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Gary Glitter - Rock And Roll Part 2

Gary Glitter - Rock And Roll Part 2 Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Glitter
Released: 1972

Rock And Roll Part 2 Lyrics

Rock And Roll Part 2 Song Chart

This is better known as the "Hey" song because of the chant in the chorus... "da da da da da da da, Hey!" It's probably the greatest example of "Glam Rock," which was characterized by male lead singers dressed in outrageous, usually feminine clothes. Glitter was known more for his appearance than his music.

Glitter wrote this song with his producer, Mike Leander, who came up with a key element in the song: the compressed, metronomic drum sound that would later be copied by Sweet and various other Glam acts. Along with the drums, Leander layered big guitar riffs, lots of handclaps, and the vocal "Hey"'s performed by Glitter and his friends.

Glitter had a role on a TV show in England called Ready, Steady, Go. This is where he met Mike Leander, who used some studio time when a singer named David Essex ("Rock On") didn't show up for a session. He had Glitter and a bunch of their friends improvise different sounds over a beat he had from a song called "Shag Rag, That's My Bag." They ended up with a 15-minute dance song, which they edited some more and called "Rock And Roll Parts 1 And 2."

There is a "Rock And Roll Part 1," with lyrics that repeat "Rock And Roll" instead of "Hey." It was on the same album and released as the flip side of the single. Glitter and Leander didn't know which one to release as a single, so they released it as a double A-side and let radio stations pick.

Glitter's real name is Paul Gadd, and he previously recorded as Paul Raven. He had been recording since 1958, had been dropped by three record labels, and still did not have a hit until he came up with this song. It was his first release as "Gary Glitter," a name he took in homage to the "Glitter Rock" sound he was using. Glitter, who was overweight and in his mid-30s, went over the top with his outfits to promote this song, creating maximum spectacle with makeup and accessories. For a while, it looked like this song would flop along with Glitter's career, but it slowly caught on in Europe and gradually became very well-known, helped in large part by Glitter's image gimmick.

This got a big boost when Glitter was asked to perform it on the British TV show Top Of The Pops. For the show, Glitter had to put together a band, but since the performances on the show were lip-synched, they didn't need anyone to actually play. Glitter and Leander found a bunch of people to hold instruments and pretended to play during the show. They were called The Glitter Band.

In the '80s, Glitter went through bankruptcy and was arrested for drunk driving, but his downfall came in 1997 when he took his computer in for repair and the technician found kiddie porn on the hard drive. Glitter was arrested and sent to prison, where he served 2 months starting in November, 1999. After his release, he lived in Cuba and Cambodia. He is a very controversial figure in England, and could face great harm if he ever returned.

This is commonly used as a rallying cry at sporting events, including many hockey game venues as goal songs. When Glitter was arrested on child pornography charges in 1997, many stadiums stopped playing this.

This is the only song Glitter is known for in America, but he was very popular in England, where he had 10 more similar sounding Top 10 hits from 1972-1974, including "Hello Hello I'm Back Again," and "Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah)." His career started to slide in 1975 when he took on a Disco sound.

This has been used in a lot of movies, including The Full Monty, Bedazzled, Duets, and D2: The Mighty Ducks.

In 1987, Glitter released "Rock And Roll" parts 3 through 6. They were produced by Trevor Horn, who was a member of the Buggles.

In the UK, various Gary Glitter imitators cropped up, including the rather ludicrous Larry Lurex and Alvin Stardust.

In 1988, a group called The Timelords released a song called "Doctorin' The Tardis" that sampled this. The song went to #1 in England and made Glitter a lot of money, which he needed for legal bills and an extravagant lifestyle. The Timelords later became The KLF, who had a hit with "3AM Eternal."

This song's influence can be heard on many disco and glam rock tracks, but it also made an impact in the realm of metal: Iron Maiden's first single, "Running Free," was based on this song's beat.