There's a Star

Single infobox
Name = There's a Star


Artist = Ash
Single =
B-side = "No Place to Hide", "Coasting", "Here Comes the Music", "Grey Will Fade"
Released = December 31 2001
Format = CD, 7", DVD
Recorded = 2000
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 4:20
Label = Infectious
Producer = Owen Morris
Last single = "Candy" (2001)
This single = "There's a Star" (2001)
Next single = "Envy"
(2002)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = single


Lower caption = CD 2 cover "There's a Star" is a song by Ash, released as the fifth and final single from their album "Free All Angels", on December 31, 2001. It was released as a single CD (released on 2CD formats, the first of which being an enhanced CD) as a 7" vinyl , as well as on DVD format. "There's a Star" was a surprise hit for the band (reaching #13), giving them one of their best-selling singles, even though the single was deleted after one week.

The track was originally written for "Nu-Clear Sounds" like "Burn Baby Burn", but didn't make the cut. The track was slightly re-written for "Free All Angels", and was always intentioned for a Christmas release.

The track is vary rarely performed live, and can also be found on the "Intergalactic Sonic 7″s" greatest hits collection.

B-Sides

"No Place to Hide" is the first b-side on CD1, as well as the first track on b-side collection "Cosmic Debris". It's widely regarded as Ash's favourite b-side, and is Mark Hamilton's favourite. The song was written while Ash were in the Far East shortly after the September 11 attacks and it's about that kind of "rain will fall from blood red skies" atmosphere at the time. The song has been performed live on several occasions.

"Coasting" is one of Ash's oldest tracks and appears on the "Garage Girl" demo tape. It was also re-recorded as part of BBC music session in 1995, but was never released due to the band dislike of the performance. Due to fan demand, the band finally re-recorded the song for release on the "There's a Star" single. The new recording is pretty much the same, but has better production values and slightly altered lyrics. The song was often performed on pre-"1977" gigs. It also appears on "Cosmic Debris", and the US version of "Free All Angels"

The first CD2 b-side, "Here Comes the Music" continues Ash's tradition of covering little-known songs by their friends' bands. "Here Comes the Music" was originally performed by "Fixed Stars" and written by Mark Cullen.

Lastly, "Grey Will Fade" on CD2 was written by Charlotte Hatherley, and she plays every instrument on the delicate track, with the exception of Rick McMurray's drumming. The song was highly praised on its release, and especially praised by Tim Wheeler himself. Wheeler encouraged Hatherley to record her own solo vehicle after the success of this track. She did so, and the song appears on the album, also called "Grey Will Fade". After the successes of her new solo album, Charlotte left the band in 2006.

Video

The video for "There's a Star" was again directed by Jeff Thomas. It stars the band on top of a snow covered mountain, and Wheeler desperately searching for his beloved "Flying V" guitar. Eventually he find it just time for the guitar solo in the middle of the song, and returns to his band to play the final chorus of the song, although this time at night. It was meant to be snowing to the video, but sadly it was not to be.

The video was originally meant to be more to the video, but it didn't work out. Mark explains the original plan for the video: "We're off to Iceland to shoot it up in the mountains, imagine vast area covered in snow, think Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back, we're all dressed Han Solo style with Rebel Alliance logos with rescue flares going up in the night and we're gonna comes across 'Snow Jawas'. Whilst Tim makes a quest across the snow scape searching for his "Flying V" just in time for the solo. How epic".

"There's a Star" was also released as a DVD. The DVD featured the single, a stills gallery, lyrics and an Ash discography. It also starred Ash's fourth and final 20-minute short, "Episode 4: Ash Go Global".

The CD2 version of the CD contained Version 1.3 of the "Ash Video Mixer" software.

Track listing

CD1
#"There's a Star (Radio Edit)" (Wheeler)
#"No Place to Hide" (Wheeler)
#"Coasting" (Wheeler)
#"There's a Star (Video)"

CD2
#"There's a Star (Album Version)" (Wheeler)
#"Here Comes the Music" (Cullen)
#"Grey Will Fade"(Hatherley)

DVD
#"There's a Star (DVD Audio)" (Wheeler)
#Episode 4: Ash Go Global
#Stills Gallery
#Discography
#Lyrics