star trek song 80s

Star Trek Theme Song Lyrics

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21 May 2012

1987: star trekkin' across the universe - on the starship enterprise under captain kirk....

4 comments:

Good one..always fun to quote or sing in the pub or in the car...:))

It was a very happy summer... I met my life partner in 1987! :)

"It's worse than that it's horse, Jim!"

Updated lyrics for 2013! Well done!

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INTRODUCTION

Was it simply "The Greed Decade" as many like to claim? I think not - the '80s saw the emergence of yuppies, but also Red Wedge, the Greenham Common Peace Women , and increasing concern for the environment. It may be convenient to scapegoat the '80s as the cause of all known ills, but the reality of the decade was far different - absolute bedlam, as Right fought Left, idealism fought corporate ambition. The election of Ronald Reagan as American President in 1980, and his second victory in 1984, had a far more decisive effect on the international political landscape than the three successive general election victories of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1979, 1983 and 1987.

Fashion came fast and furious - deelyboppers , ra ra skirts with lycra leggings, Swatch watches, pixie boots, jelly shoes, shoulder pads , blonde highlights, hair gel, hair mousse, men in pink, goths, shell suits, New Romantics , donkey jackets , leg warmers ...

Musically, the 1980s saw the beginnings of House Music , the exciting and still evolving world of synths taking centre stage, the evolvement of Rap music into the fully-fledged Hip Hop scene, Band Aid and Live Aid , great Indie, startling Acid House, and Raves...

At the amusement arcades, Space Invaders ran rampant and we first met Pac-Man ...

And there was so much more! The decade truly had something for everyone - and provided a welcome escape for a while from the long-running and boring saga of flared trousers as fashion, begun back in the 1960s!

It was a brilliant decade for telly - bringing us such wonders as A Very Peculiar Practice , Inspector Morse , Spitting Image , Hot Metal , The BeiderbeckeTrilogy and Edge of Darkness .

The 1980s also saw the creation of The Simpsons , Twin Peaks , and other wonderful (often groundbreaking) American TV shows like Kate & Allie , Cheers , The Golden Girls , Married... With Children, The Cosby Show , Roseanne , and Hill Street Blues .

The '80s gave us some wonderful UK TV ads. Remember Ted Moult advertising double glazing at the Tan Hall Inn with "Fit The Best - Everest" ? Remember the Weetabix gang ? Remember the Scotch video tape skeleton ("Re-record, not fade away"?). Remember the romantic yuppie couple in the coffee ads? And what about "Lotta Bottle" ?

In fact, the '80s totally transformed our telly viewing, bringing us Channel 4 and Sky TV.

The '80s were a fascinating time for science and technology! Video recorders became widespread, the Sony Walkman arrived, the first hand-held mobile phones hit the streets (expensive analogue bricks!), the ZX Spectrum , Game Boy and the World Wide Web (Thanks, Sir Tim Berners-Lee!) were invented, the first computer mouse eeked its way into our homes and Sir Alec Jeffreys accidentally discovered DNA fingerprinting . It's all here!

'80s Actual - Remembering The Arcade Games

'80s Actual - Remembering...

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To Boldly Sing

Star trek has inspired plenty of pop culture, but nothing is as bizarre as the musical fandom following its warp trail..

 Filed under: filk , music , novelty music , star trek , star trek music , star trek songs

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Hey all, Ernie here with a fresh one from David Buck , who is helping us maintain our mental-health-break status for this week. If you’re a Star Trek enthusiast, you will enjoy this one.

Today in Tedium : Some readers might have noticed my absence last month. Unfortunately, my father passed suddenly and I was out of commission for a while. As I looked through some of his stuff, I came across some things that reminded me of the times we would sit down together to watch Star Trek: the Next Generation or Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Thinking about those moments reminded me of some old files and pitches that I was working on a few years ago. I came across one idea and decided to flesh it out a bit: a piece on songs about a certain science fiction television show. If I recall correctly, the original outline of the piece was written for a certain site that ghosted me a few years ago. So, here it is, completely rewritten with fresh insights. So set your phasers to stun and beam up your sense of humor because in today’s Tedium, we’re going where no one has gone before: down the black hole of songs about Star Trek . — David @ Tedium

Today’s GIF comes from a claymation music video for the well-known novelty song “Star Trekkin’” by The Firm.

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“And on no other show do I police myself as much, because I’m such a fan of Star Trek that it’s important to me that we are as funny as we can be without breaking Star Trek at all times and without being mean about Star Trek. With the network and with the studio, the conversations are mostly when I’m pitching an episode, I’ll be like, ‘Here’s what inspired this episode.’ And it’s always coming from a thing that I love about Star Trek, and then ‘Here are the things that we love about these characters, here’s how we want to explore them, and then this is why it’s going to be funny.’”

— Mike McMahan , creator of Star Trek: Lower Decks , discussing his approach to comedy on the show in a 2021 interview with Collider .

Where no musician has gone before (well, not really)

Last year, I discovered something rather silly: a radio station with an apostrophe in its call letters. I joked with Ernie that it reminded me of the Klingon language. This led to a very interesting journey about Klingon that ended up going pretty far and even made an appearance on Vice’s Motherboard —something for which I am eternally grateful. Revisiting this idea only further brings home the point that science fiction television can be a goldmine for weird stuff.

Star Trek has always been a great source of humor. Where Deep Space Nine and Picard readily take on more serious themes, there’s something to be said about the ever present sense of humor that runs a deep vein through most Trek shows. It’s in “The Trouble With Tribbles,” all over TNG (especially in some of Riker’s most memorable scenes ), interspersed between more maudlin moments of DS9 , and encapsulated by certain characters on Voyager . And that’s only naming a few shows! It’s not difficult to see the humor in the shows.

A few years ago, a surprising new Star Trek show was announced, focusing on the non-bridge crew of a “second contact” starship called The Cerritos . That show was Star Trek: Lower Decks . Created by Mike McMahan (who also worked on shows like Rick & Morty and Solar Opposites ), the show centers on a few quirky characters who aren’t officers but perform the ship’s grunt work. It’s hysterical and the characters are quite fun to spend 22 minutes with each episode.

With Star Trek: Lower Decks already two seasons into its run and a plethora of Trek shows coming out, it’s almost as if a renaissance for the series is upon us. Also, Strange New Worlds looks amazing.

Lower Decks goes out of its way to take itself less seriously, proving there’s definitely some room for a bit of comedy interspersed with the more abstract seriousness the show often aims to hit. What Lower Decks does so well is how it leverages that crazy sense of humor into the fandom at large. It sort of reminds me of what happens when enthusiastic, musically inclined fans get together to write songs about the show.

Music has always been integral to Star Trek . From the opening theme of Star Trek (TOS) onward, music has been an integral part of Star Trek , inspiring viewers and musicians alike. While each show’s own music is instantly recognizable, the program also inspired a great deal of music by other artists (often related to TOS ). You’ve probably heard “ The Trouble With Klingons ,” a pastiche created by Dennis Williams for a certain novelty song contest or “Spock Rap” by the animators at Will Vinton Studios (under the name The Neural Paralyzers ) in the ’80s. Admittedly, not everything in this category is great, but there are plenty of gems around. Here are a few artists/songs that explore strange musical worlds, seek out new melodies, and boldly sing where no one has sung before!

You won’t find William Shatner’s The Transformed Man or Leonard Nimoy’s Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy here. Likewise, we won’t revisit the original Trek theme and its lyrics . Rather, these songs and sketches represent unique takes on Trek by various musicians and comedians past and present.

