"Rock and Roll" | ||||
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Single by Gary Glitter | ||||
from the album Glitter | ||||
A-side | "Rock and Roll Part 1" | |||
B-side | "Rock and Roll Part 2" | |||
Released | 3 March 1972 | |||
Recorded | 1971 | |||
Genre | Glam rock [1] [2] | |||
Length |
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Label | Bell | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Mike Leander | |||
Gary Glitter singles chronology | ||||
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"Rock and Roll" is a song by English singer Gary Glitter, released in 1972 from his debut studio album, Glitter . Co-written by Glitter and Mike Leander, the song is in two parts: Part 1 is a vocal track with a "Rock and Roll, Rock" chorus and some verses reflecting on the history of the genre, while Part 2 is an instrumental piece aside from the regular exclamation of the word "Hey" in different tones as the only lyric.
Both parts of "Rock and Roll" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, staying at number two for three consecutive weeks and was kept off the number one spot by Donny Osmond's cover of "Puppy Love". [3] In concert, Glitter often merged both parts of "Rock and Roll" into one performance.
"Rock and Roll" is Glitter's only top ten single in the United States. It was also in North America that "Rock and Roll Part 2" became popularly associated with sports, (especially in American football), as a number of professional teams began to play the song during games to invigorate the audience. Since Glitter's convictions for child sex offences, the song's continued use has been controversial.
In the UK, "Rock and Roll" was one of over 25 hit singles for Glitter. In the US, the instrumental version (Part 2) attracted the vast majority of the attention; it hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. [4] The running time of the US mono 45, which is mixed different from the LP, is 3:10 whilst it is 2:58 on the US LP.
In France, "Rock and Roll Part 1" was the most successful side, peaking at number one.
In North America, "Rock and Roll Part 2" became popularly associated with sports, as a number of professional teams adopted the song for use during games, primarily to signify scores and victories, or to otherwise invigorate the crowd. It is often referred to as "The Hey Song", as the only intelligible word in Part 2 is the exclamation of "Hey", punctuating the end of several instrumental phrases and repeated three times at the song's chorus. It was played first in a sport setting in 1974 at games for the Kalamazoo Wings of the high-minor International Hockey League by Kevin O'Brien, the team's public relations and marketing director. [5] When he went to work for the NHL's Colorado Rockies in 1976, he brought the song with him. After the Rockies moved to New Jersey as the New Jersey Devils in 1982, the Denver Nuggets and Denver Broncos picked up the tradition and were the first NBA and NFL teams to play the song during games. [5] At sporting events, fans often insert their own "Hey," or sometimes other chanted syllables (such as "you suck!"—which controversially led to a decision by the Devils to switch to a song by New Jersey-native Bon Jovi instead). [6]
In 1999, Glitter was convicted of downloading child pornography in England, and in 2006 of child sexual abuse charges in Vietnam. After the second conviction was upheld in court, the NFL asked teams to stop playing the song. [7] The NFL allowed a cover version of the song by the Tube Tops 2000 to be played, but in 2012, the NFL instructed teams to "avoid" the song following negative reaction from British media to the New England Patriots' use of the song. In 2014, Billboard reported that the song was slowly falling out of favour due to both the controversies, and teams electing to replace it with newer songs. [8] [9] [10]
In 2019, "Rock and Roll Part 2" appeared in Todd Phillips' film Joker as Arthur Fleck dances down a staircase, generating public controversy. Some sources indicated that Glitter, as co-writer of the song, would receive a lump sum and royalties for its use. [11] According to the Los Angeles Times , Glitter does not receive payment when the song is used as he has sold the rights, and the US rights to the song are now owned by Universal Music Publishing Group. [12]
Chart (1972) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Go-Set Top 40) [13] | 2 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [14] | 4 |
Canadian RPM Top Singles [15] | 3 |
France (SNEP) [16] | 1 (Part 1) 9 (Part 2) |
Irish Singles Chart [17] | 4 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [18] | 7 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [19] | 6 |
New Zealand ( Listener ) [20] | 8 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] | 4 |
UK (Official Charts Company) [22] | 2 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [4] | 7 |
West Germany (Official German Charts) [23] | 4 |
A cover version of Part 1, entitled 'Rock 'n' Roll', was recorded and released by British electronic music group The Human League and included on their EP Holiday '80 (1980). [24] The group also performed the track on Top of the Pops in May 1980, although the single failed to make the Top 40. [25] Another version of the Human League's recording makes a direct segue into a cover version of the Iggy Pop track "Nightclubbing". [26]
Northern Ireland post-punk group The Undertones recorded "Rock n Roll" for their fourth BBC Radio 1 session for John Peel in January 1980. The track has its first official release in 2004. [27]
Philadelphia post-punk band Executive Slacks released their version of part 2 (entitled "Rock 'n' Roll" or "Rock & Roll," depending on the release) as a 12" single in 1986, performed on electronic instruments, guitar and percussion. [28] [29]
Part 2 was sampled in the Timelords' hit "Doctorin' the Tardis". [30]
Part 2 was also sampled by Argentinian musician Gustavo Cerati in his song "Paseo Inmoral" from his album Bocanada (1999). [31]
Part 2 is used as the tune for "Boris Johnson Is Still a Fucking Cunt" by the Kunts. [32]
Hank Ballard was an American singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of the Midnighters and one of the first rock and roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s. He played an integral part in the development of the genre, releasing the hit singles "Work with Me, Annie" and answer songs "Annie Had a Baby" and "Annie's Aunt Fannie" with his Midnighters. He later wrote and originally recorded "The Twist" which was notably covered a year later by Chubby Checker, this second version spreading the popularity of the dance. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
"Brown Eyed Girl" is a song by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Van Morrison. Written by Morrison and recorded in March 1967 for Bang Records owner and producer Bert Berns, it was released as a single in June of the same year on the Bang label, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song spent a total of sixteen weeks on the chart. It featured the Sweet Inspirations singing back-up vocals and is considered to be Van Morrison's signature song.
