Single:
Star Trekkin’ entered the Australian singles chart* on 17 August 1987 and peaked at #3. It was #30 on the Top 100 of 1987.
Album:
The song is on Serious Fun which entered the Australian albums chart* on 14 March 1988 and peaked at #81.
Songwriters:
John O’Connor, Grahame Lister, Rory Kehoe
Producers:
Grahame Lister, John O’Connor
Record label of Australian release:
Polydor
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Wikipedia:
Star Trekkin’ originated from songwriter Rory Kehoe who had written a series of verses about the principal characters who appear in the 1960s American science fiction television series Star Trek, which were sung in pubs and around campfires. Chris Steinhauer performed this version at a folk club one evening, where it was heard by Grahame Lister of novelty band the Firm.
The song prominently features comical voice caricatures of the Trek characters, provided by members of the band, a studio technician, and the wife of one of the songwriters.
It features the catchphrases of several Star Trek characters, including Captain James T. Kirk, Spock and Doctor Leonard McCoy.
Notably, Spock’s “It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it” never featured in The Original Series, but Star Trekkin’ so popularised the phrase that it is now commonly mis-attributed.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trekkin’
Music video:
Among those the band approached to create an animated music video was a team of graduate art students called The Film Garage. On a low budget, they created a claymation stop motion animated video. The characters in the video are based on food items, such as being made out of potatoes, with the Enterprise being created to look like it was made from pizza and sausages. The idea for the video as described by co-director Pete Bishop was that “Kirk has been out in space too long, and is hallucinating – about food”.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trekkin’#Music_video
Lyrics:
Star Trekkin’ across the universe
On the Starship Enterprise, under Captain Kirk
Star Trekkin’ across the universe
Boldly going forward, ’cause we can’t find reverse
There’s Klingons on the starboard bow
Starboard bow
Starboard bow
There’s Klingons on the starboard bow
Starboard bow, Jim!
It’s life, Jim
But not as we know it
Not as we know it
Not as we know it
It’s life, Jim
But not as we know it
Not as we know it, Captain
Click for full lyrics
Find more songs to enjoy: Bang a Gong song finder
New to Bang a Gong? Click HERE to learn more about us