“Telstar” made The Tornados the first British group to top the US Billboard Hot 100, doing so in December 1962. The instrumental was written and produced by Joe Meek and named after the Telstar communications satellite.
The recording is built around electronic sounds, a prominent clavioline melody, and dramatic studio effects. Meek produced it at his apartment studio in London, using unconventional recording techniques that helped give the track its futuristic atmosphere.
Telstar 1 had launched in July 1962 and transmitted television pictures across the Atlantic. The single captured public fascination with the space-age achievement and became an international success. It also reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart.
The Tornados were a British instrumental group formed by musicians connected with producer Joe Meek. “Telstar” is their signature recording, although the group had other chart entries in Britain. The satellite itself was built by Bell Telephone Laboratories and launched by NASA for AT&T and Bell Telephone Laboratories.