"Catch a Falling Star" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Perry Como | ||||
B-side | "Magic Moments" | |||
Released | December 3, 1957 | |||
Recorded | October 9, 1957 | |||
Genre | Pop [1] | |||
Length | 2:23 | |||
Label | RCA Victor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss | |||
Producer(s) | Joe Reisman | |||
Perry Como singles chronology | ||||
|
"Catch a Falling Star" is a song written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss. It was made famous by Perry Como who recorded and released his version in late 1957.
The song's melody is similar to a theme heard in Brahms' Academic Festival Overture . Perry Como's recording features the Ray Charles Singers, who sing the refrain as a repeated round.
It was Como's last number one hit in the United States, [2] reaching number 1 on the Billboard "Most Played by Jockeys" chart, but not in the overall top 100, where it reached number 3. [3] It was the first single to receive a Recording Industry Association of America gold record certification, on March 14, 1958. [4] In Canada, the song reached number 12 on the CHUM Charts, February 3, 1958, co-charting with Magic Moments . [5]
Internationally, in 1958, the song also topped the Australian charts. In the UK Singles Chart, "Catch a Falling Star" peaked at number nine, whereas its B-side "Magic Moments" topped the charts. [6]
The single won Como the 1959 Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Male.
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [7] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"The Wonder of You" is a song written by Baker Knight. It was originally recorded by Vince Edwards in 1958, but this recording has never been released. In an interview with a DJ from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Ray Peterson told the story of how Baker Knight confided that "The Wonder of You" was originally written as a gospel song.
"Jailhouse Rock" is a rock and roll song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley for the film of the same name. It was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. RCA Victor released the song on a 45 rpm single on September 24, 1957, as the first single from the film's soundtrack EP. It reached the top of the charts in the U.S. and the top 10 in several other countries. The song has been recognized by the Grammy Hall of Fame, the American Film Institute, and others.
"Little Things Mean a Lot" is a popular song, with lyrics by Edith Lindeman and music by Carl Stutz, published in 1953. Lindeman was the leisure editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Stutz, a disc jockey from Richmond, Virginia. Stutz and Lindeman are also known for writing Perry Como's 1959 hit, "I Know".
"I Believe" is a popular song written by Ervin Drake, Irvin Abraham, Jack Mendelsohn and Al Stillman in 1953. The most popular version was recorded by Italian-American singer Frankie Laine, and spent eighteen weeks at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Kewpie Doll" is a 1958 popular song, written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett. It is based on the popular Kewpie comics characters by Rose O'Neill, who inspired a merchandising phenomenon of dolls and other toys.
"Secretly" is a popular song. It was written by Al Hoffman, Dick Manning, Hugo Peretti, and Luigi Creatore and published in 1958. The best-known recording of the song was done by Jimmie Rodgers, which was a gold record.
"Patricia" is a popular song with music by Pérez Prado and lyrics by Bob Marcucci, published in 1958. The song is best known in an instrumental version by Prado's orchestra that became the last record to ascend to No.1 on the Billboard Jockeys and Top 100 charts, both of which gave way the next week to the then newly-introduced Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was also No. 1 on the R&B Best Sellers for two weeks. Prado's 1958 recording became a gold record. Billboard ranked it as the No. 5 song for 1958.
"Magic Moments" is a popular song composed by Burt Bacharach and written by Hal David, being one of the first songwriting collaborations by that duo. This song was recorded by Perry Como and released in 1957 as the B-side of his "Catch a Falling Star"; it reached No. 1 in the UK in 1958.
"Prisoner of Love" is a 1931 popular song, with music by Russ Columbo and Clarence Gaskill and lyrics by Leo Robin.
"Mandolins in the Moonlight" is a popular song, written by George David Weiss and Aaron Schroeder.
"Who's Sorry Now?" is a popular song with music written by Ted Snyder and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. It was published in 1923 as a waltz. Isham Jones had a hit recording in 1923 with the song arranged as a foxtrot. Later sheet music arrangements, such as the 1946 publication that was a tie-in to the film A Night in Casablanca, were published in 2
2 time. Other popular versions in 1923 were by Marion Harris, Original Memphis Five, Lewis James, and Irving Kaufman.
"It's Only Make Believe" is a song written by drummer Jack Nance and Mississippi-born singer Conway Twitty, while they were touring across Ontario, Canada in 1958. Twitty was a relatively unknown rock n' roll singer at the time, and this song was his first hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard chart in November 1958 for two weeks.
"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is a traditional African-American spiritual, first published in 1927. It became an international pop hit in 1957–58 in a recording by English singer Laurie London, which is one of the best-selling gospel songs of all time. The song has also been recorded by many other singers and choirs, including Mahalia Jackson, Marian Anderson, Judy Garland and Nina Simone.
"You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You" is a popular song written by Russ Morgan, Larry Stock, and James Cavanaugh and published in 1944. The song was first recorded by Morgan and was a hit for him in 1946, reaching the No. 14 spot in the charts. The best known version was Dean Martin's, which was released in 1960 and reissued in 1964.
"Go Away Little Girl" is a popular song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was first recorded by Bobby Vee for Liberty Records on March 28, 1962. The lyrics consist of a young man asking a young attractive woman to stay away from him, so that he will not be tempted to betray his steady girlfriend by kissing her. The song is notable for making the American Top 20 three times: for Steve Lawrence in 1963, for The Happenings in 1966, and for Donny Osmond in 1971. It is also the first song, and one of only nine, to reach US number 1 by two different artists. Also notable in each of the solo versions is the similar double-tracked treatment of the singer's voice.
"The Story of My Life" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It was published in 1957. It was recorded by Marty Robbins and reached number one on Billboard's country chart in 1958, and it became a number one hit song for Michael Holliday in the UK.
"Hey Girl" is a song written and composed by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It first became a popular Top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1963 when recorded by Freddie Scott. Donny Osmond took the song back to the Billboard top ten chart with his cover in 1971. Billy Joel recorded a version of the song for his 1997 album Greatest Hits Volume III.
The singles discography of Elvis Presley began in 1954 with the release of his first commercial single, "That's All Right". Following his regional success with Sun Records, Presley was signed to RCA Victor on November 20, 1955. Presley's first single with RCA, "Heartbreak Hotel", was a worldwide hit, reaching the No. 1 position in four countries and the top 10 in many other countries. Other hit singles from the 1950s include "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You", "Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog", "Love Me Tender", "Too Much", "All Shook Up", "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "Jailhouse Rock", "Don't", "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck", "Hard Headed Woman", "One Night", "(Now & Then There's) A Fool Such as I", and "A Big Hunk o' Love". On March 24, 1958, Presley entered the United States Army at Memphis, Tennessee, and was stationed in Germany. He left active duty on March 5, 1960.
"Whole Lotta Woman" is a song written and originally performed by American country and rockabilly singer Marvin Rainwater. It was released as a single by MGM Records in January 1958.
Unforgettable – A Musical Tribute to Nat King Cole is a soundtrack album released in the UK in 1983 by the CBS Records division of Columbia in conjunction with the broadcast of American pop singer Johnny Mathis's BBC television concert special of the same name that featured Cole's daughter Natalie. The front of the original album jacket credits the concert performers as "Johnny Mathis and Natalie Cole", whereas the CD booklet reads, "Johnny Mathis with special guest Natalie Cole".