Shooting Star (band)
Encyclopedia
Shooting Star is a rock
band from Kansas City
, Missouri
.
The band formed in the late 1970s. After quickly gaining enormous popularity in the Kansas City area, Shooting Star became the first American group to sign with Virgin Records
. They recorded their 1979 debut album in England with legendary producer Gus Dudgeon
, best known for his work with Elton John
and David Bowie
. The band gained national exposure when a number of songs garnered moderate air-play on album-oriented rock
radio stations in the US.
The initial lineup was: Van McLain on guitar and vocals; Charles Waltz on violin, keyboards and vocals; Bill Guffey on keyboards; Gary West on guitar and vocals; Ron Verlin on bass, and Steve Thomas on drums.
In February 1964, when the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, they, like so many other kids around the country, were hooked and they drove their parents crazy begging to take guitar lessons. They put a band together with their brothers, Craig McLain and John Verlin, and played along to Beatles records in Ron's dad's garage. Two years later, Van and Craig moved to a different school district and the band split up.
Upon entering Shawnee Mission South High School, Van and Ron met up again. With the '50s nostalgia craze of 1971 brewing, they jumped at the opportunity to put together a band that played classic '50s hits. After seeing Sha Na Na
in the movie Woodstock
, they added three dancers to the act and called the band The Shooting Stars featuring The Galaxies, the name inspired by Bill Haley & His Comets
. The band played its first gig at a local school. Sock hops were so popular they received offers over the next three years to play frat parties, country clubs and schools throughout the Midwest.
, England
to shop their songs for a record deal. They left on January 6, 1975 and after three weeks of shopping their music to different record labels, they were offered a recording contract with Arista Records
.
Upon signing, The Shooting Stars were then given the opportunity to play a showcase performance at the legendary Marquee Club
in London. The club was the birthplace of such bands as The Rolling Stones
, The Who
, Rod Stewart
and the Faces
, Led Zeppelin
, Elton John
and many others. The band then made their way to Morgan Studios
to record their first single, Take the Money & Run. Shortly after this record was cut, Steve Miller
released his song Take the Money & Run, which became a huge hit. Arista Records released The Shooting Stars from their contract and they returned to Kansas City.
In 1976 the band persuaded fellow musician Gary West (born Gary Hodgden) to join them as a singer and songwriting partner for Van. Gary, with his brother Ron West, had been a member of the premier Kansas City rock band of the '60s, The Chesmann Square. After The Chesmann dissolved in 1974, Ron West formed the band Missouri and Gary West moved with the Chesmann's lead guitarist Jim McAllister to New York City. There they formed the group The Beckies with songwriter Michael Brown, formerly of the group The Left Banke
, and former Kansas Citian Scott Trusty. The Beckies released one album on Sire Records. Upon Gary's return to Kansas City, he and Van began songwriting in earnest.
In 1977, they shortened their name to Shooting Star. And with Ron Verlin on bass, they added Steve Thomas on drums, Bill Guffey on keyboards and Charles Waltz on violin, keyboards and vocals. They started recording demos in Gary's garage, all the while playing gigs around the Midwest. After saving enough money and putting a press kit together, they tried to secure another record deal in New York City. Through connections that Gary had made while a member of The Beckies, the band booked a showcase at the now infamous punk rock club CBGB's. The representative for a New York management firm was in the crowd that night and offered them a contract. With a management deal, Shooting Star returned to Kansas City to continue writing new material.
, Virgin Records
and A&M Records
, made offers to sign the band. Virgin, then a small British record label, prevailed. The label was looking for a rock group to break into the US market, and Shooting Star became the first American band on their roster.
In May 1979 the band returned to London to record their eponymous debut album with producer Gus Dudgeon
of Elton John
fame. The album Shooting Star was released in January 1980, and the band embarked on a national tour opening for Robin Trower
and Triumph
. With their debut the band gained popularity with the songs "You Got What I Need," "Tonight," "Bring It On" and "Last Chance." "Wild In the Streets", a B-side release, was a staple of live show encores; the song was eventually released on CD as a bonus track.
