The Star (Ross D. Wyllie song) explained

The Star
Artist:Ross D. Wyllie
B-Side:Do the Uptight
Recorded:1969
Studio:ATV-0, Melbourne
Genre:Pop
Length:3:29
Label:Festival
Producer:Bob Foster
Prev Title:Funny Man
Prev Year:1969
Next Title:My Little Girl
Next Year:1970

"The Star" or "(Here Comes) The Star" is a single by Australian pop music singer Ross D. Wyllie, released in September 1969. Written by Johnny Young and produced by Bob Foster for Festival. It reached number one on the Go-Set National Top 40. It was covered by British pop group, Herman's Hermits, as "Here Comes the Star", in November, which reached No. 33 on the UK singles chart.

Background

"The Star" was released by Ross D. Wyllie in September 1969.[1] Wyllie was the presenter of pop music TV show, Uptight, since October 1967, which was broadcast on ATV-0, Melbourne.[2] He had issued singles both as a solo artist and as front man for the Uptight Party Team. He had a No. 17 hit on Go-Set's National Top 40in July 1969, with his cover of Ray Stevens' 1963 song, "Funny Man".[3] [4] His next single, "The Star", is written by singer-songwriter Johnny Young,[5] who was associated with Uptight.[6] Young had previously written two number-one hits, "The Real Thing" and "The Girl That I Love" (both 1969), for another singer, Russell Morris.[7]

Wyllie's version of "The Star" was arranged by John Farrar and produced by Bob Foster for Festival[8] – the latter also produced Uptight.[9] "The Star" peaked at number one on the Go-Set National Top 40.[10] It was also released in the United States in November 1969.[11] At the 1969 King of Pop Awards, which were presented during an Uptight episode in that month, Wyllie was a contender for King of Pop alongside Morris but both lost out to Johnny Farnham.[12] [13] Australian musician and music critic Robert Forster, praised three of the best late 1960s pop stars "Pop singing is an art... it was cathedral-sized: listen to Normie Rowe sing 'It's Not Easy', or [Wyllie] 'The Star', or Colleen Hewett 'Superstar'".[14]

Wyllie was presented with a gold record, in 2003, for shipment of 35000 units of "(Here Comes) The Star".[15] When the song's writer, Young, was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2010, by his former Young Talent Time cast mate, Tina Arena, she performed a rendition of "The Star".[16] [17]

Track listing

7" Single

Herman's Hermits version

Here Comes the Star
Artist:Herman's Hermits
Album:The Most of Herman's Hermits
B-Side:It's Alright Now
Recorded:1969
Genre:Pop
Length:3:23
Label:Columbia
Prev Title:My Sentimental Friend
Prev Year:1969
Next Title:Years May Come, Years May Go
Next Year:1970

British pop group, Herman's Hermits, had formed in Manchester in 1964 and provided their cover version of "The Star" as "Here Comes the Star", in November 1969, which reached No. 33 on the UK singles chart.[19] The line-up of the group in 1969 comprised Peter Noone on lead vocals, Keith Hopwood on rhythm guitar and vocals, Karl Green on bass guitar and vocals, Derek Leckenby on lead guitar and Barry Whitwam on drums. Their previous single, "My Sentimental Friend" (April 1969) had reached No. 2 in the UK, No.3 in Australia and No.6 in New Zealand.[20] [21]

