Catch a Falling Star by Perry Como

A song played on the last episode of "Call the Midwife" took me back to when I was twelve. If you listen to the intro of "Catch a Falling Star" by Perry Como, you will hear a rhythmic tapping, just before the vocal comes in, maybe a muted cymbal. But it was no cymbal on The Perry Como Show when Perry first sang this huge hit record in 1957.

It was my mother who was a huge fan of the show. When Perry announced his new single, I remember so well him taking a teaspoon and tapping a wine glass to make the distinctive sound before he started to sing. I'm sure the intro went on longer than on the record.

We had the recording on an old 78. "Catch a Falling Star" was Perry's last No 1 and became a gold record. The "B" side was "Magic Moments" and that also became a hit in it's own right. Now that doesn't happen very often.