Rock'n Me

Last updated

"Rock'n Me"
Rock n Me.jpg
The European release of "Rock'n Me" by Mercury Records.
Single by Steve Miller Band
from the album Fly Like an Eagle
B-side "Mercury Blues"
ReleasedAugust 1976 (US)
  • October 1976 (UK) [1]
Recorded1976 at CBS Studios in San Francisco, California [2]
Genre
Length3:05
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s) Steve Miller
Producer(s) Steve Miller
Steve Miller Band singles chronology
"Take the Money and Run"
(1976)
"Rock'n Me"
(1976)
"Fly Like an Eagle"
(1976)
Audio
"Rock'n Me" on YouTube

"Rock'n Me" (also known as "Rock 'N Me" or "Rock 'N' Me") is a song by American rock band Steve Miller Band, released in 1976 from the band's ninth studio album Fly Like an Eagle (1976). [7] It was written by primary band leader and songwriter Steve Miller released as the second single from the album. Miller also produced the song and album. [8] [3] The North American release of the single was generally credited to Steve Miller as an individual, while the European release was generally credited to the Steve Miller Band as a whole group.

Contents

The song achieved lasting commercial and critical success, with the publication Billboard labeling it "an immediate audience grabber". [8] It became the band's second #1 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed at the top for one week, [9] [10] it also topped the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. [11] In later years, the song has been included in several compilation albums such as 1978's Greatest Hits 1974–78 and 1991's The Very Best of the Steve Miller Band . [3]

Composition

Composed for a pop and rock festival atmosphere, [8] the lyrics and vocals have been labeled as having an 'every man' quality. [3] It is sung from the point of view of someone frequently traveling while keeping a positive, upbeat attitude. Locations mentioned in the song include Phoenix, Arizona; Tacoma, Washington; Philadelphia; Atlanta; and Los Angeles.

Miller has acknowledged that elements of "Rock'n Me", particularly the intro, was a nod to the English rock band Free particularly the band's hit song "All Right Now". He stated: [8]

Yeah, it's a tack on the wall for Paul [Kossoff]. I did one concert in the two years that I was off the road. I went to London and played with Pink Floyd... it was a big, huge outdoor show so we needed a big rock and roll number that was really going to excite everybody. I just put it together and didn't think much about it.

He returned to the subject in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock Nights, referring to his support slot at Pink Floyd's one-off appearance at Knebworth in June 1975: [12]

I had thought about the gig and I knew they[ sic ] way it was going to work was, I was going to play just before Pink Floyd... the sun would be going down, it would be really cold, there wouldn’t be any lights on the stage, it would be a lousy time ... I went, 'You know, I’m gonna kick those guys in the butt.' So what I did was, I wrote 'Rock'n Me' as a song to play at a festival, to just get it going.

Reception

Billboard described "Rock'n Me" as a "catchy and highly humorous midtempo rocker," saying that the melody sounds like the Beach Boys and the Eagles in places. [13] Cash Box said that it "draws from the best of rock ’n' roll over the last ten years" and has "hook-filled guitar lines." [14] Record World said it has "an intro reminiscent of Free's 'All Right Now' and vocals and guitar pure Steve Miller," [15]

In other media

The song is a playable track in the video game Rock Band 2 , and Tap Tap Revenge 3 . It is featured as a radio station track in the video game Grand Theft Auto V. [16]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1976)Peak
position
Canadian Top Singles [11] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [17] 22
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [18] 23
South Africa (Springbok) [19] 3
UK Singles (OCC) [20] 11
US Billboard Hot 100 [9] 1
Chart (1977)Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [21] 25
West Germany (Official German Charts) [22] 28

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Around the Clock</span> 1954 rock and roll song

"Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets in 1954 for American Decca. It was a number one single for two months and did well on the United Kingdom charts; the recording also reentered the UK Singles Chart in the 1960s and 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Miller (musician)</span> American guitarist and singer-songwriter (born 1943)

Steven Haworth Miller is an American musician. He is the founder and only remaining original member of the Steve Miller Band, which he founded in 1966, and is the principal songwriter, lead singer, harmonicist, keyboardist, and one of the guitarists. He began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more pop-oriented arena rock genre during the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, releasing popular singles and albums. Miller was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Rivers</span> American rock musician

