Let’s face it; when it comes to throwback anthems, you can’t do much better than Cabin Crew’s “Star2Fall”. This track is all kinds of fun in a way that, quite frankly, you wouldn’t see today. With its grade-A status as a dancefloor classic and unashamedly disco beat, this song deserves every bit of attention it gets. So here at Nexus Radio, we’ve decided that now’s the time to spotlight it!
If you’ve not heard this song, you should stop what you’re doing and listen right now. Then, make sure to come back when you’re done so you can catch up with the rest of us as we fasten our seatbelts, secure our baggage, and prepare to take off on our flashback journey to 2005.
Who are Cabin Crew and Why Do We Love Them?
You can’t get much more early-2000s than Cabin Crew. Known for their upbeat, pop-dance aesthetic and catchy sound, Cabin Crew were the product of a time when cultures were clashing, the camp was excellent, and music had finally found its way out of the gritty grunge culture of the mid to late ’90s.
The product of Australian DJ duo Ben Garden and Rob Kittler, Cabin Crew initially got their start in the early 2000s as a local club-music act called Aviators. Although their first few singles did garner some success, it took until 2004 for them to find their feet with the now iconic track we all know and love.
Waiting For ‘Star2Fall’
Gardner began work on his sample of Boy Meets Girl’s 1988 hit “Waiting For A Star To Fall” in 2003, and when he brought it to Kittler, the song quickly started to take shape.
According to Kittler, by September 2003, the song was in its final mix, but due to licensing difficulties with the sample, the track would see a commercial release in November 2004.
Ultimately the issue came down to who owned what rights. So put, Sony BMG owned the rights to the original recording and did not want to license the sample. Still, George Merrill – songwriter and vocalist who had performed on the original track – decided he liked Cabin Crew’s take on the song and agreed to re-record the vocals.
The Song’s Reception
For many people, “Star2Fall” would ultimately go on to eclipse the original track from which it got its name, topping charts across several countries and generally gaining quite a bit of traction in the disco/dance music scene.
While there have been other covers of the track – most notably ‘Falling Stars’ by Sunset Strippers, which was released by Sony BGM mere months after ‘Star2Fall’ – Cabin Crew’s take on the song remains the most commercially successful.
The Legacy of Cabin Crew
Although the band did go on to release more music, these days, they are almost exclusively remembered for their iconic take on this track. In the years since their version of the song has received multiple remixes and remains their most listened-to track on Spotify by a wide margin.
So while Cabin Crew never went on to repeat the commercial success of “Star2Fall”, it’s also clear that their contribution to the disco scene hasn’t been forgotten.
2005 lives on!