Silver Star (The Four Seasons song)

"Silver Star"
Single by The Four Seasons
from the album Who Loves You
B-side"Mystic Mr. Sam"
ReleasedApril 1976[1]
Recorded1975
GenreRock
Length3:48 (single), 6:03 (album)
LabelWarner Bros./Curb
Songwriter(s)Bob Gaudio-Judy Parker
Producer(s)Bob Gaudio
The Four Seasons singles chronology
"December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)"
(1975) 		"Silver Star"
(1976) 		"Down the Hall"
(1977)

"Silver Star" is the lead song on the Four Seasons album Who Loves You. As was the case of all the songs on the LP, it was written by Bob Gaudio and Judy Parker and produced by Gaudio.[2][3] Drummer Gerry Polci sang lead. Frankie Valli's contribution was limited to harmony vocals, since he was gradually losing his hearing in the 1970s due to otosclerosis. An operation restored most of Valli's hearing in the 1980s.[4]

Reception

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Billboard said that "Silver Star" is an "infectious rocker with a disco feel," saying further that it sometimes sounds like early Who songs.[5] Cash Box called the song "an up-tempo cut, with strong emphasis...on vocal harmony," stating that "acoustic guitars hold up the rhythm tracks" and that "the song has a couple of interesting breaks that work well to hook the listener into the song."[6] Record World said that it "should keep the group's streak [of hits] alive without any difficulty."[7]

Chart performance

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Released shortly after the #3 (US) hit "Who Loves You" and the #1 "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)", both of which Polci was also lead or co-lead, the single was an edited version of a six-minute, nine second, song that married lyrics of love and Western movies with a disco beat that was the signature of "Who Loves You". The single reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was far more successful in the United Kingdom, however, reaching #3 on the UK singles chart,[8] although its chart run was short-lived and somewhat erratic there.[9] The group played the song on the 8 April 1976 broadcast episode of Top of the Pops (with Noel Edmonds hosting). Valli also appeared on the same episode as a solo artist performing his 1976 hit "Fallen Angel".[10]

Weekly charts

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Chart (1976) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] 84
Belgium (Ultratop) 22
Canada RPM Top Singles 45
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary 40
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100) 22
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 38
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[15] 24
US Cash Box Top 100 68
US Radio & Records Pop Adult/40 25
US Record World Singles Chart 95
West Germany (Official German Charts) 29

References

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  1. ^ "Silver Star/Mystic Mr. Sam - The Four Seasons". 45cat. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  2. ^ Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (5th edition), Billboard Books 1992 ISBN 0-8230-8280-6
  3. ^ Fred Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (3rd edition), Billboard Books 1992 ISBN 0-8230-8298-9
  4. ^ Fred Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (3rd edition), Billboard Books 1992 ISBN 0-8230-8298-9
  5. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. May 22, 1976. p. 20. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  6. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 22, 1976. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  7. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. May 22, 1976. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  8. ^ Jay Warner, American Singing Groups: A History From 1940 to Today (Hal Leonard Books 2006) ISBN 0-634-09978-7
  9. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 50 for 16 May 1976 - 22 May 1976". The Official UK Charts Company. 1976-05-16. Retrieved 2015-07-09.
  10. ^ "Top of the Pops, Episode 641, 8 April 1976". ABBA on TV. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
  11. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Silver Star". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  13. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  14. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  15. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 90.


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