5. “Banned from Argo,” Leslie Fish & the Dehorn Crew

“ And we’re banned from Argo every one, banned from Argo just for having a little fun…”

Filk music is full of talented musicians who share a love of science fiction and community. Filk music—folk music with lyrics based on science fiction—has a rich history , with a strong connection to Trek.

Leslie Fish is perhaps the genre’s best known figure. With her 12-string guitar and larger than life persona, Fish writes about science fiction and beyond.

“ Banned from Argo ” is an upbeat shanty with slightly twisted lyrics. The Enterprise crew goes on shore leave and various hilarious hijinks ensue. It doesn’t reference TOS characters by name, it’s obvious which crew members she’s singing about.

The first few lines of a song explore the mischievous misadventures of the crew checking out “every joint and bar” on Argo during their shore leave. Listeners then learn about the Captain’s sinful tastes and complex methods, the engineer’s ability to “outdrink space marines and a demolition crew,” and the first officer teaches the computer how to swear. It’s a shame what happened to the doctor … but I digress.

Surprisingly, Fish doesn’t seem to like the song much. As she states in several interviews (notably her brief appearance in Trekkies 2 ), the tune was written as quickly to fill out an album. It rapidly became her best known song—something she is a bit cranky about .

Leslie Fish has a large ouvre of other songs, both Trek related and otherwise. Her exuberant performances and love for storytelling shine during her performances. If you’re not a fan of folk music and/or sea shanties, you may want to give this one a pass.

If you enjoy her Trek music, check out the song “Carmen Miranda’s Ghost” and its accompanying anthology . For the full Leslie Fish experience, give Folk Songs for Solar Sailors a spin—if you can find it .

4. “Everything I Do, I Do with William Shatner,” Warp 11

”I don’t want to go to work, just wanna hang with Captain Kirk and if I had my way, I’d make it so…”

Dedicated to all things Trek , Sacramento’s Warp 11 built a career playing Trek -themed music. Originally devised as a “band that only plays Trek songs” for a one-time video project of bass player/singer Karl Miller, the idea stuck and Warp 11 was born. Two decades and six albums later, the band is still on their musical journey.

Through incredible energy, crunchy electric guitar, and hilarious lyrics, “ Everything I Do, I Do with William Shatner ” from 2002’s Red Alert perfectly reflects the band’s “mission statement” —to convert listeners into Trek fans. Despite its title, the song is about Captain Kirk rather than Shatner himself.

Effortlessly juxtaposing the manic energy of The Presidents of the United States of America and the killer chops of The Ramones with a wider mix of blues, rock, and punk styles. Add their DIY punk-meets- TOS cosplay aesthetic, and you get one very eclectic listening/visual experience.

With Warp 11, you’ll find songs about Q and Betazoids, an entire album covering The Borg, and a few sporadic tunes about Voyager . The band’s healthy mix of TOS and TNG material is the epitome of Trek music created by fans, for fans.

While I enjoy their music, it skews toward a teenager/adult audience and is definitely not for kids. Warp 11 are well known for their sense of humor and double entendre and they can be a bit R-rated at times, with mildly NSFW album art. Some of their stuff can be a bit of an acquired taste, but if you dig pink, scifi, humor, and Star Trek , they’re worth checking out!

For those interested in Warp 11, start with Red Alert , then dive into any of their post-2007 work from It’s Dead Jim onward, available at their website and most streaming services.

3. “StarDrek,” Bobby “Boris” Pickett and Peter Ferarra

“ To boldly go where everyone has gone before !”

What do The Godfather , the most famous Halloween song of all time, and Star Trek have in common? Bobby “Boris” Pickett, of course. After having his breakout smash with “The Monster Mash” in 1962 (we wrote about this classic novelty tune in 2018 ), Pickett forged a career as a writer, playwright, comedian, and songwriter.

In 1975-1976, Pickett got together with producer Peter Ferrara to record “Godfather’s Respect”—a song about the 1972 film set to the tune of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”—and an original spoken word spoof of TOS called “Star Drek” (not to be confused with the MAD Magazine spoofs of a similar name).

The sketch follows the daily operation of a parody version of The Enterprise and its crew, focusing on the most exaggerated aspects of each character.

It isn’t an outright mockery of the franchise and its fans, either. “Star Drek” is a carefully crafted satire of the genre that plays to the absurdity of the occasional technobabble used on the show, taking a light hearted approach to the action. We won’t spoil the punchline for you here.

Barrett Hansen—a.k.a. radio host Dr. Demento—included the sketch on his 25th Anniversary collection, writing the two were on opposite coasts during the recording process so Peter ended up doing all the voices himself. They shared the credits, as Pickett helped write the piece.

The sketch is uproariously funny every time you hear it—a rare accomplishment for a comedy/novelty song—full of nuance and spot-on characterizations. Of course, your mileage may vary. The humor may be a bit dry for some, but it’s a fun piece that holds up remarkably well today.

If you like Pickett and Ferrara’s style consider listening to Pickett’s The Monster Mash LP. For more Peter Ferrara, watch the Jonathan Winters specials On the Ledge and Spaced Out .

(via Terry McGovern’s website )

2. “Beam me up Scotty,” Terry McGovern

”Beam me up Scotty, oh beam me up Scotty, life sure is trouble below …”

Terry McGovern is known today for his voice acting (he was the voice of Launchpad McQuack in the original Duck Tales ), but he began his career as a radio broadcaster . Later, he would work in movies and television as well. In 1976, he released a Trek song of his own, “Beam me up, Scotty” on Baseball Records as a B-side to his rendition of the classic tune “ Pachalafaka .” You can hear the entire thing on SoundCloud .

Not to be confused with an obscure country tune of the same name, McGovern’s song is a quiet rumination on how boring/awful life on earth can seem sometimes. The singer longs to join the crew of The Enterprise and escape the banality of modern life.

The song received airplay on various radio shows, but languished in obscurity for years until being officially re-released on a compilation album in the early 2000s. While it may not be the most well known Trek tune, it’s certainly well loved .

McGovern regularly attends conventions and teaches acting classes—on top of his legendary voice work.

1. “Star Trekkin’,” The Firm

“ There’s Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow… ”

The final entry in our list may be the best known: “Star Trekkin’” by The Firm. No, not Jimmy Page’s post Zeppelin band; this group was a side project of John O’Connor, a British music producer.

The song was popular in its own time—it hit Number One in the UK music charts and stayed there for quite awhile back in 1986—but took on new life in the internet age. It was used in one of the episodes of a Flash-based web series called Stone Trek (a mashup of The Flintstones and TOS ) and a claymation video makes the internet rounds every so often. Not bad for a novelty song that was rejected by every record company O’Connor approached. Then it became a million seller, prompting O’Connor’s move to America, where he went on to compose for television .

The Firm released a full-length LP, Serious Fun , that’s worth at least a slip of gold pressed latinum. “Star Trekkin’” is the best and catchiest of the tracks. Good luck getting the tune out of your head.

The number of songs in the Star Trek musical Boldly Go! Written by a Caltech theoretical physics graduate , Grant Remmen, and his brother Cole, the show is a humorous and satirical take on The Original Series . With songs like “Dammit Jim, I’m a Doctor” and “Captain’s Log (As Great As I Know I Am),” the show is well worth watching for its two hour runtime. According to a 2016 Caltech ad for the show, Boldly Go! is ”a story about being true to oneself and one’s convictions, about friendship and love, about discovery and wonder, about the triumph of the individual over adversity, and about the joy of sharing with each other this vast and mysterious Universe.” For those interested in such things, it’s available in its entirety on YouTube .

