Radio Star?

[BurningAngels]

Hello,

Can anybody help me? In the late 70's/early 80's I had a mixed cassette tape that had this one song that I have never heard of since.

The chorus line was something like "I'm a Radio Star..." with a sneering sort of voice.

It was new wavey punk, not thrashy, very clear production sound, very good beats, great punchy guitar from memory. I thought it may have been Aussie. It sort of had the quality about it like The Vibrators Baby Baby Baby.

I used to think it could've been James Freud simply because of the chorus line but I'm not so sure as I have never heard it brought up or played on radio or tv when ever he has been mentioned and it was a pretty memorable recording.

Maybe someone out there would remember.

Thanks

[bob]

That does sound like James Freud from his breaking silence Lp,
I've been meaning to dig that out, I've had some requests on my blog.
ciao bob

[bob]

After having thought about this today I think I was to hasty.
The song I'm thinking about is "modern girl" and james freuds
first band was the teenage radio stars, somehow I got all that mixed up
ciao bob

[BurningAngels]

Hey Bob,

I found James Freud on MySpace and asked him about it, but he wrote back saying it wasn't him and didn't know what it might be.

Someone out there with an incredible record collection would know.

[DJShotty™]

Silly question maybe, but are you sure it's not The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star?

[stranded]

Can you give us anymore info on this?

[motcher76]

Are you thinking of the late 70's early 80's UK punk/new wave band Radio Stars, who released a S/T single ("Radio Stars") in 1978?

Their 1978 LP "Holiday Album" was re-released on CD in 2006, so there are plenty of sound-bytes available of the Radio Stars single track on many of the online mp3 sites (or iTunes and Amazon) if you want to check if it's the one you're after.

Cheers

[Jukebox]

Are you thinking of the late 70's early 80's UK punk/new wave band Radio Stars, who released a S/T single ("Radio Stars") in 1978?

Their 1978 LP "Holiday Album" was re-released on CD in 2006, so there are plenty of sound-bytes available of the Radio Stars single track on many of the online mp3 sites (or iTunes and Amazon) if you want to check if it's the one you're after.

Cheers

Did you ever work this out one way or another? The first thing I thought of was the Radio Stars.

They are an old favourite of mine & I have just about all the related CD releases. Radio Stars were one of those punk/new wave bands with more history than many people new. Lead singer, Andy Ellison, was in John's Children with Marc Bolan in the mid 60s. One of the Radio Stars singles, "Horrible Breath" was originaly recorded by John's Children as, 'You Scare Me To Death", & Marc Bolan also recorded it solo. Later Andy Ellison was in a band called Jet, who made one album, before morphing into The Radio Stars in order to jump on the punk bandwagon. I know Radio Stars had a song called simply 'Radio Stars'.

[motcher76]

Did you ever work this out one way or another? The first thing I thought of was the Radio Stars.
They are an old favourite of mine & I have just about all the related CD releases. Radio Stars were one of those punk/new wave bands with more history than many people new. Lead singer, Andy Ellison, was in John's Children with Marc Bolan in the mid 60s. One of the Radio Stars singles, "Horrible Breath" was originaly recorded by John's Children as, 'You Scare Me To Death", & Marc Bolan also recorded it solo. Later Andy Ellison was in a band called Jet, who made one album, before morphing into The Radio Stars in order to jump on the punk bandwagon. I know Radio Stars had a song called simply 'Radio Stars'.

Haven't heard anything back from BurningAngels so I don't know if it is the right track. I'm pretty sure it is though, and BurningAngels is probably talking about one of those Chiswick compilation cassettes where he/she first heard the track.

I'm sure if BurningAngels listened to a 30 second sound-byte of the "Radio Stars" track off the Holiday Album on iTunes or Amazon it would confirm things - it's a pretty distinctive track. I love it (and other Radio Stars tracks like "Nervous Wreck" and "No Russians").

Edit ... Listen to the track (and other Radio Stars albums/tracks) here:

     http://www.myspace.com/radiostarsofficial/music/albums/holiday-album-10704686

As a Radio Stars fan, you might be able to answer a question for me ... that "Radio Stars" album track is around 1min 40secs long, but I understand it may have been "augmented" for a single release - the record company deeming it was far too short for a decent single. You know anything about this?

Would love to see any of the Radio Stars albums posted, if you're willing to share 

Cheers

[Jukebox]

I'm not sure about the single being longer, but it may well have been a different recording. I need to root out the CDs to check. According to allmusic guide, the version on the 'Somewhere There's a Place for Us' compilation I have is only 1'16" long. This was the punk days though & I doubt the small labels would baulk at short songs.
As far as sharing goes, I have no problem with that, except I think all their stuff is still available on CD. Also, since they are English, not Australian, where would I post them?
I've just discovered, thatnks to you, that I may have to buy the latest remaster, because they include tracks not on the compilation. More expense! LOL
If you like the Radio Stars, I would think you'd like the Jet album too. They were basically a glam rock supergroup, featuring two members of John's Children, two members of Sparks & Davy O'List from Love. They only made the one album, before mophing into Radio Stars, but there's another CDs worth of previously unreleased stuff out there.

[Jukebox]

What am I, drunk? Of course Davy O'List was from The Nice, Keith Emerson's old band, not Love! LOL

[motcher76]

I came across this on the MartinGordon.de site ...

Lyrics - Radio Stars

"We've come to play but don't believe a word. Reserve your judgement at least until you've heard. If we enthrall you, then we'll all be satisfied, and if we bore you, then you'll know the papers lied. Radio Stars. We hope you like us cos it really means a lot, and If your neighbour hates us then relax, it matters not. We're here already and there's nothing he can do. Go take a walk, check out the bar, investigate the loo. Radio Stars. 

We're on the radio.To make the song long. 
We're on the radio.To add attraction.
We're on the radio.Oh my, how times flies.
We're on the radio. Maybe they'll like it.
We're on the radio.To make it longer.
We're on the radio.We'll add a section.
We're on the radio.Just bung a verse in.

Radio Stars. Etc.

(I was told by the powers that were that 1 min 40 secs was too short for a single, so I added an extra middle piece which was recorded much later and stuck into the first version. That's why it's in a different tempo and why the sounds all change, although the bass sounds cool, speaking for myself. The words are thus understandable. Alas, it was all to no avail)".

I've not heard a full length version of the single nor any of the various album tracks to tell the difference.

Cheers

[Jukebox]

"Horrible Breath" was originaly recorded by John's Children as, 'You Scare Me To Death", & Marc Bolan also recorded it solo.

Just to correct my own post. This song was played live by John's Children in the 60s, but I don't think they ever recorded it. It was recorded by Radio Stars in 1977. In 1981, Bolan's original demo of the song (titled 'You Scare Me To Death') was souped up by Simon Napier-Bell, along with a heap of other Bolan demos, & released on an album of the same name. The original demo is on the expanded reissue of 'The Beginning Of Doves'. Before the Radio Stars version, there was a version recorded by Jet around 1975, which is available on the 'More Light Than Shade' CD of unreleased material. Apparently, a band called Fresh, also covered it on their 1970 album, 'Fresh Today', which was produced by Simon Napier-Bell. I'm going to have to track that one down.

Not that this helps at all with the mystery of various different length versions of the song 'Radio Stars'.LOL