Can the Can

Last updated

"Can the Can"
Suzie Quatro - Can the Can.jpg
The single cover of "Can the Can"
Single by Suzi Quatro
B-side "Ain't Ya Something Honey"
Released1973
Genre
Label RAK Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn (A-side)
  • Mickie Most (B-side)
Suzi Quatro singles chronology
"Rolling Stone"
(1972)
"Can the Can"
(1973)
"48 Crash"
(1973)
Music video
"Can the Can" on YouTube

"Can the Can" is the second solo single by American singer-songwriter Suzi Quatro and her first to reach number one in the UK, spending a single week at the top of the chart in June 1973. It also reached number one on the European and Australian charts in whose market Quatro achieved her most consistent success throughout her career as a recording artist. The single belatedly became a hit in the US peaking at number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. It was re-released as a single in the UK, with "Devil Gate Drive" as the B-side, in 1984, but failed to chart.[ citation needed ] The single made the charts again in 1987 in the UK at number 87,[ citation needed ] it also appeared on her 1995 album What Goes Around . [6]

Contents

This single made Quatro the first female bass guitar player to become a major rock star and therefore broke a barrier to women's participation in rock music. [7] [8] [9]

Background

This, Quatro's second solo single, was released after she moved from the United States to Britain. In the United States, she had already released two singles with the all-female band The Pleasure Seekers. [10] Her first solo single, "Rolling Stone," was recorded with session players. "Rolling Stone" only achieved popularity in Portugal, where it went to number one. [11]

For "Can the Can," Quatro had organized her own band, which had toured the United Kingdom as the warm-up act for Slade and Thin Lizzy, and they had new songwriters/producers Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. [11]

The song "Can the Can" was written, composed, and produced by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. [11] [12] It has the refrain  :

  • Make a stand for your man, honey, try to can the can
  • Put your man in the can, honey, get him while you can
  • Can the can, can the can, if you can, well can the can
– Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn

According to songwriter Nicky Chinn, the phrase "can the can" means "... something that is pretty impossible, you can't get one can inside another if they are the same size, so we're saying you can't put your man in the can if he is out there and not willing to commit." [13]

The song "Ain't Ya Something Honey," with which "Can the Can" was backed, was written and composed by Quatro and produced by Mickie Most. [11] [12]

Accolades

YearPublisherCountryAccoladeRank
2005Bruce PollockUnited States"The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000"[ citation needed ]Unordered
Toby Creswell Australia"1001 Songs"[ citation needed ]
2009 Gilles Verlant and Thomas CausséFrance"3000 Rock Classics"[ citation needed ]

Chart performance

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzi Quatro</span> American rock musician (born 1950)

Susan Kay Quatro is an American singer, bass guitarist, songwriter and actor. In the 1970s, she scored a string of singles that found success in Europe and Australia, with both "Can the Can" (1973) and "Devil Gate Drive" (1974) reaching #1 in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickie Most</span> English record producer and musician (1938–2003)

Michael Peter Hayes, known as Mickie Most, was an English record producer behind scores of hit singles for acts such as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, the Nashville Teens, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate, Arrows, Racey and the Jeff Beck Group, often issued on his own RAK Records label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livin' Thing</span> 1976 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"Livin' Thing" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It appears on ELO's 1976 album A New World Record and was also released as a single. Patti Quatro sang uncredited vocals, particularly the "higher and higher" parts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mud (band)</span> UK glam rock band

Mud are an English glam rock band, formed in February 1966. Their earlier success came in a pop and then glam rock style, while later hits were influenced by 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly, and they are best remembered for their hit singles "Dyna-mite", "Tiger Feet", which was the UK's best-selling single of 1974, and "Lonely This Christmas" which reached Christmas number 1 in December 1974. After signing to Rak Records and teaming up with songwriters/producers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, the band had fourteen UK Top 20 hits between 1973 and 1976, including three number ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ballroom Blitz</span> 1973 song by The Sweet

"The Ballroom Blitz" is a song by British glam rock band The Sweet, written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. The song reached number one in Canada, number two in the UK Singles Chart and the Australian Chart, and number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. It remains an enduring favourite, with more than 90 million streams on Spotify alone by the end of 2022.

