Star Turn on 45 (Pints)
Encyclopedia
Star Turn on 45 is an English
novelty song
musical ensemble
, led by Steve O'Donnell. As well as O'Donnell, the group included Colin Jennings and J. Vincent Edwards. They recorded
a number of singles
between 1981 and the mid 1990s, two of which appeared in the UK Singles Chart
, and released two album
s.
, their debut single was "Are You Affiliated?" (1981), followed by "Starturn on 45 (Pints)" in October that year. Both were released by V Tone Records. Based in and around the fictional Whitley Bay
social club, the 'club singer' approach sampled
and mangled various pop standards, with Geordie
vocal over dubs.
In 1984, their album, Are You Affiliated? was released on the Turn Trax record label
. It contained parodies
of songs such as "Send in the Clowns
", "House of the Rising Sun
", "Mary's Boy Child
" and "White Christmas
".
Their biggest commercial success occurred in 1988, when "Pump Up the Bitter", climbed to #12 in the UK Singles Chart
. It parodied "Pump Up the Volume
", which had been a #1 hit single
in the UK the previous year. The success of "Pump Up the Bitter" gave Star Turn on 45 (Pints) an appearance on BBC Television
's Top of the Pops
. Various subsequent releases were not big sellers.
Steve O'Donnell died on 4 August 1997.
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...
novelty song
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
musical ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, led by Steve O'Donnell. As well as O'Donnell, the group included Colin Jennings and J. Vincent Edwards. They recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
a number of singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
between 1981 and the mid 1990s, two of which appeared in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and released two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s.
Career
Influenced in name by Stars on 45Stars on 45
Stars on 45 was a Dutch novelty pop act that was briefly very popular in the United Kingdom, throughout Europe, the United States and Australia in the early 1980s. The group later shortened its name to Stars On in the U.S., while in the U.K. and Ireland it was known as Starsound...
, their debut single was "Are You Affiliated?" (1981), followed by "Starturn on 45 (Pints)" in October that year. Both were released by V Tone Records. Based in and around the fictional Whitley Bay
Whitley Bay
Whitley Bay is a town in North Tyneside, in Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the North Sea coast and has a fine stretch of golden sandy beach forming a bay stretching from St. Mary's Island in the north to Cullercoats in the south...
social club, the 'club singer' approach sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
and mangled various pop standards, with Geordie
Geordie
Geordie is a regional nickname for a person from the Tyneside region of the north east of England, or the name of the English-language dialect spoken by its inhabitants...
vocal over dubs.
In 1984, their album, Are You Affiliated? was released on the Turn Trax record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. It contained parodies
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of songs such as "Send in the Clowns
Send in the Clowns
"Send in the Clowns" is a song by Stephen Sondheim from the 1973 musical A Little Night Music, an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night. It is a ballad from Act II in which the character Desirée reflects on the ironies and disappointments of her life. Among other things, she...
", "House of the Rising Sun
The House of the Rising Sun
"The House of the Rising Sun" is a folk song from the United States. Also called "House of the Rising Sun" or occasionally "Rising Sun Blues", it tells of a life gone wrong in New Orleans...
", "Mary's Boy Child
Mary's Boy Child
"Mary's Boy Child" is a 1956 Christmas song, written by Jester Hairston. With its religious content, it is also widely performed as a Christmas carol....
" and "White Christmas
White Christmas (song)
"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.Accounts vary as...
".
Their biggest commercial success occurred in 1988, when "Pump Up the Bitter", climbed to #12 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It parodied "Pump Up the Volume
Pump up the Volume (song)
"Pump Up the Volume" is a song and the only single by British recording act MARRS. It was a number-one hit in many countries and is generally regarded as a significant milestone in the development of British house music and music sampling....
", which had been a #1 hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in the UK the previous year. The success of "Pump Up the Bitter" gave Star Turn on 45 (Pints) an appearance on BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. Various subsequent releases were not big sellers.
Steve O'Donnell died on 4 August 1997.
Albums
| Year | Album | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Are You Affiliated? | – |
| 2009 | Maybe Definitely The Best Turn Album In The World ... Ever Ever!! | – |
Singles
| Year | Song | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Are You Affiliated?" | – |
| 1981 | "Starturn on 45 (Pints)" | 45 |
| 1988 | "Pump Up the Bitter" | 12 |
| 1988 | "Lock Stock and Barrel" | – |
| 1988 | "Star Turn's Xmas Party" | – |
| 1991 | "Hoakey Karioke" | – |
| 1993 | "I Will Always Love You" | – |
| 1993 | "I Believe" | – |