Song:All Summer Long
Album:Rock N Roll Jesus
It could be said that Bob "Kid Rock" Ritchie is a mish mash of several different music styles without being very good at any of them. But several of his albums have gone Platinum so somebody liked him. All Summer Long is one of his more successful singles but he's really more of an album and touring success. He was born Jan. 17, 1971 in Romeo, MI. He became interested in rap and joined a breakdance crew at age 11 and DJd at local clubs. It was odd seeing a white kid breakdance in those days and that's how he got the name Kid Rock. He ran away from home to live with a friend in Mount Clemens, MI because his parents were against his desire to perform. He was discovered by D-Nice of Boogie Down Productions and he got Kid Rock a deal with Jive Records. His debut album Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast was released in 1990. It did well in Detroit but did poorly nationally and Jive dropped him. He released a couple of albums independently that went nowhere. He finally signed with Lava Records in 1997. Devil Without a Cause was released in 1998 and it was certified 11XPlatinum despite not having a big hit single. Only God Knows Why reached the top 20. What made him popular? He appeared regularly with Carson Daly on MTV. Then he started touring. He was never respected as a rapper. A lot of rappers hated him. But kids loved him. His success continued. He got a lot of attention when he married Pamela Anderson in 2001. Rock scored his only top ten hit with Picture, a duet with Sheryl Crow. This signaled a change to a Southern Rock influenced sound. All Summer Long is from his 2007 album Rock N Roll Jesus. It reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified 3XPlatinum. The song is a mashup of Warren Zevon's Werewolves Of London and Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama. It was the brainchild of Insane Clown Posse producer Mike E. Clark. Today Kid Rock isn't as popular as he was partially because Lava split with distributor Atlantic Records. He remained with Atlantic but they didn't seem to spend as much to promote him. He also seems to be more of a country artist these days so I think he appeals to an older audience now. I'm surprised Atlantic hasn't released a comp but Rock N Roll Jesus is available as a budget CD. Rock moved to Warner Bros. and he released the CD First Kiss Feb. 2015. He is currently on tour so he's still around. But I think his prime years have passed. Here's the video for All Summer Long by Kid Rock.
I recently saw and heard one of Kid Rocks newer songs. Only God Knows
ReplyDeleteWhy. I agree with you Frank. He is playing to an older audience. But the song is good he does have talent. If you like his music then you will like him. I guess you either like him or you do not. I like some of his songs. And this one I like a good deal. He will be around for a while.