That's Rock 'n' Roll

"That's Rock 'n' Roll"
Single by Eric Carmen
from the album Eric Carmen
B-side "Great Expectations"
Released

1975 (France, Denmark, UK)

May 1976 (International)
Format 45 RPM
Recorded 1975
Genre Power pop
Label Arista Records
Writer(s) Eric Carmen
Producer(s) Jimmy Ienner
Eric Carmen singles chronology
"Never Gonna Fall in Love Again"
(1976)		 "That's Rock 'n' Roll"
(1976)		 "Sunrise"
(1976)

"That's Rock 'n' Roll" is a song written and originally recorded by Eric Carmen in 1976. It became a popular Billboard top 10 hit in 1977 for teen idol Shaun Cassidy.

Eric Carmen version

Background

American pop rock artist Eric Carmen released his version of "That's Rock 'n' Roll" in some nations as the third single from his first eponymous debut album, Eric Carmen. The single's limited release did not include the United States. The song charted at number seven in Denmark. Parts of the song are autobiographical.

Carmen performed the song on the Midnight Special TV program on March 26, 1976.[1]

In 1988, "That's Rock 'n' Roll" was featured as the B side of a subsequent major hit by Carmen, "Make Me Lose Control."

Chart performance

Weekly singles Chart (1976) Peak
position
Denmark 7
Japan

Shaun Cassidy version

"That's Rock 'n' Roll"
Single by Shaun Cassidy
from the album Shaun Cassidy (album)
B-side "I Wanna Be With You"
Released July 1977
Format 45 RPM
Genre Soft rock
Length 2:52
Label Warner Bros.
Writer(s) Eric Carmen
Producer(s) Michael Lloyd
Certification Gold (U.S.)
Shaun Cassidy singles chronology
"Da Doo Ron Ron"
(1977)		 "That's Rock 'n' Roll"
(1977)		 "Hey Deanie"
(1977)

Background

"That's Rock 'n' Roll" was covered in 1977 by American teen idol Shaun Cassidy on his first solo LP, Shaun Cassidy. It was Cassidy's second of three consecutive Top 10 hits.

"That's Rock 'n' Roll" peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[2] It was his longest-charting hit, and spent three weeks longer in the Top 40 than did his number one hit, "Da Doo Ron Ron", with a total of six months on the chart. This song became a gold record, as did all of Cassidy's first three single releases.[3]

"That's Rock and Roll" was the first of two major hits written by Carmen and covered by Cassidy, the second being "Hey Deanie". Both songs charted concurrently with Carmen's own hit, "She Did It" from the fall of 1977.

On the Canadian chart, "That's Rock 'n' Roll" reached number one for one week, displacing the 'Star Wars Theme' to take its turn at number one.[4] It was Cassidy's second Canadian number-one hit. It was also Eric Carmen's second composition to reach the top spot, having reached number one a year earlier with a song he performed himself, "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again."

Chart performance

Weekly singles Chart (1977) Peak
position
Australia [5] 2
Canadian RPM [6] 1
Germany [7] 11
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 3
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[8] 4
WLS AM (Chicago) [9] 1
Year-end Chart (1977) Rank
Australia [10] 4
Canada [11] 27
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [12] 79
U.S. Cash Box [13] 43
WLS (Chicago) [14] 17

Other versions

The song has been covered by the British rock 'n' roll band Showaddywaddy and in 1977, Tina Arena and John Bowles recorded a version for their album "Tiny Tina and Little John".

References

  1. ↑ http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/eric-carmen/1976/the-midnight-special-burbank-ca-23cc5497.html
  2. ↑ "Shaun Cassidy lyrics". Top40db.net. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  3. ↑ "1977 Singles - Month By Month". Superseventies.com. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  4. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  5. ↑ http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092
  6. ↑ https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5438a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=irlum9t45dfcsara2r5f6smrg0
  7. ↑ http://ki.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de/~topsi/deu1976/deu_251176.html
  8. ↑ http://50.6.195.142/archives/70s_files/19771022.html
  9. ↑ http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wls100177.htm
  10. ↑ http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092
  11. ↑ https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5502a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=jrtvgrhh33vqk1m70evl2pf0s1
  12. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  13. ↑ http://50.6.195.142/archives/70s_files/1977YESP.html
  14. ↑ http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wls89of77.htm

External links

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