<i>If You Knew Suzi...</i> 1978 studio album by Suzi Quatro

If You Knew Suzi... is the fifth studio album by Suzi Quatro, released at the end of 1978, but with a 1979 copyright date. By August 2012 this was still Quatro's highest-charting album in the United States. The album also yielded Quatro's biggest US single hit, a duet with Chris Norman named "Stumblin' In" (which reached number 4 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts. It also had an advertising billboard on Sunset Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicky Chinn</span> Musical artist

Nicholas Barry Chinn is an English-American songwriter and record producer. Together with Mike Chapman he had a long string of hit singles in the US and UK in the 1970s and early 1980s, including several international number-one records. The duo wrote hits for the Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Mud, New World, Arrows, Racey, Smokie, Tina Turner, Huey Lewis and the News, Exile and Toni Basil.

Michael Donald Chapman is an Australian record producer and songwriter who was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s. He created a string of hit singles for artists including The Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Smokie, Mud and Racey with business partner Nicky Chinn, creating a sound that became identified with the "Chinnichap" brand. He later produced breakthrough albums for Blondie and The Knack. Chapman received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2014 Australia Day Honours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger Feet</span> Single by English glam rock band Mud

Tiger Feet is a popular song by the English glam rock band Mud, released in January 1974. Written and produced by the songwriting team of Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, it was the first of three number No. 1 singles for the band, in the UK Singles Chart. followed later that year by "Lonely This Christmas", and then in 1975 by "Oh Boy!".

<i>Quatro</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Suzi Quatro

Quatro is Suzi Quatro's second album, released in October 1974 by Rak Records as SRAK 509, with the exceptions of the United States and Canada, Japan and several territories in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">48 Crash</span> 1973 single by Suzi Quatro

"48 Crash" is Suzi Quatro's third solo single and was released after "Can the Can". It was included on her debut album Suzi Quatro. It later appeared as a track on her 1995 album What Goes Around. The single peaked at number three in the UK in July 1973, and number one in Australia for one week. It also hit number two in Germany, and charted well in other European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox on the Run (Sweet song)</span> 1975 song by Sweet

"Fox on the Run" is a 1975 song by the British glam rock band Sweet, first recorded in 1974. It was the first Sweet single written by the band, rather than producers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, and was their 14th single overall. The song became the best charting single in Australia in 1975, with six weeks at number one.

<i>Suzi Quatro</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Suzi Quatro

Suzi Quatro is the debut solo studio album by the American singer-songwriter and bass guitarist of the same name. The LP was originally released in October 1973, by the record label Rak in most territories. The album was released under Bell Records in the United States and Canada, EMI Records in Japan, and Columbia Records in some European countries. It was titled Can the Can in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stumblin' In</span> 1978 single by Chris Norman and Suzi Quatro

"Stumblin' In" is a song written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, performed by Chris Norman and Suzi Quatro. Originally released as a standalone single, it was later added to some editions of the Quatro album If You Knew Suzi... It was Norman's first single as a solo artist.

<i>Your Mamma Wont Like Me</i> 1975 studio album by Suzi Quatro

Your Mamma Won't Like Me is the third studio album by Suzi Quatro. Released in May 1975 by record label Rak in most countries, in the US the album was released through Arista Records, the label that had recently succeeded Bell Records which distributed Quatro's first two previous releases in that country. The LP marked a change in the hard rock sound from the singer's previous albums Suzi Quatro and Quatro, instead displaying a more funk-oriented rock sound.

<i>Aggro-Phobia</i> 1977 studio album by Suzi Quatro

Aggro-Phobia is the fourth studio album by Suzi Quatro, recorded in the Autumn of 1976. It is the only one of her albums to be co-produced by Mickie Most.

