Rock & Roll Strategy

Rock & Roll Strategy
Studio album by 38 Special
Released	September 1988
Recorded	1987–1988
Genre	Southern rock, adult contemporary, AOR
Length	50:58
Label	A&M
Producer	Rodney Mills
38 Special chronology
Flashback: The Best of 38 Special (1987) Rock & Roll Strategy (1988) Bone Against Steel (1991)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[2]

Rock & Roll Strategy single cover

Rock & Roll Strategy is the eighth studio album by the southern rock band 38 Special, released in 1988. ^[2] It was their final album for long-time label A&M Records. The album contained the group's last top 10 hit, "Second Chance", which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It's also the name of the first song, release as a lead single.

Production

The album was the first with vocalist and keyboard player Max Carl, who wrote "Little Sheba", about women wrestling in jello. ^[3]

Track listing

Comin' Down Tonight cover

1. "Rock & Roll Strategy" (Max Carl, Donnie Van Zant) – 4:34
2. "What's It to Ya?" (Robert White Johnson, Michael Lunn, Van Zant) – 4:30
3. "Little Sheba" (Carl) – 4:54
4. "Comin' Down Tonight" (Carl, Jeff Carlisi, Johnson, Van Zant) – 4:26
5. "Midnight Magic" (Mark Baker, Carlisi, Cal Curtis, Johnson, Van Zant) – 4:21
6. "Second Chance" (Carl, Carlisi, Curtis) – 5:04
7. "Hot 'Lanta" (Carl) – 5:42
8. "Never Be Lonely" (Carl, Danny Chauncey) – 4:39
9. "Chattahoochee" (Johnson, Lunn, Van Zant) – 4:11
10. "Innocent Eyes" (Carl, Carlisi, Chauncey) – 4:17
11. "Love Strikes" (Carlisi, Johnson, Van Zant) – 4:31

Personnel

.38 Special

• Max Carl – keyboards, vocals
• Donnie Van Zant – vocals
• Jeff Carlisi – guitars, steel guitar
• Danny Chauncey – guitars
• Larry Junstrom – bass
• Jack Grondin – drums

Additional musicians

• James Stroud – Synclavier programming, LinnDrum programming
• Robert White Johnson – percussion, backing vocals
• Edd Miller – percussion, vibraslap
• The Noise Gator – horns
• The Six Groomers (the band) – backing vocals

Production

• Rodney Mills – producer, engineer, mixing
• Edd Miller – engineer, mixing
• Thom "TK" Kidd – mix assistant
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Mark Rogers – production coordination
• Norman Moore – art direction, design
• Chris Cuffaro – photography

Studios

• Recorded at Soundscape Studios (Atlanta, Georgia).
• Mixed at Cheshire Recording Studios (Atlanta, Georgia).
• Mastered at Masterdisk (New York City, New York).

Charts

Album

Chart (1988)	Peak position
US Billboard 200 [4]	61

Single

Chart (1988)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100 [5]	67
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [6]	5

References

1. Rock & Roll Strategy at AllMusic
2. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 702.
3. Snider, Eric (10 Mar 1989). ".38 Special Keeps Its Southern Style". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 24.
4. "38 Special Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
5. "Billboard Hot 100: Week of November 19, 1988". Billboard . Retrieved September 25, 2024.
6. "Mainstream Rock Airplay: Week of October 29, 1988". Billboard . Retrieved September 25, 2024.