When I originally outlined this —several years ago now—it had quite a few more songs. But over time, my interest and enthusiasm for Trek has waned somewhat.

And of course we couldn’t fit all of our favorite goofy science fiction songs into this piece. But there are plenty of great Trek bands around like “one-chord punk rockers” No Kill I (and NKI: the Next Generation and NKI:Deep Space Nine; they’re all different bands), modern filkers Ookla the Mok , and the Klingon metal group Stovokor , whose performances take Trek music to the next level.

Songs and sketches about Trek continue to endure well into the 21st century and beyond and it will be interesting to see what strange musical moments the future of Trek fandom holds.

And although this piece no longer resembles anything close to the original idea I had for it, I’m glad I was able to take a quick reprieve from the insanity of our modern world to find—and share—some humor from the bridge of The Enterprise that can still resonate with audiences today.

Thanks again to David for the great piece. Find this one a worthy read? Share it with a pal ! And see you all next week.

Your time was just wasted by David Buck

David Buck is a former radio guy/musician who researches and writes about all manner of strange and interesting music, legacy technology, Nintendo and data analysis.

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Star trek unveils the breen's terrifying ultimate weapon, the chimera, seven of nine just delivered star trek's sickest burn.

The recent release of  Strange New Worlds   has kept a  Star Trek   tradition alive by delivering an epic main title theme. Throughout the entire  Trek  franchise, the main theme has been used to get the viewer ready for each week's stunning space adventure.

Whether it is the classic theme from  The Original Series , to modern series like  Discovery , every show in the  Trek  franchise has had its own unique main title theme song. Even though they are all great in their own way, some  Trek  themes have lived on and become permanent fixtures in popular culture.

Enterprise (2001-2005)

Enterprise   was  Star Trek 's most ambitious show up to that point, and with its main title theme, they also went out on a limb. Eschewing the usual orchestral score,  Enterprise  greeted viewers each week with a main theme that included lyrics, and modern instrumentation.

RELATED: The 10 Best Star Trek Movies, According To Reddit

"Where My Heart Will Take Me" was a power ballad that wreaked of 1980s cheese, even though the show was airing at the turn of the new millennium.  Trek  fans weren't sure what to make of the head-scratching song, and many downright despised it. Though the creators were going for an uplifting mood with the song, most viewers would have preferred a straightforward orchestral theme.

Discovery (2017-Present)

As a reboot of the  Star Trek  TV universe,  Discovery  had big shoes to fill in almost every aspect of production. For its theme,  Discovery  went for a more subdued orchestral score, that is marked with peaks and crescendos as opposed to an epic and bombastic tune.

Though it harkens back to  TOS  with the familiar four-note sting,  Discovery 's theme lacks the adventurous tone of most other shows. It has a dark and brooding atmosphere that matches the mood of the show but makes it stick out from its contemporaries. Many of the fan complaints about the show are mirrored in the theme song, and despite its attempts to call back to the original theme, it nevertheless feels very un- Trek .

The Animated Series (1973-1974)

As a consolation prize to fans who had seen their favorite show canceled so quickly,  Star Trek  returned briefly in the 1970s as an animated children's show. Musically speaking,  The Animated Series  matched its theme to the jaunty and adventurous feel of the show, and delivered a surprisingly jazzy song.

Though it is an homage to the familiar theme of  TOS , the cartoon's song stands on its own and is actually quite catchy. The bright and vibrant journeys shown on-screen are matched perfectly by the theme song, and it is a toe-tapper even outside of its context of a  Star Trek  series.  The Animated Series ' two seasons were some of the best of the franchise , and the theme went a long way to help make it popular.

Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

As far as tone went,  Deep Space Nine   took the  Trek  franchise into some of the darkest places it would ever go. Musically speaking,  DS9  was matched perfectly by its slow and almost militaristic theme song, complete with rolling bass drum sounds for added emphasis.

RELATED: Every Two-Part Deep Space Nine Episode, Ranked According To IMDb

Though the show didn't start out as dark as it would eventually end up, its theme was consistent throughout and almost acted like a distant early warning for the Dominion War plot line. Though it matches its show well, the song isn't the most memorable theme, and it gets somewhat muddled by its own dark and forbidding sound. Ultimately what hurts the  DS9  theme is that it gets somewhat repetitive over time.

Prodigy (2021-Present)

The world of animation has generally been kind to the  Star Trek  franchise, and  Prodigy   was an attempt to speak to a younger audience. Even with that goal, the theme of the series is everything that a  Trek  theme is expected to be, complete with soaring strings and an adventurous air.

The theme succeeds two-fold because it not only imparts the epic nature of the show, but it also hints at some of the immense mysteries of space. The refrain in the middle of the track is a unique piece of  Trek music, and gives the song alternating levels as opposed to an all-out auditory assault on the senses.

Lower Decks (2020-Present)

Star Trek  had tackled its fair share of deep issues , but never had a show gone for full-on comedy until  Lower Decks . Despite its silliness,  Lower Decks  received one of the strongest musical treatments in modern  Trek , and featured a sweeping theme that would gel with any of the franchise's live-action shows.

The familiar instrumentation harkens back to  The Next Generation , without resorting to a copy-cat approach. The song also succeeds because it maintains a playful air that lets the audience know that they are in for a fun, and funny ride with each week's episode. Even though it is  Trek 's goofiest show by far,  Lower Decks  received one of its best main themes.

Voyager (1995-2001)

Set in the furthest reaches of the galaxy,  Voyager   truly took  Trek  fan where no-one had gone before. Musically speaking,  Voyager  featured a main theme that encapsulated all of what was great about previous themes into one epic song.

RELATED: The Best Star Trek Series, Ranked According To IMDb

Beginning with its own isolated note stinger, the song features an open and brassy sound that harkens back to the militarism of  DS9 , but with an adventurous air. Hinting at the unlimited possibilities of the Delta Quadrant, the theme song is also somewhat mysterious and builds up with new instruments as it finds its climax.

Strange New Worlds (2022-Present)

Since the birth of the franchise, shows have been attempting to capture a little of the magic that made many fans consider  The Original Series  as the best  Trek  show , and  Strange New Worlds  has arguably come the closest. Though the theme teases viewers with the original hook from  TOS , the song quickly jumps into its own thing with surprising finesse.

Throughout Pike's monologue, the song builds until, like a rollercoaster ride, the audience is thrown into the sweeping massiveness of space with music to match. Mimicking the original theme, but in a different key, the song sounds like it would fit right in amongst the supplemental music of  TOS. 

The Next Generation (1987-1994)

Bringing  Trek  back to TV after decades away was an ambitious choice, and  The Next Generation  used its music to immediately set itself apart. The theme is quick and bouncy, with blaring horns and swinging strings that give the song a buoyant and adventurous feeling.

Grandiose compared to its predecessor,  TNG 's main theme has a theatrical vibe that lends importance to the episodes that it scores. Though it sounds totally different from  TOS 's main theme, that is perhaps its strongest asset. The song captured the mood of the show perfectly, and became just as instantly recognizable as the song that came before it.

The Original Series (1966-1969)

Very few shows in TV history are as indelibly linked to their theme song as  Star Trek: The Original Series is. From the tinkling note opening under Shatner's monologue, to the almost operatic voices overtop the music, everything about the main title song is iconic.

