Once Upon a Star

The Bay City Rollers' second U.K. album was re-released with bonus tracks in 2004. Once Upon a Star was their piece de resistance, a 12-song set conceived in the first white-hot glare of superstardom, but unscarred, as yet, by the jealousies, resentments, and in-fighting that would ultimately bring the band down. Certainly it is difficult to find fault with any album that opens with that spellbinding remake of the oldie "Bye Bye Baby," closes with the one-two punch of "Rock and Roll Honeymoon" and "Hey Beautiful Dreamer," and even dares a remake of the group's very first single, 1971's "Keep on Dancing." Indeed, so strong was the overall album that there wasn't even room for one of the band's finest 45s ever — "All of Me Loves All of You" is likewise relegated to the bonus tracks, alongside its thumping B-side original of "The Bump," the Bill Martin/Phil Coulter number that would, in Kenny's hands, ignite a whole new dance craze later in the year. A couple of other B-sides round out these extras, alongside another memorabilia-packed booklet, all adding up to another reminder that, in the history of purebred teeny bop bands, the Bay City Rollers were worth far more than their reputation insists.