Catch a Falling Star
"Catch a Falling Star" is a song written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss. It is best known and was made famous by Perry Como's hit version, recorded and released in late 1957.[1]
| "Catch a Falling Star" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Perry Como | ||||
| B-side | "Magic Moments" | |||
| Released | December 3, 1957 | |||
| Recorded | October 9, 1957 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:23 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss | |||
| Producer(s) | Joe Reisman | |||
| Perry Como singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and chart performance
The song's melody is based on a theme from Brahms' Academic Festival Overture. Perry Como's version features The Ray Charles Singers, who sing the refrain as a repeated round.[1]
It was Como's last number one hit in the United States,[2] reaching number 1 on the Billboard "Most Played by Jockeys" chart, but not in the overall top 100, where it reached number 3.[3] It was the first single to receive a Recording Industry Association of America gold record certification, on March 14, 1958.[4] In Canada, the song reached number 12 on the CHUM Charts, February 3, 1958, co-charting with Magic Moments.[5]
Overseas, in 1958, the song also topped the Australian charts. In the UK Singles Chart, "Catch a Falling Star" peaked at number nine, whereas its B-side "Magic Moments" topped the charts.[6]
Accolades
The single won Como the 1959 Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Male.
In popular culture
The song has been featured in several films, including:
- The Princess Diaries
- Love Actually
- Everybody's Fine
- Welcome to Me
- Never Been Kissed
- It was often featured in the TV series Lost, and was most often associated with Claire Littleton and her baby, Aaron.
- It is also featured in an episode of the FX black comedy Mr Inbetween, and in Series 3 Episode 4 of William and Mary.
- A musical phrase from the song appears in John Williams's score for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull during the motorcycle chase through the college.[7]
- It was also in the musical Forever Plaid
References
- "Perry Como - Catch A Falling Star". 45cat.com. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- "Perry Como Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
- Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 187.
- "History Of The Awards". RIAA.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2007. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
- "CHUM Hit Parade - February 3, 1958". Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- "Perry Como". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- "A Whirl Through Academe" track title, soundtrack album, Concord Records, 2008
