| "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 One of side-A labels of UK single | ||||
| Single by Argent | ||||
| from the album In Deep | ||||
| B-side | "Christmas for the Free" | |||
| Released | 23 February 1973 [1] | |||
| Recorded | 1971 | |||
| Studio | Abbey Road (London, England) | |||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Russ Ballard | |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Argent singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"God Gave Rock and Roll to You" is a 1973 song by the British band Argent and covered by Kiss as "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II" in 1991, with modified lyrics.
Argent recorded the song in 1971 during the sessions for their album All Together Now , but it originally did not appear as an album track until 1973's In Deep , and was released as a successful single at that time. The 1997 CD re-release of All Together Now has the track included as a bonus. The original lyrics include a reference to British pop singer Cliff Richard, known for his Christianity.
Record World said that "'Hold Your Head Up' established British contingent as a potent singles selling act, but this Russ Ballard song will make them giants." [2]
The song reached No. 18 in the United Kingdom, [3] and No. 114 in the United States. [4]
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK [3] | 18 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 [4] | 114 |
 |
"God Gave Rock and Roll to You" was covered, with additional lyrics not found in the original recording, by American Christian rock band Petra for their 1977 album Come and Join Us and their 1984 album Beat the System . [5]
| "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Kiss | ||||
| from the album Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey: Music from the Motion Picture and Revenge | ||||
| Released | 22 August 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 5:18 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Bob Ezrin | |||
| Kiss singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
American hard rock band Kiss covered the song in 1991 as "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II" for the soundtrack to Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey . The track was released as a single in 1991 and appeared on the band's 1992 album Revenge .
Though the power ballad [6] covered the original Argent 1973 version "God Gave Rock and Roll to You", it had barely modified lyrics in the verses, thus the reason behind the slight change in the name of the song. It is one of the few songs from Kiss' "non-makeup era" to be played live since the band returned to wearing their trademark makeup in 1996.
It was the last Kiss song to feature longtime drummer Eric Carr before his death three months later after it was released as a single. Although he was too ill to play drums on the track, he is featured on backing vocals during the a cappella break, singing the repeated line "...to everyone, he gave a song to be sung", as well as performing drums during the video for the song. This also marked his final video appearance with the band. He had lost all his hair from his chemotherapy treatments and wore a wig during the video shoot. The drum tracks were recorded by Eric Singer, who would become Kiss' full-time drummer following Carr's death. [7] Singer also makes his recording debut with the band on this song.
The single was also the first to feature Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley sharing lead vocals since "I" from 1981's Music from "The Elder" .
The song proved to be a big hit for the band in many parts of the world, including making the top 10 in Ireland, [8] the United Kingdom, [9] Germany, [10] and Switzerland. [11] In the United States, it reached No. 21 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. [12] The music video received heavy rotation on music television channels.
The version released as a single and on the soundtrack to Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey differs slightly from that played in the film. In the film, a 40-second guitar solo is played by Steve Vai. [13] [14] It was later included on Steve Vai's album The Elusive Light and Sound, Vol. 1 under the title "Final Solo". "God Gave Rock & Roll to You II" would also be included on the Kiss albums Revenge in 1992 [15] and in a live version on Alive III , released in 1993. [16]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind (1991), released on DGC Records. The unexpected success of the song propelled Nevermind to the top of several albums charts at the start of 1992, an event often marked as the point when grunge entered the mainstream. It was Nirvana's biggest hit, charting high on music industry charts around the world in 1991 and 1992, and was number one on the charts in Belgium, France, New Zealand and Spain. It was met with wide critical acclaim, and described as an "anthem for apathetic kids" of Generation X. Although Nirvana grew uncomfortable with the mainstream and commercial attention the song brought to them, listeners and critics continue to praise "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as one of the greatest songs of all time.
The Zombies are an English rock band formed in St Albans in 1961. Led by keyboardist/vocalist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone, the group had their first British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two further singles—"Tell Her No" in 1965 and "Time of the Season" in 1968—were also successful.
Destroyer is the fourth studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on March 15, 1976, by Casablanca Records in the US. It was the third successive Kiss album to reach the top 40 in the US, as well as the first to chart in Germany and New Zealand. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on April 22, 1976, and platinum on November 11 of the same year, the first Kiss album to achieve platinum. The album marked a departure from the raw sound of the band's first three albums.
Argent were an English rock band formed in 1969 by former Zombies' keyboardist Rod Argent. They had three UK top 40 hits: "Hold Your Head Up", which reached number five and spent 12 weeks on charts, "Tragedy" (#34), and "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" (#18). Two of their albums charted in the UK: All Together Now, which peaked at number 13 in 1972, and In Deep, which spent one week at number 49 in 1973.
Revenge is the sixteenth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released on May 19, 1992. It is the band's first album to feature drummer Eric Singer, following the death of former drummer Eric Carr in November 1991 and is the group's last album to feature musical contributions from the latter. Marking a stylistic departure from the pop-influenced glam metal which characterized much of the band's 1980s output for a heavier sound, the album reached the Top 20 in several countries, though it failed to reestablish the group back in the mainstream and its sales were equal-to or less than its predecessors, ultimately only being certified gold by the RIAA on July 20, 1992.