Johnny Rivers is a retired American musician. He achieved commercial success and popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a singer and guitarist, characterized as a versatile and influential artist. Rivers is best known for his 1960s output, having popularized the mid-60s discotheque scene through his live rock and roll recordings at Los Angeles' Whiskey a Go Go nightclub, and later shifting to a more orchestral, soul-oriented sound during the latter half of the decade. These developments were reflected by his most notable string of hit singles between 1964 and 1968, many of them covers. They include "Memphis", "Mountain of Love", "The Seventh Son", "Secret Agent Man", "Poor Side of Town", "Baby I Need Your Lovin'", and "Summer Rain". Ultimately, Rivers landed 9 top ten hits and 17 top forty hits on US charts from 1964 to 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Miller Band</span> American rock band

The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1966. The band is led by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles that are staples of classic rock radio, as well as several earlier psychedelic rock albums. Miller left his first band to move to San Francisco and form the Steve Miller Blues Band. Shortly after Harvey Kornspan negotiated the band's contract with Capitol Records in 1967, the band shortened its name to the Steve Miller Band. In February 1968, the band recorded its debut album, Children of the Future. It went on to produce the albums Sailor, Brave New World, Your Saving Grace, Number 5, The Joker, Fly Like an Eagle, and Book of Dreams, among others. The band's album Greatest Hits 1974–78, released in 1978, has sold over 13 million copies. In 2016, Steve Miller was inducted as a solo artist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Another Brick in the Wall</span> 1979 three-part song by Pink Floyd

"Another Brick in the Wall" is a three-part composition on Pink Floyd's 1979 album The Wall, written by the bassist, Roger Waters. "Part 2", a protest song against corporal punishment and rigid and abusive schooling, features a children's choir. At the suggestion of the producer, Bob Ezrin, Pink Floyd added elements of disco.

<i>Fly Like an Eagle</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Steve Miller Band

Fly Like an Eagle is the ninth studio album by American rock band Steve Miller Band, released on May 14, 1976, by Capitol Records in the United States, Canada and Japan and Mercury Records in Europe. The album was a commercial success, spawning three hit singles: the title track, "Take the Money and Run" and "Rock'n Me", and eventually received a quadruple platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In the Midnight Hour</span> 1965 single by Wilson Pickett

"In the Midnight Hour" is a song originally performed by Wilson Pickett in 1965 and released on his 1965 album of the same name, also appearing on the 1966 album The Exciting Wilson Pickett. The song was composed by Pickett and Steve Cropper at the historic Lorraine Motel in Memphis, later the site of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Pickett's first hit on Atlantic Records, it reached number one on the R&B charts and peaked at number 21 on the pop charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock and Roll All Nite</span> 1975 single by Kiss

"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. 68 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Learning to Fly (Pink Floyd song)</span> 1987 single by Pink Floyd

"Learning to Fly" is a song by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, written by David Gilmour, Anthony Moore, Bob Ezrin, and Jon Carin. It was the first single from the band's thirteenth studio album A Momentary Lapse of Reason. It reached number 70 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in September 1987, remaining three consecutive weeks at the top position in the autumn of the same year. Meanwhile, the song failed to chart on the official U.K. top 40 singles charts. On the other hand, in Spain, the song peaked at number 1 on the Los 40 Principales chart.

<i>Abracadabra</i> (Steve Miller Band album) Album by the Steve Miller band

Abracadabra is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Steve Miller Band. The album was released on June 15, 1982, by Capitol Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Only Make Believe</span> Song by Jack Nance and Conway Twitty

"It's Only Make Believe" is a song written by drummer Jack Nance and Mississippi-born singer Conway Twitty, while they were touring across Ontario, Canada in 1958. Twitty was a relatively unknown rock n' roll singer at the time, and this song was his first hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard chart in November 1958 for two weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abracadabra (Steve Miller Band song)</span> 1982 single by Steve Miller Band

"Abracadabra" is a song by American rock group the Steve Miller Band, written by Steve Miller. The song was released as the first single from the 1982 album of the same name that year. In the U.S., it spent two non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the biggest hit of Steve Miller's career to date, as well their last US top 10 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)</span> 1974 single by The Rolling Stones

"It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" is the lead single from English rock band the Rolling Stones' 1974 album It's Only Rock 'n Roll. Writing is credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and the single reached the top ten in the UK charts and top 20 in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly Like an Eagle (song)</span> 1976 single by Steve Miller Band

