How the feelgood anthem that turned successful in twenty years for 2 totally different bands was impressed by Cliff Richard
Since You’ve Been Gone, You Can Do Magic, New York Groove, So You Win Once more, No Extra The Idiot, Liar… Russ Ballard’s songs are on everlasting heavy rotation the world over. The Hertfordshire-born musician’s excellent again catalogue has been mined and recorded by everybody from Rainbow to Sizzling Chocolate to America to Elkie Brooks to Three Canine Night time and lots of, many extra.
However his personal first hit file was 1973’s God Gave Rock And Roll To You with Argent, the British rock group he based with the previous Zombies keyboardist Rod Argent. It was their third UK Prime 40 single, however the tune additionally reached the Prime 10 in 1991 when it was lined by the American laborious rock band Kiss, after that includes on the soundtrack to the film Invoice & Ted’s Bogus Journey.
Over to Russ to clarify how the facility ballad resulted from a interval of optimism and a recurring love of minor keys…
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Launched: 22 August 1991
Artist: Kiss
Label: Interscope
Songwriters: Russ Ballard, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Bob Ezrin
Producer: Bob Ezrin
UK chart place: 4
US chart place: –
Launched: March 1973
Artist: Argent
Label: Epic
Songwriter: Russ Ballard
Producers: Rod Argent, Chris White
UK chart place: 18
US chart place: –
“The unusual factor is, when Rod Argent was in The Zombies, he was writing at 17 years previous and arising with She’s Not There, which was No 1 in America and Prime 20 right here. That was a really refined tune, chords, temper, manufacturing, association… all the pieces. So when he requested me to be within the band, it gave me a profile and Rod requested, ‘Have you ever acquired any songs?’
“I knew we had an album to do – it was going to be on In Deep – so I was writing rather a lot about my ideas on the time and feeling optimistic. With the title, I acquired the thrill as a result of I had the concept – I was feeling so good on the time. I used to write down all the pieces in a minor key, I simply used to really feel for minor keys. Even when it’s in a significant key I attempt to make it sound prefer it’s in a minor! That mirrored my moods on the time. I keep in mind, in 1973, when I wrote God Gave Rock And Roll To You, I felt so completely satisfied, so good and life was like spring. So I thought, ‘Love your buddy, love your neighbour / Love your life and love your labours / By no means too late to vary your thoughts / Don’t step on snails, don’t climb in timber / Love Cliff Richard however please don’t tease…’
“However from the tip, you’ll be able to inform I’d been by means of a tough time and was popping out the opposite aspect – I wrote: ‘Do you need to be a singer or play guitar? / Man, you’ve acquired to sweat otherwise you don’t get far / It’s by no means too late to work nine-to-five / In the event you’re younger, then you definitely’ll by no means be previous / Music could make your desires unfold / How good it feels to be alive…’ We’ve all been by means of that. I imply, we’re all hooked up. I’m not a scientist or an professional however I consider that, as human beings, we’re hooked up. Any person says a joke and also you snicker at it, or any person says one thing pertinent, or individuals can upset you… And with regards to songs, I suppose you get the identical emotions.
How I wrote ‘God Gave Rock And Roll To You’ in Songwriting Magazine Autumn 2020
“I attempt to work in numerous methods. All these songs like God Gave Rock And Roll To You and Since You’ve Been Gone, sound like guitar songs however I wrote them on piano. I was in my home down in Newlands, in Huddlestone, I had a giant music room upstairs and I had a Steinway grand piano… Really, it was earlier than I had the Steinway – I had an upright piano that my mom purchased me for my 21st birthday. I simply keep in mind [coming up with] the chords, writing down the lyrics and feeling that I wished to make it an anthem. And it sounded extra of an anthem after we completed it as a result of we gave it a giant, orchestral association. I thought that was robust and I thought the concept of creating the Cliff Richard factor was fairly humorous as a result of he had successful referred to as Please Don’t Tease.
How I wrote ‘God Gave Rock And Roll To You’ in Songwriting Magazine Autumn 2020
“I was all the time utilizing these chords [with a descending sequence], they offer me a buzz – they’ve been on 1000’s of No 1s and all the time appear to work, like A Whiter Shade Of Pale. Now, I use it much less. Within the 60s it was E, A and B7 – Summer season Lovin’, Twist And Shout. However I suppose the secret’s within the lyric, I consider it’s the soul of the tune. In the event you haven’t acquired the proper lyrics, it ain’t gonna be successful anyway, so say one thing another way and use the identical chords.
“Kiss modified the primary verse however I suppose they acquired it proper. I imply, ‘Put your religion in a loud guitar…’ is extra rock ‘n’ roll. I was making an attempt to be, what I am, very loving and humorous – I was making an attempt to precise my emotions greater than something. However they acquired it proper as a result of they made it an actual rock tune and so they sped it up. I all the time thought ours was too gradual and whereas we have been rehearsing it I mentioned it ought to be extra ‘up’. I suppose Kiss frolicked getting that tempo completely spot on.”
Russ Ballard’s album It’s Good To Be Right here is out now by way of BMG. Discover out extra at russballardmusic.com
Extra ‘How I wrote’ options