At its heart,  Star Trek  is about the future, and  TOS  is the only show that used its theme to imply a futuristic vibe. Harkening back to the best Science Fiction films of the 1950s, the show's theme has a ghostlike quality that is as haunting as it is beautiful, and it implies the many mysteries of space. The best episodes of  TOS were made all the better by a theme song that never failed to match the tone of whatever episode it played before.

NEXT: Every Star Trek TV Series, Ranked By Popularity  

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Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

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The 25 Best Space Disco Songs of 1976-1986

With Star Trek: Picard and Space Force in the news, it's time to revisit the best space disco of the original era. These 25 songs feature outer space on the dance floor, from the avant-garde to Star Wars commercialism and beyond.

Meco’s disco version of the Star Wars theme hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in October of 1977, selling two million copies internationally. Space Disco had taken off and it remained in orbit for nearly a decade. At its best, Space Disco sounds less like Meco’s effects-sampling gimmickry and more streamlined and pulsing like Giorgio Moroder’s synth-instrumental “Chase” (1978). Though an instant cliché, commercially, Space Disco can be far more dynamic, too: fatuous or subversive, sexual or sexist, unifying or diversifying, utopian or dystopian, bringing wonder or apocalypse, offering escape or reflection. Space Disco did not begin with Star Wars , at any rate, its long fuse reaches back decades.

The pop culture phenomenon of Space Disco can be seen as a logical extension of the Space Age, its accompanying sci-fi sensibility, and the evolution of music-making technology. The Space Age began with the launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957, effectively beginning the Space Race, and intensified the popular imagination’s focus on futurism and worlds beyond our own. Theremin-driven scores for sci-fi movies like The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), as well as the first all-electronic score for Forbidden Planet (1956), had already established the outer space soundscape: hovering tones, propulsive pitches, sonic waves from a galaxy away, abstracted melodies, radar repetitions. These scores relied on technology that quickly evolved over the next two decades, pivoting on the breakout Moog synthesizer that would be heard across genres.

The retrospectively named genre Space Age Pop served as a soundtrack for the Space Age from the mid-’50s into the mid-’60s, aligned with era advances in stereophonic sound and high fidelity (hi-fi) home stereos. Sid Bass’s From Another World (1956), Les Baxter’s Space Escapade (1958), and Dick Hyman’s Moon Gas (1963) featuring Mary Mayo are stellar examples. Though not electronic music, the subgenre quirked-up standards like “Sentimental Journey” inside a space frame. Latin sensation Esquivel is surely the “father” of the genre. His landmark album Other Worlds Other Sounds (1958), though its cover envisions a dancer on the moon’s surface, offers no explicit space theme to connect the tracks, only arrangements marked by newfangled studio wizardry.

Deliah Derbyshire, an eccentric British pioneer in electronic music, created the iconic Dr. Who theme in 1963 at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop where she was surrounded by imposing computers and switchboards. New electronic instruments represented the future of music and their blinking, circuitry-riddled looks, much like their beep-bips and “ziwzih ziwzih” sounds (to borrow a Derbyshire title), linked up easily with a future-tech vision of spaceship interiors. Even the terminology sounded futuristic, with modulators, wobbulators, oscillators, sine waves, vacuum tubes, and magnetic tape loops.

Much early electronic music experimented with dissonance and cacophony more than melody, widely perceived as weird but inaccessible. The In Sound From Way Out! , released in 1966 by master innovators Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley, aspired to create zippy little songs that “might be heard soon from the jukeboxes at the interplanetary way stations” — according to the original liner notes. The space theme is explicit across all tracks with titles like “Unidentified Flying Object”, “The Little Man from Mars”, and the utterly goofy “Barnyard in Orbit”. The Moog synthesizer, making its debut of sorts at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, did the most to bring electronic into the mainstream because it was able to be commercially manufactured.

Outer space, as audio aesthetic or fantastic theme, opened up music beyond the burgeoning electronic genre. Prog Rock, so-called Krautrock, Space Rock, and the Berlin School all overlapped in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The first genres to incorporate synthesizer and rock instruments, they also broke away from traditional song structures, extending song length and thereby expanding the sense of space within a song, be it an inner space (e.g., dreamscape) or outer space. Cosmos-prone pioneers in these genres include Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, The Cosmic Jokers and, above all, the electronic music collective Tangerine Dream.

Jazz and funk channeled their own outer space mythologies. Alabama-born jazz master Sun Ra, who claimed a mystical link to Saturn, more or less invented Afrofuturism in the mid-’50s (though the term would not be coined until the ’90s by critic Mark Dery). Sun Ra started his decades-long output with avant-garde records like Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra Visits Planet Earth (1958) but is most known for free-jazz works like Space Is the Place (1973) that combined outer space themes and Egyptian exotica. Space ‘s personnel list refers to the backup singers as Space Ethnic Voices.

Mark Dery writes: “African-American voices have other stories to tell about culture, technology, and things to come. If there is an Afrofuturism, it must be sought in unlikely places, constellated from far-flung points.” Dery sees an Afrofuturist sensibility in Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland (1968), Herbie Hancock’s Future Shock (1983), and of course Parliament and its leader George Clinton, whose alter ego, Starchild, first emerged in the 1975 hit “Mothership Connection” that integrates lines from the traditional spiritual “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” into its outer space party scene. Also noteworthy are Pharoah Sanders’ “Astral Traveling” (1971), Billy Preston’s “Outa Space” (1971), Ornette Coleman’s “Science Fiction” (1972), Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes’ “Cosmic Funk” (1974), LaBelle’s “Space Children” (1974), Undisputed Truth’s “UFOs” (1975), and Dexter Wansel’s space one-off Life On Mars (1976).

Now we’ve reached disco, which can be traced back to the early ’70s, to underground dance clubs in Philadelphia and New York City where blends of soul, funk, salsa, and pop were popular with African-American, Latino, and gay patrons. Though a number of disco hit-makers came along to define the genre, like Gloria Gaynor or The Village People, most relevant here is synth-master Giorgio Moroder, whose major hit for Donna Summer, “I Feel Love” (1977), featured the Moog so drivingly that it inspired widespread incorporation of synth into dance music.

The era of Space Disco, 1976 to 1986, predates and outlasts yet is roughly parallel to the Star Wars franchise: Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983). Groundbreaking and wildly popular video games piqued ears for space sounds as well, with Space Invaders released in 1978, Galaxian and Asteroids in 1979, and Vanguard, Defender, and Galaga in 1981.

Even as it veered sharply mainstream, disco was rooted in the marginal and — dare I say — alien? It’s easy to see only the blockbuster successes of the above-mentioned films, as well as Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Star Trek: The Movie (1979), and Flash Gordon (1980), as the reason for surging space sounds and themes in disco, but there’s more to it. According to Daryl Easlea’s book Everybody Dance: Chic and the Politics of Disco , “aliens were swamping popular culture,” be they actual extraterrestrials on the theater screen, or in disco music where otherness prevailed: gays (Village People, Patrick Cowley, Sylvester), blacks “subliminally appropriating white symbols of power” (Chic in their business suits), and sexually powerful women (Donna Summer, Grace Jones, Amanda Lear).

The following list of 25 contributors to Space Disco takes five different angles on the genre.

