"Rock On" is a song written by English singer David Essex. Originally recorded in 1973 and released as a single by Essex, it became an international hit. In 1989, American actor and singer Michael Damian recorded a cover version that went to number one on the BillboardHot 100 chart. The song has been recorded many times, including a 2006 version by the English hard rock group Def Leppard.
David Essex version
Background and release
The song, written and recorded by David Essex, was released in August 1973 in the UK, and reached its highest position of number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in September that year. It spent 11 weeks in the UK charts. In March 1974, Essex's version reached number one in Canada on the RPM national Top Singles chart and was a top-ten hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart. It was Essex's only Billboard top 40 song. "Rock On" was the title track of Essex's 1973 debut studio album, and was also featured on the soundtrack album of the 1973 filmThat'll Be the Day in which he had a starring role. The song is still frequently played on classic rock and oldies radio stations. Essex later re-recorded the song in 1988 with an updated lyric. This version, which was remixed by Shep Pettibone, appeared on Essex's 1989 album Touching the Ghost. A single release of the updated version reached number 93 on the UK Singles Chart. The recording is featured in the movies Dick, The Devil's Rejects and Sunset Strip, as well as in episodes of The Sopranos and Cold Case.
Arrangement and context
The song features a slow-tempo vocal performance in C# minor, along with a minimalist, rhythm-driven instrumental accompaniment to Essex's vocal performance. The lyric pays homage to early rock-and-roll and its surrounding youth subculture, and notably to 1950s rebel James Dean. The distinctive stripped-back musical arrangement was devised by producer Jeff Wayne after hearing Essex's original vocal demo: According to Wayne, only three session musicians played on the final backing track, and the most prominently featured was veteran session musicianHerbie Flowers, whose double-tracked bass guitar was treated with a prominent "slapback" delay effect, creating a complex polyrhythmic backbeat: Flowers himself noted that, as a reward for devising the double-tracked bass line, he was paid double his normal session fee, and thus received £24 instead of the usual £12. He had earlier created a similar double-tracked bass line for Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side", explaining in a BBC Radio 4 interview that it had also been done because he would be paid double.
Chart history
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Michael Damian version
Background and release
"Rock On" was covered by soap opera star and singer Michael Damian in 1989, and featured in the teen filmDream a Little Dream, starring Corey Haim and Corey Feldman among others. Damian's version, which he also released from his independent album Where Do We Go From Here on the Cypress Records label, was a harder-edged interpretation that employed none of the vocal or instrumental distortion in the original 1973 David Essex version.
Reception
"Rock On" became Damian's first hit in eight years, since his 1981 cover of Eric Carmen's song "She Did It". His rendition became a gold record. It reached the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, thus outperforming Essex's original Billboard ranking. However, the song did get to number one for Essex in 1974 on the US CashboxTop 100, in the same week it was at number 11 on the Billboard charts. In addition, Haim, Feldman, and Meredith Salenger all appeared in Damian's music video for the song. This version was ranked number 99 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.
Chart history
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Other versions
English hard rock band Def Leppard covered the song on their 2006 album Yeah!, which features cover versions of 1970s rock hits. Released as the second single from the album, it became a staple in their setlists for ensuing tours. "We took that one to pieces and rewrote it…" observed Joe Elliott. "American radio still plays 'Rock On' every day, sandwiched between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Zeppelin."
The song was covered by Toni Basil on her album Word of Mouth.
The song was covered by Adam Freeland, on the album Cope.
The song was covered by Garland Jeffreys on the United States release of his album The King of In Between. In Europe it was available as free download.
Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor included a cover of the song on some versions of his 1990 covers album Dangerous.
American new wave band Blondie covered the song in 2012 and released it via Amazon.
