I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper
| "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Sarah Brightman and Hot Gossip | |
| B-side | "Do, Do, Do" |
| Released | 1978 |
| Format |
7" single 12" single |
| Recorded | 1978 |
| Genre | Pop, Disco, Space disco |
| Length |
3:42 4:19 (long version) |
| Label | Ariola Hansa |
| Writer(s) | Jeff Calvert, Geraint Hughes |
| Producer(s) | Steve Rowland |
"I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper", sometimes cited as "(I Lost My Heart to A) Starship Trooper", is a 1978 single written by Jeff Calvert and Geraint Hughes[1] of Typically Tropical and performed by Sarah Brightman and Hot Gossip. It is notable as the debut of the then 18-year-old Brightman as a singer, and reached number six in the UK Singles Chart.[2]
The song is a lightweight space disco track that cashed in on the media hype surrounding the original Star Wars film: the lyrics include the lines "And evil Darth Vader he's been banished to Mars" and "Or are you like a droid, devoid of emotion". The song also samples music from Star Wars, Thus Spoke Zarathustra (from 2001: A Space Odyssey), and the "spaceship communication" melody from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Many of the lyrics contain sexual innuendo; for example, "Take me, make me feel the force". Other science fiction references include: "I lost my heart to a starship trooper", "Flash Gordon's left me, he's gone to the stars", "What my body needs is close encounter three", "Static on the comm – it's Starfleet Command" and "Fighting for the Federation" (which could refer to Star Trek, Blake's 7 or Starship Troopers).
The song was performed on The Kenny Everett Video Show by its regular dance troupe Hot Gossip. Its lead, Sarah Brightman, was dressed in a silver catsuit and platform shoes.[3]
Weekly charts
| Chart (1978) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Germany (Official German Charts)[4] | 26 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[5] | 5 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[6] | 50 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[7] | 6 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[8] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
References
- ↑ "Discogs". Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ↑ "Sarah's Early Years: 1960 – 1981". Sarah Brightman Official Website. Retrieved 2 December 2007.
- ↑ Craig, Olga (29 November 2008), Sarah Brightman's hot gossip days are over, London: The Daily Telegraph, retrieved 4 May 2010
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sarah Brightman & Hot Gossip – I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper – I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Archive Chart: 1978-11-11" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ↑ "British single certifications – Sarah Brightman & Hot Gossip – I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper". British Phonographic Industry. Enter I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
