There's a big controversy about it right now because Gary Glitter is a convicted pedophile and the song is used in the gigantic movie "Joker": "Convicted pedophile Gary Glitter set to earn big royalties from ‘Joker’ movie" (CNBC).
The song plays for approximately two minutes as Joaquin Phoenix, who has received rave reviews for his portrayal of the eponymous villain, dances down a long flight of steps outside his Gotham City apartment.That song is already played everywhere and has been for decades. But a lot of people are looking for ways to say something bad about "Joker." Maybe everyone will finally decide that song is really evil. It's used in the movie to convey the evil of the character. It's used to stimulate emotions at sporting events. It has a uniquely weird quality, so I think it's very useful and will not go away. But who knew it was by Gary Glitter and had the stupid name "Rock and Roll — Part 2"?
Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, is reportedly expected to receive a lump sum for allowing the recording to be used in “Joker.” He is also thought to be in line for music royalties depending on the success of movie theater ticket sales, DVD sales and film soundtrack sales.
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It’s been a good trivia night question since forever.
It’s a great name. But a little too subtle for a mass medium. If I could put into words why it is a great name, it would be less great.
By the way, it's called "Rock and Roll, Part 2", because it was a long song and was split into 2 parts for sales. No stupider than Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips, Part 2".
Since Blogger posted a fail on my previous post, I'll assume it didn't go through. "Rock and Roll, Part 2" is from the album "Glitter" by Gary Glitter. Have it in my collection, bought it in 1972. Admittedly, I have an eclectic appreciation for music. I can listen to Barry Manilow and Black Sabbath with equal affection.
Hollywood is just a degenerate pedophile cult. If you go to movies, especially ones with children in them, you're supporting pedophilia.
I remember it as Rock and Roll Part 2.
"Hey T, do you have Rock and Roll Part 2 on this K-Tel Hits of the Seventies eight track?"
"What's Rock and Roll Part 2?"
"The Hey song."
"Oh yeah, I love that song. No it's on the other one, grab it out of the case behind me."
Well I knew, because it was a big AM radio hit when I was about 11 years old. There is also, BTW, a "Rock and Roll, Pt. 1" which has lyrics, but American radio latched onto the B-side, making it a surprise hit. And yes, Gadd/Glitter gets a royalty check every month.....
I'm sure he needs the money, but he's also been desperate to keep a low profile since he got kicked out of Cambodia almost 20 years following publicity around his child porn conviction in Britain.
It's the most familiar song that no one knows the name of or who it's by.
I thought that was Green Onions by Booker T. and the M.G.S.
p.s. Victor Salva has directed nine movies since his incarceration for child sexual abuse and child pornography.
I knew that, but I’m a pretty big music nerd, especially 70s music.
It’s not really a stupid name. A lot of times when a song was longer than the length of a 45 single, the song would be split into two parts. “What I Say” by Ray chalres was like this, for instance. So side A was “Rock and Roll Part 1,” and has vocals, but is not well known in the States.
Damn saw a lot of people already explained what I wrote in the comments. Oh well.
You learn something new every day. Today I've learned the name of this song I've heard innumerable times, the song's author (though I had heard of Gary Glitter before), and that the author is a convicted pedophile.
We should ask the folks that are critical of the song being in the Joker movie for their thoughts on Roman Polanski. Oh, and all the other sexual miscreants among the move and music elite.
If the guy has been convicted I would expect that he's been punished, paid his debt to society. Demanding that he be banned from earning a living is, dare I say, civility bullshit.
That explains why you don't here that song much anymore. I first heard of Gary Glitter in the early 00's from the Phil Hendrie show, the greatest talkshow of all time. Didn't connect the song
Of course I knew the title and artist. How could you be born in 1954 and not? Maybe if you've lost your memory ...
"Big controversy?" There isn't. CNN's trying to spawn one, sure, but there isn't.
Glitter was best buds with another famous British pedophile, Jimmy Saville, who unfortunately died before he could be spend time behind bars. A lot of important people looked the other way (or worse) and hence enabled his behavior for decades. I suspect the same is true for glitter.
p.s. Victor Salva has directed nine movies since his incarceration for child sexual abuse and child pornography.
I just googled this guy and what do know, he looks exactly like you would imagine a child sex abuser would look like. Physiognomy is real, eh?
The song had fallen off, and sports arenas stopped playing it when Glitter got canceled.
Anyway, there shouldn't be any outrage over this. Glitter is being paid for writing and performing a song, not for buggering boys. Charles Manson got paid for writing songs, not for murder. Christopher Plummer was excellent in All the Money in the World, but I think Ridley Scott should have kept Kevin Spacey in it.
The "Rock and Roll" part makes sense if you listen to Part 1, which has the lyrics. Part 2 makes more sense for a sports arena situation where "HEEEEeeeeEEEEEY" and "WOOHOO" are easier to coordinate with 20K+ fans.
Stevew. The question isn’t whether Glitter should be barred from making a living. Of course not. The question is whether you or I should decide not to see the movie because it enriches a horrible person. We all get to vote with our feet.
"But it wasn't the bullet that laid him to rest,
Twas the low spark of high heel boys..."
There's no royalty issue if copyrights expired after 20 years, just like patents do.
Considering how much h8 the professional h8rs have for this film, it might be worth seeing after all. We’re talking people who h8 everything about the United States, except for the checks they get for telling the world how h8ful they are.
The other "unknown" song title is well known for being Michael Jordan's intro music, which was then adopted by many teams as their intro music: "Sirius" by The Alan Parsons Project (off of "I Robot" I think). Then of course you have "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam, which is pretty much just the title shouted over and over, "Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey kiss, him goodbye"...
I hear Roman Polanski is doing a bio pic of Gary Glitter using music from the album Thriller.
I knew the name of the song, knew it was by Gary Glitter, and knew he was a convicted pedophile.
I also knew that they don't actually play it much at sporting events anymore because of his conviction.
Yes, I remember the pathetic excuse for music.
Has this song ever inspired anyone to commit an act of pedophilia? On the other hand, that Woody Allen movie "Manhattan" presents an idealized version of a high school girl having an affair with a man in his forties. If you were on the fence about making a pass at the babysitter, that movie might give you the inspiration to act.
The Gary Glitter/pedo controversy is nothing new. It's been around since ESPN put it on their Jock Jams CD. And I thought everyone knew the title and artist.
But who knew it was by Gary Glitter and had the stupid name "Rock and Roll — Part 2"?
Lots of us. Glitter made the mistake of being from Oxfordshire instead of Rotherham.
If we can't depend on rocknrollers, actors, and would-be auteurs to live lives of mental, moral, physical, and political purity, just who can we look to?
Narr
Athletes, right?
If we can't depend on rocknrollers, actors, and would-be auteurs to live lives of mental, moral, physical, and political purity, just who can we look to?
Narr
Athletes, right?
Althouse sees through the bullshit as usual.
It amazes me how "The Joker" has lit up the left this way.
@steve uhr: good point as Glitter's already been paid I guess. Friggin' weird though, if most people don't know the name of the song and the guy that wrote it (and his pedo history) then all they've done is promote interest in the movie.
FWIW, daughter and son in law saw it Friday and enjoyed it quite a bit. I won't go to the theater to see it, but will see it once its available through streaming.
I hate to admit it, but I love that song. I would love to see that scene you describe from the Joker...but probably not enough to go to the actual movie.
Mike (MJB Wolf): The "na na na hey hey hey" was a placeholder. They were recording the song and had not written a proper chorus so they went with that, and the label was so happy with the placeholder chorus that it was released like that.
The song is associated with the band "Steam," which was a fake band thrown together to tour. The actual singer was Gary DeCarlo who was not part of Steam. There are two explanations for this. Gary insists he was forced out by the label, while the label insists Gary was so embarrassed by this incomplete song being released that he refused to sing it.
Alanc
A lot of us like Barry Manilow just as much as Black Sabbath. I listen to each equally often.
I may have been wrong about Glitter. It seems he buggers girls, although maybe he also buggers boys, I don’t know.
Way way late on this one but ... Gary Glitter is currently 75 years old and is in prison in the UK serving a 16-year sentence. Just FYI for what is usually a well-informed set of commenters.
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