With radio success, Shooting Star returned to the studio in 1981 to record Hang on for Your Life
with producer Dennis McKay. The album generated FM airplay with the songs "Flesh and Blood," "Breakout," "Hollywood" and the title track. In support the album, the band toured extensively with ZZ Top
, Cheap Trick
, Todd Rundgren
, Jefferson Starship
and Journey
. They appeared on the radio shows Rock Line, King Biscuit Flower Hour
(KBFH), The Source
and Westwood One
. They also began headlining showcase clubs across the United States, setting attendance records as they went.
In 1982 the band began recording their third album, III Wishes, at the legendary Caribou Ranch
studio near Boulder, Colorado
. At the helm was Journey producer Kevin Elson
. Without missing a beat, they returned to touring with such acts as REO Speedwagon
, John Mellencamp
, Jefferson Starship
, Kansas
and others.
1983 saw their continued collaboration with Kevin Elson on their fourth album, Burning. This record produced radio hits "Straight Ahead," "Winner" and "Train Rolls On." After touring in support of this record, the band experienced the departure of bassist Ron Verlin, who had become disenchanted with the music industry.
In 1984 bassist Norm Dahlor was recruited to take over for Ron, and the band began to record their fifth album, Silent Scream, with producer Ron Nevison
. It was released in 1985 and produced the radio hit "Summer Sun." After completing this record, the band was asked to record two songs for the movie soundtrack Up the Creek. The songs were "Get Ready Boy" and "Take It." Van, Norm and Steve were also the backing band on Ian Hunter
's single "Great Expectations." The band then toured with Heart
, Bryan Adams
and ZZ Top
.
In July 1989, V&R Records, the band's own label, acquired the rights to release The Best of Shooting Star. This release marked the first time that any Shooting Star record appeared on CD and included two previously unreleased songs, "Christmas Together," a 1985 single which had been played on Kansas City radio, and "Touch Me Tonight," a new song by Van which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100
at #67. Enigma Records, a heavy metal label that was starting to acquire more mainstream artists, bought the rights to the album and retitled it "Touch Me Tonight: The Best of Shooting Star." In the November 4, 1989 issue of Billboard, the album secured a trivial place in rock music history by becoming the first album to reach that magazine's pop albums chart without being available in a vinyl record format.
The band also released the first two albums on one CD called Shooting Star/Hang on for Your Life; it omitted two songs from the albums ("Stranger" and "Sweet Elatia"). This CD became a collectible until the release of the band's entire catalog on CD.
. Returning to the group were original members Ron Verlin and Van McLain. Charles Waltz was originally slated to rejoin but had moved to California and was busy with another band, Toledo Waltz, while Gary West had left the music business entirely. Steve Thomas had played drums on "Touch Me Tonight" but was not able to return to music full-time. To fill out the band, McLain and Verlin recruited Dennis Laffoon on keyboards, Rod Lincoln on drums and vocalist Keith Mitchell. In Los Angeles, the band made a video for "Touch Me Tonight." It received extensive airplay on MTV
, making their request chart, and rose to #67 on the Billboard Hot 100
. This was the highest charting single of the band's career. The song also appeared in the Dolph Lundgren
movie I Come in Peace
.
In 1991 the band released their sixth effort, It's Not Over. During the recording of this project, Enigma Records went bankrupt and the group decided to finish it on their own. Released on their own V & R label, the album received critical acclaim throughout Europe and helped broaden the Shooting Star audience. After the album's release, Ron Verlin was replaced on bass by Eric Johnson (not the famous guitarist) and the band toured with Bad English
, Bryan Adams
and 38 Special. After selling about 10,000 copies of It's Not Over, the group was contacted by JRS Records (whose parent company was SCS Music), which agreed to take over distribution of the album nationally. But the group became dissatisfied with JRS, claiming they did very little to promote the album, and filed a lawsuit against them on October 14, 1992 in Johnson County, Kansas
District Court.
By 1993, disappointed over the collapse of Enigma, the JRS fiasco, and the general decline in popularity of classic rock music, the band went into semi-retirement. They resurfaced each year to play occasional concerts, with Verlin back on bass. In 1997, the violin became a part of their sound again with the addition of violinist Terry Brock. Brock had performed as a background vocalist and keyboardist with Kansas
on their Drastic Measures
tour.
In 1998, after recovering from a battle with esophageal
cancer, Van was asked to perform at a cancer benefit concert in Chicago. On stage were members of Night Ranger
, Cheap Trick
, Survivor
and 38 Special. Van received a heartfelt response from the fans and his friends on stage, which rekindled interest in playing again. Upon returning home from the show, he began writing songs and contemplated recording them.
