Rock Your Baby
| "Rock Your Baby" | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Single by George McCrae | |
| from the album Rock Your Baby | |
| B-side | "Rock Your Baby (Part 2)" |
| Released | May 1974 |
| Format | 7 inch single |
| Genre | Disco |
| Length | 3:14 (7" version) 6:24 (album version) |
| Label | TK Records, Jay Boy (UK) |
| Writer(s) | Harry Wayne Casey, Richard Finch |
| Producer(s) | Harry Wayne Casey, Richard Finch |
"Rock Your Baby" is a first studio album by George McCrae. Written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band, "Rock Your Baby" was one of the landmark recordings of early disco music. A massive international hit, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the United States, spending two weeks at the top in July 1974, number one on the R&B singles chart, and repeating the feat on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks at the top of the chart in July 1974. Having sold 11 million copies, it is one of the fewer than forty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) physical copies worldwide.
The backing track for the record had been recorded in 45 minutes as a demo, and featured guitarist Jerome Smith of KC and the Sunshine Band, with Casey on keyboards and Finch on bass and drums. The track was not originally intended for McCrae, but he happened to be in the studio, added a vocal, and the resultant combination of infectious rhythm and falsetto vocals made it a hit.
The chord progression of John Lennon's number one single "Whatever Gets You thru the Night", released a few months later, bears a great resemblance to the one found in "Rock Your Baby". Lennon later admitted to using the song as an inspiration.ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus have also cited the song as an inspiration for the backing track of their 1976 smash hit "Dancing Queen". The song was covered by indie rock band The House of Love for the 1992 compilation album Ruby Trax.
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