Telstar (song)
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"Telstar" was a 1962 instrumental record by The Tornados. It was the first record by a British group to go to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It is named for the AT&T communications satellite Telstar. It was written and produced by Joe Meek and featured a clavioline.
The name and sound of this novelty record was intended to invoke the dawn of the space age, with sound effects meant to sound "space-like". A story common when the number was first a hit said that the distortions and background noise on the record was from sending the signal up to the Telstar satellite and then re-recording it back on earth, but it actually seems to have been done in the recording studio. More plausible stories say that the sounds intended to symbolize radio signals were actually produced by Meek by running a pen around the rim of an ashtray, and the "rocket blastoff" was a flushing a toilet, in both cases the recordings of mundane sounds made to sound exotic by playing the tape in reverse at various speeds.
The tune was a hit quickly after its release on August 17, 1962, staying the UK pop charts for twenty-five weeks, five of them at number one, and in the USA charts for sixteen weeks. It is also a favourite of the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher [1], and chosen by her on her appearance on BBC radio show Desert Island Discs.
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[edit] Production details
People involved
- Joe Meek: composer, producer
- The Tornados: Clem Cattini (drums), Alan Caddy (lead guitar), Roger LaVern (additional keyboards), George Bellamy (rhythm guitar), Heinz Burt (bass)
- Geoff Goddard: Clavioline (on both sides), plus subtle vocals towards the end of Telstar
- Dave Adams: transcription of Meek's composition recording
Studio: RGM Sound, 304 Holloway Road, London, England
[edit] Cover versions
In 1962, Joe Meek recorded a vocal version of his song: "Magic Star" by Kenny Hollywood, and there were numerous other artists who recorded "Telstar".
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[edit] Original editions
- UK: "Telstar" (Meek) b/w "Jungle Fever" (Goddard) (Decca F11494, August 17, 1962)
- USA: The Tornadoes: "Telstar" (Meek) b/w "Jungle Fever" (Goddard) (London Lon 9561, 1962)
- France: "Telstar" (Meek) b/w "Jungle Fever" (Goddard) (Decca 72.009 Simple, 1962)
- West Germany: "Telstar" (Meek) b/w "Jungle Fever" (Goddard) (London 20654, 1962)
| Preceded by "Big Girls Don't Cry" by The Four Seasons |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single (The Tornados version) December 22, 1962 |
Succeeded by "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence |
[edit] Trivia
In the movie The Prophecy 3: The Ascent, the angel Gabriel, played by Christopher Walken, plays trumpet to this song while driving on the highway.