Avant-Garde Deep Spacers refers to those whose contributions are more abstract, creating a deep “space groove”, if you will, as if listeners have settled in for a long flight through velvety Andromeda. Spawn of Star Wars includes dance tracks that either directly refer to or obviously lift from the Star Wars movies. Selections under Intergalactic Kitsch reveal the campy sense of humor inherent to a good deal of Space Disco. Since women in this genre and during this era weren’t generally found at mixing consoles, manipulating the technology, the next category focuses on their vocals, a gathering of Cosmic Chanteuses . The last category, The Mothership Electro , covers a later period in the Space Disco era when burgeoning hip-hop overlapped with electronic music and drew on an Afrofuturist mythology.

These contributors may have produced single songs, whole albums, or oeuvres that fit into the Space Disco genre. Their contributions may have been major hits or obscurities with cult status. Their countries of origin include Aruba, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, England, France, Germany, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, and the United States.

Avante-garde Deep Spacers

Asha Puthli – “Space Talk” (1976)

The four-octave, often free-form stylings of Asha Puthli, world music pioneer from Bombay, India, were first heard on jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman’s Science Fiction (1972). Her solo albums over the next few years fused East and West while alternating between psychedelic funk and pop balladry. Her one space-themed song, “Space Talk” from The Devil Is Loose (1976), achieved underground immortality with its saunter-encouraging bass, spaceship synth, dip-and-soar vocals, and softly clipped lyrics like “Space talk, taking a space walk space”.

Several hip-hop artists have sampled the song, including the Notorious B.I.G. on his Life After Death album (1997). In 2009, the song was transmitted into deep space, at the speed of light, as part of a celebration honoring the 40th anniversary of the moon landing.

Manzel – “Space Funk” (1977)

Manzel’s “Space Funk” (1977), much like their “Midnight Theme” (1979), were singles without albums, brief yet funk-powered instrumentals that waited two decades to be rediscovered, and honorably sampled, by hip-hop artists like De La Soul, Cypress Hill, and Childish Gambino. Leader of the Lexington-based trio, Manzel Bush, juxtaposes his vibrant, multi-frequency keyboards against driving bass and mounting strings as it’s all set a-strut with high-hat drums. A timeless ride.

Dopebrother Records remastered Manzel’s few tracks for a CD titled Midnight Theme (2004). “Space Funk” is also available on the excellent compilation Spaced Out: 10 Original Disco Funk Grooves (2007).

Space – Magic Fly (1977)

Of all the avant-garde deep spacers, none were deeper into space than the brilliant French group Space. Their albums Magic Fly (1977), Deliverance (1977), and Just Blue (1978), as innovative as they are inviting, sold 12 million copies worldwide. “Magic Fly”, the first and biggest hit, seems campier than it is if watching the video, which features the band in spacesuits. Space, however, took their mode of disco quite solemnly. Their ambient-funk instrumentals are lush yet aerodynamic for tender orbit in wide-open darkness, while the occasionally featured female vocalist entrances with soulfulness no less than revelatory.

Bernard Fevre – “Space Team” (1977)

Didier Marouani, who founded the group, went on to compose the first opera for synthesizer and choir; Space Opera (1987) also became the first CD to be played in outer space — by Russian cosmonauts at the then newly established space station Mir.

A number of other electronica pioneers and popsters came out of France, like Pierre Henry, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Cerrone, but most deserving of inclusion here is Bernard Fevre, whose three instrumental albums, released 1975-1977, veer increasingly beyond the earth’s atmosphere. With no song over three minutes, these albums feel like abstract montages of interplanetary touring.

Fevre is now known more for his work as Black Devil and the cult disco masterpiece Disco Club (1978) that channels the spacey instrumentation of his previous albums while adding aggressive beats and filtered vocals. Disco Club was so ahead of its time and obscure that when it reemerged on CD in the 2000s, new fans either doubted its 1970s origin or assumed Black Devil’s follow-up, 28 After (2006), was also from the 1970s.

Harald Grosskopf – “Transcendental Overdrive” (1980)

Harald Grosskopf ‎came out of Krautrock and the space-obsessed Berlin School of electronic music. He founded Ash Ra Tempel and collaborated with The Cosmic Jokers and Klaus Schulze. His solo debut Synthesist (1980), all instrumentals made using a Minimoog, a primitive sequencer, and an 8-track reel-to-reel, is considered a cult classic. It’s ambience with gravitational pull, in turn droning and celestial, tranceable and danceable. The album was reissued in 2014 by independent label Bureau B.

Further Listening : Automat (Italy), Moon Birds (France), Space Art (France), Yellow Magic Orchestra (Japan), and Zodiac (Latvia).

Spawn of Star Wars

Meco – “Star Wars” (1977)

For most people who remember the disco 1970s, mention Space Disco and the name springing to mind is Meco, whose disco spin on John Williams’ Star Wars theme to this day qualifies as the biggest-selling instrumental single of all time. Seeing Star Wars on its opening night in May of 1977 changed the life course of Pennsylvania-born record producer Meco Monardo.

Sound effects — like the iconic pew-pew, the lightsaber hum, and droid R2D2’s “voice” — constitute the most obviously electronic aspect of Meco’s reinterpretation. His album Music Inspired By Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk (1977) was followed by Superman and Other Galactic Heroes (1979), Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album (1980), Music From Star Trek and the Black Hole (1980), and Ewok Celebration (1983).

Droids – “(Do You Have) The Force?” (1978)

As with Meco Monardo, seeing Star Wars inspired Droids founder Yves Hayat to recreate the “space opera” feeling on vinyl — and he did so without bowing to John Williams’ score. The two-part “(Do You Have) The Force?” alludes to the classic Star Wars line “may the Force be with you”, but otherwise the all-instrumental Star Peace (1978) whizzes toward its own apogee.

It’s a laser-clean slice of space disco at a mere 32-minutes total, very rare and expensive even after release on CD in 2004. The infectious “Shanti Dance” is included on a compilation of French electronica titled Cosmic Machine (2013), its liner notes imagining the Droids “lying on a beach of diamonds sipping electric cocktails in the company of a few Venusian mermaids”.

Hot Gossip -“I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper” (1978)

Before her eminence in Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, soprano Sarah Brightman led a dance troupe turned music group called Hot Gossip and their debut “I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper” was a top ten hit in England in 1978. The song is a pop melange of space references (Darth Vader, Starfleet, Close Encounters ) and space battle sound effects, all in service of a colonization theme: “Hand in hand we’ll conquer space”.

“Love in a UFO” (1979) has more hook, with lyrics about spaceship abduction and sex between human and android: “Oh what a trip it was, so cosmically orgasmic / I’d no idea he was an android made of plastic!”

Time magazine reported in 2015 that Brightman may be going to space for real, soon. She and husband Andrew Lloyd Weber composed a song ideal for her to sing in microgravity but, sadly, her plans for a ten-day stay aboard the International Space Station are for the time being suspended.

MB4 – “Ewok Celebration and Star Wars” (1983)

With Return of the Jedi (1983) came the merchandisable Ewoks, a whole village of spear-ready teddy bears. MB4’s song “Ewok Celebration” begins “Yub nub, eee chop yub nub”. Meco’s disco version tries to rise above the childish banter of the Ewokese with a rap bridge, while the Italo version by MB4 blends in the original Star Wars theme. Either way a goofy gimmick.

MB4’s inexplicable B-side, “Do, Do, Phone Me”, is the gem here. MB4, by the way, is better known as MBO of Klein & MBO whose classic “Dirty Talk” (1982) is considered a major influence on early house music.

