Wishing on a Star
Encyclopedia
"Wishing on a Star" is a 1978 hit single
by Rose Royce
for Whitfield Records
.
, Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom, "Wishing on a Star" is a slow ballad
written by Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitfield
. The lyrics concern a woman longing for the return of an ex-lover so that they can resume their relationship. The original version of "Wishing on a Star" was not a big hit, peaking at number fifty-two on the Billboard Hot 100
. However, the song was a big chart hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number three in March 1978. The parent album, In Full Bloom, was also successful as a whole. The single has recently been re released as the X Factors charity single foe 2011. The single features JLS & one direction. The recent re release by the 2011 X Factor contestants is set to be UK Christmas number 1 2011.
recorded a hit cover of the song. The Cover Girls' version surpassed the success of the original, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100
chart, where the original had failed to chart, and became the forty-ninth best selling single of 1992 in America. It was also a hit in the UK, peaking at #38.
Jay-Z
featuring Gwen Dickey of Rose Royce
in 1998. It can be found on the United Kingdom
release of In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
and Greatest Hits
and the D'Influence
remix can be found on Chapter One: Greatest Hits
and Bring It On: The Best of Jay-Z
. The track is produced by the Trackmasters
, who also produced a remix of this track.
A music video for the song was also released, showing a child actor portraying Jay-Z growing up in Marcy Houses
. Jay-Z himself does not appear in the video.
singer Beyoncé
in 2004, for the album Live at Wembley. The song was used to promote the Tommy Hilfiger
fragrance called True Star. In 2005 the song was included on the soundtrack of the movie Roll Bounce
.
For the 48th Grammy Awards, Knowles' version was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
. Knowles released the song as a promotional single on August 17, 2010.
-Nigerian soul
singer Seal
. It was released as the first UK single taken from his album Soul 2
on November 20, 2011. This interpretation of "Wishing on a Star" was produced by previous collaborator, Trevor Horn
.
Seal's version of the song was premiered on Ken Bruce's
BBC Radio 2
show on October 13, 2011. The single later peaked on the Radio 2 B-list.
expressed, "His voice and interpretive skills are such, though, that most tracks fit him like a glove, to the point where, on Rose Royce's Wishing on a Star, his oak-aged vocal seems a better fit for the remorseful lyric than original singer Gwen Dickey's. He grew up with these 1970s hits, and evidently reveres them, but isn't cowed by them". In his review, Mike Diver of the BBC
expressed that "Seal has a voice that can melt icecaps has never been doubted by his detractors – the problems with his material post-Seal (II) went deeper, to a basic songwriting level. Here, freed of the weight of his own emotions, he soars on a sublime Wishing on a Star (which manages to borrow its smoky backing from Sade’s Smooth Operator).
on November 25, 2011.
of The X Factor
, also featuring previous contestants JLS
and One Direction
. Their version will be released on November 27, 2011 via digital download, and released as a physical single the following day. All proceeds from the single will go to the children's charity organization Together for Short Lives. Finalist Frankie Cocozza will not appear on the radio edit of the song or in the music video
, after he was removed from The X Factor prior to the sixth live show. Cocozza's vocals were recorded prior to his exit and will only appear on the single version.
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...
by Rose Royce
Rose Royce
Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B band. The group is best known for several hit singles including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "Wishing on a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "I'm Going Down".-Career:...
for Whitfield Records
Whitfield Records
Whitfield Records was a record label, founded in 1975 by former Motown producer and songwriter Norman Whitfield and active until 1982. Whitfield Records was distributed throughout its entire existence by Warner Bros...
.
Background
Included on their second albumAlbum
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...
, Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom, "Wishing on a Star" is a slow ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
written by Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitfield
Norman Whitfield
Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s...
. The lyrics concern a woman longing for the return of an ex-lover so that they can resume their relationship. The original version of "Wishing on a Star" was not a big hit, peaking at number fifty-two 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...
