Rock & Roll Band

Last updated
"Rock & Roll Band"
Song by Boston
from the album Boston
ReleasedAugust 1976
RecordedOctober 1975
Genre
Length3:00
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) Tom Scholz, Brad Delp
Producer(s) John Boylan & Tom Scholz

"Rock & Roll Band" is a song by American rock band Boston written by main songwriter and guitarist Tom Scholz and helped out by lead vocalist Brad Delp. The song appears on the band's 1976 self-titled debut. It is one of many songs Scholz worked on in his basement in 1974 and 1975 before Boston got its record contract, five of which eventually appeared on the Boston album. The "Rock and Roll Band" demo was finished in 1974, along with three of the six. [2] However, Scholz had begun writing the song years earlier, in the early 1970s. [3] The drum parts of this and other early Boston songs were developed by Jim Masdea, but this is the only song on the Boston album on which Masdea plays drums. [2] [4] Scholz plays clavinet and all the guitar parts, including bass guitar, and Brad Delp sings vocals. [4] Boston consistently opened with "Rock and Roll Band" while playing at live concerts.

Contents

History

"Rock & Roll Band" is the song that Paul Ahern played for Charlie McKenzie to interest him in the yet unnamed band that was to become Boston. [3] Shortly after, Ahern and McKenzie signed on as the band's managers. [3]

""Rock and Roll Band" is one of several Boston songs with the theme of making music and how music makes them feel. [5] According to Allmusic critic Vik Iyengar, it" is about the band's "rise from a bar band." [6] In The Rough Guide to Rock, Charles Bottomley calls the song Boston's "self-description." [7] Lyrics supporting this statement include:

Well we were just another band out of Boston
On the road to try to make ends meet
Playin' all the bars, sleepin' in our cars
And we practiced right on out in the street.

However, the song's lyrics do exaggerate the band's story, as they spent years of work and rejection to get their recording contract, rather than being suddenly discovered by a record executive who happened to catch a show. [8] Boston's official website acknowledges that the song is "a charming bit of group self-mythology." [9] Scholz himself admits that the song is "pure fantasy" since the band never played live or toured at the time the song was written. [10] According to Scholz, the song was inspired by Masdea telling him of playing in bands in Hyannis, Massachusetts and dreaming of being discovered. [11] Scholz decided to write a song "about everybody who dreams about that," even though "that's not what happened with Boston." [11] Todd Maternowski claims that the band "set a precedent when they wrote the song "Rock and Roll Band," about the gritty life of an up-and-coming musician, despite never actually having experienced anything of the sort and getting a major record contract before their first live gig." [12]

Critical reception

Billy Baker of the Boston Globe called "Rock and Roll Band" "one of the biggest rock anthems of the 1970s." [13] Scott Tady of Beaver County Times described "Rock and Roll Band," "Smokin'" and Boston's first four singles as having "helped set the foundation for classic-rock radio." [14] Boston Globe's Sarah Rodman credited "Rock and Roll Band" as one of the songs that helped drive sales of Boston to over 17 million copies. [15] The New Rolling Stone Album Guide called "Rock and Roll Band" a "cleaned-up boogey [sic] crowd pleaser..." [16] Jamie Reno of San Diego magazine described it as an "infectious flick-your Bic staple." [17] MTV's Gil Kaufman noted that the song is a "rock-radio staple." [18] Guitar World states that when the radio plays "Rock and Roll Band" "few can resist indulging in fits of fleet-fingered air guitar and a spirited falsetto sing-along." [19] In describing "the absolute perfection of every song" on Boston's debut album, Brian Thorpe Ferris claimed that "even the fake, cheering crowd on 'Rock & Roll Band' sounds authentic" [20] Entertainment Weekly writer Chris Willman noted that, like all the other songs from Boston, "Rock and Roll Band" "received sizable FM radio airplay" upon its release, and that as of 2007 the song is "still all over the [radio] bandwidth." [21] Willman did claim that he considers the song's lyrics to be cringe-worthy. [21] Writing in 2008, Kevin Smith of the Arizona Daily Star described it as a "radio standard." [22] In 2011, the radio station Q107 rated "Rock and Roll Band" as the #439 song of all time. [23] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated it Boston's 6th best song, praising the band's playing like they are "seasoned vets." [5] Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian also rated it as Boston's 6th best song. [24]

Other appearances

The New Duncan Imperials covered "Rock and Roll Band" on their 1993 EP We're in a Band. [25] A downloadable version of the song is available for the video game Rock Band . [26] It is also available for Guitar Hero World Tour . [27]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston (band)</span> American rock band

Boston is an American rock band formed in 1975 by Tom Scholz in Boston, Massachusetts that had its most commercial successes during the 1970s and 1980s. The band's core members include multi-instrumentalist, founder and leader Scholz, who played the majority of instruments on the band's 1976 self-titled debut album, and former lead vocalist Brad Delp, among a number of other musicians who varied from album to album. Boston's best-known songs include: "More Than a Feeling", "Peace of Mind", "Foreplay/Long Time", "Rock and Roll Band", "Smokin'", "Don't Look Back", "A Man I'll Never Be", "Hitch a Ride", "Party", "Amanda" and "Feelin' Satisfied". The band has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, including 31 million units sold in the United States, of which 17 million were the band's debut album and seven million copies of the band's second studio album, Don't Look Back (1978), placing the group amongst the world's best-selling music artists. Altogether, the band has released six studio albums in a career spanning over 48 years. Boston was ranked the 63rd-best hard rock artist by VH1.

