Third Rate Romance
Encyclopedia
"Third Rate Romance" is the title of a song recorded by the American country rock
band Amazing Rhythm Aces
on its 1975 album Stacked Deck. It was the band's debut single, reaching #11 on the U.S. country singles charts and #14 on the Billboard Hot 100
, as well as #1 on the Canadian RPM
Country Tracks and Top Singles charts.
with a woman he met at a restaurant/bar and took to a motel. Implied within the lyrics is that the tryst is not the first for either.
artist Sammy Kershaw
covered the song on his 1994 album Feelin' Good Train
, from which it was released as a single in 1994. It peaked at #2 in the United States, and #10 in Canada. Kershaw's version features backing vocals from former Amazing Rhythm Aces member Russell Smith
, who also wrote the song.
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
band Amazing Rhythm Aces
Amazing Rhythm Aces
The Amazing Rhythm Aces are an American country rock group. The band has characterized their music as "American Music" or "Roots Music" — rock, country, blues, R&B, folk, reggae and Latino...
on its 1975 album Stacked Deck. It was the band's debut single, reaching #11 on the U.S. country singles charts and #14 on the 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...
, as well as #1 on the Canadian RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Country Tracks and Top Singles charts.
Content
The song is a narrative about a man (presumably the singer) who has a one night standOne Night Stand
One Night Stand is an HBO stand-up series that first aired on February 15, 1989. The half-hour series aired weekly and featured stand-up comedy specials from some of the top performing comedians. The series originally comprised 55 specials over the course of its four years on HBO...
with a woman he met at a restaurant/bar and took to a motel. Implied within the lyrics is that the tryst is not the first for either.
Chart performance
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 14 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 2 |
Sammy Kershaw version
Country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Sammy Kershaw
Sammy Kershaw
Samuel Paul "Sammy" Kershaw is an American country music artist. A third cousin of Cajun fiddler Doug Kershaw and ex-husband of Lorrie Morgan, he has been active in country music since 1991. He has released ten studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications...
covered the song on his 1994 album Feelin' Good Train
Feelin' Good Train
Feelin' Good Train is the third studio album released by American country music artist Sammy Kershaw. It was released in 1994 on Mercury Records. The album produced four singles for Kershaw on the Billboard country charts...
, from which it was released as a single in 1994. It peaked at #2 in the United States, and #10 in Canada. Kershaw's version features backing vocals from former Amazing Rhythm Aces member Russell Smith
Russell Smith (singer)
Russell Smith is an American country music singer-songwriter. Formerly the lead singer of the Amazing Rhythm Aces, Smith launched a solo country music career in 1984. He was signed by Epic Records in 1988, who released his debut album, This Little Town, the following year...
, who also wrote the song.
Music video
The music video was directed by Michael Merriman, and features a woman tricking an old man into going to a motel with her, but she winds up stealing his money and watch, and she winds up driving off with another man, and the old man tries to chase them down.Chart performance
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 5 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 10 |
Other versions
- Rosanne CashRosanne CashRosanne Cash is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of the late country music singer Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin....
recorded the track on her 1982 album, Somewhere in the StarsSomewhere in the StarsSomewhere in the Stars is the 4th album by Rosanne Cash. It produced three Billboard hits in the country top 20, including the #4 "Ain't No Money", the #8 "I Wonder", and the #14 "It Hasn't Happened Yet"...
.