. However, the song was a big chart hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number three in March 1978. The parent album, In Full Bloom, was also successful as a whole. The single has recently been re released as the X Factors charity single foe 2011. The single features JLS & one direction. The recent re release by the 2011 X Factor contestants is set to be UK Christmas number 1 2011.
The Cover Girls version
The Cover GirlsThe Cover Girls
The Cover Girls is a New York City-based freestyle-urban-dance-pop girl group that achieved the majority of its chart success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
recorded a hit cover of the song. The Cover Girls' version surpassed the success of the original, peaking at number nine 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...
chart, where the original had failed to chart, and became the forty-ninth best selling single of 1992 in America. It was also a hit in the UK, peaking at #38.
Charts
| End of year chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 49 |
Jay-Z version
"Wishing on a Star" was covered by rapperRapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
featuring Gwen Dickey of Rose Royce
Rose Royce
Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B band. The group is best known for several hit singles including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "Wishing on a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "I'm Going Down".-Career:...
in 1998. It can be found on the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
release of In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 is the second studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released November 4, 1997 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Despite mixed criticism towards its more mainstream-oriented sound and lyrical substance, the album debuted at number 3 on the U.S...
and Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Jay-Z album)
- Track listing :# Can I Get A... - # Hard Knock Life - # Wishing on a Star -...
and the D'Influence
D'Influence
D'Influence is a British production team and acid jazz band. Formerly of The Echo Label they founded their own label, Freakstreet Records. Members include Kwame Kwaten, Sarah Anne Webb, Ed Baden-Powell, and Steve Marston....
remix can be found on Chapter One: Greatest Hits
Chapter One: Greatest Hits
Chapter One: Greatest Hits is a greatest hits compilation album released in 2002 by rapper Jay-Z. It was released in the United Kingdom by Northwestside Records, as well as Germany and Japan by BMG. It features songs from Jay-Z's first three albums as well as rare remixes such as "Ain't No Nigga...
and Bring It On: The Best of Jay-Z
Bring It On: The Best of Jay-Z
Bring It On: The Best of Jay-Z is a greatest hits compilation album released in 2003 by rapper Jay-Z. It was released in Japan by BMG in 2003 and later re-released in the United Kingdom in 2004 by Camden Records. It features songs from Jay-Z's first three albums. Its songs are presented in...
. The track is produced by the Trackmasters
Trackmasters
The Trackmasters are the successful production duo of Poke and Tone , sometimes credited as Poke & Tone, best known for their commercial hit records in the late 90s and early 2000s. Throughout their career they have worked with various hip-hop and R&B artists including R...
, who also produced a remix of this track.
A music video for the song was also released, showing a child actor portraying Jay-Z growing up in Marcy Houses
Marcy Houses
Marcy Houses, or Marcy Projects, is a public housing complex built and operated by the New York City Housing Authority and located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City, at . The complex was named after William L. Marcy , a lawyer, soldier, and statesman...
. Jay-Z himself does not appear in the video.
CD
- "Wishing on a Star (Radio Edit)"
- "Wishing on a Star (Trackmasters Remix)"
- "Wishing on a Star (D Influence Remix)"
- "Brooklyn's Finest"
- "Wishing on a Star (Trackmasters Acappella)"
B-Side
- "Wishing on a Star (Trackmasters Remix)"
- "Imaginary Players"
- "Wishing on a Star (Trackmasters Acappella)"
Charts
| Chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| Germany (Media Control Chart) | 56 |
| United Kingdom (The Official Charts Company) | 13 |
Beyoncé Knowles version
"Wishing on a Star" was covered by American R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
in 2004, for the album Live at Wembley. The song was used to promote the Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger
Thomas Jacob "Tommy" Hilfiger is an American fashion designer and founder of the premium lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger.-Early life:...
fragrance called True Star. In 2005 the song was included on the soundtrack of the movie Roll Bounce
Roll Bounce
Roll Bounce is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written by Norman Vance Jr. and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The film stars hip hop artist Bow Wow as the leader of a roller skating crew in 1970s Chicago. The film also stars Nick Cannon, Meagan Good, Brandon T...
