Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes
Encyclopedia
"Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" is an off meter
ballad concerning a man away from home worried that his paramour may unwittingly stray from their relationship. The song was recorded in many different styles by many artists. It was written by Winston L. Moore (whose stage name
was Slim Willet
) and was published in 1952. The title comes from the opening refrain:
The song was first recorded by Slim Willet and the Brush Cutters (4 Star 11614, reaching #1) and then by Ray Price
(Columbia 4-21025, reaching #5). Skeets McDonald
followed with a Western swing
hit, reaching #1 and staying on the charts 18 weeks. His version was released by Capitol Records
as catalog number 2216 with the flip side “Big Family Trouble".
The best selling performance was a pop
version recorded by Perry Como
with The Ramblers on November 4, 1952 and released in the following versions:
Semprini
, pianoforte with rhythm accompaniment recorded it as the third song of the medley "Dancing to the piano (No. 12) - Hit medley of quick-steps" along with "She Wears Red Feathers
" and "Wild Roses". The medley was released by EMI
on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10457.
The song was also covered
by Eileen Barton in a recording issued by Coral Records
as catalog number 60882, with the flip side “Tennessee Tango”, and by country music
artist k.d. lang
on her 1988 album
, Shadowland.
It was spoofed by Homer and Jethro
on their album America's Song Butchers: The Weird World of Homer and Jethro in a song entitled "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyeballs", the lyrics of which are also found in a Steve Goodman
song entitled "Talk Backwards".
The song was recorded in 2008 by Australian singer and composer Alfio
for his album Classic Rewinds which pays tribute to Perry Como
, Dean Martin
and 13 other popular Italian-American singers.
Meter (music)
Meter or metre is a term that music has inherited from the rhythmic element of poetry where it means the number of lines in a verse, the number of syllables in each line and the arrangement of those syllables as long or short, accented or unaccented...
ballad concerning a man away from home worried that his paramour may unwittingly stray from their relationship. The song was recorded in many different styles by many artists. It was written by Winston L. Moore (whose stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
was Slim Willet
Slim Willet
Slim Willet was an American disc jockey, musician, and songwriter....
) and was published in 1952. The title comes from the opening refrain:
- Don't let the stars get in your eyes,
- Don't let the moon break your heart.
The song was first recorded by Slim Willet and the Brush Cutters (4 Star 11614, reaching #1) and then by Ray Price
Ray Price (musician)
Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
(Columbia 4-21025, reaching #5). Skeets McDonald
Skeets McDonald
Enos William McDonald , better known as Skeets McDonald, was an American country and rockabilly musician popular during the 1950s and 60s...
followed with a Western swing
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands...
hit, reaching #1 and staying on the charts 18 weeks. His version was released by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
as catalog number 2216 with the flip side “Big Family Trouble".
The best selling performance was a pop
Traditional pop music
Traditional pop or classic pop or standards music denotes, in general, Western popular music that either wholly predates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before the appearance of rock and roll,...
version recorded by Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
with The Ramblers on November 4, 1952 and released in the following versions:
- In the United States, by RCA Victor, as a 78 rpm singleSingle (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...
recordGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
(catalog numberCatalog numbering systems for single recordsThis article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
20-5064) and a 45 rpm single (catalog number 47-5064), with the flip sideA-side and B-sideA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
“LiesLies (1931 song)"Lies" is a popular song with music by Harry Barris and lyrics by George E. Springer. It was published in 1931.The song was originally recorded in 1931-32 by:...
”. This record reached #1 on the US Billboard charts. - In Argentina by RCA Victor, as a single (catalog number 68-0722) with the flip side "No Hay Bote Como El De Remo."
- In the United Kingdom, by HMV, as a 78 rpm single (catalog number B-10400), with the flip sideA-side and B-sideA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
“To Know You (Is to Love You)To Know You (Is to Love You)"To Know You " is a popular song.The music was written by Robert Allen, the lyrics by Allan Roberts. The song was published in 1952.The best-known recording of the song was made by Perry Como...
.” This record reached number one in the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
.
- In Germany, by HMVHMVHis Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
, as a 78 rpm single (catalog number X-8080), with the flip side “Outside of HeavenOutside of Heaven"Outside of Heaven" is a popular music song written by Sammy Gallop and Chester Conn. A recording by Eddie Fisher with Hugo Winterhalter's orchestra and chorus was made at Manhattan Center, New York City, on July 19, 1952. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-4953 and by EMI...
” by Eddie FisherEddie Fisher (singer)Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
.
