Roll the Dice (song)

Background

In 1977, Harley began working on his debut solo album Hobo with a Grin. Once it was completed in early 1978, he decided to leave Britain and live in Los Angeles for almost a year. "Roll the Dice" was chosen as the lead single from the album, and was released in July 1978, a week before Hobo with a Grin. Like the album, "Roll the Dice" was a commercial failure, failing to make an appearance in the UK Top 75.

While most of Hobo with a Grin was recorded in London, "Roll the Dice" was one of two tracks from the album to be recorded and mixed at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. Any remixing and additional recording was done in Los Angeles as well. Although Harley produced the rest of the album, "Roll the Dice" was produced by the album's assistant producer Michael J. Jackson.

At the time of its release, writer G. Brown interviewed Harley for The Denver Post. Brown reported that Harley disdained the song's commercial potential in private. Harley commented:

"It's 'poppy,' with that Fleetwood Mac-ish shuffle. 'Catchy' is not a good thing in this country. The more AM radio I hear, the more convinced I am that the goal is to bore."

Release

The single was released by EMI Records on 7" vinyl in the UK, Germany, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. In America and Canada, it was released during August 1978 by Capitol Records. For its release as a single, an edited version of the song was used, which shortened the song by approximately half a minute. The single featured the B-Side "Waiting" which was written and produced by Harley. The B-Side was exclusive to the single and has not appeared on any other release since.

In the UK, a promotional demo copy/DJ copy of the single was also issued by EMI. In America, Capitol also issued a promotional version of the single, which featured the "A-Side" on both sides of the vinyl; one in stereo and one in mono.

In the UK, Germany and Spain, the single was released with colour picture sleeves. In the UK, the first 20,000 copies of the single featured the sleeve. It used similar artwork as on the Hobo with a Grin album, with the same photo of Harley, however the background design is slightly different.

Following its original release as a single, and on Hobo with a Grin, the song has since appeared on various Steve Harley compilations, including the 1981 EMI/Harvest compilation Collection, the 1992 EMI compilation Make Me Smile: The Best of Steve Harley, the 1996 Cockney Rebel Dutch compilation Premium Gold Collection the 1998 EMI compilation More Than Somewhat – The Very Best of Steve Harley, the 1999 EMI Gold compilation The Cream of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, and the 2006 EMI compilation The Cockney Rebel – A Steve Harley Anthology.

Promotion

A music video was filmed to promote the single. The video was filmed over a two-day period in the Bakersfield Desert, California. Shot on 35mm film, videos were also produced at the same time for the Hobo with a Grin album tracks "I Wish It Would Rain" and "Amerika the Brave".

In the 22 July 1978 issue of the New Musical Express, a full-page, black-and-white advert was published to promote the single's release. The advert noted that it was "the single from his first solo album", that the first 20,000 copies came in a "special full colour picture sleeve"" and that the B Side "Waiting" was "only available on this single."

Track listing

1. "Roll the Dice" - 3:00
2. "Waiting" - 2:52

1. "Roll the Dice (Stereo)" - 3:12
2. "Roll the Dice (Mono)" - 3:12

Critical reception

In the 29 July 1978 issue of the American magazine Billboard, Hobo with a Grin was listed in the "Recommended LPs" section, under the pop genre category. It listed "Roll the Dice" as one of five best cuts from the album. In the 26 August 1978 issue of Billboard Magazine, the song was listed under the 'Top Single Picks' section, under the heading Recommended Pop.

In a 1978 article by The Denver Post, writer G. Brown stated: "Now living in California, Harley has turned out another fine album. "Hobo with a Grin" is turning out to be his fastest seller yet. If Harley is due for a hit single, "Roll the Dice" could fill the bill nicely. Led by a catchy keyboard introduction, the song boasts a great hook ("Roll the dice and it sounds like thunder...") and a youthful Harley vocal."

In a 1978 issue of the American magazine High Fidelity, a review of the album noted: "Right from the start of "Hobo with a Grin," on "Roll the Dice", Harley settles for good times."

In the 27 October 1979 issue of Record Mirror magazine, a negative review of Harley's October concert at the Hammersmith Odeon mentioned the song. Author Kelly Pike wrote: "Steve Harley has been away too long. His return sell-out show was a sad, distasteful affair, like expecting smoked salmon and getting a couple of kippers slapped on your plate. No substance, no style and no fun. It started as a shambles, half a dozen figures ambling around the stage before tumbling into a less than spirited version of 'Roll the Dice' did not make a very spectacular start. But it was apparent that when they followed on with 'Mr. Soft' the audience were there for the old - not the new - Harley."

Dave Thompson of AllMusic retrospectively reviewed the album, writing: "...but "Amerika the Brave," "God Is an Anarchist," and "Roll the Dice" are Harley wordplay-by-numbers: clever on paper, but too clever-clever by half. We already know he's a brilliant wordsmith; does he have to keep trying to show us how brilliant? And does there come a point when he'll stop, and try his hand at tunes as well?"

In an AllMusic review of the 2008 EMI Gold compilation The Best of Steve Harley, Thompson also wrote: "The real meat, however, lies among the excerpted album cuts, as the compilers treat all seven original Harley/Cockney Rebel LPs with more or less equal respect - many fans would have drawn a line after the first three. But "White White Dove," "Roll the Dice," and the like all deserve a fresh hearing."

George Starostin retrospectively reviewed the Hobo with a Grin album for his website, writing: "Elsewhere, you'll find stuff that doesn't raise your eyebrow up to the skies, but is nowhere near dismissable. 'Roll the Dice' has a decent pop hook, certainly not worse than anything contemporary by the Cars or Blondie."

Roll the Dice

Waiting