Originals Week: Who Loves Rock N’ Roll?
Jun 06
1970s britney spears, joan jett, originals week, the arrows 4 Comments
Remember in 2002 when Britney Spears covered “I Love Rock N’ Roll” and everyone peed their pants screaming, “That’s Joan Jett’s song! She did it so much better!” That’s exactly why I did this Originals Week. Well, that and this final song.
The year is 1975 and the pop-rock trio The Arrows are riding high having just signed a contract to have their own weekly television show broadcast all across the United Kingdom. Little did they know that the show would stunt their musical recordings (actually stop) and lead the group to breaking up, but I’m getting off the point. They’re riding high with their new contract and having two top hits in the UK as anyone would be. Shortly afterwards, the band planned to release their fifth single “Broken Down Heart.” On that single, the band put a rockin’ anthem designed to tell everyone just how much they love their lifestyle and profession as a B-Side. Well, it didn’t take them long to fix the error and before long, radios in the UK were playing a song about putting money in a jukebox & listening to good music.
Wait, what?
That sounds very similar to a song that Joan Jett became famous for in 1981. You know, the song that people got up in arms over because Britney Spears covered it? Well, do you think she saw “The Arrows Show” and heard the song? Probably. But then what songs that she got fame for did she actually write or do first? Oh wait, that’s right: absolutely none since “Crimson And Clover” & “Do You Wanna Touch Me” certainly weren’t hers!
Funny, right? People got so up in arms when Britney Spears covered it when at least she credited Joan Jett in every interview. Does anyone ever remember anyone saying the band name The Arrows to you or did you ever hear Joan Jett mention them? Granted, I think she did a better job and obviously did certain publications, but are the songs even that much different?
Yep, that’s what I thought and this is why I did originals week! Enjoy.
Song: I Love Rock N’ Roll
Artist: The Arrows
Album: I Love Rock N’ Roll (Single)
Year: 1975
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Aug 26, 2009 @ 08:11:18
HAH!
THANK YOU! I’m so glad you pointed that out.. I found that out back in sophomore yr of HS and have tried to use it in arguments about said Britney/Joan debates, and was told “There was NO way..”
So thank you for validating me
Mar 22, 2010 @ 00:36:30
Yes, Joan jett has been conspicuously silent about The Arrows over the years, including in the new Runaways film. A conspiracy of zip lipped silence to achieve the the illusion that she wrote of the song, for decades now.
Me? I always preferred the Arrows a-side version to all the covers, including Jett’s.
Amercians think of it as a Joan Jett song, but most Americans don’t know that in England, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts only got up to #4 in the charts. Not even a BBC chart top 3. She likely didn’t get the number one in the UK that she did in the USA because everybody already knew the song from The Arrows in England.
Britney got up to #14 in the UK in 2002 with her single version, not far from Jett’s 1982 UK position.
The Arrows tragedy of their label’s abuse, mishandling and bungling was in fact Joan Jett’s very good luck. Her silence is uncomfortably deafening and in fact more than a little creepy about who the true authors of the song are.
Apr 09, 2011 @ 16:50:27
yXqE70 Glad I’ve finally found something I agree with!
Dec 17, 2011 @ 00:02:18
Here is a recent clip of the original artist and lead singer of The Arrows 1975 version of “I Love Rock N Roll” performing the song in London last month, November 5th, 2011 at The Islington glam rock club . It’s a rough clip from a fan phone camera. He did this song and 21 other Arrows related songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUJ-lOG2wWE