<i>Boston</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Boston

Boston is the debut studio album by American rock band Boston, released on August 25, 1976, by Epic Records. It was produced by Tom Scholz and John Boylan. A multi-instrumentalist and engineer who had been involved in the Boston music scene since the late 1960s, Scholz started to write and record demos in his apartment basement with singer Brad Delp, but received numerous rejections from major record labels. The demo tape fell into the hands of CBS-owned Epic, who signed the band in 1975.

<i>Dont Look Back</i> (Boston album) 1978 studio album by Boston

Don't Look Back is the second studio album by American rock band Boston, released in 1978 by Epic Records. The album reached No. 1 in both the US and Canada, and No. 9 in the UK. The title track helped with the album's success, reaching No. 4 in 1978 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of the band's biggest hits. The album sold over one million copies in the ten days following its release and was certified 7× platinum by the RIAA in the US on April 11, 1996.

<i>Third Stage</i> 1986 studio album by Boston

Third Stage is the third studio album by the American rock band Boston, released on September 26, 1986, on MCA Records. It was recorded at Boston co-founder Tom Scholz's Hideaway Studio over a long, strained, six-year period "between floods and power failures". Scholz and vocalist Brad Delp were the only original members. The lyrics invoke themes of aging and working through stages in life. The first track and lead single, "Amanda", became a number one hit and one of the group's best known songs. The album itself was eventually certified 4× platinum by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More Than a Feeling</span> 1976 single by Boston

"More Than a Feeling" is a song by the American rock band Boston, released as the lead single from the band's 1976 debut album by Epic Records in September 1976, with "Smokin'" as the B-side. Tom Scholz wrote the whole song. The single peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. The track is now a staple of classic rock radio, and in 2008, it was named the 39th-best hard rock song of all time by VH1. It was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" and is ranked number 212 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time", updated from its previous position of number 500 on the 2004 version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Delp</span> American rock musician (1951–2007)

Bradley Edward Delp was an American musician who was the original lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the rock band Boston. In 1970, he joined the effort that became Boston, and appeared on every album with the exception of Walk On (1994) and also participated in every tour prior to his death in 2007.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Boston album) 1997 compilation album by Boston

Greatest Hits is the only compilation album by American rock band Boston. Released on June 3, 1997, the album features songs originally released on both the Epic and MCA record labels, as well as three previously unreleased recordings. Tom Scholz, the band's leader, felt that the album's audio quality was not up to his standards, so a remastered version of the album was released in 2009 with a slightly different track listing. Boston embarked on a tour for this album both times it was released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peace of Mind (Boston song)</span> 1977 single by Boston

"Peace of Mind" is a song by American rock band Boston, written by Tom Scholz, the band's founder, lead guitarist and primary songwriter. It released on their 1976 self-titled debut, and released again the next year as the third and final single from the album. It peaked at number 38 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1977, as well as number 33 on the Cash Box Top 100. It received substantial radio airplay, both upon the initial release of the Boston album and subsequently, and has been described as a "rock-radio staple".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreplay/Long Time</span> 1977 single by Boston

"Foreplay/Long Time" is a song by American rock band Boston, written by bandleader Tom Scholz. It appears on the band's self-titled debut album, and as their second single, on Epic Records in 1976. The song combines an instrumental introduction, "Foreplay", with the main song "Long Time", generally played as one on the radio and listed as one track on the album. "Long Time" peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending March 5, 1977. It reached the Top 10 in Canada, peaking at No. 9. The standalone "Foreplay" was released as the B-side of Boston's next single "Peace of Mind", which was released in April.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Look Back (Boston song)</span> 1978 single by Boston

"Don't Look Back" is a song by American rock band Boston, written by main songwriter, guitarist and bandleader Tom Scholz. It was released as the title track and first single from their second studio album, Don't Look Back (1978). It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of the band's biggest hits.

