Love Is Like a Rock

"Love Is Like a Rock"
Single by Donnie Iris
from the album King Cool
B-side "Agnes"
Released December 1981
Format 7"
Recorded 1981
Genre Rock
Length 3:35
Label MCA
Writer(s) Mark Avsec, Donnie Iris, Marty Lee Hoenes, Albritton McClain, Kevin Valentine
Producer(s) Mark Avsec
Donnie Iris singles chronology
"Sweet Merilee"
(1981)		 "Love Is Like a Rock"
(1981)		 "My Girl"
(1982)

"Love Is Like a Rock" is a song by American rock musician Donnie Iris from his 1981 album King Cool. The song was released as the second single from his second album.

The song reached No. 37 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart[1] and No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was also recorded by Slade on their 1987 album You Boyz Make Big Noize.

"Love is Like a Rock" is often used by the Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania band during football games. Iris attended SRU in the early 1960s.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Canada RPM[2] 43
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[3] 36
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] 37
U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks 9

Year-end charts

Chart (1982) Rank
U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual) [5] 206

Slade version

Slade's bassist Jim Lea had heard the song and thought the track sounded very Slade-like. As a result, he suggested that the song would fit in nicely with to the current commercial rock sound, and Slade covered the song as the opening track to the You Boyz Make Big Noize album, which turned out to be the band's final studio album. On 27 March 1987, shortly before the album's release, guitarist Dave Hill was interviewed for the Slade International Fan Club newsletter of April–June 1987. In the interview, Hill discussed each song on the album, and for Love is Like a Rock, he stated "This track, which Roy Thomas Baker produced, is a cover of an American song which Jim thought sounded a bit like us in its original format. Jim suggested that it would fit in nicely to the current mould of Bon Jovi / Europe. Roy also liked the song, so we got him to produce it. It's got an up-tempo American feel to it."[6]

The song was recorded at Wessex Studios, and was one of two tracks from the album to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker.

Critical reception

In the booklet of the 2007 Salvo remaster of the You Boyz Make Big Noize album, the writer Chris Ingham spoke of the song, stating "Love is Like a Rock is a telling observation about Slade's ongoing quest to style themselves to the times. One of several more obvious candidates for a single than the tracks that were actually chosen, it nevertheless kicks off the record in great rambunctious style."[7]

Doug Stone of Allmusic spoke of the song in a review of the album, stating "The raging opener "Love Is Like a Rock," didn't fare any better commercially for the boyz than the tune did for awesome originators Donnie Iris and the Cruisers; this class cut remains an ace way to kick off the album because "Love" is, like, so Slade in the first place." Stone also highlighted the song as an album standout by labeling it an AMG Pick Track.[8]

Upon release of the You Boyz Make Big Noize album, an American review from Guitar magazine highlighted the songs "Love is Like a Rock" as one of three of the album's 'hot spots' and stated "No one will ever mistake this for compositional brilliance, but Slade's consistent ability to suck you into their friendly carousing is impressive. It starts with the muscular riff of Love is Like a Rock and never lets up through raspy Holder chorus after chorus."

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  2. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. 1982-02-20. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  5. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  6. ↑ "1987 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  7. ↑ Slade - You Boyz Make Big Noize - Salvo 2007 CD Remaster Booklet Liner Notes
  8. ↑ Doug Stone. "You Boyz Make Big Noize - Slade | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
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