"Fly Like an Eagle" is a song written by American musician Steve Miller for the album of the same name. The song was released in the United Kingdom in August 1976 and in the United States in December 1976. It went to number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the week of March 12, 1977. The single edit can be found on Greatest Hits (1974–1978). It is often played in tandem with "Space Intro". On the album, the song segues into "Wild Mountain Honey".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To Know Him Is to Love Him</span> 1958 single by The Teddy Bears

"To Know Him Is to Love Him" is a song written by Phil Spector, inspired by the words on his father's gravestone, "To Know Him Was to Love Him". It was first recorded by the only vocal group of which he was a member, The Teddy Bears. The single spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958, while reaching No. 2 on the UK's New Musical Express chart. Peter & Gordon and Bobby Vinton later each experienced chart success with the song, in 1965 and 1968, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take the Money and Run (Steve Miller Band song)</span> 1976 single by Steve Miller Band

"Take the Money and Run" is a song recorded in 1976 by the Steve Miller Band. A song about two young bandits and the detective pursuing them, it was one of the many hit singles produced by the Steve Miller Band in the 1970s and featured on the 1976 album Fly Like an Eagle. The song peaked at number 11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in July 1976 and also charted in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Still Rock and Roll to Me</span> 1980 single by Billy Joel

"It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" is a song written and performed by Billy Joel, from the hit album Glass Houses. Released in 1980, the song peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, from July 19 through August 1, 1980, making it Joel's first number 1 hit single in the United States. The song spent 11 weeks in the top 10 and was the 7th biggest hit of 1980 according to American Top 40.

"The House of the Rising Sun" is an American traditional folk song, sometimes called "Rising Sun Blues". It tells of a person's life gone wrong in the city of New Orleans. Many versions also urge a sibling or parents and children to avoid the same fate. The most successful commercial version, recorded in 1964 by the British rock band The Animals, was a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and in the US and Canada. As a traditional folk song recorded by an electric rock band, it has been described as the "first folk rock hit".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Love Rock 'n' Roll</span> 1975 single by the Arrows

"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, released as the first single from her album of the same name, became Jett's highest-charting hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the No. 3 song for 1982. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing two million units shipped to stores. Jett's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock and Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)</span> Single song by Kevin Johnson

"Rock and Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)" is a 1973 song written and originally performed by Australian singer Kevin Johnson, most famously covered by American singer Mac Davis.

References

  1. "Steve Miller singles".
  2. Brown, Ashley, ed. (1990). "Space Cowboy". The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated History of Popular Music. Vol. 11 (Reference ed.). Marshall Cavendish. p. 1227. ISBN   1-85435-026-9.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Sullivan, Denise. "Rock 'N Me – Steve Miller,Steve Miller Band | Song Info". AllMusic . Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  4. Smith, Troy L. (December 14, 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com . Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  5. Evans, Paul; Scoppa, Bud (2004). "Steve Miller Band". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 542–543. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  6. Milward, John (2013). Crossroads: How the Blues Shaped Rock 'n' Roll (and Rock Saved the Blues). UPNE. p. 16. ISBN   9781555537449.
  7. Steve Miller Band – Rock'n Me , retrieved February 10, 2022
  8. 1 2 3 4 Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th ed.). Billboard Books. ISBN   9780823076772.
  9. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2010). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (9th ed.). Billboard Books. p. 443. ISBN   9780823085545.
  10. "Billboard 200". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Top Singles". RPM . Vol. 26, no. 7. November 13, 1976. p. 23. ISSN   0315-5994 . Retrieved June 25, 2011.
  12. Kielty, Martin (March 3, 2019). "The Song Steve Miller Wrote To Kick Pink Floyd 'In the Butt'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  13. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. August 14, 1976. p. 78. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  14. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 14, 1976. p. 20. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  15. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 21, 1976. p. 1. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  16. "Grand theft Auto Official Tracklist has Been Revealed". Consequence . October 2, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  17. "Steve Miller Band – Rock'n Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  18. "Steve Miller Band – Rock'n Me". Top 40 Singles.
  19. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (M)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  20. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  21. "Steve Miller Band – Rock'n Me" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  22. "Offiziellecharts.de – Miller,Steve Band – Rock'n Me" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.