.
For the 48th Grammy Awards, Knowles' version was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs...
. Knowles released the song as a promotional single on August 17, 2010.
Formats and track listings
-
- True Star - A Private Performance
- "Wishing on a Star" - 4:07
- "Naïve" - 3:45
-
- Digital download
- "Wishing on a Star" - 4:08
Charts
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Adult R&B Airplay | 28 |
Seal version
In 2011, "Wishing on a Star" was covered by BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-Nigerian soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer Seal
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
. It was released as the first UK single taken from his album Soul 2
Soul 2
Soul 2 is the eighth studio album by British pop singer Seal. The album was released on 7 November 2011 through Reprise Records. Like its predecessor, Soul the album consists of soul classics, and it was produced by David Foster, Jochem van der Saag, and long-time collaborator Trevor Horn...
on November 20, 2011. This interpretation of "Wishing on a Star" was produced by previous collaborator, Trevor Horn
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
.
Seal's version of the song was premiered on Ken Bruce's
Ken Bruce
Kenneth Robertson Bruce is a British broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.-Early life and career:...
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
show on October 13, 2011. The single later peaked on the Radio 2 B-list.
Critical reception
In her review for Soul 2, Caroline Sullivan of The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
expressed, "His voice and interpretive skills are such, though, that most tracks fit him like a glove, to the point where, on Rose Royce's Wishing on a Star, his oak-aged vocal seems a better fit for the remorseful lyric than original singer Gwen Dickey's. He grew up with these 1970s hits, and evidently reveres them, but isn't cowed by them". In his review, Mike Diver of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
expressed that "Seal has a voice that can melt icecaps has never been doubted by his detractors – the problems with his material post-Seal (II) went deeper, to a basic songwriting level. Here, freed of the weight of his own emotions, he soars on a sublime Wishing on a Star (which manages to borrow its smoky backing from Sade’s Smooth Operator).
Live performances
Seal is due to perform "Wishing on a Star" on DaybreakDaybreak (ITV)
Daybreak is the weekday breakfast television programme on the British commercial ITV network that broadcasts on weekday mornings from 06:00 to 08:30 and is currently presented by Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley from Monday to Thursday with Dan Lobb and Kate Garraway on Fridays...
on November 25, 2011.
The X Factor finalists version
The song was subsequently covered by the finalists of the eighth seriesThe X Factor (UK series 8)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other...
of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, also featuring previous contestants JLS
JLS
- Music :* JLS, an English boyband** JLS , debut album by JLS* JLS a Spanish Rock band based in Zaragoza , Spain formed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by lead Leo Susana.- Organizations :...
and One Direction
One Direction
One Direction are a British-Irish boy band, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. They finished third on the seventh series of The X Factor. Following The X Factor, the group signed a record contract with Syco Music.One Direction's debut single...
. Their version will be released on November 27, 2011 via digital download, and released as a physical single the following day. All proceeds from the single will go to the children's charity organization Together for Short Lives. Finalist Frankie Cocozza will not appear on the radio edit of the song or in the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, after he was removed from The X Factor prior to the sixth live show. Cocozza's vocals were recorded prior to his exit and will only appear on the single version.
Track listing
-
- Digital download
- "Wishing on a Star" – 3:23
- "Wishing on a Star (Instrumental)" – 3:23
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | November 27, 2011 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Syco Music, Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation.... |
| November 28, 2011 | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
||
| Ireland | November 28, 2011 | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
Other cover versions
- Angelita Li - Caminhos Cruzados
- Austin Drage- UK seriesThe X Factor (UK series 5)The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
- Bic RungaBic RungaBriolette Kah Bic Runga MNZM is a New Zealand pop recording artist whose first solo album, Drive, debuted at number one on the New Zealand RIANZ charts. She has since become one of the highest-selling New Zealand artists in recent history...