Glitter is the debut studio album by English singer Gary Glitter, produced by Mike Leander, and released by Bell Records. Two tracks, "I Didn't Know I Loved You " and "Rock and Roll", the latter a song in two parts, achieved success as singles; each spent time amongst the top 40 singles in both the US and UK.
"I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter, written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Mike Leander. It was Glitter's first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, spending four weeks at the top of the chart in July 1973.
"My Sharona" is the debut single by the Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger, and it was released in 1979 from their debut album, Get the Knack. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, where it remained for six weeks, and was number one on Billboard's 1979 Top Pop Singles year-end chart.
"Another Rock and Roll Christmas" is a 1984 Christmas song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter, written by Glitter with Mike Leander and Eddie Seago and produced by Leander. It was one of the most played and popular Christmas hits on UK radio from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, prior to Glitter's 1997 arrest, and 1999 conviction for possession of child pornography. Released as a single in November 1984, the song was taken from Glitter's fifth studio album, Boys Will Be Boys (1984).
"Doctorin' the Tardis" is a novelty single by the Timelords. The song is predominantly a mash-up of the Doctor Who theme music and Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll" with sections from "Block Buster!" by The Sweet. The single was not well received by critics but was a commercial success, hitting number one on the UK and New Zealand singles charts, and reaching the top 10 in Australia, Finland, Ireland and Norway.
G.G. is the third studio album by English singer Gary Glitter, released in 1975.
Michael George Farr, known professionally as Mike Leander, was a British arranger, songwriter and record producer.
Holiday '80 is an EP released by the original line-up of the British synthpop band The Human League. The EP was issued in the UK by Virgin Records in April 1980, a month before the release of the band's second album Travelogue. The EP peaked at no. 56 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1980, but was later reissued and returned to the chart, peaking at no. 46 in February 1982.
The Glitter Band are a glam rock band from England, who initially worked as Gary Glitter's backing band under that name from 1973, when they then began releasing records of their own. They were unofficially known as the Glittermen on the first four hit singles by Gary Glitter from 1972 to 1973.
"Baby Blue" is a song by Welsh rock band Badfinger from their fourth studio album, Straight Up (1971). The song was written by Pete Ham, produced by Todd Rundgren, and released on Apple Records. As a single in the US in 1972, it went to #14.
Paul Francis Gadd, better known by his stage name Gary Glitter, is an English former singer who achieved fame and success during the 1970s and 1980s. His career ended after he was convicted of downloading child pornography in 1999. He was also convicted of child sexual abuse in 2006 and a series of sexual offences in 2015.
"Hey Deanie" is a song written by Eric Carmen. It was a popular hit single by Shaun Cassidy that was released the last week of November, 1977 from his album, Born Late. It was his third and final top 10 hit, peaked at number seven for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, spending four months on the chart from late 1977 to early 1978. As with Cassidy's prior singles, this song also became a gold record.
The Glittermen were a glam rock band from England, who backed Gary Glitter, un-credited, on his first four hit singles, from June 1972 until the summer of 1973, when they then officially became known as The Glitter Band. Continuing to back Gary Glitter on some of his further hit singles, but now as 'The Glitter Band', they began releasing records of their own under their new name. As The Glitter Band, they had seven UK Top 20 hit singles between March 1974 through to April 1976, and three hit albums.
"Ho Hey" is a song by American folk rock band the Lumineers. It was released on June 4, 2012, as the lead single from their self-titled debut studio album (2012). The music video was released on March 11, 2012. "Ho Hey" reached number one for 18 non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard Rock Songs chart, as well as two weeks in the top spot on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and eight weeks in the top spot on the Adult Pop Songs chart, and reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming their first single to do so, as well as their first top 5 single. It also reached number 2 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart, behind "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars. It is also their first single to be certified in the US.
"Little Willy" is a song written by songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and performed by the British glam rock band The Sweet, released in 1972 as a non-album single in the UK, peaking at number 4 in the UK Singles Chart. It was released in the US in January 1973 and also appeared on their US debut album The Sweet and became their biggest hit in the US, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Billboard ranked it as the number 18 song for 1973.
"Wig-Wam Bam" is a song by British glam rock band The Sweet, written by songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, released as a single in September 1972. It was the first Sweet single on which the band members actually played their instruments, as previous singles featured producer Phil Wainman on drums, and session musicians John Roberts and Pip Williams on bass and guitars respectively.
English glam rock singer Gary Glitter released seven studio albums, four live albums, 13 compilation albums, one extended play (EP) and 42 singles, including three UK number-one singles. He became known for his energetic live performances and extremely glam rock image of glitter suits, make-up, and platform boots.
"I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter, written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Mike Leander. It was released as the second single from his debut studio album, Glitter (1972) and peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also Glitter's second and last charted record in the US, peaking at #35. Rock Goddess and Planet Patrol both recorded cover versions in 1983.
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