''Silver Star'' is

Gary Glitter Paul Francis Gadd (born 8 May 1944), best known by his stage name Gary Glitter, is an English former singer, songwriter, and record producer. He achieved success during the glam rock era of the 1970s and 1980s, and his career ended after he w ...

's fourth studio album, released in 1977. The album saw the return of

Mike Leander Michael George Farr (30 June 1941 – 18 April 1996), known professionally as Mike Leander, was a British arranger, songwriter and record producer. He worked variously with The Beatles, David McWilliams ("Days of Pearly Spencer"), Gary Gli ...

as producer and co-writer, after Leander had been absent on Glitter's previous studio album G. G. The album contained three hit singles, "You Belong to Me" (released as a single on Bell 1473), " It Takes All Night Long" (the album version of the song is extended), and " A Little Boogie Woogie in the Back of My Mind" (which was a hit in the British singles charts twice, thanks to a cover version by

Shakin' Stevens Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s. His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, althoug ...

in 1987). Other selections include Gary's version of "

Rock and Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life) "Rock and Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)" is a 1973 song written and originally performed by Australian singer Kevin Johnson, most famously covered by American singer Mac Davis. Johnson's version reached number four in Australia ...

" (a previous hit for its writer, Kevin Johnson), a rock number "Summertime Blues Out", the good time boogie track "Heartbreaking Blue Eyed Boy", a tribute to the world's entertainment capital, "Hooked on

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

", as well as the fan favourites "Haven't I Seen You Somewhere Before?" and "Oh What a Fool I Have Been". The album fused

glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

and

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

, and was designed to expand Glitter's fan base, especially in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, where he had a top 10 hit with "

Rock and Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

" several years previously but a country where he had done a lot worse commercially compared to other countries. Sales of ''Silver Star'' were disappointing and it failed to chart inside the all important

Top 50 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "conte ...

on either side of the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

. Nevertheless, ''Silver Star'' went on to become a classic amongst his loyal fan base, and it was even voted the number one album of his career by his fan club in 1996. The 2006 and 2008 CD reissues of ''Silver Star'' contained bonus tracks.

Track listing

References

{{Authority control Gary Glitter albums 1977 albums Arista Records albums