Track listing

7" Single

Herman's Hermits (November 1969) – Columbia

Charts

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ross D. Wyllie . 10 May 2024 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20040419034625/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=795 . 19 April 2004 . dmy-all . McFarlane . Ian . Ian McFarlane . . Worldwide Home of Australasian Music and More Online (WHAMMO) .
  2. Web site: MilesAgo - The Almanac - 1967 . Duncan . Kimball . MilesAgo . 2004 . . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20100316061817/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/35967/20100315-0848/www.milesago.com/almanac/1967-3.html . 25 March 2008 . 10 May 2024 .
  3. News: Go-Set National Top 40 with Ed Nimmervoll . Nimmervoll . Ed . Ed Nimmervoll . . Waverley Press . 19 July 1969 . 20 November 2010 .
  4. Web site: Ross D. Wyllie – 'Funny Man' . Pop Archives - Where did they get that song? . Lyn . Nuttal . 10 May 2024 .
  5. Web site: APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society) . Song Catalogue Search Results for 'Star (Here Comes The)' . 10 May 2024 .
  6. Web site: Ross D. Wyllie – 'The Star' (1969) . Pop Archives - Where did they get that song? . Lyn . Nuttall . 2024 . 10 May 2024 .
  7. 'Does the meaning mean a thing?' Johnny Young's Hit Songs of the 60s–70s – DRO . Nichols . David . 2006 . 24 . ACH: The Journal of the History of Culture in Australia . Routledge . 163–84 . 10536/DRO/DU:30003708. 0728-8433 . 1-92084-525-9 .
  8. Web site: Wyllie, Ross D . Ross D. Wyllie . 'The Star' : 'Do the Uptight' . 1969 . . 10 May 2024 .
  9. Web site: Uptight . Australian Television Memorabilia Guide . Nodette Enterprises Pty Ltd . 2009 . 10 May 2024 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180120070239/http://www.tvmem.com/OZST/tv/U/UPTIGHT/UPTIGHT.html . 20 January 2018 . dmy .
  10. News: Go-Set National Top 40 with Ed Nimmervoll . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . Waverley Press . 15 November 1969 . 10 May 2024 .
  11. News: On Air with Radio DJ . . 12 . 23 . 14 November 1969 . 10 May 2024 . 15 . National Library of Australia .
  12. News: King of Pop . Now . 27 . Potts Point, NSW . 5 November 1969 . 10 May 2024 . 2 . National Library of Australia .
  13. News: For the King of Pop, a Celebration . Roslyn . Ross . . 38 . 7 . 15 July 1970 . 10 May 2024 . 3 . National Library of Australia . Photo caption: Well-known pop personality Ross D. Wylie and his wife, Eileen, were guests..
  14. What’s the Difference Between a Rock Star and a Pop Star? . Robert . Forster . Robert Forster (musician) . . November 2014 . National Library of Australia . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20161222132048/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/158378/20161223-0001/www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2014/november/1416806997/robert-forster/what-s-difference-between-rock-star-and-pop-star.html . 23 December 2016 . 10 May 2024 .
  15. Web site: Christie Eliezer – Business News : Oldies but Goldies #2: Ross D. Wyllie . Christie . Eliezer . . 2 September 2003 . National Library of Australia . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20050228235536/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/10761/20050228-0000/www.themusic.com.au/im_m/archive/2003/030902_370_eliezer.html . 1 March 2005 . 10 May 2024 .
  16. Web site: The Church, Models, Johmmy Young, John Williamson, The Loved Ones for Hall of Fame . Music, News, Entertainment . Cashmere . Paul . Undercover (Cashmere Media Pty Ltd) . 26 September 2010 . 27 September 2010 . https://archive.today/20130115011424/http://undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=12022_The_Church,_Models,_Johnny_Young,_John_Williamson,_The_Loved_Ones_For_Hall_of_Fame . 15 January 2013 . dead .
  17. News: Old talent time: ARIA honours music legends . Australian Association Press (AAP) . Australian Associated Press . Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) . 28 October 2010 . 28 October 2010 .
  18. Web site: APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society) . Song Catalogue Search Results for 'Do the Uptight' . 10 May 2024 .
  19. Book: Roberts, David . 2006 . British Hit Singles & Albums . 19th . Guinness World Records Limited . London . 1-904994-10-5 . 251 .
  20. Web site: Go-Set Australian charts - 18 August 1969. www.poparchives.com.au.
  21. Web site: Herman's Hermits (search). Flavour of New Zealand.
  22. Web site: APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society) . Song Catalogue Search Results for 'It's Alright Now' . 10 May 2024 .

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