Reunion-"Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" is a 1974 song by a group of studio musicians in a group for this purpose 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 '50s, '60s, and '70s disc jockeys, musicians, songwriters, record labels and (incongruously) Jack the Ripper, broken only by the chorus. Alternatively, "Jack the Ripper" could also be "Jack D. Ripper" from Dr. Strangelove, a popular 1964 film by Stanley Kubrick. It is also possible that "Jack the Ripper" could be a nod to the British Rock Star and Political Leader Screaming Lord Sutch, and his 1972 album Hands of Jack the Ripper.
"Life is a Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me) - Reunion
The song appears in the dance scene in the film The Specials.
The song was sampled by the "McDonald's Menu Song" in 1988.
Artists Checked
B. Bumble and the Stingers
Mott the Hoople
Ray Charles Singers (a different act than Ray Charles)
Lonnie Mack
Twangin' Eddy
"Take It Easy"
"Liar, Liar"
"The Loco-Motion"
Poco
Deep Purple
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
Sam Cooke
Lesley Gore
Ritchie Valens
Stories (band)
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Fuji (guitars)
Yamaha
Kama Sutra
"Rama Lama Ding Dong"
Richard Perry
Phil Spector
Jeff Barry
Righteous Brothers
The Archies
Harry Nilsson
"Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko Ko Bop"
Fats Is Back
"Finger Poppin' Time"
Brenda & the Tabulations
Carly Simon
The Rolling Stones
Johnny Cash
Johnny Rivers
Mungo Jerry
Peter, Paul and Mary
Dr. John
Doris Day
Jack the Ripper
Leon Russell
"Gimme Shelter"
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Slide guitar
Fender bass
Bonnie Bramlett
Wilson Pickett
Arthur Janov
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Dale Hawkins
Ronnie Hawkins
Kukla, Fran and Ollie
Norma
John Denver
Donny Osmond
J. J. Cale
ZZ Top
L.L. Bean
"Dede Dinah"
David Bowie
Steely Dan
"CC Rider"
Edgar Winter
Joanie Sommers
Ides of March
Johnny Thunders
Eric Clapton
Wah-wah pedal
Stephen Foster
"Camptown Races"
"Good Vibrations"
"Help Me Rhonda"
"Surfer Girl"
"Little Honda"
"Tighter Tighter"
"Honey, Honey"
"Sugar, Sugar"
"Yummy Yummy Yummy"
CBS
Warner Brothers
RCA
"Baby I Need Your Loving"
"Remember (Walking in the Sand)"
Alan Freed
Murray the K
Fish (dance)
The Swim (dance)
"The Boston Monkey"
Freddie King
Albert King
B. B. King
Felix Pappalardi
Randy Newman
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Aretha
Tito Puente
Boffalongo
Cuba
War
California
Beatlemania
New York City
Transylvania
S&G
Bobby Vee
SRO
Performed as medley or spoken over the fade-out:
"Uptight (Everything's Alright)"
"Celebrate"
"I Want to Take You Higher"
A "customized" version of the song, "Life is a Rock, but CFL Rolled Me" was the last rock 'n roll song played on the Larry Lujack show on WCFL in Chicago on 15 March 1976 before the station switched from top 40 to a beautiful music format.
As Always
Peace
5 comments:
I remember this song. That was fun to sing along to! I also remember Billboard and Casey Kasem doing the top 40 ever week. Okay, I need to stop dating myself, LOL. Let's just say I am around 40 somewhere... Thanks for doing your entries each week. I like the oldies as opposed to most music of nowadays.
Krissy :)
http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink
h
I had never heard this song before; it is so cute!! I loved the video with it too; looking at some of the pictures of groups as they were when they were younger, etc. Thanks Chili!!
betty
h
A great fun song! - Barbara
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