Old Time Rock and Roll
"Old Time Rock and Roll" is the title of a song by Bob Seger featured on his 1978 album Stranger in Town and released as a single in 1979. It is a nostalgic look at the music of a previous generation. The song was featured in the Tom Cruise film Risky Business and gained widespread fame because of its inclusion. It has since become a standard in popular music, being named by the Amusement & Music Operators Association the most played song ever by a male artist,[1] and ranking #2 on their list of Top 40 Jukebox Singles of All Time.[2] It was also listed as one of the Songs of the Century in 2001. The song was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and Sound Suite Studios[3] in Detroit, Michigan.
History
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, who often backed Seger in his studio recordings, sent Seger a demo of the song during the recording of Stranger in Town.[4] He said in 2006 (and also on the "Stranger in Town" episode of the US radio show In the Studio with Redbeard a few years earlier):
All I kept from the original was: "Old time rock and roll, that kind of music just soothes the soul, I reminisce about the days of old with that old time rock and roll". I rewrote the verses and I never took credit. That was the dumbest thing I ever did. And Tom Jones (Thomas E. Jones) and George Jackson know it too. But I just wanted to finish the record [Stranger in Town]. I rewrote every verse you hear except for the choruses. I didn't ask for credit. My manager said: "You should ask for a third of the credit." And I said: "Nah. Nobody's gonna like it." I'm not credited on it so I couldn't control the copyright either. Meanwhile it got into a Hardee's commercial because I couldn't control it. Oh my God, it was awful![5]
Originally The Silver Bullet Band was displeased with its inclusion on Stranger in Town, claiming, according to Seger, that the song was not "Silver Bullety". However, upon hearing audience reactions to it during their tour in Europe, the band grew to like the song.[6]
In 1990, Seger joined Billy Joel on one occasion and Don Henley on another to play the song during their concerts in Auburn Hills, Michigan.[1] He also performed the song at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Inclusion in Risky Business
The song was featured in the 1983 film Risky Business, starring Tom Cruise. Cruise's character, Joel Goodson, famously lip-syncs and dances in his underwear as this song plays after his parents leave him home alone. This scene is widely regarded as a cinema classic.
In pop culture
The scene has been referenced in numerous places in popular culture. Listed are several notable instances:
- In 1984, Alvin and the Chipmunks covered this song for the Alvin and the Chipmunks episode "The Victorla Awards."
- In 1985, Alvin and the Chipmunks parodied the song as a jingle advertising collectible Alvin and the Chipmunks glasses at Hardee's.
- In 1986, the scene was famously parodied in ALF using a Bob Seger sound-alike.
- Also in 1986, the song was covered by Alan Thicke and Kirk Cameron on the show Growing Pains.
- In 1994, the sequence was referenced "The Philadelphia Story" of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Geoffrey danced through the Banks' living room.
- In perhaps one of the most memorable moments in the show The Nanny, Niles the butler, portrayed by Daniel Davis, performs the sequence.
- The scene is referenced in the South Park episode "The Wacky Molestation Adventure", in which all kids dance to "Old Time" after getting rid of their parents.
- A parody of the sequence is performed in the episode "My Identity Crisis" of Scrubs.
- The sequence was simulated in commercials for Guitar Hero on Tour: Decades, Guitar Hero World Tour, Guitar Hero: Metallica, and more recently Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero. Activision created a series of television advertisements directed by Brett Ratner based on the scene, each featuring a different set of celebrities lip-sync to the lyrics while using the new instrument controllers. The first ad included athletes Kobe Bryant, Tony Hawk, Alex Rodriguez, and Michael Phelps.[7] Another ad spot featured model Heidi Klum; two versions of Klum's ad exist, one a "director's cut" where she is wearing less clothing.[8] A subsequent commercial featuring model Marisa Miller was banned from airing as too racy.[9] In a Band Hero commercial, the piano introduction plays twice as a drummer (Travis Barker), a bass player (Pete Wentz), a guitar player (Rivers Cuomo), and Taylor Swift slide into the room. The song is available as part of Guitar Hero World Tour's downloadable content library.
- In February 2011, the song was parodied by The Fringemunks in "The Super Bowl XLV Song," which recapped key moments in and around the game.[10]
- American Idol season ten contestant Paul McDonald performed the song during Idol Goes to the Movies week.
- In the T.U.F.F. Puppy episode "Frisky Business", Dudley attempts to copy the first scene, but he winds up falling into the attic.
Reception
"Old Time Rock and Roll" achieved substantial album-oriented rock radio airplay and as the fourth single from Stranger in Town, it reached number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979. It was re-released in 1983 after its inclusion in the film Risky Business and reached number 48 on the Billboard singles chart.[11] The song remains a staple on classic rock radio.
In Australia, the song was released twice and charted for a total of 55 weeks. The first run was in 1983 after its use in the film Risky Business. The second run saw it reach #3 in late 1987.
Chart performance
| Chart (1979) |
Peak
position |
| Australian Kent Music Report[12] |
3 |
| Canadian RPM Top 100 |
31 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart |
38 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 |
28 |
Notes
- ^ a b Weschler, Tom, and Gary Graff. Travelin Man: on the road and behind the scenes with Bob Seger. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press, 2009.
- ^ Kreck, Dick. "Jukebox goes modern, but play list stands the test of time" Denver Post December 16, 1996: A-02
- ^ Seger's Stranger in Town album credits
- ^ Seger's Greatest Hits album liner notes
- ^ Sharp, K.: Classic Rock, Issue 102, page 59. Future Publishing, 2007.
- ^ Gary Graff, October 1994, Detroit Free Press. "Bob Seger Tells The Stories Behind The Hits."
- ^ "Activision Publishing Unveils Star-Studded Television Ads Promoting The Highly Anticipated Guitar Hero(R) World Tour Launch". Activision. 2008-10-24. http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20081024/LAF02424102008-1.html. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
- ^ Rose, Frank (2008-12-02). "Is Social Advertising an Oxymoron?". Wired. http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/12/so-what-if-soci.html. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
- ^ "Marisa's banned ad "too sexy"". The Sun (UK) (London). 2010-06-16. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/usa/3016439/Marisa-Millers-banned-Guitar-Hero-advert-surfaces-online.html. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
- ^ "The Fringemunks: The Super Bowl XLV Song (parody of "Old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger)". The Fringemunks. 2011-02-13. http://davidwumusic.com/fringemunks/. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Pop Songs: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 218.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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