Who Did It Better? That's Rock 'N Roll

Who Did It Better?

That's Rock 'N' Roll 

This week, a bit of a change of pace in the form of some nice pop rock courtesy of one of my personal favorite artists, Eric Carmen. Not too long ago, we took a look at his composition, Change of Heart, which had also been covered by Samantha Sang, who, then in turn, sang back-up vocals on Carmen's own recording of the song.

Well, this week, Carmen covered his own creation first, only to be bested by a teen sensation! Two years after that? The song would also be covered by one of the UK's best kept secrets (and consistent hitmakers), the eight-man band, Showaddywaddy, featuring handsome lead singer Dave Bartram.
 
That's Rock 'n' Roll was written  by Eric Carmen and included on his 1975 self-titled solo debut on Arista Records. Autobiographical in nature, the song details some of the experiences Carmen endured as part of the seminal pop-rock group The Raspberries. While the album racked up three Top 40 hits stateside, it was decided by record executives that  while That's Rock 'n' Roll would be released as a single, it would only be in select markets: Denmark, France, and Japan. In Denmark it managed to reach a very respectable #7. Carmen would perform the song on the Midnight Special on March 26, 1976 and it would also be used as the B-Side for his 1988 hit, Make Me Lose Control. 

In 1976, Curb Records (The Four Seasons, Debby Boone) had a hot property on it's hands in the form of Shaun Cassidy. Like his step-brother David (The Partridge Family,) he, too, was enjoying phenomenal success as one half of The Hardy Boys Mysteries on ABC Television (while concurrently appearing on the series Breaking Away and General Hospital.) Cassidy had ambitions to become a singer and, recognizing an opportunity when they saw it, Curb Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records, signed him on. 

Casting about for material to fill an album, Carmen's That's Rock 'n' Roll was given the green light. However, keeping in mind their target audience of pre-adolescent girls, the producer balked at the idea of squeaky clean teen Cassidy singing the song as written, so the lines "Well it's the roadies and the crowd, It's when the band's playin' way too loud, Your hips are shakin', ain't no mistakin'." would be omitted from his version. 

Following the #1 success of his version of The Crystal's Da Doo Ron Ron, Cassidy's second single That's Rock 'n' Roll met with similar success, reaching the #3 spot stateside. It fared even better in Canada, snagging the #1 slot, while climbing to #2 in Australia, and #11 in Germany.

Carmen would also provide Cassidy with a third Top Five hit in the form of Hey Deanie (a song we will be visiting at a later date.)

In addition, That's Rock 'n' Roll was recorded by British stalwarts Showaddywaddy in 1979 for their Crepes and Drapes album. During its lifetime, Showaddywaddy would rack up an impressive 23 Top 40 hits in the UK, with ten of those hitting the Top Ten, including their #1 hit, Under The Moon Of Love.

Also of note, but not included in this competition, Tina Arena (Chains) and John Bowles would record a version for their 1977 novelty record Tiny Tina and Little John. (I had no idea Tina Arena had a career as a child star.)

And that's the whole story. 

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: That's Rock 'n' Roll

The Competitors: Carmen vs. Cassidy vs. Showaddywaddy

That's Rock 'n' Roll - Eric Carmen

That's Rock 'n' Roll - Shaun Cassidy

That's Rock 'n' Roll - Showaddywaddy

Eric Carmen

All that atmosphere is the work of famed producer and, later, co-founder of Interscope Records, Jimmy Iovine (Stevie Nicks, Patti Smith, Tom Petty, U2, The Pretenders, Dire Straits). At the root of his power pop lies Carmen's love and respect for the basics of 1950's rock and roll, and they are in full display in this composition.

All that reverb! That great backbeat! Carmen sounds spot on. And I love how they bring in that lone rhythm guitar to set the stage before the full band hits it. I find it hard to believe this wasn't released stateside for Carmen. Yes, compared to today's deep bass sounds, this sounds tinny and thin, but, not only is it of it's own era, it's also echoing the founding fathers (and mothers) of 1950's pop. It also sounds perfect for AM Radio - I mean, imagine tooling around in your car listening to this? 

Carmen is definitely in his element, here. Though it's too bad there isn't a girl group backing him up,  this is still fun stuff. Instead of a girl group or horns, they opt for some Beach Boy style back-up oohs and ahs which have been arranged to mimic a horn chart. I think the reason this wasn't released as a single is because Clive Davis desperately wanted to turn Carmen into Barry Manilow 2.0. And Carmen, who is an admitted romantic, was only to happy to go along with it, though he always maintained one foot in basic rock and roll. 

