Car Boot Vinyl Diaries

Car Boot Vinyl Diaries

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Rain Or Shine

Deniece Pearson's appearance on last Saturday's episode of the The Voice (UK) prompted me to look through the remains of my childhood record collection for Five Star's 1986 album Silk & Steel, given to me for my 12th birthday:

Five Star - Silk & Steel (1986)

Romford's answer to the Jackson 5, Five Star were a brother-and-sister pop group heavily influenced by the likes of Janet, Michael and family.  In fact like the Jacksons, they were managed and produced by their father Buster, who also set up a record label (Tent, on RCA) in order to release their work.

Famous for their matching outfits (quite often jumpsuits) and dance routines, they were hugely successful in the mid 80s, with this, their second album going to number one and reaching quadruple platinum status.  They also did pretty well overseas, with several top 40 singles in the US.



The inner album sleeve contains a profile of each member, helpfully informing us of all their heights, eye colour, favourite films and other such stuff that their fans just had to know.  We learn that Doris' (Doris!) 'Worst Experience' was her trousers falling down on TV.  Their eventual slide down the charts and rumoured bankruptcy would eventually trump this experience for poor Doris and co. however.

I loved Five Star, althought I never bothered with their next album Between The Lines (1987).  My best friend had a copy and it wasn't half as good as Silk & Steel.  Most of the songs on this album still stand up very well.  The band are apparently now reunited and back on tour for 2012 including the Rewind Festivals, so catch them if you can!

Top Tracks:

 




Five Star – If I Say Yes          Five Star – Rain Or Shine           Five Star – Stay Out Of My Life

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