Semprini
Semprini
Alberto Fernando Riccardo Semprini known by his stage name Alberto Semprini, or Semprini, was an English pianist, famous for appearances on the BBC, mainly on radio....
, pianoforte with rhythm accompaniment recorded it as the third song of the medley "Dancing to the piano (No. 12) - Hit medley of quick-steps" along with "She Wears Red Feathers
She Wears Red Feathers
"She Wears Red Feathers" is a popular song written by Bob Merrill in 1952....
" and "Wild Roses". The medley was released by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10457.
The song was also covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Eileen Barton in a recording issued by Coral Records
Coral Records
Coral Records was a Decca Records subsidiary formed in 1949. It recorded pop artists McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer, as well as rock and roller Buddy Holly....
as catalog number 60882, with the flip side “Tennessee Tango”, and by country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist k.d. lang
K.D. Lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress...
on her 1988 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...
, Shadowland.
It was spoofed by Homer and Jethro
Homer and Jethro
Homer and Jethro were the stage names of American country music duo Henry D. Haynes and Kenneth C. Burns , popular from the 1940s through the 1960s on radio and television for their satirical versions of popular songs...
on their album America's Song Butchers: The Weird World of Homer and Jethro in a song entitled "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyeballs", the lyrics of which are also found in a Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman was an American folk music singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. The writer of "City of New Orleans", made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Goodman won two Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...
song entitled "Talk Backwards".
The song was recorded in 2008 by Australian singer and composer Alfio
Alfio
Alfio is an Italian-Australian singer-songwriter, musician, and composer. He began singing at a very early age and started singing professionally at the age of 17, concentrating on recorded music and concerts so far...
for his album Classic Rewinds which pays tribute to Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
, Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
and 13 other popular Italian-American singers.
Other recorded versions
- Boxcar WillieBoxcar WillieBoxcar Willie, born as Lecil Travis Martin was an American country music singer, who sang in the "old-time hobo" music style, complete with dirty face, overalls, and a floppy hat...
(released by Mainstreet Records as catalog number 950, with the flip side “Boxcar Blues”) - Red FoleyRed FoleyClyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II....
(recorded October 7, 1952, released by Decca RecordsDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
as catalog number 28460, with the flip side “Sally”) - Henry Jerome (released by MGM RecordsMGM RecordsMGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
as catalog number 11385, with the flip side “Keep It a SecretKeep It a Secret"Keep It a Secret" is a popular song written by Jessie Mae Robinson published in 1952.The best-selling recording of the song was made by Jo Stafford in 1952. It was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 39891. The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on November 8, 1952 and...
”) - Johnny and Jack (released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-5040, with the flip side “The Only One I Ever Loved, I Lost”)
- Jimmy JusticeJimmy Justice (musician)James Anthony Bernard Little, better known by his stage name Jimmy Justice was an English pop singer. He scored three Top 40 hits in the UK in 1962.-Biography:...
(released 1964 by Blue Cat RecordsBlue Cat RecordsBlue Cat Records was the name of two unconnected record labels.Blue Cat Records ' was a subsidiary label of Red Bird Records. It had a hit in 1965 with "The Boy from New York City" by the Ad Libs....
as catalog number 101, with the flip side “The Guitar Player (Her and Him)”) - Gisele MacKenzieGisele MacKenzieGisèle MacKenzie was a Canadian-American singer, most famous for her performances on the popular television program Your Hit Parade.-Biography:...
(released by Capitol RecordsCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as catalog number 2256, with the flip side “My Favorite Song”, and in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as catalog number CP-200, with the flip side “Adios”) - Bobby Maxwell (released by Mercury RecordsMercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
as catalog number 70047, with the flip side “Ching-Ching-A-Ling”) - The Parisian Sextet (released 1962 by Challenge RecordsChallenge RecordsChallenge Records has been the name of at least three different record labels in the 20th century:* Challenge Records - a US based company* Challenge Records - a US based company* Challenge Records - a Netherlands based company...
as catalog number 59137, with the flip side “The Poor People of ParisThe Poor People of Paris"The Poor People of Paris" is a popular song, with "Paris" being pronounced as "pa-REE".It was adapted by Jack Lawrence in 1954 from the French language song "La goualante du pauvre Jean"...
”) - Slim WhitmanSlim WhitmanOttis Dewey Whitman, Jr. , known professionally as Slim Whitman, is an American country music singer and songwriter, known for his yodelling abilities. He has sold in excess of 120 million albums in unit sales and has had numerous successful recordings...
See also
- List of number-one singles from the 1950s (UK)
- List of number-one singles of 1953 (U.S.)