"You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" is a song written by James Dean and John Glover and popularized by the husband/wife duo of Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., former members of the vocal group The 5th Dimension. Released from their album, I Hope We Get to Love in Time, it became a crossover success, spending six months on the charts and soaring to No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts during late 1976 and early 1977.[3] It also reached No. 6 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart and No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart.[4] It would eventually be certified gold, selling over one million copies, and winning the couple a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1977.[5]
| "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 French release cover | ||||
| Single by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. | ||||
| from the album I Hope We Get to Love in Time | ||||
| B-side | "We've Got to Get it On Again" | |||
| Released | September 1976 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:41 (Album version) 3:40 (Single version) | |||
| Label | ABC Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | James Dean, John Glover | |||
| Producer(s) | Don Davis | |||
| Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative release | ||||
_US_RPM_45.jpg) Side A of the US single | ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "You Don't Have to Be a Star" on YouTube | ||||
Personnel
edit- Marilyn McCoo – vocals
- Billy Davis Jr. – vocals
- James Jamerson – bass
- Horrace Ott – concertmaster
Chart performance
edit
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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Other versions
edit- Geri Reischl and Barry Williams performed the song in a 1977 episode of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
- In 1978, Ralph Carter and Janet Jackson performed it in the Season 5 finale of the CBS sitcom Good Times. At the time, Carter and Jackson were 16 and 11 years old, respectively.
References
edit- ^ "The 40 Biggest Duets Of All Time". Billboard Magazine. February 14, 2011. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022.
Marilyn McCoo and Billy David Jr....been married for seven years when they recorded this 1976 R&B classic...
- ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (July 17, 2000). "Movin' On Up: Corporate Soul". Night Moves - Pop Music in the Late 70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-312-19821-3.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 338.
- ^ a b "Marilyn Mccoo and Billy Davis: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- ^ 19th Grammy Awards (1977) - Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5149a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 5179." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – You Don't Have to Be a Star". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ "Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. - Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002, Record Research Inc., 2004, ISBN 978-0898201550
- ^ "Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. - Billboard Hot". Billboard. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. - You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)". charts.nz. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5502a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1977 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. December 31, 1977. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ^ "Top 100 1977 - UK Music Charts". Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
