Ron Tabak - vocal
Lindsay Mitchell - guitar
Graeme Coleman - Roland electric piano
Peter Bjerring - Arp Odyssey synthesizer
Jack Lavin - bass
Jim Vallance - drums, percussion
Backing vocals: David Sinclair, Bruce Fairbarin, Lindsay Mitchell

Also recorded by Jaymz Bee and the Royal Jelly Orchestra

At 3:23am EST on March 6, 2011 the crew of the International Space Station were woken up to the sound of "Spaceship Superstar".

The inspiration for "Spaceship Superstar" came from a couple of places ...

1). Somewhere between writing the song's first draft (1975) and final draft (1977) George Lucas released the classic film "Star Wars".  Suddenly Science Fiction was all the rage, and that's the direction I took with the lyric, albeit more "Jetsons" than "Jabba the Hutt".

2). Musically, the initial influence was provided by the 1970's German techno group, Kraftwerk. Their signature recording, "Autobahn", peaked at #25 on the Billboard singles chart in March 1975. Listening to Kraftwerk now, their music sounds bland and dated, but in the mid-70s they were cutting edge, revolutionary. 

	Who's Next (1971)

In fact, Kraftwerk influenced a whole generation of new bands including The Cure, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, and New Order. "Autobahn" also influenced several elements of "Spaceship Superstar", including the 8th-note keyboard motif and the whole-tone modulation which takes place half-way through each verse.

3). Another source of inspiration was "Who's Next", the brilliant 1971 album by The Who.  That album included the synth-driven track "Won't Get Fooled Again", with its pulsing, eighth-note keyboard pattern.  The "Who" influence was so obvious that, when the "Prism" album was released, initial press reviews called Prism "The Who with horns" ... a nice compliment, but to paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen's scathing remark to Dan Quayle during the 1988 U.S. vice-presidential debate: "I know Prism, and Prism are not The Who".

4). And while we're on the topic of "inspiration", I confess that the rhythm guitar figure in the chorus of "Spaceship Superstar" was subtly lifted from the song "Free Ride" by The Edgar Winter Group ("Free Ride" peaked at #14 on the Billboard singles chart in August 1973).

The keyboard solo at the end of "Spaceship Superstar" was performed (in one continuous "take") by Peter Bjerring, using his Arp Odyssey synthesizer.  The technology was relatively new, and synthesizers were still monophonic (only capable of playing one note at a time). In addition, midi and sequencing had not yet been invented, so despite the "high tech" components, synthesizer performances were still generated manually and in real time, a testament to Peter's proficiency on the keys.

Peter's Arp was a "white face" model, which, according to synthesizer historian David Collins, was manufactured between 1972 and 1974.  The Arp pictured here is a "black face" model, manufactured between 1974 and 1976.  I purchased a "black face" Arp in 1976 for the considerable sum of $1,700.  By the mid-1990's it was a dinosaur, and I was lucky to sell my Arp for $250.  Now they're considered "vintage" and are selling for $1,000.  Go figure!

This was my first attempt at "Spaceship Superstar".  The keyboard sound is David Sinclair's electric harmonium, the same one used on the demo of "Amelia".

Other than the chord structure and melody in the verse, there's little resemblance here to the final version of the song.  The first-draft lyric is "environmental" ... in an embarrassing save-the whales kind of way: "Lately I've been thinkin' 'bout it and I just don't understand / How we let the situation get so out of hand / There really ain't no substitute for the fields and the trees / If there were someplace else to go I'd be the first to leave ..."

Admittedly, more than a little lame.

By the time I recorded this second demo (lead vocal by Ron Tabak) the lyric had evolved to the final "Science Fiction" draft, give or take a word.  I had also added the "Spaceship Superstar" chorus, including the "question-answer" exchange between the lead and backing vocals (this was suggested by Bruce Fairbairn and Lindsay Mitchell, as I recall). 

Lindsay also contributed a few lyrics to the song: where I originally had "rocket-powered laser beam guitar", Lindsay suggested "solar-powered".

On this, the second demo, the keyboard sound is no longer a harmonium, but a "Roland EP-10 Combo Piano" borrowed from drum-shop owner Ray Ayotte.  The same keyboard was used on the final released recording (played by Graeme Coleman).

Lindsay Mitchell and Rocket Norton discuss "Spaceship Superstar" during an interview on Vancouver's CFOX radio station, May 29, 1979.