| March 1, 2018 | |||||||||
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Lyrics: I saw him dancin’ there by the record machine
I love rock n’ roll He smiled so I got up and asked for his name Said can I take you home where we can be alone I love rock n’ roll Get It: Get your copy of Joan Jett’s I Love Rock n’ Roll here: Dances with Bass YouTube Channel:
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Straight from the Department of Leather Pants–wearin’ Bad Girls You Don’t Bring Home to Mom comes Pennsylvania rocker Joan Jett. If you were a boy who grew up in the 1980s and who was into rock and roll (check all three boxes for me), then Ms. Jett might have been the fuel that drove some of your teenage fantasies. I say “might” because my wife sometimes reads these posts, and I like to maintain an illusion of chastity that might or might not be strictly true. And at the very least, I like to have some plausible deniability should it be needed). Now, back to my teenage fantasies… Check that. Let’s just move on. Joan Jett was born Joan Marie Larkin. After her parents divorced, she took her mother’s maiden name, Jett, as her legal name and performed under that moniker. She and her family would eventually move to Los Angeles County, California where she and drummer Sandy West formed the all-female rock band, The Runaways in 1976. Jett and West were joined by Lita Ford and Cherie Currie. Their first record was eponymously named and contained the hit single, Cherry Bomb. Success for The Runaways came hard and fast, and eventually, the band split in 1978 over creative direction. As most rock fans know, Lita Ford would go on to some degree of solo fame, though it was the dark-haired singer and guitar slinger Joan Jett who would break big.  Jett’s first record originally was self-titled but was renamed Bad Reputation the following year. The album contained the hit singles Bad Reputation and Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah), which was listed on the cover as Touch Me. Interestingly, Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) wasn’t a hit until after Jett’s breakout success with today’s featured album and track, I Love Rock n’ Roll. It’s strange that I remember this, but I distinctly remember the first time I heard I Love Rock n’ Roll. It was during a swimming unit in PE, and our swimming instructor had given us a “free swim” time at the end of the class. He was even kind enough to tune the radio to then-premier Indianapolis rock station, WFBQ Q95. During that swim time, I was exposed (that sounds weird, but I’m going with it) to Jett’s I Love Rock n’ Roll and J. Geils Band’s Centerfold. Now, I probably don’t have to tell you that songs sung by leather-clad hotties and songs about naked women in girly magazines are instant hits with pimply teenage boys, but they are. I couldn’t get to a record store soon enough to purchase copies of both albums. Even today, both albums see heavy rotation here at the Dances with Bass mountaintop observatory. Jett has charted a number of hits over the years including a cover of the Tommy James and The Shondells classic Crimson and Clover, as well as Fake Friends and I Hate Myself for Loving You. Jett was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. She and The Blackhearts still perform today. Video: This is the official video for Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ I Love Rock n’ Roll:
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