<i>Suzi ... and Other Four Letter Words</i> 1979 studio album by Suzi Quatro

Suzi ... and Other Four Letter Words, released in 1979, is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter, bass guitar player, and actress Suzi Quatro. By August 2012 this was still Quatro's highest-charting album in Norway and her second-highest-charting album in the United States .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daytona Demon</span> 1973 single by Suzi Quatro

"Daytona Demon" is the fourth solo single and third UK hit by Suzi Quatro, released in 1973. The song is frequently believed to be a revision of Freddy Cannon's "Tallahassee Lassie" and a reference to Daytona Beach in Florida in which Quatro's lover is equated with a fast car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Willy (song)</span> 1972 single by The Sweet

"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 September 1972 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If You Can't Give Me Love</span> 1978 single by Suzi Quatro

"If You Can't Give Me Love" is a 1978 song written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, performed by Suzi Quatro from her album If You Knew Suzi.... It became an international hit in the spring of the year, reaching number four in the United Kingdom and number five in Germany. It also reached the Top 10 in Australia.

References

  1. Larkin, Colin (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s music. Virgin Books. p. 348. ISBN   978-1-8522-7947-9. a second RAK single, 1973's 'Can the Can', topped hit parades throughout the world at the zenith of the glam-rock craze
  2. Fontenot, Robert. "Glam Rock Music – What is Glam Rock Music? – Oldies Music Songs and Artists". About.com . Archived from the original on 31 August 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  3. Williams, Andrew (5 August 2007). "60 Seconds: Suzi Quatro". Metro . Retrieved 19 July 2013. Suzi Quatro was one of the biggest female pop stars of the 1970s – notching up No.1 hits with glam rock classics Can The Can and Devil Gate Drive.
  4. "Suzi Quatro". Wolfgang's Vault . Archived from the original on 23 November 2009.
  5. "Teenager Pop Factory". Teenager. Vol. 4. M.M. Ahmed. 1973. p. 30. The only lady to get in top twenty and at number one, with a solo number was the English Suzy Quatro, with her hard rock and noisy number 'Can the Can'..
  6. Thompson, Dave. "Suzi Quatro – What Goes Around". AllMusic . Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  7. Auslander, Philip (28 January 2004). "I Wanna Be Your Man: Suzi Quatro's musical androgyny" (PDF). Popular Music. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. 23 (1): 1–16. doi:10.1017/S0261143004000030. S2CID   191508078. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  8. "BBC – Queens of British Pop – Video – Suzi Quatro – David Jensen on Suzi Quatro". London, UK: BBC Online . Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  9. Callwood, Brett. "Glycerine queen, forever!". Metro Times . Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  10. "Michigan Rock and Roll Legends – Suzi Quatro". Michigan, United States: Michigan Rock and Roll Legends. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Hendriks, Phil; Mankowitz, Gered (January 2011). Suzi Quatro (CD booklet). Suzi Quatro. London, United Kingdom: 7T's Records. GLAM CD 118.
  12. 1 2 Thompson, Dave. "Suzi Quatro – A's, B's and Rarities – Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  13. "Can the Can by Suzi Quatro". Songfacts. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  14. "Go-Set Chart Service: Aust. Singles". Go-Set . 13 October 1973. Retrieved 3 February 2014 via Pop Archives.
  15. "Australia No. 1 hits -- 1970's". World Charts. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  16. "Suzi Quatro – Can The Can" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  17. "Suzi Quatro – Can The Can" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  18. "Le Détail par Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Suzi Quatro" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  19. "Suzi Quatro – Can The Can" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  20. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Suzi Quatro". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  21. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 30, 1973" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  22. "Suzi Quatro – Can The Can" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  23. "Suzi Quatro – Can The Can". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  24. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  25. "Suzi Quatro – Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  26. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending FEBRUARY 28, 1976". Cash Box . Archived from the original on 2 September 2012.
  27. "'73 – The Hits". Go-Set . Archived from the original on 31 March 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2014 via Pop Archives.
  28. "Forum - ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1970s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  29. "Jahreshitparade 1973" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  30. "Jaaroverzichten 1973" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  31. "TOP – 1973". Top-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  32. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1973" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  33. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1973" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  34. "British single certifications – Suzi Quatro – Can the Can". British Phonographic Industry.