"Volume III" a.k.a. "Stars on 45 Volume 3" is a song issued in 1981 by the Dutch studio group Stars on 45, in the UK credited to 'Starsound'. It was the second single from the band's second full-length release Longplay Album - Volume II (UK title: Stars On 45 - The Album - Volume 2, US title: Stars on Longplay II).

"Volume III"
Original Dutch single sleeve
Single by Stars on 45
from the album Longplay Album - Volume II
B-side"Stars on' Theme"
ReleasedSeptember 1981
Recorded1981
Genre
Length5:15
LabelCNR Records (NL)
CBS Records (UK)
Producer(s)Jaap Eggermont
Stars on 45 singles chronology
"More Stars"
(1981)
"Volume III"
(1981)
"Stars on Stevie"
(1982)
Music video
"Volume III" (TopPop, 1981) on YouTube

The "Volume III" medley is the opening track on Longplay Album - Volume II and then had the title "Star Wars And Other Hits", in the UK it was named "Instrumental Medley" and in the US "Introductions"; the very same recording was consequently released under no less than five different titles throughout the world. The medley featured instrumental intros to hits from a wide variety of genres, from well known movie themes like "Star Wars" and "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly", 60's and 70's hits by The Stylistics, Boney M., Eric Clapton, The Village People and The Pointer Sisters to the overture from The Who's musical Tommy and the main theme from Jeff Wayne's musical version of "The War of the Worlds".

The slightly edited 7" version omitted two of the medley's nineteen titles - The Walker Brothers' "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" and the overture from "Tommy" - while the slightly extended 12" single featured a longer ”Get Off” section (taken from the B-side) before the Stars on 45 theme. The B-side of both editions was entitled "'Stars on' Theme" and was an alternate mix of an instrumental part of the album track "'45 Stars Get Ready". Both 7" and 12" versions were re-released digitally in September 2021.

"Volume III"/"Stars on 45 Volume 3" became Stars on 45/Starsound's third Top 20 single in the UK and Ireland, peaking at #17 and #11 respectively, and their third Top 10 single in the Netherlands.

Track listing 7" single

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Side A

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"Volume III" (7" Mix) - 4:33

Side B

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"'Stars on' Theme" (7" Mix) (Eggermont, Duiser) - 4:00

Track listing 12" single

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Side A

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"Volume III" (12” Mix) - 5:47

Side B

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"'Stars on' Theme" (12" Mix) (Eggermont, Duiser) - 5:05

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ "Stars On 45 – Stars On 45 Volume III" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  2. ^ "Danish Chart Archive - Singles 1979 - ____ (B.T./IFPI DK)". www.ukmix.org. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit SPE - STEN". Sisältää hitin. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  4. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Stars on 45 Vol. 3". Irish Singles Chart.
  5. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Stars On 45" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  6. ^ "Stars On 45 – Stars On 45 Vol. 3" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  7. ^ "Star Sound: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  8. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Stars On 45 – Stars On 45 Vol. 3" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  9. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1981: Singles". Ultratop & Hung Medien.
  10. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1981". Hung Medien.