In the summer of 1999, while vacationing in Nashville
, Tennessee
, Van was reunited with producer/engineer Kevin Beamish. Among many others, Kevin's list of credits include REO Speedwagon
, Jefferson Starship
, Elton John
and Clint Black
. Kevin and Van had met 20 years earlier while Shooting Star was recording its first album. At that time, Kevin was a young engineer for Gus Dudgeon. Out of this chance meeting grew the plans to record and release Shooting Star's seventh album, Leap of Faith. The recording took place at Sound Stage Studios in Nashville, Tennessee from December 1999 through February 2000.
Shane Michaels joined as the band's new violinist in May 2000, replacing Christian Howes (1999–2000), who had replaced Terry Brock. Original drummer Steve Thomas returned to the fold in 2004 and singer Keith Mitchell left in the summer of 2005 after reported voice problems. In 2006, the group released the album Circles with Kevin Chalfant
(ex-member of 707
and The Storm
) handling the lead vocals. He was replaced in 2007 by Ronnie Platt. Violinist Shane Michaels left the band in June 2008 to concentrate on another project, Flannigan's Right Hook, and was replaced by Janet Jameson. Bassist Ron Verlin, who'd left the group twice before (in 1984 and 1991), has taken temporary leaves of absence since his return in 1994. Dennis Laffoon covers the bass parts on keyboards when Verlin is not available to tour.
Original keyboardist Bill Guffey (William Guffey III) died on April 12, 2007.
The band's current lineup is Ronnie Platt (lead vocals), Van McLain (vocals, guitar), Janet Jameson (violin, backing vocals), Dennis Laffoon (keyboards, backing vocals), Ron Verlin (bass) and Steve Thomas (drums).
Former members
Live albums
Compilation albums
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band from Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
The band formed in the late 1970s. After quickly gaining enormous popularity in the Kansas City area, Shooting Star became the first American group to sign with Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. They recorded their 1979 debut album in England with legendary producer Gus Dudgeon
Gus Dudgeon
Angus Boyd Dudgeon , most commonly known as Gus Dudgeon was an English record producer, most notable for production of many of Elton John's recordings.-Early career:...
, best known for his work with Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
. The band gained national exposure when a number of songs garnered moderate air-play on album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
radio stations in the US.
The initial lineup was: Van McLain on guitar and vocals; Charles Waltz on violin, keyboards and vocals; Bill Guffey on keyboards; Gary West on guitar and vocals; Ron Verlin on bass, and Steve Thomas on drums.
Early history
The Shooting Star story began one winter day in 1960 when 5-year-old Ron Verlin moved into 5-year-old Van McLain's neighborhood in suburban Kansas City. They were next-door neighbors and instantly became good friends.In February 1964, when the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, they, like so many other kids around the country, were hooked and they drove their parents crazy begging to take guitar lessons. They put a band together with their brothers, Craig McLain and John Verlin, and played along to Beatles records in Ron's dad's garage. Two years later, Van and Craig moved to a different school district and the band split up.
Upon entering Shawnee Mission South High School, Van and Ron met up again. With the '50s nostalgia craze of 1971 brewing, they jumped at the opportunity to put together a band that played classic '50s hits. After seeing Sha Na Na
Sha Na Na
Sha Na Na is an American rock and roll group. The name is taken from a part of the long series of nonsense syllables in the doo-wop hit song "Get a Job", originally recorded in 1957 by the Silhouettes....
in the movie Woodstock
Woodstock (film)
Woodstock is a 1970 American documentary on the Woodstock Festival that took place in August 1969 at Bethel in New York. Entertainment Weekly called this film the benchmark of concert movies and one of the most entertaining documentaries ever made...
, they added three dancers to the act and called the band The Shooting Stars featuring The Galaxies, the name inspired by Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of...
. The band played its first gig at a local school. Sock hops were so popular they received offers over the next three years to play frat parties, country clubs and schools throughout the Midwest.
Off to England
By 1974, Van began serious songwriting. The band decided to stop playing cover songs and perform their own music. Later that year, they recorded a four-song demo tape and planned a trip to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to shop their songs for a record deal. They left on January 6, 1975 and after three weeks of shopping their music to different record labels, they were offered a recording contract with Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
.
