Starry Eyed Surprise Explained

Starry Eyed Surprise
Cover:	Starry Eyed Surprise.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Oakenfold
Album:	Bunkka, Happy Love Sick and Greatest Hits & Remixes
B-Side:	Mortal
Released:	^[1]
Studio:	Real Noize (UK) Real World (Box, Wiltshire, England)
Length:	3:09
Label:	Perfecto
Producer:	Paul Oakenfold Andy Gray
Chronology:	Paul Oakenfold
Prev Title:	Southern Sun
Prev Year:	2002
Next Title:	The Harder They Come
Next Year:	2003

"Starry Eyed Surprise" is a song by English record producer Oakenfold featuring vocals from Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town. The song was released on 19 August 2002 as the second single from Oakenfold's debut album, Bunkka (2002), reaching number six in the United Kingdom, number 19 in the Netherlands and New Zealand, number 21 in Ireland, and number 37 in Australia. It also reached the top 50 in Italy and the United States. It was later included on Shifty Shellshock's 2004 album Happy Love Sick and Oakenfold's 2007 album Greatest Hits & Remixes.

Content

The line "Freaky deaky, star speckles and pink butterflies", sung by Shifty Shellshock, is sung in a similar manner to that of his band's previous single, "Butterfly". The song also samples "Everybody's Talkin'" by Harry Nilsson, which is a cover version of the original by Fred Neil, hence why Neil received a songwriter credit for "Starry Eyed Surprise".

Track listings

UK CD single^[2]

1. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (single edit) – 3:09
2. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (Josh Wink re-interpretation) – 8:43
3. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (Oliver Lieb remix) – 7:52
4. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (video)

UK 12-inch single^[3]

A. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (Josh Wink re-interpretation)

B. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (Oliver Lieb remix)

UK cassette single^[4]

1. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (single edit)
2. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (Josh Wink re-interpretation)

European CD single^[5]

1. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (single edit)
2. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (Oliver Lieb remix)

Australian and New Zealand CD single^[6]

1. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (single edit) – 3:09
2. "Mortal" – 6:44
3. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (Josh Wink re-interpretation) – 8:43
4. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (Oliver Lieb remix) – 7:52
5. "Starry Eyed Surprise" (video)

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the UK CD single liner notes.^[2]

Studios

• Recorded at Real Noize (UK) and Real World (Box, Wiltshire, England)

Personnel

• Paul Oakenfold – writing, production, mixing, vocal recording
• Shifty Shellshock – writing (as Seth Binzer), vocals
• Andy Gray – writing, programming, production, mixing, engineering
• Fred Neil – writing
• Emerson Swinford – guitars
• Mark Ralph – guitars
• Jeff Turzo – additional production
• Carmen Rizzo – vocal recording
• Steve Osborne – vocal mixing
• Ed Chadwick – engineering assistant
• Michael Nash Associates – artwork design
• Matthew Donaldson – cover photography
• Anton Corbijn – Paul Oakenfold photo (back cover)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2002)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[7]	31
Ireland Dance (IRMA)^[8]	2

Year-end charts

Chart (2002)	Position
UK Singles (OCC)^[9]	125
UK Airplay (Music Week)^[10]	41
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)^[11]	70

External links

• Music Video

Notes and References

1. New Releases – For Week Starting 19 August 2002: Singles. Music Week. 31. 17 August 2002. 28 August 2021.
2. Starry Eyed Surprise. Oakenfold. 2002. UK CD single liner notes. Perfecto Records. PERF27CDS.
3. Starry Eyed Surprise. Oakenfold. 2002. UK 12-inch single sleeve. Perfecto Records. PERF27T.
4. Starry Eyed Surprise. Oakenfold. 2002. UK cassette single sleeve. Perfecto Records. PERF27MCS.
5. Starry Eyed Surprise. Oakenfold. 2002. European CD single liner notes. Perfecto Records, PIAS Recordings. PERF27CDS, 724.1027.124.
6. Starry Eyed Surprise. Oakenfold. 2002. Australian & New Zealand CD single liner notes. Festival Mushroom Records. 021142.
7. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 20. 37. 11. 7 September 2002. 12 September 2020.
8. Web site: Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 29 August 2002. GfK Chart-Track. 5 June 2019.
9. Web site: The Official UK Singles Chart 2002. UKChartsPlus. 25 November 2018.
10. Most Broadcast of 2002 – Airplay Top 50. Music Week. 31. 18 January 2003. 4 August 2023.
11. Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2002. Airplay Monitor. 10. 51. 12. 20 December 2002.