BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1989
REQUEST
“Rock On” is a song that was composed and sung by English singer/songwriter David Essex in 1973. In March of 1974, it was a Top 5 song (reaching the #5 position) on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop-music chart. It was Essex’s only Billboard Top 40 hit.
“Rock On” was covered by soap opera star and singer Michael Damian in 1989 and featured in the teen film, Dream a Little Dream, starring Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, among others.
Damian’s version, which he also released from his independent album Where Do We Go From Here on the Cypress Records label, which A&M Records distributed, was a harder-edged interpretation that employed none of the vocal or instrumental distortion Essex’s version had used. It reached the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, thus outperforming Essex’s original Billboard ranking. However, the song did get to #1 for Essex in ’74 on the US Cashbox charts, the same week it was at #11 on the Billboard Charts.
This version was ranked #99 on VH1’s 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s (despite the fact that Damian actually had four Billboard charting singles during the ’80s).
SIDE A:
Rock On (7″ Extended Dance Mix) 6:30
Rock On (12″ Power Re-Mix) 3:54
SIDE B:
Rock On (Original Dance Mix) 4:56
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near mint
Sleeve: Near mint
CHARTS:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Rock On | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #1 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Cypress Records
Catalog#: SP-12308
Format: Vinyl, 12″
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Edited By – Manny Lehman (tracks: A1, A2)
Producer – Larry Weir , Michael Damian , Tom Weir
Remix – Manny Lehman (tracks: A1, A2) , Michael Damian (tracks: A1, A2) , Tom Weir (tracks: A1, A2)
Written By – D. Essex
Find The 12″ On DISCOGS
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
hi,great version, you can repost , many thanks!!!
Hi my name is Carlos and i’m really big fan of Michael Damian i tried to download the file then unzipped the file using 7zip but said need a password “Need Help Please”????????
thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you!!!
Thanks! Have been seeking the 12″ Power Re-Mix for a long time!
Paul was just referencing VH1’s list, so it was never really a matter of his agreeing or not agreeing that Michael Damian is not a one-hit wonder. It wasn’t Paul saying he’s a one-hit wonder. But for the very point you, Matracas, raise about a lot of artists who are called one-hit wonders having other releases that just don’t chart or don’t chart as well is why I usually put “one-hit wonder” in parenthesis when I’m referring to artists who would probably be called that by most people. Almost all of them released other songs. Anyway, what I was originally… Read more »
thank you! stumbled onto your site. what a labor of love. much appreciated. can’t say thank you enough. cheers.
The info states “This version was ranked #99 on VH1′s 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s (despite the fact that Damian actually had four Billboard charting singles during the ’80s).” See, I have always had a problem with these “one hit wonder” charts because it always seems that the artists have at least one other song that charted. Do you consider a-ha a one hit wonder? Ray Parker Jr. or Spin Doctors? If a song only breaks the Billboard top 40 it’s not enough to be considered a hit unless it goes Top 5 or what? Anyway; in… Read more »
matracas does that mean that you don’t like it? I do know that Michael Damian charted at #24 “Was It Nothing at All?” (1989) and #31 “Cover Of Love” (1989) #69 “She Did It” (1981) and #60 “What A Price To Pay” (1991). So I wouldn’t consider him a OHW maybe a #1 hit wonder. haha
See; so you agree that he isn’t a OHW.
BTW I do like the song but I still prefer the 70’s original version.
Thanks for this rip.