Rock the Boat (Hues Corporation song)
Encyclopedia
"Rock the Boat" is a disco
song
by the group Hues Corporation
in 1974
. "Rock the Boat" was written by Waldo Holmes, who also wrote the Blacula
songs.
"Rock the Boat" was first featured on the Hues Corporation's 1973 album, Freedom For The Stallion
(an edited version later appeared on certain editions of the band's follow-up album, 1974's Rockin' Soul). and was released as the second single from the album in early 1974 to follow-up Stallions title song, which had peaked at #63 on the Hot 100. Initially, "Rock the Boat" appeared as though it would flop, as months went by without any radio airplay or sales activity. Not until the song became a disco/club favorite in New York did Top 40 radio finally pick up on the song, leading the record to finally enter the Hot 100 and zip up the chart to #1 in July 1974. The record also reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom
. It is a heavy airplay favorite on oldie and adult-contemporary stations today.
, the lone female member of the group, H. Ann Kelly, had originally been pegged to sing lead, but this idea was discarded out of fear that groups with female lead singers were less commercially viable. The song also features an important post-Motown performance of James Jamerson
.
Hues Corporation member St. Clair Lee claims "It was a song that you could do anything on. You could cuddle or you could get crazy if you wanted to. It was a love song without being a love song. But, it was a Disco hit and it happened because of the discos."
ed in 1982 by the Dutch/American singer Forrest Thomas
. His version also made the UK top five and the top 10 of the American Dance/Disco chart. Jacob Miller
and the Inner Circle cut a reggae
version of the song in 1974.
Richard Finch
of KC and the Sunshine Band
has said that "Rock The Boat" played a partial role in inspiring the hit "Rock Your Baby
". The song was also featured in the 1996 film The Cable Guy
, the 1999 film Man on the Moon, and a commercial for M&M's
.
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by the group Hues Corporation
Hues Corporation
The Hues Corporation was a pop and soul trio formed in Santa Monica, California in 1969. They are best known for their 1974 hit, "Rock the Boat" which sold over two million copies.-Career:...
in 1974
1974 in music
-January–April:*January 3 – Bob Dylan and The Band kick off their 40-date concert tour at Chicago Stadium. It's Dylan's first time on the road since 1966.*January 17...
. "Rock the Boat" was written by Waldo Holmes, who also wrote the Blacula
Blacula
Blacula is a 1972 American horror film produced for American International Pictures. It was directed by William Crain and stars William Marshall in the title role about an 18th century African prince named Mamuwalde, who is both turned into a vampire and locked inside a coffin by Count Dracula...
songs.
"Rock the Boat" was first featured on the Hues Corporation's 1973 album, Freedom For The Stallion
Freedom For The Stallion
Freedom For The Stallion is the debut album by Hues Corporation. Released in 1973, it includes the #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Rock The Boat." The title track, "Freedom for the Stallion" was also a minor hit on the Billboard charts.-Track listing:...
(an edited version later appeared on certain editions of the band's follow-up album, 1974's Rockin' Soul). and was released as the second single from the album in early 1974 to follow-up Stallions title song, which had peaked at #63 on the Hot 100. Initially, "Rock the Boat" appeared as though it would flop, as months went by without any radio airplay or sales activity. Not until the song became a disco/club favorite in New York did Top 40 radio finally pick up on the song, leading the record to finally enter the Hot 100 and zip up the chart to #1 in July 1974. The record also reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is a heavy airplay favorite on oldie and adult-contemporary stations today.
Composition
The song features a lead vocal by Fleming Williams, who left the Hues Corporation shortly after the song was recorded. According to The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred BronsonFred Bronson
Fredric M. Bronson is an American journalist, author and writer. He is best known for his appearances on American Idol, the weekly "Chart Beat" column in Billboard magazine, and as the author of books related to Billboard charts.Born to Irving and Mildred Bronson and raised in Culver City,...
, the lone female member of the group, H. Ann Kelly, had originally been pegged to sing lead, but this idea was discarded out of fear that groups with female lead singers were less commercially viable. The song also features an important post-Motown performance of James Jamerson
James Jamerson
James Lee Jamerson was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s , and he is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history...
.
Hues Corporation member St. Clair Lee claims "It was a song that you could do anything on. You could cuddle or you could get crazy if you wanted to. It was a love song without being a love song. But, it was a Disco hit and it happened because of the discos."
Samples and covers
"Rock the Boat" was coverCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
ed in 1982 by the Dutch/American singer Forrest Thomas
Forrest (singer)
Forrest is an American singer, based out of the Netherlands.He was born in Galveston, Texas, where he sang as a boy in church. He moved to Los Angeles, California as a teen and won several contests there as a singer...
. His version also made the UK top five and the top 10 of the American Dance/Disco chart. Jacob Miller
Jacob Miller
Jacob Miller was a Jamaican reggae artist who first recorded with Clement Dodd. While pursuing a prolific solo career, he became the lead singer for reggae group Inner Circle with whom he recorded until his death in a car accident at the age of 27.-Biography:Jacob Miller was born in Mandeville,...
and the Inner Circle cut a reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
version of the song in 1974.
Richard Finch
Richard Finch (musician)
Richard Finch , is an American composer, producer, engineer, and song arranger. He is best known as the co-founder, producer and former bass player of KC and the Sunshine Band...
of KC and the Sunshine Band
KC and the Sunshine Band
KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. Founded in 1973 in Miami, Florida, their style has included funk, R&B, and disco. Their most well known songs include the disco hits "That's the Way ", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down Tonight", "Give...
has said that "Rock The Boat" played a partial role in inspiring the hit "Rock Your Baby
Rock Your Baby
"Rock Your Baby" is a popular song by George McCrae. Written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band, "Rock Your Baby" was one of the landmark recordings of early disco music...
". The song was also featured in the 1996 film The Cable Guy
The Cable Guy
The Cable Guy is a 1996 black comedy film, directed by Ben Stiller, and starring Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick. The film also features Leslie Mann, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson...
, the 1999 film Man on the Moon, and a commercial for M&M's
M&M's
M&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...
.
Charts
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| U.S. Hot Soul Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
3 |
| Hot Dance/Disco | 5 |