The CB Side - Starlight Express - London

The late Michael Staniforth as CB launching into his manic falsetto, Jeffrey Daniels as Electra, the late Stephanie Lawrence as Pearl & the power of PP Arnold singing "Belle The Sleeping Car". I was SO lucky to have seen the original cast in the original staging of Starlight. An amazing production using the best & most modern tech around at the time, & the brilliant staging too. My sister & I had front row seats in the circle - we could feel the hydraulics that raised the inside barrier of the track attached to the circle itself. I remember one or two cast members being "crashed" by others & flipping over the circle rail - landing in a heap in the aisle. Even the tiny touches added to the Theatre like the toy trainset running around the auditorium with trains suddenly popping out of a tunnel, going around for a bit & disappearing through another tunnel added to the magic of this musical.

How have I never heard this?? It makes me so happy when I discover a little piece of Starlight that I didn't know about. :)

pretty cool it does have that "Wide Smile High Style" beat to it

This is so random and weird, I... love it. 🥴

I think Electra is saying "Live goods". The second part is almost certainly "goods", and the only words I could think of that sounded right and made sense are 'fine', 'line' and 'live'. But 'live' makes the most sense (and would also be kinda ironic since Electra is powered by electricity and is therefore 'live'!), and "live goods" suggests he's asking for physical proof of what CB is claiming he can deliver!

It's the B-side to the 12" single of AC/DC. I'm going to upload that next. Thanks for the comment.

@thecoolestdad Yes the London version stayed at the Apollo Victoria till January 2002. By 1989 the London show was more in line with Broadway and Germany: "Call me Rusty" was replaced by "Engine of Love"; "He Whistled at Me" by "Make Up My Heart"; "Starlight Express" was rewritten with new lyrics, and using the melody from "Only He"; and "Only He" became a revised "Only You" duet. Much of the score was reorchestrated with a faster, upbeat sound. The whole show changed again 1992.

Here is what I’m getting from what they are saying: Ten four good buddy! This is red caboose on the IMI, do you copy? Electra copies (idk) three. What ya got red caboose? I got brakes! You reckon your brakes can stop me red caboose? If I want. Ok red caboose, put the brakes on. No way! C’mon red caboose let’s have some (idk sounds like “niveguds”? XD). You’re on your own Electra! Ten seven, gone to Heaven! Ten ten, never again. (And that’s all I could gather from it)

No wayyy~!

This thing is both really cool and kinda creepy from how bizarre it is

This is what I could make out: [C.B.] 10-4, good buddy! Red Caboose on the I.M.I.! Do ya copy? [ELECTRA] Electra copies you, 10-3. Whatcha got, Red Caboose? [C.B.] I got brakes. [ELECTRA] You reckon your brakes could stop me, Red Caboose? [C.B.] If I want! [ELECTRA] Okay, Red Caboose. Put the brakes on. [C.B.] No way! [ELECTRA] C'mon Red Caboose. Let's have some [???] goods. [C.B.] You're on your own, Electra! 10-7, gone to Heaven! [ELECTRA] 10-10, never again.

Dear God, please put me in this show.

@thecoolestdad There is no version of the show available on DVD and as far as I'm aware there are no plans to film it. The only production still running is in the city of Bochum in Germany - if you can get there I really recommend it. You're lucky to have seen it in 1985 - I didn't see it until 1989 by which time it had changed quite a bit.

Thanks for uploading, but I have barely any idea what they’re saying. Especially Electra. Is there a lyric sheet anywhere or do you understand?

Hi you can easily pick up the original 1984 London cast recording. It's a 2 disc set which you can pick up from Amazon, eBay..... Make sure you get the original recording, and not the "New Starlight Express" single CD album from 1993. Depending on when you saw it in 1985, it might be the same cast on the original album! But if not, it will be almost the same as what you heard in the theatre. Enjoy!

This conversation is such a confusing mix of what could have gone down before Electra arrived for High style, and a conversation they would have had after this while mess, with the "never again..." bit. Wonder if it means anything or is just meant to sound cool.XD

@MimiParfait - I'm completely with you on that.

Peter Licaga runs the Starlight Express alumni podcast.

Can someone give me context to this song? Because I have no idea what it is

Hi. Can we use the audio in our videos? 🙂