Telstar was a 1962 instrumental record by The Tornados.
It was the first record by a British group ever to go to Number 1 in the United States charts. It is named for the AT&T communications satellite Telstar.
It was written and produced by Joe Meek and featured a clavioline.
The name and sound of this novelty record was intended to invoke the dawn of the space age, with sound effects meant to sound "space-like". A story common when the number was first a hit said that the distortions and background noise on the record was from sending the signal up to the Telstar satellite and then re-recording it back on earth, but it actually seems to have been done in the recording studio. More plausible stories say that the sounds intended to symbolize radio signals were actually produced by Meek by running a pen around the rim of an ashtray, and the "rocket blastoff" was a flushing a toilet, in both cases the recordings of mundane sounds made to sound exotic by playing the tape in reverse at various speeds.
The tune was a hit quickly after its release in August of 1962, staying the UK pop charts for 25 weeks, 5 of them at Number 1, and in the USA charts for 16 weeks. It was reportedly also a favourite of the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Production Details
People involved
- Joe Meek: composer, producer
- The Tornados: Clem Cattini (drums), Alan Caddy (lead guitar), Roger LaVern (keyboards), George Bellamy (rhythm guitar), Heinz Burt (bass)
- Geoff Goddard: additional keyboards.
- Dave Adams: transcription of Meek's composition recording
Studio: RGM Sound, 304 Holloway Road, London, England
Cover Versions
In 1962, Joe Meek recorded a vocal version of his song: "Magic Star" by Kenny Hollywood, and there were numerous other artists who recorded "Telstar": Margie Singleton (with vocals, as Magic Star (Tel-Star), 1963), Bud Ashton (1962), Hot Butter, Camillo Felgen ("Irgendwann", German vocal version), The Lively Ones, The Challengers, The Champs, Duke Ellington, Ashley Hutchings, Velvett Fogg ("Telstar 69", 1969), Takako Minekawa (1998), Susan and the Surftones (1996), Ronnie Montrose, The Eagles (60s band), The Rapiers (2001), The Spotnicks, Ricky King, Not Breathing (2000), Stephan Mathieu, Laika & the Cosmonauts, The Shadows, The Supertones, James Last, The Ukrainians, The Routers, Les Fingers, Apollo 100, Symarip, The Rockin' Rebels, The Ultras, Caterina Valente.
Original Editions
- UK: "Telstar" (Meek) b/w "Jungle Fever" (Goddard) (Decca F11494, 17 August 1962)
- USA: The Tornadoes: "Telstar" (Meek) b/w "Jungle Fever" (Goddard) (London Lon 9561, 1962)
- France: "Telstar" (Meek) b/w "Jungle Fever" (Goddard) (Decca 72.009 Simple, 1962)
- West Germany: "Telstar" (Meek) b/w "Jungle Fever" (Goddard) (London 20654, 1962)