Rock On - David Essex | The Midnight Special

[@robmatlock7675]

This is the 1st time I was able to put a face to this song. This was on everywhere when I was a kid. ROCK ON✌️😊

[@MrMegaFredZeppelin]

I had this on 45rpm record as a child😃Great tune "hear"👍🏻ROCK ON!!!!!!!🤘🏻🤙🏻✌🏻

[@RickDanner]

my brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! me too

[@MrMegaFredZeppelin]

@@RickDanner Hey Rick😁ROCK ON!!!!!!🤘🏻🤙🏻✌🏻

[@Kevin-kr5ok]

Man … that summer this song played every 20 minutes !

[@HagbardCeline23]

Crazy tune given everything else in the charts at that time!

[@that70sgirl90]

It's Thursday... Let's "Rock On!" Happy Thursday... thank you for sharing! 💖

[@canalcksofficial1745]

It is good, an great weekend 4 u

[@markydo7]

Happy Thursday 70s girl 🌹🤠

[@that70sgirl90]

@@canalcksofficial1745 😊

[@that70sgirl90]

@@markydo7 👌

[@KittyGrizGriz]

Always loved this song as a young teen, David Essex is very very handsome w/ gorgeous blue eyes & a great voice! The vocal “Echoes” stand out - so cool. 🤘💗💗

[@HisQueen-z2x]

This is one bad song! I can't imagine not growing up with this song. That bluesy rock sound.David is killing it with this tune! Thanks for this great throwback! 🎤🎸🎹🎺🥁🎶🥰💇‍♀️🫶💐

[@SuperKabookie]

I love that song! And he is a heartthrob ❤❤❤❤

[@curtisphilumalee1447]

Yeah I’m….. Still looking for that blue jean baby queen Prettiest girl I ever seen See her shake on the movie screen Yeah I must have sang these verses hundreds of times as a kid and I still don’t know who she is. Rock on

[@pfos]

i know what ya mean

[@josephroman8568]

He's performing on a boat! Far Out!

[@Oklahoma-Dreaming]

Groovy! He’s absolutely dreamy!

[@Gpmeme948]

Look a little closer. Bought this 45 RPM 7 inch record in the spring of grade 4. My dad bought a house rattling Stereo in 1973. When the “bass’ button was pushed on the Pioneer 727 “receiver”, the balloon frame house became part of the sonic experience. I remember at the time that nothing vibrated the floor like this track!

[@mj.l]

wtf i thought it was a stage backdrop 🤯

[@Gpmeme948]

Look a little closer. Bought this 45 RPM 7 inch record in the spring of grade 4. My dad bought a house rattling Stereo in 1973. When the “bass’ button was pushed on the Pioneer 727 “receiver”, the balloon frame house became part of the sonic experience. I remember at the time that nothing vibrated the floor like this track!

[@Oklahoma-Dreaming]

If I walked around swinging a Mike stand people would throw tomatoes at me. David Essex does it and he’s groovy. At least that’s what Marcia Brady said.

[@KittyGrizGriz]

Haha! Thank you! Your funny comment reminded me of a long forgotten memory. At age 20 I complained to my older youngest brother about receiving cat-calls/wolf-whistles from men. His reply; “What do you want them to do, throw tomatoes at you??!!.” 🤭 😵‍💫 😂 He was 23 & had just returned home after being in the army-Germany for 4 yrs., missed my protective big bro & was looking for comfort/advice.

[@aclark903]

#Towie!

[@HisQueen-z2x]

David Essex is killing it with this jam, and I love watching him with the mic.🎤 🎺🎸👑🥁🎶🥰🙌🫶🌹

[@robmatlock7675]

​@@KittyGrizGrizsome where between the memories making me smile and the missing them make me cry, I find that I was SO blessed to have spent time with such wonderful companions.

[@adriannademadriguera4859]

Very cool 😎.

[@johngleason9407]

Top 10 bassline of all time 🤪

[@KittyGrizGriz]

Heavy sounding bass, here. It’s my favorite instrument - and what made this song notable…Rock! On!

[@JanJurk]

Herbie Flowers @@KittyGrizGriz

[@KittyGrizGriz]

@@JanJurk Thank you for his name, a great bassist.

[@somejackball]

i always knew that dude had to look cool AF! 😁

[@folginator]

Dam! That guy was good looking!!

[@Oklahoma-Dreaming]

I agree. And I’m a dude. And I’m straight. Not for long if David Essex calls ;-)

[@folginator]

@@Oklahoma-DreamingI’m straight too, but…

[@MetalJesusRocks]

The Def Leppard cover of this song is pretty great too. 🤘

[@RnR-Rebel]

Ever hear the “Dirty Queen” version by Daniel Ash from Bauhaus, Love & Rockets? Pretty good as well! 😊

[@liverpoolpictorial]

Loved this tune when it was released.

[@newfiecanuck1960]

Such a great classic!

[@williambenner701]

I use to love this song so much!🤘

[@marty_the_party]

Super cool guy from the '70's

[@kevin6667]

I really thought the Tower Bridge was bigger in real life. Or David Essex is a giant.😮

[@AuralDeviation]

It was a prop ordered by Spinal Tap.

[@Oklahoma-Dreaming]

If you look really closely you can see characters from “Spinal Tap” in the front row. They were experimenting with Essex for the scene with Stone ‘Endge. But David goes to 11.

[@MarkBarna1]

Loved this song when it came out. I still here it as I did then. He must feel a bit awkward up their singing to a backing track and waiting for the music breaks to finish.

[@RJTAYLER]

Dear Sir You might want to do or produce a special on those London and other non-US filmed episodes someday. How did they come about? What were the logistical challenges and technical limitations of mounting such a broadcast back in the 1970s? I think it might be an interesting watch in and of itself.

[@onomatopoeidia]

Legs flapping like a flaricopter 😂

[@markgatland977]

That suit is 👌... that's a serious pair of Lionels he's got on ("Lionel Blairs"/flares.. Cockney rhyming slang for you American folk 😉)

[@bigwyo9523]

Really dug that song...used to listen to it on the wireless back in the day. *snicker*

[@HTJB60]

nOT HEARD THAT FOR MANY A YEAR ! 30 or 40...... Still sound's fresh. Very 'light' for the "Midnight special" ! More like the "Mid-day special" LOL.

[@tbirdtim]

Rock on with your bad self!

[@curtisphilumalee1447]

Imagine there’s a generation that thinks Def Leppard was the original recording artist of Rock on

[@k_DAN]

It looked like his career was about to skyrocket, but it fizzled fast. Great video !!

[@ayrshireman1314]

??? he may not have had a big US career, but had a huge career in the UK and still does, a Brit icon of the 70s and 80s for his music and films/TV

[@k_DAN]

@@ayrshireman1314 Really ? That song blew us away in Canada at the time, and then he was done here.

[@ayrshireman1314]

@@k_DANyep, 19 top 40 hits in the UK and Ireland and Europe, here he was also v popular add to that his film, stage and TV success, inc That'll Be The Day, Stardust, Silver Dream Racer and was rhe original Che in Evita on stage​.Stlll ffilling out arenas at 77 ..I am off to see him In Sept in Glasgow.

[@1970sthrowback]

He was huge in the UK, if you dont know them already check out 3 of his other hits ( which personally i prefer ) - Gonna Make You A Star Hold Me Close Oh What A Circus

[@dgf6275]

My JAM "45 Life 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@KittyGrizGriz]

I swear, that’s my,,,♥️,,,beating at the very beginning, they used it for the recording.

[@stephenwilliams926]

Look at those Trousers catching the wind @ 0:01 😊

[@Oklahoma-Dreaming]

John Travolta called. He wants his suit back.

[@AuralDeviation]

I think it would be the other way ‘round.

[@Oklahoma-Dreaming]

@@AuralDeviationprobably.

[@marty_the_party]

This guy was way ahead of John Travolta,

[@caryheuchert]

John Travolta was still even a few years away from playing a Sweathog in “Welcome Back Kotter”.

[@SVNTY6]

One of my favourite J Dilla samples…

[@ragman069]

I got the 45

[@michiganman5341]

This song played every hour on the hour and sometimes more. Just like Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks it was overplayed.

[@nighthawkde4522]

This guy was hot. I loved him as a teen.

[@TimEric4d3d3d3]

Pretty good green screen technology for 1973 here

[@canalcksofficial1745]

That's good huh

[@JohnDaly-x4i]

Invisible band is under rated.

[@RnR-Rebel]

Such a great song, loved it but not the album which my mother got me because she loved this song as well! Does anyone remember the 2 different versions of the same film he starred in? “That’ll Be the Day” & “Stardust” which was the Americanised version? Anyone ever hear Daniel Ash’s “Dirty Queen“ version? 🧡🎸🎶⚡️🤘🦋🏍

[@ayrshireman1314]

Stardust was the sequel, better than Day imo.

[@RnR-Rebel]

@@ayrshireman1314 - Thanks, I only saw Stardust, got confused. Do recall liking it very much tho! Think I have it on VHS somewhere in my mess! Cheers!

[@HisQueen-z2x]

Yep .I do. ❤

[@ayrshireman1314]

@@RnR-Rebel np.

[@RnR-Rebel]

@@HisQueen-z2x - Yay! I was just talking about it the other day because Ringo came up; love synchronicities! Cheers!

[@Zzyzx_2112]

👍👍

[@drpepperr]

The Jimmy Dean reference still mystifies, all these years later.

[@KittyGrizGriz]

Makes me think of Jimmy Dean sausage,,, 🙃,,,every time…

[@garanceadrosehn9691]

I've always assumed it was the James Dean who acted in "Rebel without a Cause", "East of Eden", and "Giant" (and who died in a car crash), which would tie in to the line _"see her there on the movie screen"._ Often described as "His roles typified teenage disillusionment and social estrangement of his time", which fits well with teenagers rocking on. I suppose it might possibly be for the Jimmy Dean in country music, which wikipedia describes as: "He rose to fame for his 1961 country music crossover hit into rock and roll with _'Big Bad John'_ and his 1963 television series _'The Jimmy Dean Show'_ ..."

[@Noname-ni1dy]

Great song, but a very awkward performance. Anyone see Elaine dancing on Seinfeld?

[@MisterBeauJanGels]

Was he promoting witchcraft with this song? I heard him sing "Witches, the way that's clear".

[@tombombara]

Bummer, not live.

[@RnR-Rebel]

Yes indeed he’s singing live to a backing track. The studio version is completely different. 😊

[@eflows]

Unfortunately the thing that made The Midnight Special special was that it was live. Not a guy lip-syncing out in the cold with five girls in front of him and a tape of audience clapping.

[@DaveMar-w6r]

I think his vocals were absolutely live but over a track.

[@RnR-Rebel]

He’s absolutely *not* lip syncing, he’s singing over a track. Go listen to the original song, entirely different. 😘🧡🎸🎶⚡️🤘🦋🏍

[@shelbybarrett7648]

Song is great..but no band or back singers..

[@AuralDeviation]

So basically this song is about wanting kids to rock on?

[@Oklahoma-Dreaming]

I think your musical criticism nailed it. “Rolling Stone” magazine awaits!

[@SkywalkerPMs]

Nah, you totally missed it. It is about peanut allergies.

[@RnR-Rebel]

@@SkywalkerPMs- Nope it’s about being a vegan & eating rocks. Some think they’re killing them also, so they’re breatharians! 😉

[@julieking4304]

this dumb song was less dumb when i was 13