- Rock On (David Essex song)
Infobox Single
Name = Rock On
Artist =David Essex
Album = Rock On
Released = 1973
track_no = 5
Recorded = 1973
Genre =Glam rock Classic rock
Length = 3:24
Label =Columbia Records
Writer = David Essex
Producer =Jeff Wayne "Rock On" is a song that was composed and sung by Englishsinger/songwriter David Essex . In March of 1974, it was a Top 5 song (reaching the #5 position) on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100 pop-music chart. It was Essex's only "Billboard"Top 40 hit. The song also reached the #3 spot on theUK Singles Chart . "Rock On", which also appeared on theeponym ousalbum by Essex in 1973 (see1973 in music ), also appeared in the film "That'll Be the Day", a 1973 release in which Essex had a starring role. The song can still frequently be heard onclassic rock andoldies radio stations.Essex's song is also the opening song for the 2000-release movie "Sunset Strip".
ong arrangement
The song features a slow-tempo, soulful vocal delivery sung in a minor key, along with a minimalist, heavily-bass-driven instrumental
accompaniment to Essex's vocals. The lyrics payhomage to earlyrock and roll and its surroundingyouth subculture , and notably pay tribute to 1950sicon icrebel James Dean . The vocals are punctuated withdistortion andecho effects to add to the soulful, hip, "power delivery" of Essex's lyrics. Still further adding to the song's emotion-laden, slightly-haunting feel is a heartbeat-sounding percussive hook at the beginning of the song, an atonal string glide in the middle of the song, a very brief duet with a very-soulful-sounding, deep-voiced backup singer towards the end of the song, and muffled-sounding,staccato percussiveriff s interspersed throughout the song.Michael Damian version
"Rock On" was covered by
soap opera star andsinger Michael Damian in 1989 (see1989 in music ) and featured in theteen film , "Dream a Little Dream ". Damian's version reached the #1 position on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, thus outperforming Essex's original version.Other versions
Infobox Single
Name = Rock On
Artist =Def Leppard
from Album = Yeah!
B-side =
Released = 2006
Format = CD
Recorded = 2006
Genre =Hard rock
Length =
Label = Bludgeon Riffola - Mercury
Writer =David Essex
Producer =Def Leppard
Last single = "No Matter What" (2005)
This single = "Rock On" (2006)
Next single = "20th Century Boy " (2007)The English hard-rock bandDef Leppard covered the song on their 2006 album, "Yeah!", which featurescover version s of 1970s rock hits. It was released as the second single from the album.The American alternative-rock group
The Smashing Pumpkins included a live cover version of "Rock On", performed during their "Sacred and Profane" tour, on their 2001-release album "Judas Ø ", a bonus disc (containing B-sides and rarities) which accompanied the group'sgreatest hits album "Rotten Apples".
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