Love Is Like a Rock

"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 a single and reached No. 37 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart^[1] and No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was also recorded by Slade on their 1987 album You Boyz Make Big Noize.

The song is often used by the Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania band during football games. Iris attended SRU in the early 1960s.

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Canada RPM ^[2]	43
U.S. Cash Box Top 100^[3]	36
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[4]	37
U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks	9
WLS-AM (Chicago)^[5]	5

Year-end charts

Chart (1982)	Peak position
WLS (Chicago)^[6]	77

Slade version

Slade's bassist Jim Lea had heard the song and thought the track sounded very Slade-like. As a result, he suggested that the song would fit in nicely with to the current commercial rock sound, and Slade covered the song as the opening track to the You Boyz Make Big Noize album, which turned out to be the band's final studio album. On 27 March 1987, shortly before the album's release, guitarist Dave Hill was interviewed for the Slade International Fan Club newsletter of April–June 1987. In the interview, Hill discussed each song on the album, and for Love is Like a Rock, he stated "This track, which Roy Thomas Baker produced, is a cover of an American song which Jim thought sounded a bit like us in its original format. Jim suggested that it would fit in nicely to the current mould of Bon Jovi / Europe. Roy also liked the song, so we got him to produce it. It's got an up-tempo American feel to it."^[7]

The song was recorded at Wessex Studios, and was one of two tracks from the album to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker.

Critical reception

In the booklet of the 2007 Salvo remaster of the You Boyz Make Big Noize album, the writer Chris Ingham spoke of the song, stating "Love is Like a Rock is a telling observation about Slade's ongoing quest to style themselves to the times. One of several more obvious candidates for a single than the tracks that were actually chosen, it nevertheless kicks off the record in great rambunctious style."^[8]

Doug Stone of Allmusic spoke of the song in a review of the album, stating "The raging opener "Love Is Like a Rock," didn't fare any better commercially for the boyz than the tune did for awesome originators Donnie Iris and the Cruisers; this class cut remains an ace way to kick off the album because "Love" is, like, so Slade in the first place." Stone also highlighted the song as an album standout by labeling it an AMG Pick Track.^[9]

Upon release of the You Boyz Make Big Noize album, an American review from Guitar magazine highlighted the songs "Love is Like a Rock" as one of three of the album's 'hot spots' and stated "No one will ever mistake this for compositional brilliance, but Slade's consistent ability to suck you into their friendly carousing is impressive. It starts with the muscular riff of Love is Like a Rock and never lets up through raspy Holder chorus after chorus."

References

↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
↑ https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0484&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=6a91jcgj01j55oh1jp9nra3kd6
↑ http://50.6.195.142/archives/80s_files/19820227.html
↑ https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1982-02-20
↑ http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wls820220.htm
↑ http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wls89of82.htm
↑ http://www.sladefanclub.com/1987.html
↑ Slade - You Boyz Make Big Noize - Salvo 2007 CD Remaster Booklet Liner Notes
↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/you-boyz-make-big-noize-mw0000193410

External links

Lyrics

Donnie Iris

Studio albums	Back on the Streets King Cool The High and the Mighty Fortune 410 No Muss...No Fuss Out of the Blue Footsoldier in the Moonlight Poletown Together Alone Ellwood City Ah! Leluiah!

EPs	You Can't Really Miss Me If I Never Go Away

Live albums	Live! At Nick's Fat City Ah! Live!

Compilations	20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Donnie Iris 25 Years

Video/DVD Releases	Live at Blossom King Cool: Ah! History of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers

Singles	"Ah! Leah!" "I Can't Hear You" "Sweet Merilee" "Love Is Like a Rock" "My Girl" "Tough World" "The High and the Mighty" "Do You Compute?" "Injured in the Game of Love"

The Cruisers	Mark Avsec Brice Foster Paul Goll Marty Lee Hoenes Albritton McClain Steve McConnell Tommy Rich Mark Tirabassi Kevin Valentine Scott Alan Williamson

Related bands	The Jaggerz Wild Cherry Cellarful of Noise The Innocent

Other	"The Rapper" Discography King Cool Light Cellarful of Noise (Cellarful of Noise, 1985) Magnificent Obsession (Cellarful of Noise, 1988)

Slade

Dave Hill Don Powell John Berry Mal McNulty Noddy Holder Jim Lea Steve Whalley Steve Makin Craig Fenney Dave Glover

Studio albums	Beginnings (Ambrose Slade, 1969) Play It Loud (1970) Slayed? (1972) Old New Borrowed and Blue (1974) Slade In Flame (1974) Nobody's Fools (1976) Whatever Happened to Slade? (1977) Return to Base (1979) We'll Bring the House Down (1981) Till Deaf Do Us Part (1981) The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome (1983) Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply (1984) Rogues Gallery (1985) Crackers – The Christmas Party Album (1985) You Boyz Make Big Noize (1987)

Live albums	Slade Alive! (1972) Slade Alive, Vol. 2 (1978) Slade on Stage (1982)

Compilations	Coz I Luv You (1972) Sladest (1973) Slade Smashes! (1980) Slades Greats (1984) Wall of Hits (1991) Feel The Noize- Greatest Hits (1997) The Genesis of Slade (2000) The Very Best of Slade (2005) Slade Alive! - The Live Anthology (2006) The Slade Box (Anthology 1969-91) (2006) B-Sides (2007) Live at the BBC (2009) Merry Xmas Everybody: Party Hits (2009)

Singles	"You Better Run" (The N' Betweens) "Genesis" (Ambrose Slade) "Wild Winds are Blowing" "Shape of Things to Come" "Know Who You Are" "Get Down and Get With It" "'Coz I Luv You" "Look Wot You Dun" "Take Me Bak 'Ome" "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" "Gudbuy T' Jane" "Cum On Feel the Noize" "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" "My Friend Stan" "Merry Xmas Everybody" "Everyday" "The Bangin' Man" "Far Far Away" "How Does It Feel" "Thanks for the Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam)" "In For a Penny" "Let's Call It Quits" "Nobody's Fool" "Gypsy Roadhog" "Burning in the Heat of Love" "My Baby Left Me - That's All Right" "Give Us a Goal" "Rock 'n' Roll Bolero" "Ginny, Ginny" "I'm a Rocker" "Sign of the Times" "Okey Cokey" "Six of the Best (EP)" "Live at Reading (EP)" "Xmas Ear Bender (EP)" "We'll Bring the House Down" "Wheels Ain't Coming Down" "Knuckle Sandwich Nancy" "Lock Up Your Daughters" "Rock and Roll Preacher" "Ruby Red" "(And Now the Waltz) C'est La Vie" "My Oh My" "Run Runaway" "Slam the Hammer Down" "All Join Hands" "7 Year Bitch" "Myzsterious Mizster Jones" "Little Sheila" "Do You Believe in Miracles" "Still the Same" "That's What Friends Are For" "You Boyz Make Big Noize" "Ooh La La in L.A." "We Won't Give In" "Let's Dance '88" "Radio Wall of Sound" "Universe"

Video	"Slade in Flame" "Wall of Hits" "Inside Slade - The Singles 1971-1991" "The Very Best of Slade" "Slade Alive! - The Ultimate Critical Review"

Related articles	Discography List of songs by Slade Therapy (James Whild Lea album)

Book:Slade

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