Following Grammy performance, SGF native reflects on producing Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car'

Earlier this month, David Kershenbaum sat in front of the Grammy Awards stage in awe as Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs serenaded a room full of musicians and celebrities during their duet of "Fast Car." The performance received a standing ovation and since, Chapman's original song has made its way back on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time in more than 35 years.

For Kershenbaum, a Springfield native, the last few weeks have been a full circle-type of whirlwind as "Fast Car," a song he produced with Chapman in the late '80s, has re-entered the spotlight. As of Thursday, the song was No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Last year, country musician Combs released a cover of "Fast Car" on his album, "Gettin' Old," which gained widespread success. As of Thursday, the cover was No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Combs' cover was also nominated for a Grammy this year — Best Country Solo Performance. Chris Stapleton's "White Horse" ended up taking the Grammy.

"Watching the chemistry of them looking at each other, it was a really precious experience to watch," Kershenbaum said of Chapman and Combs' performance at the Grammys. "To hear that song again and to hear them both really do a wonderful job of doing it live ... it just sounded so great."

Connecting with Chapman

Kershenbaum was in his 20s when he first met Chapman. At the time, Chapman was performing in an African drum ensemble and recording acoustic folk demos at Tufts University's radio station, according to About Tracy Chapman, a website dedicated to news about the musician. It was here where she met Brian Koppelman, son of Charles Koppelman, then-president of SBK Records.

Through mutual colleagues at SBK Records, Kershenbaum was asked if he would have any interest in visiting Chapman in New York. Working for RCA Records in Los Angeles, Kershenbaum had a knack for producing acoustic musicians. A few years prior, he had produced B. W. Stevenson's successful album, "My Maria."

Kershenbaum recalled the first few days in New York with Chapman fondly.

"They (SBX Records) had sent me a tape that had about five or six of her songs acoustically done and they were very good. Of course I loved her vocals," Kershenbaum said. "But 'Fast Car' wasn't on there. "Fast Car," she played me the second day we met at SBK (Records) ... and you can imagine, when you hear 'Fast Car' for the first time and listen to the lyrics and listen to that voice ... I was just crazy about her and I was crazy about the song. And in a couple of weeks, she was in my studio in LA and we were starting to record."

Chapman's self-titled album featuring "Fast Car" was released in 1988 and was an instant hit. Chapman performed the single at the 31st annual Grammy Awards in 1989. That night, she took home three Grammys, for Best Contemporary Folk Recording, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Fast Car" and Best New Artist.

When it came to producing the album, Kershenbaum said his priority was always keeping Chapman "right out in front." He recorded Chapman's vocals and guitars first and then recorded five different drummers and five bass guitarists playing on top of the track to see what he liked best. It was from here that Kershenbaum chose drummer Denny Fongheiser and bassist Larry Klein, who actually performed alongside Chapman and Combs at the Grammy Awards this month.

"We recorded that three piece, Tracy and those two guys, live. The vocals you hear on that first record were all done live," Kershenbaum said. "She didn't go back and punch in and use autotune and all kinds of effects and things like that to make her voice sound great. That was just her."

Kershenbaum described that recording session as an "amazing" experience.

"I was sitting there, at the controls listening, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing coming out of the speakers," Kershenbaum said. "I just felt like it was such an amazing performance and an amazing song and Tracy's voice was so pure. I didn't know at that time whether people would have the chance to hear it because music was so different. I felt like if they did, they would really connect with that song."

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Kershenbaum went on to produce two more albums with Chapman, including "Crossroads" in 1989 and "Telling Stories" in 2000.

Throughout his career, Kershenbaum has also produced albums for Duran Duran, Supertramp, Richie Havens, Peter Frampton, Laura Branigan, Kenny Loggins, Josh Kadison, Joe Jackson, Joan Baez, Graham Parker and Cat Stevens, according to his website. He also worked artists and repertoire (scouting and overseeing artistic development) for bands like The Police, Janet Jackson, The Go-Go's, The Carpenters, STYX and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.

Getting started in Springfield

Born and raised in Springfield, Kershenbaum attended Parkview High School and Drury University. When he was about 12 or 13 years old, Kershenbaum traveled to Nashville with the late Si Siman, who was the co-founder of the Ozark Jubilee radio and television shows. During the trip, Siman introduced Kershenbaum to several producers. From that moment onward, Kershenbaum was "enthralled" by the idea of producing.

For a short period of time, Kershenbaum was in a band called David and The Boys Next Door. Siman recorded a few of the band's songs, but Kershenbaum said he ultimately decided to pursue producing because "my ears were better than my voice."

Upon deciding to leave Springfield, Kershenbaum took a job at RCA Records in Chicago, where he lived and worked for about two years before transferring to the RCA Records studio in Los Angeles, where he lives today.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield native reflects on producing Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car'