These days Rod Stewart has become a bit more jaded, singing songs from the American Songbook and so on, but back in the Seventies, he became this racy, sex-obsessed maniac. Or so it seems. This single illustrates this best, with the big hit 'Da' ya' think I'm sexy' plus the B-side 'Dirty weekend', which delivers exactly what it promises: two songs about sex and being sexy.
The song was released as the first single from Stewart's 1978 album 'Blondes Have More Fun'. It reached number one in the UK and the USA, as well as Canada and Australia. Royalties from the song were donated to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Stewart performed the song at the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly in January 1979.
It's been over ten years since I last bought a Rod Stewart single, the classic pop song 'Baby Jane'. In the mean time Rod has turned his attention to the American Songbook and even a Christmas album.
'Passion' was released in 1980 as the lead single from Rod's album 'Foolish behaviour'. The song reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two in Canada. It was also a sizeable hit across Europe. The song describes the people, places, and situations in
which passion is found. Passion is described as a powerful but dangerous
essential motivator, being so compelling that it is prone to sometimes
break outside the boundaries of loving relationships. 'Hear it on the
radio' and 'read it in the papers' speaks of the potentially disruptive
power of unleashed desire.
My collection: 7" single no. 6216 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 17, 2019 Cost: 0,8 euro Tracks: 'Passion' / 'Better off dead'
Rod Stewart released 'Infatuation' in 1984. The music video is never played on television anymore, but at the time it was a memorable clip. Stewart acted a lot like a voyeur and a male chauvinist pig - a role that fit him like a glove I think.
This 12" single features a full length version of the track plus two B-sides. A good deal for Rod Stewart fans.
My collection: 12" single no. 546 Found: unknown Cost: unknown Tracks: 'Infatuation (full length version)' / 'Tonight's the night (live)', 'Three time loser'
Rod Stewart released his fourteenth studio album 'Every beat of my heart' in June 1986. The title track was released as a single a month later. A sentimental piece about longing for one's country of birth - in this case, Scotland - Stewart wrote this track together with Kevin Savigar.
The single became a hit in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, peaking at number 8 and number 2 respectively.
My collection: 7" single no. 471 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Every beat of my heart' / 'Trouble'
'Young Turks' is a track on Rod Stewart's 1981 album 'Tonight I'm yours'. It was released as the second single from the album. In English slang, a 'Young Turk' is a rebellious kind of teenager who would go against the grain.
The single reached number 5 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 11 on the UK Singles chart. In the Dutch Top 40, the single reached number 9.
My collection: 7" single no. 445 Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, August 9, 1986 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Young Turks' / 'Tora tora tora'
The lyric of the song 'Maggie May' describes the ambivalence and contradictory emotions of a young man involved in a relationship with an older woman. It was written from Rod Stewart's own experience. He later commented: 'Maggie May was more or less a true story, about the first woman I had sex with, at the Beaulieu Jazz Festival.'
The track was recorded by Stewart in 1971 for his album 'Every picture tells a story'. It was initinially included as the B-side of the single 'Reason to believe', but after dj's took to 'Maggie May' instead, the sides were flipped and 'Maggie May' became the A-side. It finally reached number 1 in the UK and the USA, while it reached number 3 in the Dutch Top 40. The song was Stewart's first substantial hit as a solo performer and launched his solo career.
My collection: 7" single no. 1863 Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, January 30, 1993 Cost: 4,5 guilders Tracks: 'Maggie May' / 'Reason to believe'
This single was made in 1980, combining two of Rod Stewart's biggest hits of the Seventies on one disc. 'Sailing' was written by Gavin Sutherland and originally recorded by his band, Sutherland Brothers & Quiver. Stewart recorded his version in 1975, giving him a number 1 hit in the UK and the Netherlands, among other countries.
