Cracking Up

Song: Superstar
The song voiced by Molly Shannon's & John C. Reilly's characters (and later Christopher McDonald's) is titled "Superstar" (words and music by Leon Russell & Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett). First recorded by Rita Coolidge on the Joe Cocker "Mad Dogs And Englishmen" album released in August 1970, it was made popular by the rendition sung by Karen Carpenter of "The Carpenters" on their 1971 album "Carpenters" (arranged by Richard Carpenter after he heard Bette Midler perform the song on the "The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson"). Other well-known renditions are by "Sonic Youth", and Luther Vandross, about which Bonnie Bramlett said in interview: "I was disappointed in the Carpenters version. I guess up until Luther, Bette's was my favorite." In July 2002, Bonnie Bramlett provided her own tragic female reading on her album entitled "I'm Still the Same".