Bringing back the 80s sound, this is one of my oldest LPs in my collection. This was also the very first LPs I had when I first started collecting vinyl back in the 1990s, and I played it constantly, because of it funky beat and non – stop melody, not forgetting the Beatles selection all over it. I loved this album the very first time I heard it.

What I love about ‘Stars On 45’, is that they were the pioneers of medley-styled music. I mean other groups like Jive Bunny & The Master mixers (Swing The Mood) and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Hooked On Classics) were pretty much on par, but to me Stars On 45 were the best for it gave you moments that you could sing-along too. Such an odd mix of genres, but somehow it just works.

The mysterious Dutch group Stars on 45 hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 20, 1981 with the eminently danceable, disco-based cover-song mélange, "Stars on 45 Medley." Dutch musicians Bas Muys (John Lennon), Okkie Huysdens (Paul McCartney) and Hans Vermeulen (George Harrison) performed rather-credible homage’s to three-fourths of the Fab Four with this disco freaked out medley that had people dancing to the Beatles love songs and pop songs instantly. The 70s were indeed still alive and kicking. These three musicians covered snippets of these famous songs, which were then seamlessly mixed together.

So what you had was Side One a 15+ minute of an awesome Beatles medley that takes up the full side. This was one of those truly genius things that were just the right thing at the right time. A big old medley of Beatles oldies set to a disco beat. Their own track, Stars on 45, the single and song itself was catchy enough to mix with the big old The Beatles songs. Each medley begins and ends with the song Stars on 45. Let's see what we got here. You had the lyrics screaming at you… "Stars on 45 / keep on turnin' in your mind / like "We Can Work It Out" / remember "Twist and Shout" / You still don't "Tell Me Why" with "No Reply-y-y-y-y"). so songs like No Reply, I’ll Be Back, We Can Work It Out, Nowhere Man, Ticket To Ride, Eleanor Rigby, Get Back, Day tripper to also a few not very popular tracks of the Beatles like The Word, Every Little Thing, It Won’t be Long, Taxman, If I fell.

Side Two has three medleys and Medley one once again begins with the catchy Stars on 45 song. Medley one begins with Stars on 45 followed by Boogie Nights, Funky Town, Venus, Sugar Sugar, Breaking up is hard to do and many more.

Medley 2 and three is by Long Tall Ernie and the Shakers and is around 7+ minute disco/oldies medley and has songs like which branches out into Everlys, Orbison, Del Shannon, Archies. So you have songs like Do You Remember, Lucille, Bird Song, and many others, with the last medley swinging to Golden Years of Rock and Roll, Sherry, Buona Sera and a few more. The songs are again well mixed and is pretty much the same, except this time it's classic 50's rock songs getting cheesed up to the max. The boys here change the main theme for their two medleys, which means you can at least compare which you like.

I highly recommend this album to everyone. In 1981, how could you go wrong with Beatles hits done over a disco beat.

Original Label: CNR RECORDS

Format: 33 rpm 12" LP stereo

Country: Spain

Vinyl Pressing: India

Licensed Label: Music India Limited (MIL)

Year Released: 1981

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira