John Rocca

John Rocca
Born 23 July 1960
London, England
Genres Dance, post-disco, freestyle, electro
Occupation(s) Singer, record producer
Instruments Vocals
Labels Beggars Banquet
Associated acts Freeez

John Rocca (born 23 September 1960, London, England) became known first as a dance music performer, remixer and record producer. During the early 1980s, John Rocca formed, played with, wrote for, produced and managed his first musical band, Freeez, with success. After his first self-funded and self-released effort, Keep in Touch, song number 1 in the UK Blues & Soul Magazine Dance Charts and 49 in the United Kingdom Gallup charts - partly by sales from the back of a van - his next effort, Southern Freeez by Freeez—- now considered a jazz funk classic—was not only a UK Blues & Soul Dance Chart number 1 but a popular music chart success in various other countries in Europe, scoring the United Kingdom Gallup Charts at number 8.

During 1983 one of the first records to use digital sampling—- "IOU" by Freeez—- featured John’s falsetto voice and became one of the major dance successes of the 1980s electro music style. It scored number one in dance charts in Europe and the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play and had popular music chart success across the world spending 3 weeks at number 2 in the United Kingdom Gallup Charts. As a solo artist John Rocca scored number one yet again, this time with I Want It To Be Real, number 1 on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart during 1984. After these and various other successes John engineered, produced and mixed for various other artists as well as recording by his own name and several other pseudo names. John Rocca retired from the music business during 1993. His last recording, by the pseudonym Midi Rain, John wrote, played all of the instruments, recorded, engineered, produced, and mixed all of the songs. Midi Rain scored the Billboard US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with the album Shine, which scored number one during 1993. In 2012, Rocca uploaded a new ambient-style album called "Just Be..."[1]

Singles

Year Song title / singles UK Singles Chart[2]
1983 "I.O.U." (Freeez) (Streetwise, Beggars Banquet) -
1983 "Pop Goes My Love" (Freeez) (Streetwise, Beggars Banquet) -
1984 "My World Is Empty Without You" (Streetwise, Beggars Banquet) -
1984 "Once Upon a Time" (Streetwise, Beggars Banquet)

-

 1984 "I Want It To Be Real" (City Beat)
1986 "I.O.U." (featuring Freeez) (Criminal Records) -
-
1987 "Extra Extra"/"Move" (City Beat) -
1987 "Move" (Criminal Records) -
1985 "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love" - Pink Rhythm Feat. John Rocca -

Albums

Title Release
date		 Chart positions
U.S. Billboard 200 U.S. R&B albums UK Albums Chart[3]
Extra Extra June 1987 - - -

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97m5UEpetDw
  2. ↑ Search for "Freeez" performed at Everyhit.com database.
  3. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 214. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

External links