Upon signing, The Shooting Stars were then given the opportunity to play a showcase performance at the legendary Marquee Club
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
in London. The club was the birthplace of such bands as The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
and the Faces
Faces (band)
Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and many others. The band then made their way to Morgan Studios
Morgan Studios
Morgan Studios, also known as Morgan Sound Studios, were recording studios in Willesden, North London. The studios were notable for many recordings of the 1960s and 1970s by many British bands and artists such as Ten Years After, Yes, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Joan Armatrading, Cat...
to record their first single, Take the Money & Run. Shortly after this record was cut, Steve Miller
Steve Miller (musician)
Steven H. "Steve" Miller is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more popular-oriented sound which, from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, resulted in a series of successful singles and albums.-Early years:Born in Milwaukee,...
released his song Take the Money & Run, which became a huge hit. Arista Records released The Shooting Stars from their contract and they returned to Kansas City.
In 1976 the band persuaded fellow musician Gary West (born Gary Hodgden) to join them as a singer and songwriting partner for Van. Gary, with his brother Ron West, had been a member of the premier Kansas City rock band of the '60s, The Chesmann Square. After The Chesmann dissolved in 1974, Ron West formed the band Missouri and Gary West moved with the Chesmann's lead guitarist Jim McAllister to New York City. There they formed the group The Beckies with songwriter Michael Brown, formerly of the group The Left Banke
The Left Banke
The Left Banke is an American baroque pop band that formed in New York City in 1965 and disbanded in 1969. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina"...
, and former Kansas Citian Scott Trusty. The Beckies released one album on Sire Records. Upon Gary's return to Kansas City, he and Van began songwriting in earnest.
In 1977, they shortened their name to Shooting Star. And with Ron Verlin on bass, they added Steve Thomas on drums, Bill Guffey on keyboards and Charles Waltz on violin, keyboards and vocals. They started recording demos in Gary's garage, all the while playing gigs around the Midwest. After saving enough money and putting a press kit together, they tried to secure another record deal in New York City. Through connections that Gary had made while a member of The Beckies, the band booked a showcase at the now infamous punk rock club CBGB's. The representative for a New York management firm was in the crowd that night and offered them a contract. With a management deal, Shooting Star returned to Kansas City to continue writing new material.
Virgin Records
Six months later, in 1978, the band's management arranged for them to play another showcase at the famous New York club Tracks. Three record companies, Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
and A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, made offers to sign the band. Virgin, then a small British record label, prevailed. The label was looking for a rock group to break into the US market, and Shooting Star became the first American band on their roster.
In May 1979 the band returned to London to record their eponymous debut album with producer Gus Dudgeon
Gus Dudgeon
Angus Boyd Dudgeon , most commonly known as Gus Dudgeon was an English record producer, most notable for production of many of Elton John's recordings.-Early career:...
of Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
fame. The album Shooting Star was released in January 1980, and the band embarked on a national tour opening for Robin Trower
Robin Trower
Robin Leonard Trower , known professionally as Robin Trower, is an English rock guitarist who achieved success with Procol Harum during the 1960s, and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio.-Biography:...
and Triumph
Triumph (band)
Triumph is a Canadian hard rock power trio that was popular in the late 1970s through the 1980s. Eight of the band's albums were certified gold or higher, and Triumph was nominated for multiple Juno Awards, including Group of the Year Award in 1979, 1985, 1986 and 1987.Like their fellow Canadians...
. With their debut the band gained popularity with the songs "You Got What I Need," "Tonight," "Bring It On" and "Last Chance." "Wild In the Streets", a B-side release, was a staple of live show encores; the song was eventually released on CD as a bonus track.
With radio success, Shooting Star returned to the studio in 1981 to record Hang on for Your Life
Hang on for Your Life
Hang On For Your Life is a 1981 album by the group Shooting Star. The song Flesh And Blood featured a violin solo, an unusual sound in an up-tempo rock song...
with producer Dennis McKay. The album generated FM airplay with the songs "Flesh and Blood," "Breakout," "Hollywood" and the title track. In support the album, the band toured extensively with ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
, Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
, Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
, Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
and Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
. They appeared on the radio shows Rock Line, King Biscuit Flower Hour
King Biscuit Flower Hour
The King Biscuit Flower Hour was a syndicated radio show presented by the D.I.R. Radio Network that featured concert performances by various rock artists.-History:...
(KBFH), The Source
The Source (network)
The Source was a radio network operated in the 1970s and 1980s by the NBC Radio Network, with newscasts and features focusing on 18- to 34-year-olds. The network was sold, along with the rest of NBC's radio operations, to Westwood One in August 1987...
and Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
. They also began headlining showcase clubs across the United States, setting attendance records as they went.
In 1982 the band began recording their third album, III Wishes, at the legendary Caribou Ranch
Caribou Ranch
Caribou Ranch was a recording studio built by producer James William Guercio in 1972 in a converted barn on ranch property in the Rocky Mountains near Nederland, Colorado, on the road that leads to the ghost town of Caribou...
studio near Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. At the helm was Journey producer Kevin Elson
Kevin Elson
Kevin Elson is an American record producer and engineer who is best known for his work with Europe, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mr. Big.-Albums produced:*Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd *Departure - Journey...
. Without missing a beat, they returned to touring with such acts as REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
, John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
, Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
, Kansas
Kansas (band)
Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"...
and others.
1983 saw their continued collaboration with Kevin Elson on their fourth album, Burning. This record produced radio hits "Straight Ahead," "Winner" and "Train Rolls On." After touring in support of this record, the band experienced the departure of bassist Ron Verlin, who had become disenchanted with the music industry.
In 1984 bassist Norm Dahlor was recruited to take over for Ron, and the band began to record their fifth album, Silent Scream, with producer Ron Nevison
Ron Nevison
Multi-platinum record producer Ron Nevison, throughout his career, has operated much like a surgeon, brought in during a critical point in a band's career to bring them back to the top from the commercial brink...
. It was released in 1985 and produced the radio hit "Summer Sun." After completing this record, the band was asked to record two songs for the movie soundtrack Up the Creek. The songs were "Get Ready Boy" and "Take It." Van, Norm and Steve were also the backing band on Ian Hunter
Ian Hunter (singer)
Ian Hunter Patterson is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and he again fronted them at the time of their 2009 reunion. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before Mott The Hoople, and...
's single "Great Expectations." The band then toured with Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
and ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
.
I'm getting out
In 1987, after ten years of touring and five albums, Shooting Star went on hiatus. Over the next several years fans from around the world were frustrated by not being able to find Shooting Star records, which all went out of print, while the band continued to receive radio airplay.In July 1989, V&R Records, the band's own label, acquired the rights to release The Best of Shooting Star. This release marked the first time that any Shooting Star record appeared on CD and included two previously unreleased songs, "Christmas Together," a 1985 single which had been played on Kansas City radio, and "Touch Me Tonight," a new song by Van which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at #67. Enigma Records, a heavy metal label that was starting to acquire more mainstream artists, bought the rights to the album and retitled it "Touch Me Tonight: The Best of Shooting Star." In the November 4, 1989 issue of Billboard, the album secured a trivial place in rock music history by becoming the first album to reach that magazine's pop albums chart without being available in a vinyl record format.
The band also released the first two albums on one CD called Shooting Star/Hang on for Your Life; it omitted two songs from the albums ("Stranger" and "Sweet Elatia"). This CD became a collectible until the release of the band's entire catalog on CD.
A return...with Enigma
With the success of The Best Of and fans' desire for new material, Shooting Star was offered a new recording contract with Enigma RecordsEnigma Records
Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. It was initially a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/distributor, which it split-off from in 1985 to become its own company...
. Returning to the group were original members Ron Verlin and Van McLain. Charles Waltz was originally slated to rejoin but had moved to California and was busy with another band, Toledo Waltz, while Gary West had left the music business entirely. Steve Thomas had played drums on "Touch Me Tonight" but was not able to return to music full-time. To fill out the band, McLain and Verlin recruited Dennis Laffoon on keyboards, Rod Lincoln on drums and vocalist Keith Mitchell. In Los Angeles, the band made a video for "Touch Me Tonight." It received extensive airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, making their request chart, and rose to #67 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. This was the highest charting single of the band's career. The song also appeared in the Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...
movie I Come in Peace
I Come in Peace
I Come in Peace is a 1990 science fiction action thriller feature film about a rule-breaking vice cop who becomes involved in the investigation of a number of mysterious drug-related murders on the streets of Houston, Texas. The film was directed by Craig R...
.
In 1991 the band released their sixth effort, It's Not Over. During the recording of this project, Enigma Records went bankrupt and the group decided to finish it on their own. Released on their own V & R label, the album received critical acclaim throughout Europe and helped broaden the Shooting Star audience. After the album's release, Ron Verlin was replaced on bass by Eric Johnson (not the famous guitarist) and the band toured with Bad English
Bad English
Bad English was an American/British hard rock supergroup formed in 1988, reuniting keyboardist Jonathan Cain with singer John Waite and bassist Ricky Phillips, his former bandmates in The Babys.- History :...
, Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
and 38 Special. After selling about 10,000 copies of It's Not Over, the group was contacted by JRS Records (whose parent company was SCS Music), which agreed to take over distribution of the album nationally. But the group became dissatisfied with JRS, claiming they did very little to promote the album, and filed a lawsuit against them on October 14, 1992 in Johnson County, Kansas
Johnson County, Kansas
Johnson County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States. The county is largely suburban, being part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, and containing many of its affluent southwestern suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 544,179. Its county...
District Court.
By 1993, disappointed over the collapse of Enigma, the JRS fiasco, and the general decline in popularity of classic rock music, the band went into semi-retirement. They resurfaced each year to play occasional concerts, with Verlin back on bass. In 1997, the violin became a part of their sound again with the addition of violinist Terry Brock. Brock had performed as a background vocalist and keyboardist with Kansas
Kansas (band)
Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"...
on their Drastic Measures
Drastic Measures
Drastic Measures is the ninth studio album, and tenth album overall, by American rock band Kansas, released in 1983.The shift in direction that Kansas took with Vinyl Confessions took its toll before recording began on this album...
tour.
In 1998, after recovering from a battle with esophageal
Esophagus
The esophagus is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. During swallowing, food passes from the mouth through the pharynx into the esophagus and travels via peristalsis to the stomach...
cancer, Van was asked to perform at a cancer benefit concert in Chicago. On stage were members of Night Ranger
Night Ranger
Night Ranger is an American rock band from San Francisco that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide...
, Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
, Survivor
Survivor (band)
Survivor is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1978. The band achieved its greatest success in the 1980s with its AOR sound, which garnered many charting singles, especially in the United States. The band is best known for its double platinum-certified 1982 hit "Eye of the Tiger", the theme...
and 38 Special. Van received a heartfelt response from the fans and his friends on stage, which rekindled interest in playing again. Upon returning home from the show, he began writing songs and contemplated recording them.
In the summer of 1999, while vacationing in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Van was reunited with producer/engineer Kevin Beamish. Among many others, Kevin's list of credits include REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
, Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and Clint Black
Clint Black
Clint Patrick Black is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and occasional actor. Signed to RCA Records in 1989, Black made his debut with his Killin' Time album, which produced four straight Number One singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country...
. Kevin and Van had met 20 years earlier while Shooting Star was recording its first album. At that time, Kevin was a young engineer for Gus Dudgeon. Out of this chance meeting grew the plans to record and release Shooting Star's seventh album, Leap of Faith. The recording took place at Sound Stage Studios in Nashville, Tennessee from December 1999 through February 2000.
20 years and counting
Shooting Star celebrated their 20th year as recording artists in 2000 with the release of Leap of Faith and a fall tour.Shane Michaels joined as the band's new violinist in May 2000, replacing Christian Howes (1999–2000), who had replaced Terry Brock. Original drummer Steve Thomas returned to the fold in 2004 and singer Keith Mitchell left in the summer of 2005 after reported voice problems. In 2006, the group released the album Circles with Kevin Chalfant
Kevin Chalfant
Kevin Chalfant is an American singer-songwriter and a native of Streator, Illinois. He obtained a BMI award for co-writing and singing on one of the most frequently aired rock radio hits of 1992 and 1993, "I’ve Got A Lot To Learn About Love"', by The Storm...
(ex-member of 707
707 (band)
707 was a rock band of the early 1980s, best known for the rock radio hits "I Could Be Good For You" and "Mega Force".-I Could Be Good for You:...
and The Storm
The Storm (band)
The Storm is an American rock group, formed in the Bay Area of San Francisco during the early 1990s. The band is best known for their first single, the power ballad "I've Got a Lot to Learn About Love", which peaked at #6 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100.The...
