Song#: 2874
Date: 09/27/1986
Debut: 85
Peak: 66
Weeks: 7
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: Roth's first single from his full-length debut solo album Eat 'Em and Smile, "Yankee Rose," returned him to his hard rock roots and it paid off by getting to #10 at Rock and #12 Pop. For a follow-up, Roth chose this track, which was another rockin' tune he co-wrote with guitarist Steve Vai. It would do nearly the same business as "Yankee Rose" at Rock getting to #12, but it didn't connect as well at Pop and the single fizzled in the bottom half of the chart. Still, the album would hit #4 and reach platinum sales.
ReduxReview: For me, this one is closer kin to Van Halen material than "Yankee Rose." It's a good rockin' tune that was catchy and I thought it might do a bit better than a minor #66. Roth was getting known for his oddball videos and I think that helped boost some of his other singles, but the video for this song was more or less just a staged performance video and that may not have helped in promoting the tune. It was easily the best track on the LP to follow-up "Yankee Rose," yet I think because he wasn't Dave the showman in the song or the video, it didn't exactly excite folks.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: At the time Roth started to develop his full-length debut, he had the idea to make it an album that could stand on its own, yet also serve as a soundtrack to a film. Roth pitched a film idea and CBS bought into it. Roth then developed a screenplay titled Crazy from the Heat, which had been the title of his 1985 EP. In the film, Roth was set to play a rock star named Dave (natch) who goes to a place called Dongo Island with his manager and they get into all kinds of odd situations. Oh, and there would be lots of bikini-clad women. Each of the songs that would make up the album would be a production number. The script was finished with storyboards and costumes already underway when the $20 million project was scrapped. Apparently this was due to CBS Studios being taken over/combined with another studio and projects being reassessed. The film never got made, but Roth did utilize the title for his 1997 autobiography and the songs intended for the film were pushed out as Eat 'Em and Smile. This single was meant to be the film's theme song.
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7/10 for me, I did like the beginning of the video where David Lee Roth dressed in a fat bodysuit and him acting obnoxious towards everyone at the studio, also in the video he does the famous "D'OH!" which was later popularized by Homer Simpson, this is one song where I greatly prefer the video over the song.
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