Rock And Roll Part 2 – Gary Glitter | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#7); 1972
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Paul Raven, Paul Monday, Rubber Bucket: all these were incarnations of Paul Gadd, the artist eventually-known-as-Gary Glitter; a pointedly unsuccessful artist until he met up with Mike Leander in 1965.
Leander’s resume already included production of Marianne Faithful’s hit single As Tears Go By and arrangement of the Rolling Stones version as well. By the early 1970’s Gadd/Raven and Leander felt that the emerging glam rock movement provided the perfect opportunity for “Gary Glitter,” a name with the desired alliteration supposedly chosen after the likes of Vicki Vomit and Terry Tinsel were rejected.
Rock And Roll Part 2 was edited down from a 15 minute extended jam, and appeared in a vocal and instrumental version on the Glitter album.
The infectious “Hey Song” – as it would later be known in sports arenas – kicked off a string of 11 straight U.K. Top Ten singles. Glittermania reigned overseas for the next four years before Gary retired from the scene.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Mike Leander
Lyrics Written by:
- Gary Glitter
- Mike Leander
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).