We'll cruise along the Milky Way
And land upon the moon
To a wonderland of stardust
We'd zoom our way to Mars...
NASA InSight Mission has finally landed on Mars on 27 November 2018 "for the eighth time in human history (Jim Bridenstine: NASA Administrator)". The broadcast went around the world.
When I watched it I remember that one of my favourite songs was Fireball XL5, a theme song for the TV Series of the same name. It took many years but again fiction has become reality as the lyrics of this song predicted the landing somewhat. I used this song whenever I appeared with the Silver Strings to perform live at the Celestial Room nightclub at Orchard Road.
This song which was also performed during the concert at the Orchid Country Club on July 23/23 in 2009 was not played much by local bands in the '60s. It is a simple and catchy song and loved by those who watched the '60s television series when such shows were produced, without the need for IT and computer graphics. I stopped singing it because some band members think it is "too childish."
There were many more instrumentals and songs about space travel, the universe and flights to the moon and other planets. Do you know any of them?
Composer: Barry Gray/Vocalist: Don Spencer.
"I wish I was a spaceman/The fastest guy alive/I'd fly you round the universe/In Fireball XL5./Way out in space together/Conquerors of the stars/My heart would be a fireball, a fireball/Every time I gazed into your starry eyes.
We'll take the path to Jupiter/And maybe very soon/We'll cruise along the Milky Way/And land upon the moon/To a wonderland of stardust/We'd zoom our way to Mars/My heart would be a fireball, a fireball/And you would be my Venus of the stars."
"I wish I was a spaceman/The fastest guy alive/I'd fly you round the universe/In Fireball XL5./Way out in space together/Conquerors of the stars/My heart would be a fireball, a fireball/Every time I gazed into your starry eyes.
We'll take the path to Jupiter/And maybe very soon/We'll cruise along the Milky Way/And land upon the moon/To a wonderland of stardust/We'd zoom our way to Mars/My heart would be a fireball, a fireball/And you would be my Venus of the stars."
Robert J Sawyer - Novelist, Futurist, Keynote Speaker/Best novel Hugo and Nebula Award Winner wrote on his website.
"And finally the song is getting the recognition it deserves: the latest edition of the Penguin Television Companion has named it the number 2 greatest theme song of all time. Most US viewers may not know it, but the British and Canadians of my generation certainly do.
Interestingly, the HBO series, From the Earth to the Moon used it as the theme music for one episode, too - the episode Spider - about the designing of the Lunar Module."
Information from: 1. seniorennet.be/oldies. 2. Robert J. Sawyer Website.
At Cape Kennedy, Florida in the late '80s USA. Huge site with Control Rooms, etc.
Songs about Space Travel and the Universe:
Telstar: The Tornados
(This is a non-profit, non-commercial posting to help preserve the music of our youth. Lyrics/music are the copyright of the respective owners. Surfers are encouraged to buy their music.)
Songs about Space Travel and the Universe:
Telstar: The Tornados
Rocket Man: Elton John
Supersonic Rocket Ship: The Kinks
Space Oddity: David Bowie
Lucky Star: Madonna
Space Truckin': Deep Purple*
Space Cowboy: Steve Miller Band
Bad Moon Rising: CCR
Aquarius: The 5th Dimension
Shining Star: Earth, Wind n Fire
Across The Universe: Beatles
Saturn: Stevie Wonder
Here Comes The Sun: George Harrison
Good Morning Starshine: Oliver
Moon Dance: Van Morrison
Marie Tang sings Fireball XL5. Click connection to read:
https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2009/01/blog-post_8676.html
Marie Tang sings Fireball XL5. Click connection to read:
https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2009/01/blog-post_8676.html
12 comments:
Very nice song. Comes out loud and clear. Uncle Lim is very computer savvy. NICKY YEO
Thank you, Nicky. Hope you will come to the show and listen to the song.
It is also true that downloading from YouTube can be done by a child.
NIce song. Will be at OCC on 23 Jul to listen to you sing this song.
Nicky Yeo, are you the same person who worked in UOB about 7 years ago?
Fireball is a sing-a-long and the audience can join in the chorus. It is not popular during the 60s but apparently Marie Tang had pressed it on vinyl.
Hopefully it will be part of the large repertoire the different groups are performing.
Dr. Troppo
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 4:49 am Reply with quote
Joined: 12 Mar 2008Posts: 177Location: Darwin
I just got back from Singapore this morning and haven't had a chance to listen yet. Only $19.95 in Singapore. By chance I was walking with Andy Lim (former singer with the Silver Strings) and we met up with Joseph Periera who organised this comp. Apparently he had no control of the remastering and the bloke who was given the job did not understand the sixties sound and stuffed it up. I'll give more comments when I have a chance to listen.
PS. Scored nice a big pile of mainly Indonesian stuff at Sungei Rd. Cheap too. Lots of listening to be done!
Reminds me of Celestial Room when you sang this song during Tea Dance and was your signature song during the 60s
Cheers
Fireball XL5 great series and song.
Talking about Marie Tang, I had the pleasure of seeing her perform at Tanjong Rhu Inn, Singapore.
(In the East Coast of Singapore).
We can try this song but our own rendition
Yes, I remember David Chan (former lead guitarist of Silver Strings) used to play with the Echo Unit for the introduction and during the '60s that was something new.
Cheers.
Hi, Andy, talking about songs about space travel and the universe, I still like this oldie "Everyone's gone to the moon" by Jonathan King. I think the song is from the late 60s I think. It's a simple, slow ballad type of song. Hope everyone like it.
Thank you all for comments about FIREBALL XL5 and Audie remembering my singing at Celestial Room.
Also, appreciate Stephen Han and Michael Bangar for their comments about Marie Tang. Yes, I have also seen her mother, the well-known Wilma Tang sing at Ocean Park (there's an article about her in a very early posting on this blog.)
And last, not least my good friend FL, whom I have never met.
Thank you for reminding me about JONATHAN KING'S EVERYONE'S GONE TO THE MOON.
How can I forget?
It's one of the most beautiful songs written in the 60s.
Everyone will definitely like it FL.
I still remember, "Sun coming out, in the middle of June..."
Thanks again for your constant support.
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