The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll explained

The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll
Cover:	The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll (cover art).jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Mott the Hoople
Album:	The Hoople
B-Side:	Rest In Peace
Released:	February 1974
Recorded:	January–February 1974
Genre:	Glam rock^[1] rock and roll
Length:	3:26
Label:	CBS Records/Columbia Records
Producer:	Mott the Hoople
Prev Title:	Roll Away the Stone
Prev Year:	1973
Next Title:	Foxy, Foxy
Next Year:	1974

"The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll" is a single by Mott the Hoople, written by Ian Hunter. It is a release from 1974's The Hoople.^[2]

Background

Performed live by Mott, "The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll" would usually follow a piano take on the first verse of Don McLean's "American Pie", hence following the latter's statement, "The day the music died". Ian Hunter would declare: "Or did it? Ladies and gentlemen, The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll!", whereupon the whole band launched into the song. This can be heard among the 2006 bonus tracks on The Hoople and on the Broadway disc of the 2004 remastered and expanded 30th Anniversary Edition of Live.

Reception

Cash Box called it a "hard driving rocker typical of the great work the group has been turning out of late" that is "highlighted by the strength of Hunter’s vocals and a strong keyboard and lead guitar."^[3] Record World said "Horn lines from Larry Williams' 'Boney Maroney' wedded to Mott's brand of glitter rock means a hit marriage of the past and the future of rock."^[4]

Chart performance

It reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.^[5] In the US, "The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll " went to number 96, and was one three Mott the Hoople releases to hit the Hot 100.^[6] In Canada, it reached number 64.^[7]

Cover versions

Def Leppard covered the song for their 2006 covers album Yeah!. "The one I assumed I'd breeze through was 'The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll'," observed singer Joe Elliott, "which I know backwards, inside out and in foreign languages. We had to take that one down a key because I just couldn't do it."^[8]

Notes and References

1. Book: Stanley, Bob . Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Deluxe and Delightful: Glam. 13 September 2013. Faber & Faber. 978-0-571-28198-5. 336.
2. Rolling Stone. The Hoople. Emerson, Ken. June 20, 1974.
3. News: CashBox Record Reviews. April 13, 1974. 20. 2021-12-11. Cash Box.
4. Record World. April 13, 1974. 2023-03-16. Hits of the Week. 1.
5. Book: Roberts , David . 2006. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th. Guinness World Records Limited . London. 1-904994-10-5. 381.
6. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

   . Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 . Joel Whitburn . 2013 . Record Research . 594.

7. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - June 29, 1974.
8. Dave. Ling. The dirt: Joe Elliott. Classic Rock #94. July 2006. 38.