In Europe as Space Disco converged with Italo, the hairsplitting category of spacesynth emerged and Koto’s two instrumental hits “Visitors” (1985) and “Jabdah” (1986) are considered among its best. “Visitors” contains a sample from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” (1982) and the 12″ offers a six-minute “Alien Mix”.

As for “Jabdah”, that title alludes to Jabba the Hutt of Return of the Jedi (1983); the misspelling was a way to skirt copyright. A plucky synth track, its cold bounce serves as a counterpoint to the guttural Jabba voice in the background. As is often true of the period, one is better off avoiding the ghastly music video, in this case featuring Anfrando Maiola hopping at his synth in a martial arts keikogi.

Further Listening : Bang Bang Robot (France), The Electric Moog Orchestra (Brazil), Galaxy 42 (US), Patrick Gleeson (US), Boris Midney (Russia)—all of them Meco imitators from 1977-’80.

Intergalactic Kitsch

Rockets – “Cosmic Race” (1978)

Picture a band of five bald Parisian men painted silver, the drummer flanked by golden gongs. They all wear black and silver jumpsuits. While superimposed against a tawdry galactic backdrop, they perform a Space Rock-Disco cover of Canned Heat’s hippy classic “On the Road Again”, alternating between natural and vocoder-filtered vocals. This is the title song on Rockets second album, released in 1977, which also offers the more purely Space Disco entry “Cosmic Race”.

Titles like “Space Rock” and “Sci Fi Boogie” suggest a self-awareness of the kitsch inherent to their act. The band kept up their costume-play for album after space-themed album throughout their most successful period of 1977-1982.

Ganymed – “It Takes Me Higher” (1978)

Ganymed’s butch Space Disco prompts more stomp than hustle. Pummeling bass energizes the best of their three space-themed albums (1978-1980), layers of rhythm rubbing against each other. Gerry Edmond’s often gruffly masculine voice borders on homoerotic, even in call-and-response with Yvonne Dory’s coolly served vocals. Their big debut hit in native Austria, “It Takes Me Higher”, reminds my ear of “Supernature” (1977), Cerrone’s disco classic with the strange eco-horror theme.

“Hyperspace”, “Future World”, “We Like You (The Way You Like Us)”, and “Death to the Alien” also enthrall. Ganymed does go kitschy at times. As well, each band member adopted an alien pseudonym, like Kroonk and Pulsaria, the men wear creature masks made of rubber, and their debut album cover may win the prize for quality kitsch in a genre that produced some of the hokiest cover art imaginable.

Disco Dream and the Androids – “Dream Machine” (1979)

Disco Dream and the Androids is the name given to both a studio “project” and its resultant one-off album, realized by a descendant of German composer Richard Wagner whose British firm, Electronic Dream Plant, manufactured synthesizers. Andrew Wagner intended his project to be “a spoof concept space fantasy album” and was surprised to find it taken seriously by fans.

In spite of its kitschy cover, weightless lyrics, and the spasmodic “pew-pew” effects, however, a mastery of the Wasp Moog and the Roland 700 synthesizer guaranteed serious beats. It’s also, according to Wagner, the first time a purely computer-generated “phonetic voice” was used on an album. For backup singers he chose a very real trio known as The Thunder Thighs, famous for singing the “colored girls” part on Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” (though it doesn’t seem they themselves are “colored”). For now Disco Dream and the Androids is rare and expensive, even used copies on vinyl, but all six tracks can be found hovering about the YouTube sphere. Start with the nine-minute opener “Dream Machine”.

Laurice – “The Disco Spaceship” (1977)

“The Disco Spaceship” (1977) is an irrepressible Space Disco obscurity by a Welsh-born vocalist and occasional drag artist who was popular in Canadian gay clubs throughout the mid-’70s, Laurie Marshall aka Laurice. The song celebrates unity through dance and sex — “Venus gettin’ down with Mars” — while advanced lifeforms look down on earthlings for making more war than love. Laurice’s hand-at-mouth wa-wa-wa tribal call makes for an unforgettable approximation of the vocoder. The 12″ was mixed at Electric Ladyland Studios in Greenwich Village, surrounded by Lance Jost’s psychedelic spaceship murals that would end up serving as cover art for “Disco Spaceship”.

Space in the Margins

Patrick Cowley – “Megatron Man” (1982)

Patrick Cowley brought a gay club sensibility to outer space. With Hi-NRG synths and accompanying space sounds, his debut “Menergy” (1980) exalts “boys in the back room laughin’ it up, shootin’ off energy”; it would be rereleased in 1984 featuring gay icon Sylvester on vocals. The title song from Cowley’s second album Megatron Man (1981) also broke the top five on Billboard ‘s dance charts. The album mingles silvery sci-fi motifs and rapturous electronic arrangements, as well as layered and filtered vocals, to achieve a sound that Pet Shop Boys would claim as an influence.

Cowley died shortly after Mind Warp (1982), a somber yet hopeful Space Disco released at a point so early in the AIDS crisis that it was being referred to as GRID (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency). The lyrics to the haunting “Mutant Man” include: “Deeper down the corridor, returning to the source, rhythm touching rhythm is the underlying force”. “They Came at Night” is a paranoid nightmare of greenish-glowing invader aliens who change shape, steal seed, and administer spinal taps. Final song, “Goin’ Home”, imagines going “far beyond all space and time… on a journey to parts unknown”.

Further Listening: Araxis (France), Boney M (Aruba and Jamaica), Bumblebee Unlimited (US), Enterprise (Spain), Lectric Workers (Italy), Player One aka Playback (Australia), Megalonsingers (Italy), Planet Earth (England), Supersempfft ‎(Germany), Transvolta (France)

Cosmic Chanteuses

Dee D. Jackson – “Automatic Lover” (1978)

“Automatic Lover”, from the all space-themed album Cosmic Curves (1978), sold six million copies and reached the top ten in ten different countries despite failing to break the top 100 in the US. Throughout the song, a robot voice repeating “I am your automatic lover” is juxtaposed against Dee D. Jackson’s vocals that alternate between rising complaints (“His body’s cold… programmed to receive automatic satisfaction”) and whimpered demands (“See me, feel me, hear me, love me, touch me”) — quite the opposite of Sarah Brightman’s orgasmic “Love in a UFO”. Jackson’s follow-up single “Meteor Man” is similar space-fluff.

Sheila and Black Devotion – “Spacer” (1980)

After dozens of bubblegum hits in Europe, 1962-1975, French “yé-yé girl” singer Sheila went disco by accessorizing herself with black men, specifically three dancers from the US who also sing backup and constitute the B. Devotion (Black Devotion) part of the band name Sheila & B. Devotion. In 1979, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, disco royalty, produced her hit “Spacer”. “It was silly,” Rodgers admitted decades later. “Nothing is bullshit, but that was the closest to bullshit we’d ever done.” It sold four million copies worldwide.

Ednah Holt – “Serious, Sirius, Space Party” (1981)

Ednah Holt brings a combined sense of hedonism and personal agency to her funked-up mid-tempo space groove “Serious, Sirius Space Party” (1981). The one-off 12″ was released on the era-defining disco label West End Records and mixed by renowned DJ Larry Levan of New York’s underground disco Paradise Garage, where mostly gay people of color forged a new vision of their lives. The emphatic beat plays ascending frequencies against thumping lows and electric guitar as Holt’s hot wailings imagine people of color dancing on The Enterprise with various sci-fi icons like Spock and C3P0, all “partying with the Force”.

