"Rock the Boat" is a song by American trioThe Hues Corporation, written by Wally Holmes. "Rock the Boat" was first featured on their 1973 debut studio albumFreedom for the Stallion. It was released as the third single from the album in early 1974, to follow up Stallions title song, which had peaked at number sixty-three on the Hot 100, and "Miracle Maker " which did not chart. Initially, "Rock the Boat" appeared as though it would also flop, as months went by without any radio airplay or sales activity. Not until the song became a disco favorite in New York did Top 40 radio finally pick up on the song, leading the record to finally enter the Hot 100 and zip up the chart to number one the week of July 6, 1974, in only its seventh week on the chart. The record also reached the top ten in the United Kingdom. "Rock the Boat" is considered one of the earliest disco songs. Some authorities proclaim it to be the first disco song to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while others give that distinction to "Love's Theme" by Love Unlimited Orchestra, a chart-topper from earlier in 1974. The song became a gold record. It is a heavy airplay favorite on oldie and adult contemporary stations today.
Composition and recording
Holmes wrote the song for the band's first album, and started the song with the line "Ever since our voyage of love began..". In an attempt to make it more punchy, producer John Florez suggested starting with the line "So I'd like to know where you got the notion." The song features a lead vocal by Fleming Williams, who left The Hues Corporation shortly after the song was recorded. According to The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred Bronson, the lone female member of the group, H. Ann Kelley, had originally been pegged to sing lead, but this idea was discarded out of fear that groups with female lead singers were less commercially viable. The bass player on the session was Wilton Felder, not James Jamerson as sometimes reported. Florez also brought in two other members of the Jazz Crusaders, Joe Sample on piano and Larry Carlton on guitar, as well as Jim Gordon on drums. Wally Holmes wrote and played the trumpet line. Producer John Florez did not like the lyrics for "Rock the Boat", calling them "trite", and it was originally made a B side. After a riveting response from New York City's dance clubs, Florez remixed the song to boost the bass and rhythm instruments, and it was quickly re-released, becoming a smash. The Hues Corporation member St. Clair Lee claims "It was a song that you could do anything on. You could cuddle or you could get crazy if you wanted to. It was a love song without being a love song. But, it was a Disco hit and it happened because of the discos." The song features a change in meter during the pre-chorus "We've been sailing with a cargo full of love and devotion" where it is for one measure while the rest of the song is in common time.
Legacy
A dance to "Rock the Boat" is commonly performed at weddings and birthday parties, involving many people sitting down in a row and "rowing" a boat to the tune of the song. Particularly popular in Ireland, the dance attracted international attention after being featured on the second season of the TV seriesDerry Girls. A similar dance is done in parts of the United Kingdom to "Oops Up Side Your Head".
Samples and covers
"Rock the Boat" was covered in 1982 by the Dutch/American singer Forrest Thomas. His version also made the UK top five and the top 10 of the AmericanDance/Disco chart. Jacob Miller and the Inner Circle cut a reggae version of the song in 1974. British girl groupDelage covered the song in 1990. It peaked at #63 on the UK charts. There is a reference to the song's distinctive bridge in Jurassic 5 track "Concrete Schoolyard". Singaporean band Lizard's Convention also covered the song in the 1990s. Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band has said that "Rock The Boat" played a partial role in inspiring the hit "Rock Your Baby". The song was also featured in the 1990 filmThe Spirit of '76, the 1993 film Carlito's Way, the 1996 filmThe Cable Guy, the 1999 film Man on the Moon, the HBO series The Sopranos and the Family Guy episode "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas". The song appeared in the 1997 movieThe Devil's Own with Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, and a short extract of the refrain in the 2015 movie The Martian directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon. In Derry Girls, "Rock the Boat" is played during an episode that takes place at a wedding. In 2000, "Rock The Boat" was covered by Gemmy Industries, the makers of Big Mouth Billy Bass and used in the novelty items Travis the Singing Trout, Rocky the Singing Lobster, and Lucky the Singing Lobster. One of the furthest reaches "Rock The Boat" has made has been on the Australian series Playschool in a program theme about water.