Alive II is the second live album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on October 14, 1977, by Casablanca Records. The band had released three albums since the previous live outing, the 1975 release Alive!, so they drew upon the variety of new tracks, with Eddie Kramer producing. The album is one of the best selling in the Kiss discography, being the band's first to be certified double platinum in February 1996, the same month the Kiss reunion tour was announced. It has continued to sell in the US in the Soundscan era, selling over 300,000 copies from 1991 and to March 2012.
"One" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their seventh album, Achtung Baby (1991), and it was released as the record's third single in February 1992. During the album's recording sessions at Hansa Studios in Berlin, conflict arose between the band members over the direction of U2's sound and the quality of their material. Tensions almost prompted the band to break up until they achieved a breakthrough with the improvisation of "One"; the song was written after the band members were inspired by a chord progression that guitarist the Edge was playing in the studio. The lyrics, written by lead singer Bono, were inspired by the band members' fractured relationships and the German reunification. Although the lyrics ostensibly describe "disunity", they have been interpreted in other ways.
"Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 hit song written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records single, with "Drifting Heart" as the B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to be as respected as classical music. The title of the song is an imperative directed at the composer Ludwig van Beethoven to roll over out of the way and make room for the rock and roll music that Berry was promoting. The song has been covered by many other artists, including the Beatles and the Electric Light Orchestra. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 97 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
"Last Kiss" is a song released by Wayne Cochran in 1961 on the Gala label. It failed to do well on the charts. Cochran subsequently re-recorded his song for the King label in 1963. It was revived by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, who took it to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Wednesday, Pearl Jam, and several international artists also covered the song, with varying degrees of success. The song was one of several teen tragedy songs from that period.
"Rock and Roll All Nite" is a song by American rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1975 album Dressed to Kill. It was released as the A-side of their fifth single, with the album track "Getaway". The studio version of the song peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard singles chart, besting the band's previous charting single, "Kissin' Time" (#89). A subsequent live version, released as a single in October 1975, eventually reached No. 12 in early 1976, the first of six Top 20 songs for Kiss in the 1970s. "Rock and Roll All Nite" became Kiss's signature song and has served as the group's closing concert number in almost every concert since 1976. In 2008, it was named the 16th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.
Russell Glyn Ballard is an English musician.
"She's Not There" is the debut single by British rock band the Zombies, written by keyboardist Rod Argent. It reached No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1964, and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States at the beginning of December 1964. In Canada, it reached No. 2.
"I Love It Loud" is a song by American rock band Kiss. It was released on their 1982 album Creatures of the Night. It has proven to be a staple of the band's live show, being performed on almost every tour the band has done aside from the Reunion and Psycho Circus tours.
Greatest Kiss is a greatest hits album by American hard rock band Kiss. It was released in 1997 on Mercury Records.
"Crazy Crazy Nights" is a song by American rock band Kiss. It was originally released on the band's 1987 album Crazy Nights. Although it peaked at only number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the song became the band's highest-charting single in the United Kingdom, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart. In August 2019 it received a Silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry for sales and streams exceeding 200,000. The song also reached the top 10 in Ireland and Norway.
All Together Now, released in April 1972, was the third album recorded by British rock band Argent. It was originally released on Epic Records, KE 31556. It was Argent's first hit album; it features "Hold Your Head Up", their most successful single, which reached #5 in the UK, Canadian, and U.S. singles charts. Other featured songs include "Tragedy" which reached #34 in the UK, "I Am the Dance of Ages" and "He's a Dynamo". The album reached #14 in Canada.
"Rock On" is a song written by English singer David Essex. Recorded in 1973 and released as a single by Essex, it became an international hit. In 1989, American actor and singer Michael Damian recorded a cover version that went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song has been recorded many times, including a 2006 version by the English hard rock group Def Leppard.
"Your Mama Don't Dance" is a hit 1972 song by the rock duo Loggins and Messina. Released on their self-titled album Loggins and Messina, it reached number four on the Billboard pop chart and number 19 on the Billboard Easy Listening Chart as a single in early 1973.
"Unholy" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss, written by Gene Simmons and Vinnie Vincent. Featured on their 1992 album, Revenge, the song is one of the three Vincent co-writes to appear on the album despite the fact that he had been fired from the band 8 years earlier. The release of "Unholy" signaled the return to a heavier sound for Kiss. The song was played live during the Revenge Tour and was included on the 1993 live album Alive III, but did not return to the live Kiss set list until 2004's Rock the Nation Tour.
"Surfin' U.S.A." is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys, credited to Chuck Berry and Brian Wilson. It is a rewritten version of Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" set to new lyrics written by Wilson and an uncredited Mike Love. The song was released as a single on March 4, 1963, backed with "Shut Down". It was then placed as the opening track on their album of the same name.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Films |
|
|---|---|
| Television | |
| Music | |
| Video games | |
| Other | |
