Captain of Your Ship

Album: The Best of Reparata & the Delrons (1968)
Charted: 13
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Songfacts®:

  • At first lead singer Mary O'Leary (Reparata) was concerned about this song's unusual sound coupled with its nautical sound effects. She told Mojo magazine May 2008: "I thought it was horrible-the foghorn, the way they had changed my voice with effects. But I grew to like it, and it afforded the opportunity to go over to London."
  • This was a hit in the UK but not in the trio's native America. O'Leary (Reparata) told Mojo: "In America, it fizzled. People in England liked quirkier stuff, and 'Captain Of Your Ship' was quirky."
  • Betty Boo's 1990 #7 UK hit "Doin' The Do" sampled this track.
  • This was featured in a late 1990s Müllerice advertisement with modified lyrics.
  • The trio originally formed as The Delrons at high school in Brooklyn. Their first single, 1964's "Your Big Mistake" flopped, so their producer decided a hookier name was needed. The then Mary Aiese chose Reparata after the nun who'd presided at her confirmation. The change did the trick and follow-up single "Whenever A Teenager Cries" was a regional hit. Despite touring extensively in the States and becoming well-known their best chart placing was the #127 of "Captain of Your Ship." In the UK this was their only hit. Reparata left the group in 1970 and had a 1975 Top 10 hit in South Africa (#43 in UK) with "Shoes." She later left Pop and became a teacher. The Delrons name-changed to Lady Flash and became Barry Manilow's backing group.

Comments: 2

  • Thomas from Stirling, United KingdomSampled by Ratpack on a bit of a house/ ragga tip.
  • Andy from Halesowen, West Midlands, United KingdomI always thougth the bands name was some sci-fi thing, not named after a nun, talk about way off the mark!
    Oh well, still sounds to me like they should have appeared in Star Trek. - "captain Kirk, we have an incoming message from Reparata, captain of the Delron ship".
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