"Smokin'" is a song by American rock band Boston, released from the band's debut album Boston (1976) as the B-side to the band's first single, "More Than a Feeling". "Smokin'" was written by the band leader, guitarist and main songwriter Tom Scholz and lead vocalist Brad Delp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Goudreau</span> American guitarist

Barry Goudreau is an American musician. He was one of two original guitarists for the rock band Boston alongside founder Tom Scholz; both Scholz and Goudreau shared lead and rhythm guitar parts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feelin' Satisfied</span> 1979 single by Boston

"Feelin' Satisfied" is a song by American rock band Boston, released as a single in 1979, and written by Tom Scholz from their 1978 album Don't Look Back. "Feelin' Satisfied" was released as a single and went up to #46 on the Billboard Hot 100. It only reached #84 in Canada. It was the band's last single release for 7 years, until "Amanda" in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Scholz</span> American guitarist (born 1947)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Man I'll Never Be</span> 1978 single by Boston

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">We're Ready</span> 1986 single by Boston

"We're Ready" is a song by American rock band Boston written by founder, lead guitarist and primary songwriter Tom Scholz. It was first released on the band's third studio album Third Stage (1986).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cool the Engines</span> 1986 single by Boston

"Cool the Engines" is a song written by Tom Scholz, Brad Delp and Fran Sheehan that was originally released on Boston's 1986 album Third Stage. In the US it was also released as a 12" promotional single backed with another song from Third Stage, "The Launch," and as the B-side to the third commercially released single from the album, "Can'tcha Say /Still in Love." It reached #4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Billboard also rated it as the #25 Top Rock Track of 1987. It was also included on Boston's 1997 compilation album Greatest Hits.

<i>Life, Love & Hope</i> 2013 studio album by Boston

Life, Love & Hope is the sixth studio album by American rock band Boston, released on December 3, 2013, by Frontiers Records, making it their first studio album in eleven years. It is the first album released following the death of Brad Delp in 2007, whose vocals are posthumously featured on the songs "Didn't Mean to Fall in Love", "Sail Away", "Someone", and "Te Quiero Mia", the last of which being a rearrangement of "I Had a Good Time", from Corporate America.

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Paul (November 2, 2004). "Boston". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 96.
  2. 1 2 Wright, J. "Feelin' Satisfied: An Interview with Tom Scholz of Boston". thirdstage.ca. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  3. 1 2 3 Crowe, C. (August 10, 1978). "Boston: The Band from the Platinum Basement". Rolling Stone Magazine . pp. 37–42.
  4. 1 2 Scholz, T. "Boston: How to Make Extra Money Working at Home in Your Own Basement..." Archived from the original on 2012-06-08. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  5. 1 2 Gallucci, Michael (10 March 2013). "Top 10 Boston songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  6. ↑ Iyengar, V. "Boston". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  7. ↑ Bottomley, C. (2003). Buckley, P. (ed.). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. p.  128. ISBN   9781843531050.
  8. ↑ Crowther, L. (March 9, 2012). "Brad Delp's Boston". Legacy.com . Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  9. ↑ Wild, D. "Boston". Boston. Archived from the original on 2012-06-08. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  10. ↑ Konow, D. (2002). Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal. Random House. p. 77. ISBN   9780609807323.
  11. 1 2 Stix, J. (July 1987). "Tom Scholz: A Normal Life". Guitar. pp. 46–53, 101.
  12. ↑ Maternowski, T. (June 2, 2011). "Thursday Morning Cupcheck - Rating the Fan Bases: Vancouver versus Boston". Pegasus News . Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  13. ↑ Baker, B. (March 9, 2008). "Help!". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  14. ↑ Tady, S. (August 5, 2012). "More than a feeling: Boston back in Pittsburgh". Beaver County Times . Retrieved 2013-08-11.
  15. ↑ Rodman, S. (March 10, 2007). "Brad Delp, 55, lead singer for bestselling '70s band Boston". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  16. ↑ Evans, P. (2004). Brackett, N. (ed.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon and Schuster. p.  96. ISBN   9780743201698.
  17. ↑ Reno, Jamie (August 2004). "Boston Rocks". San Diego. p. 203. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
  18. ↑ "Brad Delp, Singer For '70s Rock Icons Boston, Died Virtually Anonymous". MTV. March 12, 2007. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  19. ↑ "Boston: Feelin' Satisfied". Guitar World . October 2006. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  20. ↑ Ferris, B.T. (April 2, 2001). "Boston did everything right on debut album". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on March 25, 2017. Retrieved 2013-08-08. – via Higheam (subscription required)
  21. 1 2 Willman, C. "Hittin' the high notes with Brad Delp, and assessing Boston's legacy". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  22. ↑ Smith, K.W. (June 26, 2008). "Boston smokin' with new singers". Arizona Daily Star . Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved 2013-08-08. – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  23. ↑ "The Q107 Labour Day Countdown". Q107. September 5, 2011. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  24. ↑ Kachejian, Brian (23 May 2018). "Top 10 Boston Songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  25. ↑ Robbins, I. "New Duncan Imperials". Trouser Press . Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  26. ↑ "Song Finder". Harmonix Music Systems. Archived from the original on 2011-08-10. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  27. ↑ "Launch week Guitar Hero World Tour DLC revealed". Pro-G Media. September 10, 2008. Retrieved 2012-06-08.


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