{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Josephine Superstar | type = studio | artist = Phylicia Allen | cover = Josephine Superstar.jpg | alt = | released = {{start date|1978|08|05}} | recorded = | studio = Can't Stop Productions, Inc., 65 East 55th Street, New York City | genre = Disco | length = {{duration|m=32|s=5}} | label = Casablanca | producer = * Jacques Morali * Henri Belolo | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = | chronology = | misc = {{Singles | name = Josephine Superstar | type = studio | single1 = Colors | single1date = 1979 (Mexico)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/13191940-Phylicia-Allen-Colors?srsltid=AfmBOooQUUYe9X8gxtA-87W3JgHZBo7phWOxtfPd5lfrW3yUWxwi89fA|title=Colors Discography on Discogs|website=Discogs }}</ref> }} }} '''''Josephine Superstar''''' is a disco concept album by American actress Phylicia Rashad, released by Casablanca Records in 1978.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Harris |first=Larry Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ewwI7AUeb2oC&dq=%22josephine+superstar%22&pg=PA282 |title=And Party Every Day: The Inside Story of Casablanca Records |date=2009 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |isbn=978-0-87930-982-4 |language=en |quote=Catalog #: NBLP7108. Album: Josephine Superstar. Artist: Phylicia Allen.}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3N4aAQAAMAAJ&q=%22josephine+superstar%22 |title=Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series: Commercial prints and labels. Part 11B |date=1978 |publisher=Library of Congress, Copyright Office |language=en }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Aletti |first=Vince |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tSAKAQAAMAAJ&q=%22josephine+superstar%22 |title=The Disco Files 1973-78: New York's Underground, Week by Week |date=2009 |publisher=DJhistory.com |isbn=978-0-9561896-0-8 |language=en |quote=Phylicia Allen's musical biography of Josephine Baker, "Josephine Superstar" (Casablanca)}}</ref> It is a musical biography, dedicated to Josephine Baker,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Aletti |first=Vince |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tSAKAQAAMAAJ&q=%22josephine+superstar%22 |title=The Disco Files 1973-78: New York's Underground, Week by Week |date=2009 |publisher=DJhistory.com |isbn=978-0-9561896-0-8 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jordan |first=John H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cTwLAgAAQBAJ&dq=%22josephine+superstar%22&pg=PA439 |title=Black Americans 17th Century to 21st Century |date=November 2013 |publisher=Trafford Publishing |isbn=978-1-4907-1732-6 |pages=439 |language=en |quote=In 1978, she released the album Josephine Superstar, a disco Concept album telling the life story of Josephine Baker.}}</ref> detailing Baker's life as she runs away from home and finds fame and love in St. Louis, Broadway, and eventually Paris.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jeffery |first=Alex |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rd0sEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22josephine+superstar%22&pg=PA18 |title=Donna Summer's Once Upon a Time |date=2021-05-06 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-5013-5548-6 |language=en |quote=Curiously, Morali's 1978 concept album about Josephine Baker (Josephine Superstar, sung by later Cosby show star Phylicia Allen) charts the reverse march eastwards [as compared to Village People's Go West], as Baker passes through "St. Louis" and "Broadway," en route to success and infamy in Paris.}}</ref> It was performed by Rashad, and produced by Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ICQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22josephine+superstar%22&pg=PT47 |title=Billboard |date=1978-09-16 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media |volume=90 #37 |language=en}}</ref>
It was Rashad's only album, and was created during her brief marriage to Village People lead vocalist Victor Willis.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shapiro |first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hT86CQAAQBAJ&dq=%22josephine+superstar%22&pg=PT270 |title=Turn the Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco |date=2015-06-23 |publisher=Macmillan + ORM |isbn=978-1-4668-9412-9 |language=en}}</ref>
Village People<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Randy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qpDDEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22josephine+superstar%22&pg=PA91 |title=Macho Man: The Disco Era and Gay America's Coming Out |last2=Bego |first2=Mark |date=2008-12-30 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-0-275-99963-6 |pages=91–92 |language=en |quote=During Victor and Phylicia's short marriage, from 1978-80, Phylicia actually recorded an album, Josephine Superstar, for which Village People contributed background vocals. She also was the opening act for several of the early Village People concerts.}}</ref> and The Ritchie Family<ref>{{Citation |title=Phylicia Allen - Josephine Superstar |date=1978 |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/204215-Phylicia-Allen-Josephine-Superstar |access-date=2025-02-13 |language=en}}</ref> contributed background vocals.
