"Rock the Boat" | ||||
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Single by The Hues Corporation | ||||
from the album Freedom for the Stallion | ||||
B-side | "All Goin' Down Together" | |||
Released | May 1974 | |||
Recorded | 1973 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:22 (album version) 3:06 (single version) | |||
Label | RCA Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Wally Holmes | |||
Producer(s) | John Florez | |||
The Hues Corporation singles chronology | ||||
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"Rock the Boat" is a song by American trio The Hues Corporation, written by Wally Holmes. "Rock the Boat" was first featured on their 1973 debut studio album Freedom for the Stallion (the single edit later appeared on certain editions of the band's 1974 second album Rockin' Soul). [1] It was released as the third single from the album in early 1974, to follow up Stallion's title song, which had peaked at number sixty-three on the Hot 100, and "Miracle Maker (Sweet Soul Shaker)" which did not chart.
Initially, "Rock the Boat" appeared as though it would also flop, as months went by without any radio airplay or sales activity. Not until the song became a disco favorite in New York did Top 40 radio finally pick up on the song, leading the record to finally enter the Hot 100 and zip up the chart to number one the week of July 6, 1974, in only its seventh week on the chart (and fourth week in the Top 40). The record also reached the top ten in the United Kingdom. "Rock the Boat" is considered one of the earliest disco songs. Some authorities proclaim it to be the first disco song to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while others give that distinction to "Love's Theme" by Love Unlimited Orchestra or "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" by MFSB, both chart-toppers from earlier in 1974. The song became a gold record. It is a heavy airplay favorite on oldie and adult contemporary stations today.
Holmes wrote the song for the band's first album, and started the song with the line "Ever since our voyage of love began..". In an attempt to make it more punchy, producer John Florez suggested starting with the line "So I'd like to know where you got the notion." [2]
The song features a lead vocal by Fleming Williams, who left The Hues Corporation shortly after the song was recorded. According to The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred Bronson, the lone female member of the group, H. Ann Kelley, had originally been pegged to sing lead, but this idea was discarded out of fear that groups with female lead singers were less commercially viable. The bass player on the session was Wilton Felder, not James Jamerson as sometimes reported. Florez also brought in two other members of the Jazz Crusaders, Joe Sample on piano and Larry Carlton on guitar, as well as Jim Gordon on drums. Wally Holmes wrote and played the trumpet line. [2]
Producer John Florez did not like the lyrics for "Rock the Boat", calling them "trite", and it was originally made a B-side. After a riveting response from New York City's dance clubs, Florez remixed the song to boost the bass and rhythm instruments, and it was quickly re-released, becoming a smash. [2]
The Hues Corporation member St. Clair Lee claims "It was a song that you could do anything on. You could cuddle or you could get crazy if you wanted to. It was a love song without being a love song. But, it was a Disco hit and it happened because of the discos." [3]
The song features a change in meter during the pre-chorus "We've been sailing with a cargo full of love and devotion" where it is 7
4 for one measure while the rest of the song is in common time.
A dance to "Rock the Boat" is commonly performed at weddings and birthday parties, involving many people sitting down in a row and "rowing" a boat to the tune of the song.[ citation needed ] Particularly popular in Ireland, the dance attracted international attention after being featured on the second season of the TV series Derry Girls . [4] A similar dance is done in parts of the United Kingdom to "Oops Up Side Your Head". [5]
Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band has said that "Rock the Boat" played a partial role in inspiring the hit "Rock Your Baby". [6]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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"Rock the Boat" | ||||
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Single by Forrest | ||||
from the album One Lover | ||||
Released | January 1, 1983 | |||
Recorded | 1982 | |||
Genre | Post-disco | |||
Length | 4:33 | |||
Label | Ariola | |||
Songwriter(s) | Wally Holmes | |||
Producer(s) | Ben Liebrand, John Tilly | |||
Forrest singles chronology | ||||
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"Rock the Boat" was covered in 1982 by American-Dutch singer Forrest. It was a hit in the Netherlands, where it peaked at No. 7 on the Single Top 100. In the US, the song reached the top 10 of the Billboard Dance/Disco chart, at No. 9. It also peaked at number 33 in Australia. [24] It was most successful in the UK, reaching No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart in March 1983. [25]
A re-recording of the song was released in 1989, titled "Rock the Boat '89", produced by Marc Hartman and Sven van Veen, with remixes by Martin Boer. [26]
In 1990, British girl group Delage recorded their version, produced by the British production trio Stock Aitken Waterman. The single peaked at No. 63 on the UK Singles Chart. [27]
"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just As I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Stephen Stills on guitar. String arrangements were done by Booker T. Jones. The song was recorded in Los Angeles, with overdubs in Memphis by engineer Terry Manning.
"Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by the Jackson 5. The song was originally written and intended for the Supremes; however, Motown decided it would be better for the Jackson 5. It was the first single released from the group's 1971 album Maybe Tomorrow, and was one of the group's most successful records. It has been covered numerous times, most notably in 1974 by Gloria Gaynor and in 1987 by British pop group The Communards.
The Hues Corporation was an American pop and soul trio, formed in Santa Monica, California in 1969. They are best known for their 1974 single "Rock the Boat", which sold over 2 million copies.
"You're Sixteen" is a song written by the Sherman Brothers. It was first performed by American rockabilly singer Johnny Burnette, whose version peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960 and number 3 in the UK in 1961. The song was covered by Ringo Starr in 1973 and this version reached number one in the US.
"The Loco-Motion" is a 1962 pop song written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King. "The Loco-Motion" was originally written for R&B singer Dee Dee Sharp, but Sharp turned the song down.
"Last Dance" is a song by American singer Donna Summer from the soundtrack album to the 1978 film Thank God It's Friday. Casablanca Records released it the album's second single on July 2, 1978. The song was written by Paul Jabara, co-produced by Summer's regular collaborators Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, and mixed by Grammy Award-winning producer Stephen Short, whose backing vocals are featured in the recording.
"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" is a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version was not released as a single and did not appear on an album until 1977's anthology Looking Back. The best-known version of this song is the 1973 release by Aretha Franklin, who had a million-selling top 10 hit on Billboard charts. The song reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart in 1974. It became an RIAA Gold record.
"Get It On" is a song by the English rock band T. Rex, featured on their 1971 album Electric Warrior. Written by frontman Marc Bolan, "Get It On" was the second chart-topper for T. Rex on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, it was retitled "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" to avoid confusion with a song of the same name by the group Chase.
"Love Train" is a hit single by the O'Jays, written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Released in 1972, it reached No. 1 on both the R&B Singles and the Billboard Hot 100 in February and March 1973 respectively, and No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart and was certified gold by the RIAA. It was the O'Jays' first and only number one record on the US pop chart. The song has been considered one of the first songs of disco music.
"Disco Inferno" is a song by American disco band the Trammps from their 1976 fourth studio album of the same name. With two other cuts by the group, it reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in early 1977, but had limited mainstream success until 1978, after being included on the soundtrack to the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, when a re-release hit number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Cold Love" is a song by American singer Donna Summer, released as the second single from her album The Wanderer. The song was written by Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey and Pete Bellotte and produced by Bellotte and Giorgio Moroder. It peaked at No. 33 in the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 49 in Cash Box. Summer earned a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
"Rock Your Baby" is the debut single by George McCrae. Written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band, "Rock Your Baby" was one of the landmark recordings of early disco music. A massive international hit, the song reached number one on the Hot 100 in the United States, spending two weeks there in July 1974; number one on the R&B chart; and number one on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks at the top in July 1974. Having sold 11 million copies, it is one of fewer than 40 all-time singles to have sold 10 million physical copies worldwide.
"You're the First, the Last, My Everything" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Barry White from his third studio album, Can't Get Enough (1974). The song was written by White, Tony Sepe and Peter Radcliffe and produced by White. It reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the UK Singles Chart. The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1974, and certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), also in 1974.
"(I Don't Know Why) But I Do" is an R&B song written by Paul Gayten and Bobby Charles, and performed by Clarence "Frogman" Henry.
"Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" is a song written, recorded, and produced by American musician Barry White. Released in June 1974 as the first single from his third album, Can't Get Enough (1974), the song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B charts and has since become one of his signature tunes. It was his second US chart-topper, after "Love's Theme". It became a gold record in the US. White performed this song live on The Midnight Special in 1974, and on Soul Train on May 24, 1975.
Forrest Melvill Thomas Jr., known professionally as Forrest, was an American singer, based in the Netherlands.
"I'd Love You to Want Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lobo. It was released in September 1972 as the second single from his second album Of a Simple Man.
"Keep on Dancin'" is a 1979 single by Gary's Gang, a disco group, from Queens, New York. Their debut release of "Keep on Dancin'" was their most successful.
"Black Is Black" is a song by the Spanish rock band Los Bravos, released in 1966 as the group's debut single for Decca Records. Produced by Ivor Raymonde, it reached number two in the UK, number four in the US, and number one in Canada. With the recording's success, Los Bravos became the first Spanish rock band to have an international hit single. A dance remix was released as a single in 1986.
"It's a Miracle" is a 1975 single by Barry Manilow and was the second release from his album, Barry Manilow II. "It's a Miracle" went to number twelve on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was Manilow's second number one on the U.S. Easy Listening chart, spending one week at number one in April 1975. The single also peaked at number fifteen on the disco/dance chart, and was the first of four entries on the chart. "It's a Miracle" was followed by "Could It Be Magic".