Startrax was a musical project created by

Pickwick Records Pickwick Records was an American record label and British record distributor known for its budget album releases of sound-alike recordings, bargain bin reissues and repackagings under the brands Design, Bravo (later changing its name to Internati ...

in 1981.

History

Pickwick Records had used the Startrax name as a sub-label since 1976 for budget

compilation albums A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from one artist, then generally the tracks we ...

. In 1981, with a craze for

medley Medley or Medleys may refer to: Sports *Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles * Medley relay races at track meets Music *Medley (music), multiple pieces strung together People *Medley (surname), list of people with this nam ...

recordings making the British

singles chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...

, Pickwick used the Startrax name for session musicians recording medleys for release on the label; as Pickwick had no track history of releasing singles, the sub-label Picksy was created, and a logo similar to that on the

Stars On 45 Stars on 45 was a Dutch novelty pop act that was successful in Europe, the United States and Australia in the early 1980s. The group later shortened its name to Stars On in the U.S., while in the U.K. and Ireland, it was always known as Starsou ...

releases was used. The first release, "Startrax Club Disco", was a medley of covers of songs by the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...

, topped and tailed by a sting written by producer Bruce Baxter, who had produced many of the

Hallmark Records Hallmark Records is a British record label. History Hallmark Records was founded in the 1960s and was the first budget label in the United Kingdom. The revived company has since become a major publisher of budget CDs in the UK, issuing both pub ...

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

cover albums. The singer was Alan Carvell, who had had minor hits (under the name Steve Allan) as part of The Carvells and with a solo version of " Together We Are Beautiful", and who laid down all the vocal tracks. The popularity of medleys at the time was such that, when the recording entered the top 30 in the UK charts, there were 7 medleys in the top 30. Ultimately Startrax peaked at no. 18 and Carvell appeared with other session musicians on

. An album featuring more Bee Gee tracks followed, which made the top 30 of the album charts. The follow-up was a

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

medley single and album set (which also began and ended with the Startrax theme), but neither made the charts.

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Startrax English dance music groups British disco groups Medley music groups