Starlight Dancer

Starlight dancer
Studio album by Kayak
Released 1977
Label Janus Records
Producer Jack Lancaster, Kayak
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Kayak chronology
The Last Encore
(1976)		 Starlight Dancer
(1977)		 Phantom of the Night
(1978)

Starlight Dancer is a 1977 album by Dutch progressive rock band Kayak. It was produced by Jack Lancaster and Kayak. It was released on the Janus label (JXS 7034).

Track Listing (North America)

Side 1

  1. "I Want You To Be Mine" - 4:46 (T. Scherpenzeel)
  2. "Ballad For A Lost Friend" - 4:14 (T. Scherpenzeel)
  3. "Turn The Tide" - 3:34 (T. Scherpenzeel)
  4. "Nothingness" - 3:56 (T. Scherpenzeel)
  5. "Still My Heart Cries For You" - 4:34 (P. Koopman)

Side 2

  1. "Starlight Dancer" - 5:03 (T. Scherpenzeel)
  2. "Love Of A Victim" - 2:48 (P. Koopman)
  3. "Land On The Water" - 2:28 (P. Koopman)
  4. "Do You Care" - 2:56 (P. Koopman)
  5. "Back To The Front" - 4:32 (T. Scherpenzeel/J. Slager)
  6. "Irene" - 4:22 (T. Scherpenzeel)

There is much confusion about this particular album. This is because the North American release is very different from the original Dutch/European release with the same title. The North American release is in fact a compilation of songs from two European Kayak LP's: The Last Encore (1976) and Starlight Dancer (1977). To add to the confusion, the American record company Janus Records used the title "Starlight Dancer", but the sleeve design of "The Last Encore".

Track Listing (Europe)

The original Dutch release of "Starlight Dancer" (released on the Vertigo label) contains the following songs:

  1. "Daughter Or Son" (T. Scherpenzeel)
  2. "Starlight Dancer" (T. Scherpenzeel)
  3. "Want You To Be Mine" (T. Scherpenzeel)
  4. "Letdown" (T. Scherpenzeel)
  5. "Irene" (T. Scherpenzeel)
  6. "Golddust" (M. Werner)
  7. "May" (T. Scherpenzeel/D. Ireland)
  8. "Turn The Tide" (T. Scherpenzeel)
  9. "Dead Bird Flies Forever" (T. Scherpenzeel)
  10. "Sweet Revenge" (T. Scherpenzeel)
  11. "Where Do We Go From Here?" (T. Scherpenzeel)

Only 2 songs of this release ("Turn The Tide" and "Starlight Dancer") were used on the North American release. "Want You To Be Mine" and "Irene" are also included, but these were in fact demo-versions, slightly different from the versions on the European LP.

Six songs on the North American LP come from the European LP "The Last Encore".

The song "Ballad For A Lost Friend" is a not included on any Kayak album at all in Europe. In the Netherlands, the song was used as a single b-side.

This LP (the European version) is the only Kayak album with members Charles Louis Schouten (drums) and Theo de Jong (bass).

The song "Golddust" is the only Max Werner-written song that Kayak recorded. This song features a guest appearance by Dutch keyboardist Rick van der Linden.

The North American LP was not released on CD.

Until july 2010, the European "Starlight Dancer" LP was not released on CD in its own right. But it was part of a double CD set called "Three Originals". That double CD exists of the complete albums "Starlight Dancer", "Phantom Of The Night" and "Periscope Life", plus the non-album bonus tracks:

  1. "Theme From "Spetters""
  2. "Ballad For A Lost Friend"
  3. "Ivory Dance"
  4. "I Want You To Be Mine" (Demo/USA version, but with different ending)
  5. "Irene" (Demo/USA version)

In july 2010, Universal/Mercury released the European album on a single CD.

Band members