Holt enjoyed a successful career as a backup singer (appearing alongside Talking Heads in Stop Making Sense ) and with her own group The Ritchie Family. The song is included on Larry Levan’s Classic West End Records Remixes Made Famous at the Legendary Paradise Garage (2013).

RAH Band – “The Crunch” (1878)

Producer and multi-instrumentalist Richard Anthony Hewson alone is RAH Band. His first album to exploit Space Disco elements, The Crunch and Beyond (1978), offers roughly textured, hard swinging synth-instrumentals like “The Crunch” and “Electric Fling”. His next albums are hit and miss, the space motifs often trite and generic saxophone out of place. “Messages From the Stars” and “Clouds Across the Moon” (both 1983), however, are quintessential latter-day Space Disco tracks. With saxophone jettisoned, torchy vocals by Hewson’s wife add melodic hook and a dash of style to the RAH Band sound. “Clouds” plays out a woman’s annual telephone call to her lover on his way to Mars.

The Android Sisters – “Electronic Sheep” (1984)

The sci-fi novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) by Philip K. Dick inspired Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) and also the Android Sisters. Their rarity “Electronic Sheep”, about transforming into a sheep during the nightly news, is emotionless in its absurdity. Tom Lopez and songwriter Tim Clark combine MIDI and Synclavier II to create a soundscape both quirk-cluttered and minimal, filtering vocals by Ruth Maleczech and Valeria Wasilewski whose unhurried delivery can bring to mind Laurie Anderson.

Liner notes for Songs of Electronic Despair (1984) create a fictional backdrop for the Sisters, who met during the robot uprisings of 2065 and played in dive bars up and down the Asteroid Belt. They dedicate their songs — like “Down on the Electronic Farm”, “Macho Robot or the Banana Trilogy”, and the paranoid tour de force “Robots Are Coming” — to social misfits universally. A rare best-of compilation, released by EM Records (a reissue label for out-of-print experimental and outsider music), contains album plus bonus tracks.

Further Listening : Charlie (Italy), Mistral (Netherlands), Daisy Daze & The Bumble Bees (France), Munich Machine and The Midnite Ladies (Germany), Venus Gang (France)

The Mothership Electro

Pluton & Humanoids – “World Invaders” (1981)

Late in the Space Disco era, disco waned as Hi-NRG and hip-hop emerged and outer space became the domain of electro music. Electro was born with the release, in 1980, of the iconic-sounding Roland TR-808 drum machine that provided bass drumbeats as well as synthetic handclaps. A hypnotic blend of space-cold synths with emerging electro is “World Invaders” (1981) by Pluton & Humanoids, really a duo: Pierre Perpall, considered the “Canadian James Brown” in the ’60s, and producer Michel Bibeau. Liquescent beats under all-filtered vocals induce euphoria on the dance floor, perfect for the planet’s last night of freedom. This one-off 12″ is available on Morgan Geist’s essential compilation Unclassics (2004).

Midnight Star – “Freak-A-Zoid” (1983)

Even pre-electro, Midnight Star incorporated space motifs into their look and album covers if not their actual songs. At last with 1983’s “Freak-a-Zoid”, a song’s theme lived up to the nods at outer space; it also introduced a Top 40 audience to the futuristic sounds of electro. “Freak-a-zoid robots”, a vocoder voice opens the song, “please report to the dance floor”. Their next album Planetary Invasion (1984) took the theme further with “Body Snatchers”, “Scientific Love”, and the title track, none enjoying zoid-level popularity.

Warp 9 – “Nunk” (1982)

Though dominated by men, electro owes its success to at least one woman, Lotti Golden. Her self-penned 1969 album Motor-Cycle is considered a feminist classic but over time she came to prefer the recording studio as a producer, dedicating herself in the early ’80s to electro and starting with the hip-hop trio Warp 9 whose “Nunk” (1982) and “Light Years Away” (1983) are often referred to as genre-defining tracks. The Guardian described the latter as “travers[ing] inner and outer space, matching rolling congas with vocoder voices and the hiss and sizzle of cutting edge synth and drum machine technology.” It also features both male and female rappers. As for “Nunk”, its subtitle “New Wave Funk” owns up to a short-lived conceptual overlap between new wave music and electro.

Newcleus – “Space Is the Place” (1983)

In 1983, the electro phenomenon of Newcleus gripped the radio waves nationwide with their “Wikki-wikki-wikki!” Ben “Cozmo D” Cenac, his cousins Monique and Pete Angevin, and “Chilly B” Crafton started Newcleus as teens in Brooklyn, channeling a wide-eyed Afrofuturism into their albums Jam on Revenge (1984) and Space Is the Place (1985). The breakout “Planet Rock” (1982) by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force surely inspired them, though Newcleus is more playful, mingling irresistible cartoon-alien vocals throughout. “Destination Earth”, “Space Is the Place” (reworking the classic Sun Ra song), and “Cyborg Dance” are among the best of the space-themed tracks.

Herbie Hancock – “Rockit” (1984)

Electro’s most mature realization was surely Future Shock (1983) by Herbie Hancock, already legendary for a nonstop output of albums ranging from “post bop” to disco to his electronic jazz-funk masterpiece Head Hunters (1973). Future Shock ‘s fugitive single “Rockit” froze listeners in their tracks with its radical electro sensibility, including vanguard “scratching” by GrandMixer DXT, just as the concept video disturbed MTV viewers with its posthuman vision of a robot bourgeoisie. Keytar-wielding Hancock not only performed the song at the Grammys, it won a Grammy for R&B Instrumental.

Further Listening : Casco (Italy), Cybotron (Detroit), Jonzun Crew (Boston), Laserdance (Netherlands), Planet Patrol (Boston), Q (Philadelphia)

Perhaps outer space has become passé, now long replaced in the popular imagination by the frontier of the internet with its own soundscape, its own myths, wonders, and dangers. Though the Star Wars franchise reinvigorated itself in the ’00s, and Space Disco has enjoyed sporadic moments of reincarnation, thanks to a few visionaries like Maggotron, Visit Venus, Aphex Twin, The Orb, Air, Morgan Geist, Janelle Monáe, Antoni Maiovvi, FM Attack, and Daft Punk, no era of space-themed music has come along that has sustained itself like Space Age Pop (1954-1964) and Space Disco (1976-1986).

Note: This feature originally published on 2 October 2016.

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William shatner’s “the real slim shady” and other “star trek”-related songs you never knew existed.

Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek has become a phenomenon in the TV world. Even 55 years after its initial air date on September 8, 1966, the iconic series continues to inspire new TV programs and films.

Over the years, it has also inspired musical artists to create songs about the show. Notable cast members such as William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy have also performed their own musical numbers. The songs range from pretty decent to downright awful, but they all have their place in Star Trek history.

Songs by Cast Members

William shatner’s notorious musical career.

William Shatner might have made his name portraying Captain James Tiberius Kirk in the original series of Star Trek , but he also pursued a musical career and released eight albums.

Rather than singing, Shatner’s style is to speak the lyrics in a dramatic manner. His first album, The Transformed Man , interspersed his interpretation of songs like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Mr. Tambourine Man” with dramatic readings of Shakespeare.

Universal mockery of this album didn’t prevent Shatner from continuing his passion for music. In 1978, he hosted the 5th Saturn Awards and performed Elton John’s “Rocket Man” in his own unique style. The performance has been laughed at but also lovingly parodied.

Always someone who is happy to laugh at himself, Shatner provided the voice of Captain Kirk in an episode of the science-fiction cartoon Futurama in 2002. A short but memorable section of the episode involved Shatner giving a spoken-word rendition of “The Real Slim Shady” by Eminem.

