# Starcastle > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Starcastle > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Starcastle.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starcastle > Source revision: 1338098703 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American progressive rock band}} {{Other uses|Star Castle (disambiguation)}} {{More citations needed|date=November 2019}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Starcastle | image = Starcastle "77" WPLR (9535639507).jpg | landscape = yes | background = group_or_band | caption = Starcastle in 1977 | origin = [Champaign](/source/Champaign%2C_Illinois), [Illinois](/source/Illinois), United States | genre = [Progressive rock](/source/Progressive_rock) | years_active = 1969–1987
1997–2007 | label = [Epic Records](/source/Epic_Records) | website = [http://www.starcastlerocks.com/ starcastlerocks.com] | current_members = George Harp
Bruce Botts | past_members = Gary Strater
Matt Stewart
Steve Hagler
Steve Tassler
[Herb Schildt](/source/Herb_Schildt)
[Terry Luttrell](/source/Terry_Luttrell)
Ralph Goldhiem
Mauro Magellan
Scott McKenzie
Mark McGee }} '''Starcastle''' was an American [progressive rock](/source/progressive_rock) band from [Champaign, Illinois](/source/Champaign%2C_Illinois), United States. Formed in 1969, the group played many shows under the names Pegasus and Mad John Fever before eventually settling on Starcastle. They signed their first record deal with [Epic Records](/source/Epic_Records) in 1974,{{cite book|title=[The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal](/source/Encyclopedia_of_Popular_Music)|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[Guinness Publishing](/source/Guinness_Publishing)|date=1995|edition=Second|isbn=0-85112-656-1|page=338}} and received extensive airplay and frequently played in the [St. Louis](/source/St._Louis) area. The original lineup included former [REO Speedwagon](/source/REO_Speedwagon) vocalist [Terry Luttrell](/source/Terry_Luttrell) and computing author/programmer [Herb Schildt](/source/Herb_Schildt). They released four albums on both the Epic and CBS labels. The band's debut album ''[Starcastle](/source/Starcastle_(album))'' sold well, garnering worldwide airplay. Their later albums ''Fountains of Light'', ''Citadel'', and ''Real to Reel'' did not sell as well as the first and they were often criticized for sounding too musically similar to [Yes](/source/Yes_(band)). They were opening acts for such bands as [Jethro Tull](/source/Jethro_Tull_(band)), [Gentle Giant](/source/Gentle_Giant), [Fleetwood Mac](/source/Fleetwood_Mac), [Kansas](/source/Kansas_(band)), [Boston](/source/Boston_(band)), [Rush](/source/Rush_(band)), [Journey](/source/Journey_(band)), and others. After several line-up changes, the band went on a ten-year hiatus from 1987. In 2002, Gary Strater, Steve Tassler and Steve Hagler all released solo albums on the band's own Sunsinger label. This led to work on the band's final album ''[Song of Times](/source/Song_of_Times_(Starcastle_album))'', before Gary Strater's death on September 19, 2004, from pancreatic cancer. ''Song of Times'' was released in 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=4945|title=Starcastle: Song of Times|website=Seaoftranquility.org|accessdate=November 23, 2019}} In November 2018, the band's official website announced the release of ''[Alchemy](/source/Alchemy_(Starcastle_album))'', an archive release of studio and live material from the band's 1980s line-up. Additionally, their website announced a new line-up of the band consisting of George Harp (vocals) and Bruce Botts (guitar), both of whom were in the 1980s line-up. ==Players== '''Past''' * Gary Strater – bass, [bass pedals](/source/Moog_Taurus), backing vocals (1969–1987, 1997–2004; died 2004) * Matt Stewart – guitar, backing vocals (1969–1981, 1997–2006) * Steve Hagler – guitar, backing vocals (1969–1980, 2006) * Steve Tassler – drums, backing vocals (1969–1980, 2006) * [Herb Schildt](/source/Herb_Schildt) – keyboards (1969–1978, 1997–2006) * [Terry Luttrell](/source/Terry_Luttrell) – lead vocals (1973–1978, 2006) * Ralph Goldheim ("Caribou Ralph") – lead vocals, keyboards (1979–1981) * Bruce Botts – guitar, keyboards, vocals (1982–2019) * Scott McKenzie – drums, backing vocals (1982–1987) * Mark McGee – guitar (1985–1986) * George Harp - lead vocals (1982–1986, 2015–2019) ===Timeline===
