to ’85, and wondered how I ever forgot this great party track in the first place. I soon purchased a 1980’s compilation disk that featured the track, and proceeded to practically wear it out over the next week or so.

A sextet of musicians comprising of the Phillips brothers, Ernesto (lead guitar), Orlando (bass guitar, keyboards, and saxophone), George (keyboards), and Gregory (drums), all of whom provided backing vocals, along with Kayode Adeyemo (songwriting and lead male vocals), and Renee Diggs (lead female vocals), the Annapolis, Maryland based group charted 24 R&B singles from 1980 – 1990, including 1980’s “I Just Wanna Dance With You” (R&B #19), ‘83’s “Don’t Be So Serious” (R&B #14), and 1988’s “Say You Will” (R&B #18).

“Turn on emotions so strong… passion’s fire burns on and on… my body screams, please make love to me!”

While the lyrics are tame by today’s standards, back when it was new (and I was eleven), I recall thinking the song was quite dirty. Little did any of us know what would be coming down the pike several years later… 2 Live Crew, anyone? (ugh…)

In hindsight, while the song is not exactly subtle in regards to its adult subject matter, (the “fireworks explode deep inside of me” line being the chief example, even though it is left purposefully ambiguous whether these “fireworks” resulted from a fantasy daydream or a real life encounter…), “Object” manages to be playful without crossing the line into filthy territory.

Also, this is a song who’s peak Hot 100 position does not correlate with how much I personally heard it on the radio back then. Much like U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love)” which seemed to be everywhere on the radio, but only peaked at #33, Starpoint’s jam peaked at a surprisingly middle-of-the-road #25 pop, but it did nail the #8 slot on the R&B singles chart.

I chalk my familiarity with the track to growing up in Southern Maryland, an area in which most major stations were out of Washington D.C., and as such, our Top 40 playlists often featured R&B and early hip-hop jams that may not have gotten play on similar outlets in other cities. When I started researching the Billboard chart positions of songs, I was astonished this only earned a #25, as I was expecting it to have been a top 5 pop hit, based on the amount of times I heard it back in the day. Even as such, “Object” proved to be Starpoint’s biggest pop crossover success, and tied with 1987’s “He Wants My Body” as their biggest success on the R&B singles chart.

So, take a spin back twenty nine years, and loose yourself in Renee’s fervid vocals, as she pines for the man who has excited her passions. Make sure to keep your ears open for that awesome keyboard riff throughout. Ah, how can you possibly miss it? 

“You’re the object… SUGAR!… of my desire… oh baby, ignite my fire! Object of my desire… hey you really turn me on!”