If you were anywhere near a dance floor or a car radio in 1985, you heard it. That snapping, synthetic bassline. The crisp, clean guitar scratch. And then, Renee Diggs hits that first note. Object of My Desire by Starpoint isn't just a song; it's a specific coordinate in the history of R&B where the grit of 70s funk finally shook hands with the polished neon of 80s pop.
It was everywhere.
Honestly, it’s one of those tracks that defines an era without being a "nostalgia act." While other groups were struggling to figure out how to use a Fairlight CMI or a DX7 synthesizer without sounding like a robot having a breakdown, Starpoint just... got it. They found the soul in the machine.
The Maryland Connection: How Starpoint Built a Hit
Most people think Starpoint popped out of nowhere with this hit. Not even close. This was a family affair based out of Maryland, primarily featuring the Phillips brothers—Ernesto, Orlando, Greg, and George. They’d been grinding since the late 70s. By the time they recorded the Restless album, they had already released five albums. Five!
They weren't "new" to the scene. They were veterans who were finally hungry enough—and tech-savvy enough—to pivot.
Object of My Desire was the catalyst. It peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, but on the R&B charts? It was a monster, hitting number 8 and staying in rotation for what felt like an eternity. What makes the song actually work—and I mean really work—is the tension between the electronic production and Renee Diggs' vocal performance. Renee was a powerhouse. She had this crystalline clarity that could cut through a dense mix of LinnDrum patterns and slap bass like a diamond.
Sadly, the story of the band is inextricably linked to Renee’s health. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis right as the band was hitting their commercial peak. It’s one of those "what if" scenarios in music history. If she had stayed healthy, Starpoint might have been as big as Janet Jackson or Whitney Houston. She had the range. She had the look. She definitely had the hits.
Why the Production of Object of My Desire Still Slaps
Let's talk about the sound. Seriously.
In the mid-80s, R&B was undergoing a massive shift. The "Minneapolis Sound" popularized by Prince was everywhere, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were starting to dominate the airwaves. Starpoint, working with producer Keith Diamond, managed to create something that felt contemporary to that movement but kept a foot firmly in the "group" dynamic.
- The Bassline: It’s a hybrid. You’ve got that sequenced, bouncy synth-bass that provides the floor, but it’s complemented by live-sounding flourishes that keep it from feeling stiff.
- The Hook: "You're the object of my desire / You're the one who's set my soul on fire." It’s simple. It’s catchy. It’s classic songwriting 101, but the delivery makes it feel urgent.
- The Bridge: Listen to the way the song breaks down around the three-minute mark. It’s pure 1985 energy.
I was talking to a DJ friend recently who still spins 80s nights in Brooklyn. He told me that Object of My Desire is his "litmus test" for the crowd. If they don't move when that opening synth hit drops, the night is a wash. It has this infectious tempo—around 116 BPM—which is the "sweet spot" for mid-tempo dance music. It’s not a frantic disco gallop, and it’s not a slow jam. It’s a strut.
The Keith Diamond Influence
We have to give credit to Keith Diamond. The man was on a literal heater in 1985. He was the guy behind Billy Ocean’s "Suddenly" and "Caribbean Queen." He brought that same "platinum touch" to Starpoint. He knew how to layer keyboards so they sounded expensive. Back then, "expensive" meant clean. No hiss, no mud—just pure, high-fidelity funk.
The Cultural Ripple Effect
You can hear the DNA of Object of My Desire in so many places. When you listen to early Bruno Mars or even some of the synth-heavy tracks by The Weeknd, you’re hearing the grandchildren of this specific sound. It was the bridge between the analog 70s and the digital 90s.
It’s also a staple of the "Freestyle" subgenre, even though Starpoint wasn't a Freestyle act per se. The song found a massive audience in the Latin freestyle scenes of New York and Miami because of that driving, syncopated beat. It crossed over. It didn't care about genres.
Misconceptions and Forgotten Facts
- The "One-Hit Wonder" Myth: A lot of people label Starpoint as a one-hit wonder because this was their biggest pop crossover. That's just wrong. They had several other R&B hits like "What Needs to Be Done" and "He Wanted More." They were staples of Black radio for nearly a decade.
- The Video: If you watch the music video today, it’s a time capsule. The hair, the shoulder pads, the dramatic lighting. It’s peak 80s aesthetic. It’s easy to laugh at now, but at the time, that was the height of cool.
- The Lyrics: While it’s a love song, there’s an almost obsessive quality to the lyrics. "I'm gonna keep on 'til you're mine." It’s a song about pursuit.
The Tragic Reality of the Starpoint Legacy
Renee Diggs passed away in 2005 at the age of 50. Her death came just one week after the death of Ernesto Phillips, the band’s primary songwriter and her longtime partner. It’s a heartbreaking end to a group that brought so much joy to the dance floor.
When you listen to Object of My Desire now, knowing that history, the song takes on a different weight. That "fire" she sings about? It feels more like a testament to her resilience. Despite her MS diagnosis, she continued to perform and record. She never let the illness define her voice.
How to Appreciate the Song Today
If you want to really "get" why this song matters, don't just stream the radio edit on a tiny phone speaker. Do it right.
Find the 12-inch Vocal Mix.
Back in the 80s, the 12-inch mix was where the real magic happened. These versions were built for club sound systems. The intro is longer, the drums are punchier, and the instrumental breaks allow the arrangement to breathe. You can hear the interplay between the rhythm guitar and the synth stabs much more clearly.
Actionable Steps for 80s Funk Enthusiasts
If you’re building a playlist or just want to dive deeper into this specific sound, here’s how to contextualize Object of My Desire:
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- Pair it with the right contemporaries: Queue it up alongside Ready for the World’s "Oh Sheila" and Midnight Star’s "Operator." These tracks represent the "High Tech Funk" era perfectly.
- Check out the "Restless" album in full: It’s not just a one-song album. "Restless" and "Till the End of Time" are fantastic tracks that show the band's range.
- Look for the 12-inch vinyl: If you’re a collector, the original Elektra 12-inch pressings are still relatively affordable and sound leagues better than the compressed digital remasters found on most streaming platforms.
- Watch the live performances: Hunt down old clips of them on Soul Train. Seeing the Phillips brothers play these parts live proves they weren't just "studio creations." They were a tight, rehearsed unit.
Object of My Desire remains a masterclass in 1980s R&B production. It’s a song that managed to be technically precise without losing its soul. Whether you’re a crate-digger looking for the perfect sample or just someone who wants to dance in their kitchen, Starpoint’s magnum opus still delivers the heat forty years later.