ImageSize = width:1000 height:350 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:80 top:10 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1969 till:01/01/2008 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:guitar value:green legend:Guitars id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards id:lines1 value:black legend:Studio_albums id:bars value:gray(0.9) Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3 BackgroundColors = bars:bars ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1969 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1969 BarData = bar:Terry text:Terry Luttrell bar:Ralph text:Ralph Goldhiem bar:George text:George Harp bar:Matt text:Matt Stewart bar:SteveH text:Steve Hagler bar:Bruce text:Bruce Botts bar:Mark text:Mark McGee bar:Herb text:Herb Schildt bar:Gary text:Gary Strater bar:SteveT text:Steve Tassler bar:Mauro text:Mauro Magellan bar:Scott text:Scott McKenzie PlotData= width:3 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Ralph from:01/01/1979 till:01/01/1981 color:keys bar:Gary from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/1987 color:keys bar:Bruce from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1985 color:keys width:13 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Terry from:01/01/1973 till:12/01/1978 color:vocals bar:Ralph from:01/01/1979 till:01/01/1981 color:vocals bar:George from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1987 color:vocals bar:Terry from:01/01/2004 till:end color:vocals bar:Gary from:01/01/1969 till:01/01/1987 color:bass bar:Gary from:01/01/2002 till:09/17/2004 color:bass bar:Herb from:01/01/1969 till:12/01/1978 color:keys bar:Herb from:01/01/2002 till:end color:keys bar:Matt from:01/01/1969 till:01/01/1981 color:guitar bar:SteveH from:01/01/1969 till:01/01/1980 color:guitar bar:Bruce from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1985 color:guitar bar:Mark from:01/01/1985 till:01/01/1986 color:guitar bar:Matt from:01/01/2002 till:end color:guitar bar:Bruce from:01/01/2002 till:end color:guitar bar:SteveH from:01/01/2004 till:end color:guitar bar:SteveT from:01/01/1969 till:01/01/1980 color:drums bar:SteveT from:01/01/2004 till:end color:drums bar:Mauro from:01/01/1980 till:01/01/1981 color:drums bar:Scott from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1987 color:drums LineData = at:02/01/1976 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/1977 color:lines1 layer:back at:10/01/1977 color:lines1 layer:back at:10/21/1978 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/2007 color:lines1 layer:back
==Discography== {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" |- ! Year !! Title !! Notes !Album Type |- | 1976 | ''[Starcastle](/source/Starcastle_(album))'' | First studio album. |Studio |- | 1977 | ''[Fountains of Light](/source/Fountains_of_Light)'' | Re-issued on CD in 1998. |Studio |- | 1977 | ''[Citadel](/source/Citadel_(Starcastle_album))'' | Features cover art by the famous [Brothers Hildebrandt](/source/Brothers_Hildebrandt). Re-issued on CD in 1998. |Studio |- | 1978 | ''[Real to Reel](/source/Real_to_Reel_(Starcastle_album))'' | Re-issued on CD in 1998. |Studio |- | 2001 | ''Chronos I'' | Archive release featuring demos and unreleased tracks. |Studio |- |2002 |''Eleven to the Fourth Twice'' |Gary Strater. Synthesized electronic ambient music based on fractal equations. |Solo |- |2002 |''[Alive Beyond Recognition](/source/Alive_Beyond_Recognition)'' |All compositions, performances, programming and production by Steve Tassler. |Solo |- |2002 |''Echoes of Light'' |Steve & Carol Hagler. |Solo |- |2006 |''Alive In America: Live 1978'' |Also released as ''Shine On Brightly'' and ''Concert Classics Volume 5'' |Live |- | 2007 | ''[Song of Times](/source/Song_of_Times_(Starcastle_album))'' |Final studio album. |Studio |- |2018 |''Alchemy'' |A compilation of songs written while based in San Francisco, taken from demos, live shows and rehearsals. |Multiple |} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{official website|https://www.starcastlerocks.com/}} * {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p20721}} * {{Discogs artist}} {{Authority control}} Category:Musical groups from Champaign, Illinois Category:Progressive rock musical groups from Illinois --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Starcastle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starcastle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starcastle?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.