Even the instrumental break works: I love the Stones-inspired guitar solo sitting fat and thick on top of that banging acoustic piano. This also echoes his work with The Raspberries, his first band, which isn't surprising, considering he was their lead singer and chief songwriter. Carmen's vocals have been perfection throughout. I adore that shout and ache he brings to this. He imbues the song with a maturity that suits it well. It's a classic sound. 

I have no complaints.

Shaun Cassidy

This is a lot cleaner sounding, flattened. Carmen rides in sounding like The Ghost of Rock and Roll Past... while Shaun sounds like the cute teenager (19) he was. The drums sound like hand claps. Honestly, I like his vocals. They work well. However... that sax. Ick. And just like that... it all sounds a bit cheap. Very novelty. Yes, they've kept Carmen's arrangement basically intact, but it sounds like an imitation. Some of you are too young to remember this, but for those of you who do... remember those Pickwick albums containing today's hottest hits as played by a group of faceless, nameless session musicians that you could pick up at the supermarket for 99 cents? (Yes! It's true. You could buy albums in grocery stores. I bought Heart's second album, Little Queen at a Red Owl store in Austin, MN!) Well, that's what this sounds like - an approximation - yes, it's the same song featuring some of the same elements, but... it's not quite right.   

I must say, the verses sound great. Cassidy, alone with a basic band? He's got the knack. In fact, it's a damn shame that Warner Brothers tried to turn him into an MOR artist, rather than let him explore his rock and roll side. By the time they realized their mistake and changed course (1980's Wasp album, produced by Todd Rundgren) the damage had been done and Cassidy's momentum as a recording artist would never recover. The powers that be really should have paid more attention to his vocals on this tune. "Don't try to fight it, just get excited..." - subtle perfection. 

That damn sax. So corny. I like that little, "shoo-bop," though - and that's very corny. 

I miss all the space in Carmen's version. The production work here sounds incredibly compressed. You hear the pianist banging away, but it doesn't carry the same power - it's mashed in there, rather than elevated and driving. It sounds flattened. 

Obligatory sax solo; very rote, nothing earthshaking.

I am laughing... when he goes into his head voice/falsetto for "... the BOYS in the band." Freddy Mercury would be proud. He even snuck a bit of a melodramatic vibrato in there! Trilling, absolutely trilling, darling.

I've got to hand it to Shaun Cassidy. He's got decent chops. He did his homework He knows rock. 

Michael Lloyd (Leif Garrett, Debby Boone, Donny Osmond), the producer, on the other hand? Meh.

Showaddywaddy

I like the drums. That's fun and while this is only 1979, something about it hints at what the eighties would be doing with percussion. I love his commanding vocals. Very authentic. He's mixed a little hot, though.

The backing vocals on the chorus are a little too on the nose for me; more The Lettermen than The Beach Boys. Wow. The lead vocalist is mixed way hot again. So, were these guys The Sha Na Na of the UK? Because that would explain the backing vocals. I still like this, though. It's full-bodied. 

A much better sax solo, I must say. 

Oh, I don't like that breakdown at all. That's the worst drum solo of all-time! I am shocked. What a terrible idea. 

Honestly, the lead singer is Carmen's equal and up to the task here. The production starts out well, but after that drum solo (or whatever that was supposed to be) despite the lead vocalist's best efforts (he reminds me of Grand Funk), it never regains momentum. Odd. But now I know why this wasn't released as a single.

The Verdict

Carmen. Period. There's that rawness to his vocals that suits this song, lending it a maturity needed. It's a memory piece, a song about reminiscing. He brings the ache and the knowing. It's there in his voice. 

Hats off to Cassidy. He's got great chops. His instincts as a rock singer? Spot on. But he's undone by some very cheap sounding production work (flattened) and a super cheesy sax.

Showaddywaddy gets props. Their sax solo works. But their version is undone by that weird drum break and the backing vocals which sound like an SATB high school choir arrangement. 

So, it's Carmen for me. It's his authenticity and the atmosphere Iovine's production work provides which sell this one for me.

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Okay, that's my two cents.

Your turn. What did you think. What stuck out to you? Which do you prefer? Leave your thoughts in the comments section. I love a differing opinion. 

And that's all for now. Until next time?

Thanks for reading... and listening. 

That's Rock 'n' Roll - Tina Arena and Johnny Bowels