Rock Your Baby

"Rock Your Baby"
Single by George McCrae
from the album Rock Your Baby
B-side	"Rock Your Baby (Part 2)"
Released	May 1974
Format	7 inch single
Genre	Disco
Length	3:14 (7" version) 6:24 (album version)
Label	TK Records, Jay Boy (UK)[1]
Writer(s)	Harry Wayne Casey, Richard Finch
Producer(s)	Harry Wayne Casey, Richard Finch

"Rock Your Baby" is a popular song recorded by George McCrae. Written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band, "Rock Your Baby" was one of the landmark recordings of early disco music. A massive international hit, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the United States, spending two weeks at the top in July 1974, number one on the R&B singles chart,^[2] and repeating the feat on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks at the top of the chart in July 1974.^[3][4] Having sold 11 million copies, it is one of the fewer than forty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) physical copies worldwide.^[5][6]

The backing track for the record had been recorded in 45 minutes as a demo, and featured guitarist Jerome Smith of KC and the Sunshine Band, with Casey on keyboards and Finch on bass and drums.^[7] The track was not originally intended for McCrae, but he happened to be in the studio, added a vocal, and the resultant combination of infectious rhythm and falsetto vocals made it a hit.

The chord progression of John Lennon's number one single "Whatever Gets You thru the Night", released a few months later, bears a great resemblance to the one found in "Rock Your Baby". Lennon later admitted to using the song as an inspiration.^[8] ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus have also cited the song as an inspiration for the backing track of their 1976 smash hit "Dancing Queen". The song was covered by indie rock band The House of Love for the 1992 compilation album Ruby Trax.^[9]

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts Chart (1974) Peak position Australian Kent Music Report 1 Austrian Singles Chart[10] 1 Belgium Singles Chart[11] 1 Canadian RPM Top Singles 1 Dutch Top 40[12] 1 German Singles Chart[13] 1 Irish Singles Chart 3 Italian Singles Chart 1 New Zealand Singles Chart[14] 34 Norwegian Singles Chart[15] 1 Swedish Singles Chart[16] 1 Swiss Singles Chart[17] 1 UK Singles Chart[3][4] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[18] 1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart[19] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1974) Position Canadia Singles Chart 12 UK Singles Chart[20] 4 US Billboard Hot 100[21] 37

See also

• Ace Tone
• Disco
• Drum machine
• Electronic music
• Roland Corporation

References

1. "Rock Your Baby". 45cat.com. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 389.
3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 303. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
4. "George McCrae - UK Chart". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
5. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2, illustrated ed.). Barrie & Jenkins. ISBN 0-214-20480-4.
6. Moore-Gilbert, Bart (March 11, 2002). The Arts in the 1970s: Cultural Closure. Routledge. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
7. Jim Melanson, Sara Lane, "Weird Mix Jells For No.1 Single", Billboard, August 10, 1974, p.20
8. John Lennon: Listen to This Book - John Blaney - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
9. Carlson, Dean. "Ruby Trax: The NME's Roaring 40". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
10. "George McCrae - Austrian chart". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
11. "George McCrae - Belgian Chart". ultratop.be. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
12. "George McCrae - Dutch chart". dutchcharts.nl. 8 February 2015.
13. "George McCrae - German Chart". officialcharts.de. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
14. "George McCrae - New Zealand Chart". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
15. "George McCrae - Norwegian chart". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
16. "George McCrae - Swedish chart". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
17. "George McCrae - Swiss chart". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
18. "George McCrae - US Hot 100". billboard.com. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
19. "George McCrae | Awards". AllMusic. 1944-10-19. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
20. "Top 100 1974". top-source.info.
21. "Top Pop Singles" Billboard December 28, 1974: Talent in Action-8

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics