Rock and Roll (Gary Glitter song)

Popular use

Sports

In North America, "Rock and Roll Part 2" became popularly associated with sports, as a number of professional teams adopted the song for use during games, primarily to signify scores and victories, or to otherwise invigorate the crowd. It is often referred to as "The Hey Song", as the only intelligible word in Part 2 is the exclamation of "Hey", punctuating the end of several instrumental phrases and repeated three times at the song's chorus. It was played first in a sport setting in 1974 at games for the Kalamazoo Wings of the high-minor International Hockey League by Kevin O'Brien, the team's public relations and marketing director. When he went to work for the NHL's Colorado Rockies in 1976, he brought the song with him. After the Rockies moved to New Jersey as the New Jersey Devils in 1982, the Denver Nuggets and Denver Broncos picked up the tradition and were the first NBA and NFL teams to play the song during games. At sporting events, fans often insert their own "Hey," or sometimes other chanted syllables (such as "you suck!"—which controversially led to a decision by the Devils to switch to a song by New Jersey-native Bon Jovi instead).

In 1999, Glitter was convicted of downloading child pornography in England, and in 2006 of child sexual abuse charges in Vietnam. After the second conviction was upheld in court, the NFL asked teams to stop playing the song. The NFL allowed a cover version of the song by the Tube Tops 2000 to be played, but in 2012, the NFL instructed teams to "avoid" the song following negative reaction from British media to the New England Patriots' use of the song. In 2014, Billboard reported that the song was slowly falling out of favour due to both the controversies, and teams electing to replace it with newer songs.

Film

The song was first used in 1988's Doctor Who as an adaptation "Doctorin' the Tardis" then in 1994's Mighty Ducks 2 and again in the 1996 Adam Sandler film Happy Gilmore.

In 2019, "Rock and Roll Part 2" appeared in Todd Phillips' film Joker as Arthur Fleck dances down a staircase, generating public controversy. Some sources indicated that Glitter, as co-writer of the song, would receive a lump sum and royalties for its use. According to the Los Angeles Times, Glitter does not receive payment when the song is used, as he has sold the rights, and the US rights to the song are now owned by Universal Music Publishing Group.

Chart performance

Cover versions

A cover version of Part 1, entitled 'Rock 'n' Roll', was recorded and released by British electronic music group The Human League and included on their EP Holiday '80 (1980). The group also performed the track on Top of the Pops in May 1980, although the single failed to make the Top 40. Another version of the Human League's recording makes a direct segue into a cover version of the Iggy Pop track "Nightclubbing".

Northern Ireland post-punk group The Undertones recorded "Rock n Roll" for their fourth BBC Radio 1 session for John Peel in January 1980. The track has its first official release in 2004.

Philadelphia post-punk band Executive Slacks released their version of part 2 (entitled "Rock 'n' Roll" or "Rock & Roll", depending on the release) as a 12" single in 1986, performed on electronic instruments, guitar and percussion.

Part 2 was heavily sampled in the Timelords' hit "Doctorin' the Tardis" with the lyrics changed to reflect Doctor Who and his tardis.

Part 2 was sampled on the song "Mas Tequila" by Sammy Hagar and The Waboritas, off the band's 1999 album Red Voodoo.

Part 2 was also sampled by Argentinian musician Gustavo Cerati in his song "Paseo Inmoral" from his album Bocanada (1999).

The song was a major influence for the 2011 song "Howlin' for You" by The Black Keys, with vocalist Dan Auerbach saying it was built around the drum beat from "Rock and Roll."

Part 2 is used as the tune for "Boris Johnson Is Still a Fucking Cunt" by the Kunts.

References

References

1. Dave Thompson. "Rock & Roll, Pt. 2 review on AllMusic". [[Rovi Corporation]].
2. Stuart Rosenberg. (2009). "Rock and Roll and the American Landscape: The Birth of an Industry and the Expansion of the Popular Culture, 1955–1969". iUniverse.
3. "1972 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive - 8th July 1972". [[Official Charts Company]].
4. Lisa Twyman Bessone. "Sports fans know that the strains of 'Rock and Roll Part 2' can turn chumps to champs". [[Time Inc.]].
5. (5 October 2013). "NJ Devils fans boo new Bon Jovi goal song, yearn for Gary Glitter". [[Yahoo! Sports]].
6. Bradley, Lloyd, Glitter, Gary (1992) Leader: The Autobiography of Gary Glitter. Time Warner Paperbacks p. 129 {{ISBN. 0751500097
7. (2006-09-15). "Column: Why did NFL muzzle Gary Glitter?". Yahoo! Music.
8. "Why Convicted Child-Sex Offender Gary Glitter's 'Hey Song' Is Still Getting Played".
9. (2012-02-02). "NFL bosses ban Gary Glitter's 'Rock And Roll Part 2' from the Super Bowl". [[NME]].
10. Duxson, Eli. (29 September 2022). "Nine songs that surged in popularity following a TV or film feature".
11. Meredith, Sam. (7 October 2019). "Convicted pedophile Gary Glitter set to earn big royalties from 'Joker' movie". CNBC.
12. Appleford, Steve. (11 October 2019). "Will a convicted pedophile make a fortune from a 'Joker' song?". Los Angeles Times.
13. "Rock and roll in Australian Chart". Poparchives.com.au.
14. "Rock and roll part 2 in Canadian Top Singles Chart". [[Library and Archives Canada]].
15. (18 July 2013). "Rock and roll in French Chart". Dominic DURAND / InfoDisc.
16. "Rock and roll part 2 in Irish Chart". IRMA.
17. "flavour of new zealand - search listener".
18. "Gary Glitter awards on AllMusic". Rovi Corporation.
19. (1980). "The Human League – Holiday 80 / Rock 'N' Roll".
20. "HOLIDAY 80 (EP) by Human League".
21. (April 1980). "The Human League – Holiday '80".
22. "Listening In (Radio Sessions 1978-1982)".
23. (1986). "The Executive Slacks - Rock 'n' Roll".
24. (17 February 2017). "Rock n Roll". YouTube.
25. Donnelly, Kevin J. & Hayward, Philip. (2013). "Music in Science Fiction Television: Tuned to the Future". Routledge.
26. Milano, Brett. (October 13, 2024). "Best Sammy Hagar Songs: Big Rock 'N' Roll Fun".
27. "Gustavo Cerati's 'Paseo Inmoral' sample of Gary Glitter's 'Rock and Roll Part 2'".
28. (2011-01-31). "The Black Keys: The Fresh Air Interview".
29. Jones, Danny. (9 December 2021). "Campaign launched to get 'Boris Johnson Is Still A F***g Ct' to Christmas number one". [[Joe (website).