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Eagle Rock (song)

"Eagle Rock"
Eagle-Rock.jpg
Single by Daddy Cool
from the album Daddy Who? Daddy Cool
A-side "Eagle Rock"
B-side "Bom Bom"
Released May 1971
January 1981
Format 7" vinyl
12" vinyl
Genre Australian rock, Blues Rock
Length 4:09
Label Sparmac
Wizard
Writer(s) Ross Wilson
Producer(s) Robie Porter
Daddy Cool singles chronology
No previous issue "Eagle Rock"
(1971)
"Come Back Again"
(1971)

"Eagle Rock" is a classic Australian rock song, released by Daddy Cool in May 1971 on the Sparmac Record Label. It went on to become the best selling Australian single of the year, achieving gold status in eleven weeks, and remaining at #1 on the national charts for a (then) record ten weeks. "Eagle Rock" also spent 17 weeks at the #1 spot on the Melbourne Top 40 Singles Chart. The song was re-released by Wizard Records in 1982, and reached #17 on the Australian singles charts.

In New Zealand the song has charted three times. In 1971 it reached #17, in 1986 it was in the charts for ten weeks reaching #19, and in 1990 it was #1 for four weeks, staying in the charts for 15 weeks and achieving gold status.

Guitarist, vocalist and the song's writer Ross Wilson was living and performing in London when he wrote the song. He explained his inspiration for the song:

It came from a Sunday Times liftout magazine A-Z on music. In the before blues section there was an evocative photo of rural black Americans dancing in a dirt poor juke joint - the caption was along the lines of "some negroes 'cut the pigeon wing' and 'do the eagle rock'".

"Eagle Rock" was a popular 1920s black dance performed with the arms outstretched and the body rocking from side to side, 'Doing the eagle rock' is also a metaphor for sexual intercourse. The 1913 popular song "Ballin' the Jack" has the line "Stretch your lovin' arms straight out in space / Then do the Eagle Rock with style and grace".

The accompanying promotional video, directed by Chris Löfvén, was "put together quickly for $300 and shows the band in some old Melbourne haunts including the Dolphin Café in Clarendon St., South Melbourne, St. Kilda's Aussie Burger Bar opposite Luna Park and live shots from the 1971 Myponga Festival held in South Australia."

In May 2001, Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs of all time, as decided by a 100 strong industry panel, "Eagle Rock" was declared second behind the Easybeats' "Friday On My Mind".


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