Released September 1974 Recorded 1974 Length 3:40 (avg) | Format 7" Genre Pop | |
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B-side "Are You Ready to Believe" | ||
"Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" is a 1974 song by an ad hoc group of studio musicians called Reunion, with Joey Levine (bubblegum music pioneer with "Chewy Chewy" and "Yummy Yummy Yummy" to his credit) as the lead singer. The song was written by Paul DiFranco (music) and Norman Dolph (lyrics). The lyrics are a fast patter of 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s disc jockeys, musicians, songwriters, record labels, song titles and lyrics, broken only by the chorus.
Contents
Given the various musical icons on the laundry list, the Jack the Ripper mention may be a reference to Link Wray's 1961 instrumental called "Jack the Ripper".
The song's outro quotes "Baby I Need Your Loving" by The Four Tops, "Celebrate" by Three Dog Night, "I Want to Take You Higher" by Sly and the Family Stone, and "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" by Stevie Wonder.
It peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and reached No. 33 in the UK Singles Chart. The track was later covered by Tracey Ullman in 1984, and was featured in her album, You Broke My Heart in 17 Places.
Covers
This song was remade by Randy Crenshaw and released on 2001 Disney album Mickey's Dance Party under the name "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me...Again!)" The remake includes references not just to current and past music groups, but also to TV shows and internet slang, and some Disney characters.
A "customized" version of the song, "Life Is a Rock, but 'CFL Rolled Me" was the last rock and roll song played on the Larry Lujack show on WCFL in Chicago on 15 March 1976, before the station switched from Top 40 to beautiful music format. Rival AM station WLS had their own version ("Life Is a Rock, WLS Rolled Me"). The WLS version was the first song played on WLS-FM when the famous callsign returned to the station in 2008, now airing a classic hits format. In 1974, radio station KFRC in San Francisco also aired a "customized" version of the song, titled "Life Is a Rock (But KFRC Rolled Me)," with an extra verse naming all of the station's personalities at the time. The verse was sung by KFRC's afternoon personality, Chuck Buell. 980, WRC in Washington, DC also had a customized version that was played on the air (this actually was common among the big top40 AMs of the day with special copies cut for their station).
In 1988 McDonald's produced a jingle heavily influenced by the song for its "$1,000,000 Menu Song" promotion. The McDonald's recording, with an identical melody and a rapidly spoken list of menu offerings recited in an identical monotone pitch and rhythm, was released as a mass giveaway in the form of a 33-1/3 RPM flexible plastic single.
In 1991/92, Tyson's Corner Mall in our nations capitol used it in much of the same way. Joey Levine sang the lead naming all the stores in the mall that led to the chorus "We got 'em all...at Tyson's Corner...Where the stores are...We got 'em all, Tyson's Corner Center."
Name checks
The 45-rpm single version fades out here. The extended album version continues, with the following references:
Performed as medley or spoken over the fade-out: