Joan Jett & The Blackhearts “I Love Rock ‘n Roll”

sfilzen — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:49:16 +0000

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” released on this date, November 18th, 1981. This worn and well-loved LP was the first record I ever bought with my own money when I was 10 years old and I still love it (and since it’s an original pressing, it has the track “Little Drummer Boy” included as the record was released for the holiday shopping season. I don’t like that Christmas song but Jett’s version is tolerable). Hard pop rock inspired by the late 50′s/early 60′s classic rock-n-roll sound, Jett’s second solo studio album (and her first with the backing band The Blackhearts) was a massive hit, hitting #2 in the US and #25 in the UK. The title track “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” was the first single from the album; originally recorded by the Arrows in 1975, Jett’s version went to #1 in the US and #4 in the UK. But the single and the version on I Love Rock ‘n Roll wasn’t her original take – she first recorded it with Steve Jones and Paul Cook from the Sex Pistols in ‘79 as the b-side to “You Don’t Own Me” (which appears on her first solo LP Bad Reputation). Jett also released “Crimson and Clover” as a single, another cover song (by Tommy James & The Shondells), which hit #7 in the US and #60 in the UK. Jett’s version is so great, adding in a hard rocking beat to balance the sweetness of the original. Other notable covers that Jett recorded for I Love Rock ‘n Roll are “Bits and Pieces” originally by The Dave Clark Five, “Nag” by The Halos and “You’re Too Possessive” (she basically covers herself: it was on The Runaways’ album Waitin’ For the Night from 1977). The album isn’t all covers, though – I really love Jett’s “Love is Pain” and the Bo Diddley-inspired “Be Straight.”

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Joan Jett and the Blackhearts “I Love Rock-n-Roll”

sfilzen — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 17:30:45 +0000

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts “I Love Rock-n-Roll” 1982. This was the first record I ever bought with my own money. I was 11 years old, in 6th grade and NUTS for the hit single, which was #1 on the charts for 7 weeks, from March to May. I remember the #2 song was The Go-Go’s “We Got the Beat” for three of those weeks. I’d sit glued to the radio, listening to Casey Kasem’s American Top 40, waiting for those 2 glorious back-to-back songs. When I was able to save up enough allowance money to buy the record, I played the crap out of it and the album cover pictured above shows the wear and tear over the years. (Yes, this is the same album I bought back in ‘82).

“I Love Rock-n-Roll” was my favorite single on the album, but “Crimson and Clover,” the last song on side 1, was freakin’ amazing. I loved (and still do) its echoey and anthemic verse and then frenetic instrumental hook. Side 2 never saw as much playing action as Side 1, but “Bits and Pieces” is a great rocker with a Bo Diddley beat. The only song that irritates me is “Little Drummer Boy” since I’ve never cared for that Christmas Carol, but if I have to listen to it, Joan’s version is probably better than anything else out there.

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Joan Jett & The Blackhearts “I Love Rock ‘n Roll”

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts “I Love Rock-n-Roll”