== Production == The album was produced by Morali and Benlolo's Can't Stop Productions, Inc. (then located at 65 East 55th Street, New York City) with Sigma Sound Studios.<ref name=":1" />
{{External media|title=External videos|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3mMj2RhjQI Phylicia Allen: Josephine Superstar, Full Album and Televised Performances (1978)]}}
Album photography was done by John Galluzzi, who also photographed contemporaneous album covers such as Village People's ''Macho Man'' and The Ritchie Family's ''African Queens''.<ref name=":0"/>
The prologue states Rashad's intentions for the album:<blockquote>My name is Phylicia Allen. It gives me great honor to dedicate this album to the first Black female international star, Miss Josephine Baker. May her spirit live forever.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3mMj2RhjQI |title=Phylicia Allen: Josephine Superstar [Full Album + Bonus] (1978) |date=2023-02-04 |last=Søren Jensen |access-date=2025-02-13 |via=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>
== Track listing == {{Tracklist | headline = | total_length = | title1 = Prologue | length1 = 0:29 | title2 = St. Louis | length2 = 3:48 | title3 = Broadway | length3 = 2:48 | title4 = Star of Paris | length4 = 4:12 | title5 = Around the World | length5 = 4:38 | title6 = Two Loves Have I (J'ai Deux Amours) | length6 = 4:15 | title7 = Josephine Superstar | length7 = 3:20 | title8 = Colors | length8 = 4:05 | title9 = Don't Cry Mommy | length9 = 4:26 }}[[File:Baker Harcourt 1940 2.jpg|thumb|162x162px|Dancer, singer, and civil rights activist Josephine Baker, the subject of the album.]] == Release and reception == The album was released on August 5, 1978.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title="Josephine Superstar (LP)" |url=https://www.racpro.com/song.php?sid=75037 |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=www.racpro.com}}</ref> It peaked on August 19, 1978 at #28,<ref name=":2" /> running for 5 weeks on the Dance Club Songs chart. During its peak day, it was superseded by contemporary chart-toppers such as "Dance (Disco Heat)" by Sylvester (#1), "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste of Honey (#4), "Last Dance" by Donna Summer (#5), "In The Bush" by Musique (#6), "Miss You" by The Rolling Stones (#8), "American Generation" by The Ritchie Family (#19), and "You Got Me Running" by Lenny Williams (#25).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dance Club 1978-08-19 |url=https://www.racpro.com/grid.php?pid=3&wk=1978-08-19&type=d |website=RacPro, a deluxe music chart archive}}</ref>
== Personnel ==
* Phylicia Rashad – lead vocalist * Jacques Morali – producer; arrangement of rhythm, percussion, and vocals * Henri Benlolo – executive producer * Victor Willis – arrangement of vocals * Alfonso Carey – bass * Nathaniel "Crocket" Wilke – clavinetthumb|171x171px|Baker's banana outfit, on which the album cover is based. * Errol "Crusher" Bennett – congas * Russell Dabney – drums * Jimmy Lee – lead guitar * Rodger Lee – rhythm guitar * Peter Whitehead – percussion * The Ritchie Family – backing vocals * Village People – backing vocals * John Galluzzi – photography
== Legacy == In 1989, as-yet-unidentified song(s) appeared in the revue ''Phylicia Rashad & Co.''<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zNFkAAAAMAAJ&q=%22josephine+superstar%22 |title=Motion Picture Almanac |date=2003 |publisher=Quigley Publishing Company |isbn=978-0-900610-71-4 |language=en |quote=Jospehine Superstar (1979). Conceived (with Michael Peters) and appeared in revue Phylicia Rashad & Co. in 1989 in Las Vegas.}}</ref> in Las Vegas, Nevada, which featured the actress and her costar Bill Cosby.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McDougal |first=Dennis |date=1990-03-04 |title=Mom and Dad Huxtable Do Vegas : A showroom act by Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad is part of the gaming resort's wooing of families |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-03-04-ca-2830-story.html |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|1970s|Music }}
* ''Rasputin'', a 1978 Boney M. disco song detailing the life of a historical figure * ''Dschinghis Khan'', a 1979 disco song also detailing the life of a historical figure * ''The Cosby Show'', on which Phylicia Rashad later starred as Clair Huxtable
== References == <references /> Category:Disco albums Category:1978 albums Category:American disco songs Category:1970s concept albums