"Swingtown" | ||||
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Single by Steve Miller Band | ||||
from the album Book of Dreams | ||||
B-side | "Winter Time" | |||
Released | 7 October 1977 (US)
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Recorded | 1975–1976 | |||
Genre | Blues rock, rock and roll, progressive rock | |||
Length | 3:27 (single version) 3:54 (album version) | |||
Label | Capitol Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Steve Miller, C. McCarty | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Miller | |||
Steve Miller Band singles chronology | ||||
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Official audio | ||||
"Swingtown" on YouTube |
"Swingtown" is a 1977 hit song by the Steve Miller Band. It was their third and final single release from their Book of Dreams album, and became the second biggest hit from the album.
"Swingtown" reached No. 17 on the U.S. Hot 100 and spent two weeks at No. 13 on the Cashbox Hot 100. It also peaked at No. 13 on the Canadian Singles Chart.
Cashbox said that it "centers around an infectious drum/bass riff." [2] Record World said that it is "as compelling a bit of melody as [Miller has] written." [3]
In late 1978 and 1979, Ford used an edit from the instrumental sections of the song in its television ads for the '79 Ford Mustang.
"Swingtown" appears in the soundtrack of the 1994 film My Girl 2 . [8]
"Swingtown" is used in the 2000 episode entitled "D-Girl" from the second season of the HBO series, The Sopranos .
"Swingtown" is a popular song sung by students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, especially at Wisconsin football games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Marching Band plays it and the students sing the "O-OOOOO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O" part of the song ending it with the word "sucks" to refer to section "O" of the student section, the "sucks" is chanted by other student sections especially section P, this is usually followed by a chant of "fuck you, eat shit" by student sections O and P. [9] Despite the song being popular among the students, several attempts to have the song banned by the UW staff and the Chancellor have been attempted due to the controversial "fuck you, eat shit" chant, but the banning of the song has so far proven to be unsuccessful. Steve Miller, himself a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and vocalist of the Steve Miller Band guest conducted the song with The Wisconsin Marching Band. [10]
It appears in promotions for the 2022 The Players golf tournament.
Guitarist Greg Leon, who initially took Randy Rhoads' place in Quiet Riot, claims that the iconic verse riff to Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" came about when he and Rhoads were messing around with "Swingtown". “We were hanging out, and I showed him the riff to Steve Miller’s "Swingtown". I said: "Look what happens when you speed this riff up". We messed around, and the next thing I know he took it to a whole other level and end up writing the "Crazy Train" riff.” [11]
"Crazy Train" is the debut solo single by English heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and was released in 1980 from his debut album as a solo artist, Blizzard of Ozz (1980). The song was written by Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, and Bob Daisley. The lyrics deal with the subject of the Cold War and the fear of annihilation that existed during this period.
"King Tut" is a novelty song performed by Steve Martin and the Toot Uncommons, about the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun and the Treasures of Tutankhamun traveling exhibit that toured seven American cities from 1976 to 1979. It was first performed on Saturday Night Live.
"If You Really Love Me" is a song written by Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright. Wonder recorded the song and released his version as a single from his 1971 album Where I'm Coming From. The single peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard′s R&B chart, and Billboard′s Easy Listening chart.
"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" is a song recorded by Neil Sedaka, co-written by Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. Sedaka recorded this song twice, in 1962 and 1975, in two significantly different arrangements, and it is considered to be his signature song. Between 1970 and 1975, it was a top-40 hit three separate times for three separate artists: Lenny Welch, The Partridge Family and Sedaka's second version.
"Daybreak" is an uptempo pop song by Barry Manilow. It was composed by Manilow and Adrienne Anderson and first appeared on Manilow's 1976 studio album This One's for You.
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus for American singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone, who recorded the first version in 1964. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" has been covered by many artists. Two of the covers were transatlantic hits, the first in 1965 by the Animals, which was a blues rock version; and in 1977 by the disco group Santa Esmeralda, which was a four-on-the-floor rearrangement. A 1986 cover by new wave musician Elvis Costello found success in Britain and Ireland.
"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".
"Refugee" is a song recorded by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in January 1980 as the second single from their album Damn the Torpedoes, and peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The song is in compound AABA form.
"Walk Right In" is a country blues song written by musician Gus Cannon and originally recorded by Cannon's Jug Stompers in 1929 by RCA Victor. In 1959, it was included on the compilation album The Country Blues. Another version of the song by the Rooftop Singers, with the writing credits allocated to group members Erik Darling and Bill Svanoe, became an international hit in 1963.
"Jet Airliner" is a song composed by Paul Pena in 1973 and popularized by the Steve Miller Band in 1977.
"Love Is Like a Rock" is a song by American rock musician Donnie Iris from his 1981 album King Cool. The song was released as the second single from his second album.
"Remember Me" is a 1970 single recorded and released by singer Diana Ross on the Motown label and was included on her 1971 album Surrender. The song was released as the album's first single on December 8, 1970 by the label. It was written and produced by Ashford & Simpson. In the US, the song was Ross' third top forty pop hit within a year, peaking at number 16 on the Hot 100 chart and number 10 on the soul chart. It was also Diana Ross' third entry on the Easy Listening chart, where it went to number 20. It gave Diana her third gold single in a year and her third top 10 charting single in Cash Box, peaking at number eight. Overseas, "Remember Me" reached the top ten in the UK, where it reached number seven. It was the lead single from Ross' 1971 album, Surrender.
"I Got You" is a song by New Zealand rock band Split Enz. It was released as a single on 21 January 1980 by Mushroom Records in Australia and New Zealand, and August 1980 by A&M internationally, as the first single from their breakthrough album True Colours. Written by co-lead singer Neil Finn, who did not initially believe it to be a hit, it became the band's most commercially successful song, topping the charts in Australasia and placing in the top 20 of the British and Canadian charts. By July 1980, it had become the biggest selling single in Australian history.
"Time" is a song released in 1981 as a single by the Alan Parsons Project. It was from their 1980 album The Turn of a Friendly Card. In the U.S., the song peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. On the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart, "Time" peaked at #10. In addition, "Time" spent two weeks at #14 on Cash Box, making it the group's second most successful single. Cash Box ranked it as the 94th biggest hit of 1981. Outside the US, the song peaked at #30 in Canada.
"Change of Heart" is a song recorded by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in February 1983 as the third single from their fifth album Long After Dark. It peaked at number 21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The B side, "Heartbreakers Beach Party," was exclusive to this single and remained unreleased on CD until its inclusion on the 1995 box set Playback.
"Baby I'm-a Want You" is a song by American soft rock band Bread. The single was released in October 1971 and became the title track for the album of the same name, released in January 1972.
"If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" is a song written by John Rostill that was a 1974 hit single for Olivia Newton-John. It was her second release to hit the top 10 in the United States, reaching number 5 on the pop chart and number 2 on the Easy Listening chart. It also reached number 2 on the Billboard country chart. As with her single "Let Me Be There", Mike Sammes sings a bass harmony. It was nominated for the 1974 Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year.
"Jungle Love" is a 1977 song by the Steve Miller Band, featured on the album Book of Dreams. It was written by Lonnie Turner and Greg Douglass. It reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Keep On Dancing" is a rock song written by Allen A. Jones, Andrew Love and Richard Shann, originally recorded by the U.S. R&B group, The Avantis on Argo Records in 1963.
"Dancin' Man" is a song by disco group Q, written by Rob Peckman. It reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, and received substantial play in the American Southeast.