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 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "JUST ONE KISS"
The first song the pair wrote together was "Just One Kiss," which was used in Once Bitten (sung by Maria Vidal), and recorded by Rick Springfield, introducing a new writing adventure for Steinberg who revealed to Songwriter Universe that before working with Kelly he "hadn't really collaborated before." I mainly wrote for my band which was called Billy Thermal," he said. "These songs were written in a more intense, personal style. When Tom and I first started writing together, we had to figure out how the collaboration would go. It took me a little while to realize that my role was mainly writing lyrics. I realized Tom was a superior musician and he wrote wonderful melodies. I could contribute some music, but my strongest ability was writing lyrics." A career breakthrough occurred for Steinberg & Kelly in 1984 when Madonna recorded their song "Like A Virgin," which went on to become a milestone achievement for both Steinberg, Kelly and Madonna. It reached the #1 single position on Billboard in December 1984; staying atop the chart for six weeks. "Like A Virgin" remains Madonna's biggest chart single to date. Following the success of "Like A Virgin," Steinberg & Kelly enjoyed a flurry of hit activity. Cyndi Lauper had a #1 record with "True Colors," which was the title cut of her second album. The duo subsequently topped the charts with Heart's recording of "Alone," followed by another #1 hit, "So Emotional," which was recorded by Whitney Houston. During this period, Steinberg & Kelly had many additional singles and/or cuts, with such artists as Pat Benetar (the Top 40 hit, "Sex As A Weapon"), Tina Turner ("Look Me In The Heart"), Roy Orbison ("I Drove All Night"), REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick, Patty Smyth, Bette Midler, Belinda Carlisle, and many others. Lauper also went on to record their song "I Drove All Night," which made the Top 10 for her in both the U.S. and U.K. in 1989 and was then a posthumous U.K. Top 10 hit for Roy Orbison in 1992. It has also been covered by acts including Celine Dion. The pair's song "Alone" was also cut by Dion, but not before Heart had taken it to No. 1 for three weeks in 1987 in the U.S. as well as reaching the U.K. top five. In the late 80s and early 90s, Steinberg & Kelly established successful collaborations with Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles, and Christina Amphlett & Mark McEntee of the Divinyls. The team of Steinberg, Kelly & Hoffs wrote many songs together, including the classic, Bangles' hits, "Eternal Flame" and "In Your Room." Steinberg, Kelly & Hoffs also wrote "My Side Of The Bed," which was the first single (and Top 40 hit) from Hoffs' solo debut album in 1991. The teaming of Steinberg & Kelly with the Divinyls led to several cuts together, including the group's provocative, Top 10 hit, "I Touch Myself," in 1991. "I Touch Myself" was later featured in "Austin Powers: Man Of Mystery." Having written separately for Pat Benatar, together they penned "Sex As A Weapon" for her 1985 album Seven The Hard Way, while other notable songs created by the duo include "I Touch Myself," a transatlantic Top 10 hit for Divinyls written with the band's Christina Amphlett and Mark McEntee, "Spirit Of Love" (recorded by Laura Branigan) and "Look Me In The Heart" (Tina Turner). Steinberg and Kelly enjoyed a long and fruitful songwriting partnership with Chrissie Hynde and her band The Pretenders, most notably creating the hit single "I'll Stand By You," which was on the 1994 album Last Of The Independents and a decade later topped the U.K. singles chart for Girls Aloud. They also contributed to The Pretenders' next two albums, Viva El Amor and Loose Screw. As Tom Kelly moved away from songwriting, Steinberg went on to work with a series of other writers, including Rick Nowels, most notably penning with Marie-Claire D'Ubaldo the song "Falling To You," which became a U.K. Top 10 hit for Celine Dion in 1996. Steinberg also wrote with producer Josh Alexander, including them collaborating with The Veronicas' Jessica and Lisa Origliasso for the group's debut album The Secret Life Of..., as well as writing for acts include JoJo, Demi Lovato, Katharine McPhee, Nicole Scherzinger, t.A.T.u. and Ashley Tisdae.
"JUST ONE KISS"
You look a little lonely, boy, a little blue. SOURCES: ¹—Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, Sony/ATV Music Publishing ²—Special Interview: Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly Elected Into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Songwriter Universe, June 5, 2011 (Animated GIFs: http://embraceyourboing.tumblr.com/) Motion Picture Soundtrack Available on MCA/CURB Records and Cassettes (MCA/6154)
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Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly wrote a string of No. 1 hits together during the 1980s and 1990s, including "Like A Virgin," "True Colors," "So Emotional" and "Eternal Flame," but they had already individually penned songs for Pat Benatar when they were introduced at a party by her producer, Keith Olsen. "I started talking to Billy and we hit it off," Kelly recalled in a 2011 interview with Songwriter Universe about their first meeting. "Keith's manager Bob Buziak was at the party and he said that Billy and I ought to write together. Billy brought his guitar to the party, so we ended up in Keith's basement, singing and playing guitar."