) handling the lead vocals. He was replaced in 2007 by Ronnie Platt. Violinist Shane Michaels left the band in June 2008 to concentrate on another project, Flannigan's Right Hook, and was replaced by Janet Jameson. Bassist Ron Verlin, who'd left the group twice before (in 1984 and 1991), has taken temporary leaves of absence since his return in 1994. Dennis Laffoon covers the bass parts on keyboards when Verlin is not available to tour.
Original keyboardist Bill Guffey (William Guffey III) died on April 12, 2007.
The band's current lineup is Ronnie Platt (lead vocals), Van McLain (vocals, guitar), Janet Jameson (violin, backing vocals), Dennis Laffoon (keyboards, backing vocals), Ron Verlin (bass) and Steve Thomas (drums).
Members
Current members- Van McLain - guitars, vocals (1977-1987; 1989-present)
- Steve Thomas - drums (1977-1987; 1989; 2004-present)
- Ron Verlin - bass (1977-1983; 1989-1991; 1994-present)
- Dennis Laffoon - keyboards, backing vocals (1989-present)
- Ronnie Platt - lead vocals (2007-present)
- Janet Jameson - violin, backing vocals (2008-present)
Former members
- Gary West - lead vocals, guitar, keyboards (1977-1987)
- Charles Waltz - violin, keyboards, vocals (1977-1987)
- Bill Guffey - keyboards (1977-1981; deceased)
- Norm Dahlor - bass (1984-1987)
- Keith Mitchell - lead vocals (1989-2005)
- Rod Lincoln - drums (1989-2004)
- Eric Johnson - bass (1991-1994)
- Terry Brock - violin (1997-1999)
- Christian Howes - violin (1999-2000)
- Shane Michaels - violin (2000-2008)
- Kevin Chalfant - lead vocals (2005-2007)
Discography
Studio albums- Shooting Star, 1980 (Billboard Top Album #147, on chart for 14 weeks)
- Hang on for Your LifeHang on for Your LifeHang On For Your Life is a 1981 album by the group Shooting Star. The song Flesh And Blood featured a violin solo, an unusual sound in an up-tempo rock song...
, 1981 (Billboard Top Album #92, on chart for 30 weeks) - Ill WishesIll Wishes-Tracklisting:#Are You Ready #Standing in the Light #Heartache #Where You Gonna Run #Do You Feel Alright #Turn It On #Weary Eyes...
, 1982 (Billboard Top Album #82, on chart for 9 weeks) - BurningBurning (album)-Track listing:#Preview #Straight Ahead #Taken Enough #Go For It #Burning #Winner #Reach Out I'll Be There...
, 1983 (Billboard Top Album #162, on chart for 6 weeks) - Silent ScreamSilent Scream (album)-Track listing:#Summer Sun #Somewhere In Your Heart #Heat of the Night #When You're Young #In Her Eyes #I'm Getting Out #Don't Walk Away #Time...
, 1985 - It's Not OverIt's Not Over (Shooting Star album)It's Not Over is a 1991 album by the group Shooting Star.-Track listing:#It's Not Over #Believe in Me #We Can't Wait Forever #Rebel with a Cause #Dancing on the Edge #If You've Got Love...
, 1991 - Leap of FaithLeap of Faith (Shooting Star album)Leap of Faith is a 2000 album by the group Shooting Star.-Track listing:#Lets Roll #I Need Your Touch #If You Want It #Leap of Faith #Face to Face #Promises #Don't Walk Away...
, 2000 - CirclesCircles (Shooting Star album)Circles is a 2006 album by the group Shooting Star.-Track listing:#Runaway #Without Love #Trouble in Paradise #George's Song #Borrowed Time #Everybody's Crazy #Temptation...
, 2006
Live albums
- Shooting Star Live, 1994
Compilation albums
- Best of Shooting Star, 1989
- Shooting Star/Hang on for Your LifeShooting Star/Hang on for Your LifeShooting Star/Hang On For Your Life is the 1991 release of Shooting Star's first two albums on compact disc by their own label after gaining the rights back...
, 1991 - Best of...V2, 2001
- Anthology, 2007
Charted Singles
| YEAR | TITLE | Hot 100 |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | "You Got What I Need" | 76 |
| 1982 | "Hollywood" | 70 |
| 1989 | "Touch Me Tonight" | 67 |