Rock Swings

Infobox Album |
Name = Rock Swings
Type = Cover album
Artist = Paul Anka


Released = May 31, 2005 (Can)
June 7, 2005 (US)
Recorded = November 2004
Genre = Swing jazz
Length = 58:18
Label = Verve Music Group
Producer = Paul Anka
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jmkpu3qsan6k link]
* Rolling Stone Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/7372465/rock_swings link]
* BBC.co.uk Negative [http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/8v9x/ link] |
Last album = "Times of Your Life" (1975)
This album = "Rock Swings" (2005)
Next album = "Classic Songs, My Way" (2007)

"Rock Swings" is an album by Paul Anka. Recorded in November 2004 and released on May 31, 2005 in Canada and June 7, 2005 in the United States, it contains swing jazz covers of popular rock and pop songs from the 1980s and 1990s.

Reportedly, the Michael Jackson song "Billie Jean" was slated to be on the album in the recording stages, but Paul Anka could not get through a vocal take without bursting into laughter. [Gatehouse, Jonathan, "Macleans.ca", 2005. [http://www.macleans.ca/culture/music/article.jsp?content=20050701_108666_108666 Anka's Back, Baby!] ] The album features 'It's My Life' by Bon Jovi, a song which includes the line "Like Frankie said, 'I did it my way'" - a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Sinatra classic "My Way", the English lyrics to which were written by Anka.

After the release of this album, Anka was awarded a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. A DVD release of the same name, including live performances of these songs by Anka, was released on December 6, 2005.

Charts

Debuted at:
* #120 on the Billboard 200
* #9 on the Official UK Album Chart
* #2 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart
* #1 on Amazon.de

Track listing

# "It's My Life" (original version by Bon Jovi)
# "True" (original version by Spandau Ballet)
# "Eye of the Tiger" (original version by Survivor)
# "Everybody Hurts" (original version by R.E.M.)
# "Wonderwall" (original version by Oasis)
# "Black Hole Sun" (original version by Soundgarden)
# "Jump" (original version by Van Halen)
# "It's a Sin" (original version by Pet Shop Boys)
# "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (original version by Nirvana)
# "Hello" (original version by Lionel Richie)
# "Eyes Without a Face" (original version by Billy Idol)
# "The Lovecats" (original version by The Cure)
# "The Way You Make Me Feel" (original version by Michael Jackson)
# "Tears in Heaven" (original version by Eric Clapton)

Certifications

amples

Personnel

* Paul Anka: Executive producer
* Alex Christensen: Session producer
* Al Schmitt: Session engineer
* Jon Crosse: Conductor
* Patrick Williams, Randy Kerber, John Clayton: Session arrangers and conductors

Musicians

* Paul Anka: Vocal
* Randy Kerber: Piano on all tracks except 5, 8
* Mike Lang: Piano on tracks 5, 8
* Jon Crosse: Tenor Saxophone on track 12
* Vinnie Colaiuta: Drums
* Mike Valerio: Bass
* Larry Koonse: Guitar on tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14
* Dean Parks: Guitar on tracks 1, 5, 8, 10
* Emil Richards: Vibes
* Charles Davis, Gary Grant, Larry Hall: Trumpet
* Warren Luening: Trumpet on tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14
* Sal Cracchiolo: Trumpet on tracks 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11
* Steve Holtman, Andrew Martin: Trombone
* Alex Iles, Bill Reichenbach: Trombone on tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14
* Bob McChesney, Bryant Byers: Trombone on tracks 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11
* Gene Cipriano: Tenor Saxophone, Flute
* Dan Higgins, Greg Huckins: Alto Saxophone, Flute
* Bill Liston: Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet
* Joel Peskin: Bass Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone
* Joel Derouin (Concert-master): Violin on tracks 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14
* Rebecca Bunnell, Mario De Leon, Tiffany Yi Hu, Patricia Johnson, Peter Kent, Miran Kojian, Haim Shtrum, Mari Tsumura, Shari Zippert, Kirstin Fife, Razdan Kuyumjian, Dennis Molchan, Les Terry: Violin on tracks 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14
* Bruce Dukov (Concert-master): Violin on tracks 6 and 7
* Jennifer Munday, Anatoly Rosinsky, Charles Everett, Armen Garabedian, Berj Garabedian, Darius Campo: Violin on tracks 6 and 7
* Marilyn Baker, Jorge Moraga, James Ross, Harry Shirinian, Karie Prescott, Evan Wilson: Viola on tracks 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14
* Simon Oswell, Pam Goldsmith: Viola on tracks 6 and 7
* Larry Corbett , Vanessa Freebairn-Smith, Miguel Martinez, Steve Richards, Andrew Shulman, Anne Karam: Cello on tracks 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14
* Ernie Ehrhardt: Cello on tracks 6 and 7
* Peter Doubrovsky, Frances Liu-Wu: Bass on track 14
* Gayle Levant: Harp on track 14
* Brad Warnaar, Jim Atkinson, Kurt Snyder: French Horn on track 14

References

* [http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/product.aspx?pid=11276&ob=bf&src=lb Verve Music information page]
* [http://top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=15251 Verve Music press release]
* [http://billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001433922&imw=Y Billboard Bits: Paul Anka]

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4755657 Paul Anka Spins Pop His Way with 'Rock Swings] on NPR's Morning Edition