- Live in Concert: with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra - 88 3 Ft. Lisa May
- Catman Cohen (How I Want to Die—the Catman Chronicles 1 album)
- Will DowningWill DowningWill Downing , is an American singer-songwriter and producer. Downing is known in the contemporary jazz and R&B music genres for his rich baritone vocals, and his interpretations of R&B and pop classics that stretch back to the early 1980s...
- Fresh Four Ft. Liz E
- Irene GrandiIrene Grandi-Biography:Irene Grandi was born in Florence.She debuted in the Sanremo Music Festival in the category New Proposed with "Fuori", in 1994, which was later won by Andrea Bocelli, who was also debuting the same year....
- Jordin SparksJordin SparksJordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
- Junior Walker
- Miriam StockleyMiriam StockleyMiriam Stockley is a British singer. She was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and her work is influenced by the African music in her home country. Her unique vocalese style gained international acclaim when Karl Jenkins' launched the "Adiemus" project with "Songs of Sanctuary", featuring...
- The 10th KingdomThe 10th KingdomThe 10th Kingdom is an American epic fantasy miniseries written by Simon Moore and produced by Britain's Carnival Films, Germany's Babelsberg Film und Fernsehen, and the USA's Hallmark Entertainment... - Ning BaizuraNing BaizuraNing Baizura binti Sheikh Hamzah , popularly known as Ning, is a Malaysian pop and R&B singer, who records and sings in languages, including Bahasa Malaysia, English, Japanese, Italian, French, Mandarin and Cantonese...
on her 2001 album Natural Woman - Paul Weller - Studio 150Studio 150Studio 150 is the seventh album by British artist Paul Weller. It comprises covers of songs by a variety of artists, and showcases Weller's myriad musical influences. It was named after the small Amsterdam studio in which it was recorded...
- Randy CrawfordRandy CrawfordRandy Crawford is an American jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist...
on her album Every Kind of Mood - Queen LatifahQueen LatifahDana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
- 2nd Annual BET Honor Awards LiveThe BET HonorsThe BET Honors were established in 2008 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate the lives and achievements of African American luminaries... - Sy SmithSy SmithSy Olivia Smith is an American Emmy nominated singer-songwriter. Born in New York, New York, Smith rose to fame in the late 1990s when she signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records. Smith released her first studio album Psykosoul in 2000, which spawned the singles "Gladly" and "Good N...
- Sy Smith Live: Worship at the TempleSy Smith Live: Worship at the TempleSy Smith Live: Worship At The Temple is a live DVD by American R&B singer Sy Smith that was released in the US in 2007.-About the Show:On December 30, 2006, Sy Smith performed a live show at Santa Monica, California's Temple Bar. Accompanied by a 9-piece band, Smith performed a total of 9 songs... - Teena MarieTeena MarieMary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer...
on a compilation album New York Undercover: A Night at Natalie's - The Cover GirlsThe Cover GirlsThe Cover Girls is a New York City-based freestyle-urban-dance-pop girl group that achieved the majority of its chart success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
- Elaine PaigeElaine PaigeElaine Paige OBE is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16...
on her 1986 album ChristmasChristmas (Elaine Paige album)Christmas is an album Elaine Paige, released in 1986, the fifth and final album to be released on the label until the release of Piaf in 1994. The album reached number 27 in the UK album charts... - Paul HardcastlePaul HardcastlePaul Hardcastle is an English composer and musician, specialising in the synthesizer.-Discography:In the early 1980s, Hardcastle played the keyboards on several singles on the Oval record label by the dance music groups Direct Drive and First Light, before going solo.He achieved some acclaim for...
on his 1997 album Cover to Cover - JaaredJaaredJaared is a Washington, DC-based contemporary jazz saxophonist.In 2002 he was nominated the Best New Artist of the Year for 2002 by The National Smooth Jazz Association...
on his 2002 album Hangtime - Marion MeadowsMarion MeadowsMarion Meadows is an American tenor saxophonist, soprano saxophonist, composer, and smooth jazz recording artist of Native American, African American and Caucasian descent. Meadows has released a total of 9 albums to date.-Upbringing:...
on his 2004 album Player's Club