Mars Landing November 2018 NASA's InSight: Like Fireball XL5 Song

NASA Insight Lander launcher has zoomed its way to Mars as predicted by Fireball XL5 song. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP)

We'll cruise along the Milky Way

And land upon the moon

To a wonderland of stardust

We'd zoom our way to Mars...

              Fireball XL5 Full Theme Song - Video by tucsondog.

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?

Fireball XL5

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."

NASA Insight Landing Launcher 2018 United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 Rocket Vandenberg Air Force Base California May 2018

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." 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3yN6WfpaUQ&feature=related

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

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

(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.)

Marie Tang n Commancheros Sings Fireball XL5

 "Marie Tang is 14 year old student at St Joseph's Convent whose ambition is to be a school teacher. She has taken part in several competitions and qualified for the Finals of RTS Talentime in 1968 and 69. According to Marie, she owes a lot to a friend - Uncle James, who has been coaching her for this year's talentime. 

From: The Hamster and the Guppies."

This TV series was a success in the early sixties and most everyone who knew it whistled the catchy theme song. I tried it out with The Silver Strings during practice then sang it the first time at The Celestial Room where we played.

As far as I can remember the crowd loved Fireball XL5 and it became my song. It has since been recorded by Marie Tang (above), daughter of Wilma Tang.

Original article from Hamster and Guppies.
YouTube video by: blastfromthepast.
Images: from Google.