Jean-Luc Picard’s “Alphabet Song”

Sir Patrick Stewart is well-known for his tongue-in-cheek skits, and he is a stalwart of both stage and screen. But rarely do fans get a chance to see him mix the two together.

His rendition of “ The Alphabet Song ” is made even more perfect because he does it on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise in full Picard garb.

While this video has been shared across the internet, there seems to be no agreement on how it actually came about. Theories range from Stewart serenading Gene Roddenberry on set to the cheeky actor just playing around during takes. Whatever the motivation, this little video has caused many people to crack a smile.

“The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” by Leonard Nimoy

Not to be outdone by his co-star Shatner, Leonard Nimoy also followed a musical career alongside his acting. However, Nimoy only released five albums compared to Shatner’s eight.

In 1968, Leonard included on his second album, Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy , a song that ended up going viral when it was rediscovered by the BBC for a 1996 documentary called Funk Me Up, Scotty .

Written by Charles Randolph Grean, “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” tells a musical version of the story told in J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit .

When required to appear on the Malibu U variety show in July 1967, Nimoy put together a little music video for the song. The footage was lost to obscurity until it was shown again by John Peel in the BBC2 documentary. After that, it’s been shared all over the internet and has become a fan favorite.

Many years later, in 2009, Nimoy treated fans to another, shorter but live rendition of the song at Fan Expo 2009 after giving them a little background as to how the song came to be born. The performance was caught on camera for everyone to enjoy.

Songs Inspired by Star Trek

“99 luftballons” by nena.

Many people had to wait until the German version of this song was translated into English before they could spot the Star Trek connection.

In the song, Nena buys 99 red balloons and releases them. They show up on the radar of various world powers who scramble to defend themselves from what they think are enemy contacts. Nuclear war is the result.

The lyrics are a poetic reference to the dreams of the German people after WWII. Captain Kirk makes an appearance with the words: “ Everyone’s a superhero. Everyone’s a Captain Kirk ,” referencing the fact that when the balloons appear on the radar, everyone races to be the first to intercept them.

“Star Trekkin’” by The Firm

At the top of any “inspired by” list is this 1987 hit created by a British novelty band. The performances are comedy renditions of the original characters. The voices were provided not only by the band, but also by a studio technician and the wife of one of the songwriters.

The lyrics are quite simple and repetitious, but include such gems as: “There’s Klingons on the starboard bow – scrape ‘em off, Jim!”

It’s a little-known fact that this song actually created one of the most repeated Star Trek phrases. “It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it” is a phrase from the song that was never actually spoken in the TV series. However, the lyric proved so popular and so in-keeping with the show that it is commonly misattributed to the TV program.

“Where’s Captain Kirk?” By Spizzenergi

The Star Trek reference in this song is not only more obvious than that in “99 Red Balloons,” it’s right there in the title.

The song charts how the singer is suddenly beamed onboard the Starship Enterprise . He wanders about for a bit, meeting all the crew except for Kirk. By the end of the song, it becomes clear that he can’t find Captain Kirk because he is Captain Kirk.

This 1979 single stayed at number one on the UK Indie Chart for seven weeks. The band also did two follow-up songs: “Spock’s Missing” and “Five Year Mission (Featuring the Return of Spock).”

“Starship Edelweiss” by Edelweiss

Austrian electronic dance band Edelweiss decided not only to make a song and music video heavily influenced by Star Trek , they also incorporated the main theme from the 1960s series.

They sampled Alexander Courage’s “Theme from Star Trek” and added some straightforward and repetitive lyrics to create a European hit.

“Ch-Check it Out” by the Beastie Boys

In a nod to the original Star Trek series, the music video accompanying this Beastie Boys single begins with the three of them dressed as Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beaming down onto Earth. A little later, the three of them get into a fight, drawing the attention of the police, before McCoy disintegrates the other two with a laser.

More from us: Lucille Ball is the Reason we have Star Trek

The Star Trek skit is only one among several in the video, which also includes boisterous, fish-throwing grannies. It shows how much effort went into the video that the song only lasts 3 minutes and 34 seconds, while the final 1 minute 34 seconds of the video is the credits of all those involved.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Northern Irish singer Rose-Marie Kane dies aged 68

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Rose Marie Kane has passed at the age of 68 in Blackpool, her family has confirmed.

It has been revealed that Rose Marie, the multi-talented singer, presenter, and radio personality died in Blackpool.

A tribute on her Facebook page from her family read: ‘It is with heavy hearts and enormous great sadness, that we have to announce the sudden passing of our much loved Rose-Marie, in her beloved second home of Blackpool. Rest in Peace, dear heart.’

The singer was originally from County Down and grew up with six siblings on a farm outside Newry.

She was best known for her 19 albums and presenting on two series of the BBC talent show Go For It.

She also had several other television appearances including Big Brother’s Little Brother, Shooting Stars, Doctors, and The Royal Variety Show.

Her best-known songs are When I Leave The World Behind which was released in 1983 and made it to number 63 in the UK charts. Her other notable tune, Let The Rest Of The World Go By, made it to number 76 in the UK charts.

Friends of the star have flooded to social media to share their shock at the star’s passing.

Emmerdale actress Vicki Michelle said on X: ‘So Upset and Shocked. My beautiful friend Rose Marie has passed. Known her for over forty years. She was with me a couple of weeks ago. Laughing, singing a fabulous ball of energy. Always lit up the room. Can’t believe it. RIP gorgeous friend.’

Tricia Penrose, best known for playing Gina in Heartbeat also took to social media to share her devastation.

‘I am absolutely heartbroken to lose my dear friend Rose-Marie.

‘RIP my dear heart. We were only together this time last week in Blackpool. I’m going to miss you SO much xxx’

I am absolutely heartbroken to lose my dear friend Rose-Marie 💔 RIP my dear heart. We were only together this time last week in Blackpool. I’m going to miss you SO much xxx pic.twitter.com/Ob6j6sWQZA — Tricia Penrose (@triciapenrose) June 7, 2024

Absolutely shocked, saddened and devastated to hear about the passing of Rose Marie. We worked together many a time over the years, including the musical Pump Boys and Dinettes, with the fabulous @TheBobbyCrush . Sending love and condolences to the family, she will be missed ❤️ pic.twitter.com/vEk7IbriBJ — Linda Nolan (@LindaNolan_) June 7, 2024

So sad to hear of the sudden passing of Rose-Marie Kane. I’m currently in Blackpool, where she lived, and had hoped to meet up with her tomorrow. The town is a little less showbizy tonight. pic.twitter.com/aHFzWcrGwT — Paul Alexander Boyd (@paulalexboyd) June 7, 2024

Fellow Irish singer, Linda Nolan, from the Nolan Sisters took to X to say: ‘Absolutely shocked, saddened and devastated to hear about the passing of Rose Marie.

‘We worked together many a time over the years, including the musical Pump Boys and Dinettes, with the fabulous @TheBobbyCrush. Sending love and condolences to the family, she will be missed.’

‘So sad to hear of the sudden passing of Rose-Marie Kane. I’m currently in Blackpool, where she lived, and had hoped to meet up with her tomorrow. The town is a little less showbizy tonight,’ said director Paul Alexander Boyd.

Robin Elliot, a Belfast-based radio and TV presenter said on X: ‘Myself & Pauline are totally devasted,’ as he echoed the announcement made by the singer’s family.

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