"The Star" or "(Here Comes) The Star" is a single by Australian pop music singer Ross D. Wyllie, released in September 1969. Written by Johnny Young and produced by Bob Foster for Festival. It reached number one on the Go-Set National Top 40. It was covered by British pop group, Herman's Hermits, as "Here Comes the Star", in November, which reached No. 33 on the UK singles chart.
Wyllie's version of "The Star" was arranged by John Farrar and produced by Bob Foster for Festival[8][9] – the latter also produced Uptight.[10][11] "The Star" peaked at number one on the Go-Set National Top 40.[12] It was also released in the United States in November 1969.[13] At the 1969 King of Pop Awards, which were presented during an Uptight episode in that month, Wyllie was a contender for King of Pop alongside Morris but both lost out to Johnny Farnham.[14][15] Australian musician and music critic Robert Forster, praised three of the best late 1960s pop stars "Pop singing is an art... it was cathedral-sized: listen to Normie Rowe sing 'It's Not Easy', or [Wyllie] 'The Star', or Colleen Hewett 'Superstar'".[16]
Wyllie was presented with a gold record, in 2003, for shipment of 35000 units of "(Here Comes) The Star".[17] When the song's writer, Young, was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2010, by his former Young Talent Time castmate, Tina Arena, she performed a rendition of "The Star".[18][19]
British pop group, Herman's Hermits, had formed in Manchester in 1964 and provided their cover version of "The Star" as "Here Comes the Star",[6] in November 1969, which reached No. 33 on the UK singles chart.[21] The line-up of the group in 1969 comprised Peter Noone on lead vocals, Keith Hopwood on rhythm guitar and vocals, Karl Green on bass guitar and vocals, Derek Leckenby on lead guitar and Barry Whitwam on drums. Their previous single, "My Sentimental Friend" (April 1969) had reached No. 2 in the UK,[21] No.3 in Australia and No.6 in New Zealand.[22][23]
^Nichols, David (2006). "'Does the meaning mean a thing?' Johnny Young's Hit Songs of the 60s–70s – DRO". ACH: The Journal of the History of Culture in Australia. 24. Routledge: 163–84. hdl:10536/DRO/DU:30003708. ISBN1-92084-525-9. ISSN0728-8433.
^Nichols, David (2016), Dig: Australian rock and pop music, 1960-85, Portland, OR: Verse Chorus Press, p. 202, ISBN978-1-891241-61-1
^Nelson, Stuart (2013), Stammer your way to success: From a suburban orphanage to an international career, pp. 56–8, ISBN978-1-4836-0207-3
^"Uptight". Australian Television Memorabilia Guide. Nodette Enterprises Pty Ltd. 2009. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
^"King of Pop". Now. No. 27. Potts Point, NSW. 5 November 1969. p. 2. Retrieved 10 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^Ross, Roslyn (15 July 1970). "For the King of Pop, a Celebration". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 38, no. 7. p. 3. Retrieved 10 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia. Photo caption: Well-known pop personality Ross D. Wylie [sic] and his wife, Eileen, were guests.