'Da ya think I'm sexy' is basically, according to Carmine Appice, who played drums on the track: 'a story of a guy meeting a chick in a club. If you listen to the lyrics, 'She sits alone, waiting for suggestions, he's so nervous...' it's the feelings of what was going on in a dance club. The guy sees a chick he digs, she's nervous and he's nervous and she's alone and doesn't know what's going on, then they end up at his place having sex, and then she's gone.' Again, Stewart hit number 1 in the UK, and peaked at number 4 in the Dutch Top 40 with this single.
My collection: 7" single no. 452 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1986 Cost: 6 guilders Tracks: 'Sailing' / 'Da ya think I'm sexy?'
'Tonight I'm yours' was the title track of Rod Stewart's 1981 album. The single was released in the autumn of 1981, a few weeks ahead of the album. It became an international hit, reaching number 13 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 8 in the UK singles chart.
After the disco-influenced tracks of the late Seventies, Stewart added synthpop and new wave elements to his songs on his 1981 album. He managed to win new fans while not alienating his existing fan group.
My collection: 7" single no. 1476 Found: Parkpop, Den Haag, June 30, 1991 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Tonight I'm yours' / 'Sonny'
'My heart can't tell you no' was a single taken from Rod Stewart's 1988 album 'Out of order'. The track was written by Simon Climie, of Climie Fisher fame. It was a significant change in style for Rod Stewart, who performed many racy rock tracks until the mid-Eighties. He seemed to have calmed down a little, which was even more evident in the B-side: a cover of 'Try a little tenderness' - already foreshadowing his new career in the Noughties, covering old American standards.
Although this single was a big hit in the USA, it left European audiences cold. It only reached number 49 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 757 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, February 23, 1989 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'My heart can't tell you no' / 'Try a little tenderness'
'I'd treat her with respect / Not just a sex object / I ain't that kind of guy'. Many performers could sing this convincingly, but not Rod Stewart. Every time I hear this out of his mouth I have to smile. After all, this is the man who ran around in spandex in the Eighties, singing songs like 'Da ya think I'm sexy' and 'Hot legs'.
'Crazy about her' was taken from Stewart's 1988 album 'Out of order', which was produced by Andy Taylor from Duran Duran and Bernard Edwards of Chic. This single reached number 7 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 11 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It didn't chart in the UK. I guess they didn't believe him either.
My collection: 7" single no. 1131 Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, December 9, 1989 Cost: 3 guilders Tracks: 'Crazy about her' / 'Dynamite'
Back in 1984, the music video of 'Infatuation' was a regular guest on television programmes. Rod Stewart posing as a voyeur had something, er, believable. After a very successful career in the Seventies, Stewart was struggling to have hit singles. In the UK, he only had four top 10 singles during the Eighties, one of which was this single, peaking at number 6.
These days Stewart is concentrating on singing American standards from the Thirties and Fourties. Hard to imagine now that the man was once a pop star...
'I don't want to talk about it' was written by Danny Whitten. His band Crazy Horse released it on their self-titled album in 1971. In 1975, Rod Stewart recorded his version for his album 'Atlantic Crossing'.
The single topped the singles chart in the UK, although it has been claimed afterwards that this was rigged and that the Sex Pistols' 'God save the queen' was the actual best selling single at the time. In Germany the single reached number 4, and in the Netherlands it went to number 3.
My collection: 7" single no. 1162
Found: All that music, Leiden, January 27, 1990
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'I don't want to talk about it' / 'The first cut is the deepest'
'Baby Jane' was a number one single in the UK for Rod Stewart, taken from his 1983 album 'Body wishes'. It was his most successful single since 'Da ya think I'm sexy' (1978). It was Stewart's sixth and final UK charttopper.
These days, Rod Stewart is busy recording big band albums, but this is a track from the time when he still rocked the pants off everyone. A style which I much prefer, I have to say.
My collection: 7" single no. 3535
Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, January 9, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Baby Jane' / 'Ready now'
Download: Album 'Body wishes', including both tracks (part 1 / part 2)
