Rockit (song)

"Rockit"
Single by Herbie Hancock
from the album Future Shock
B-side
  • Album version (US 7")
  • "Rough" (UK 7")
Released June 1983
Format
Recorded 1982
Genre Electro[1][2]
Length
  • 5:27 (album version)
  • 3:54 (single version)
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Bill Laswell
Herbie Hancock singles chronology
"Gettin' to the Good Part"
(1982)		 "Rockit"
(1983)		 "Autodrive"
(1983)

"Rockit" is a composition recorded by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and produced by Bill Laswell. Hancock released it as a single from his 1983 album Future Shock. The selection was composed by Hancock, producer Laswell, and synthesizer/drum machine programmer Michael Beinhorn.

History

Constructed and composed during the recording process at various studios, including RPM, B.C. Studio in Brooklyn New York, Herbie's home studio in Los Angeles, Eldorado studio in LA, the composition features scratching and other turntablist techniques, performed by GrandMixer D.ST - an influential DJ in the early years of turntablism. Some years later, turntablists such as DJ Qbert and Mix Master Mike cited the composition as 'revelatory' in the documentary film Scratch, inspiring their interest in the instrument.

The single was a major radio hit in the United Kingdom and a popular dance club record in the United States. Two decades later it was featured on the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, on the fictional radio station "Wildstyle FM".

Music video

The music video, directed by the duo of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme[3] and featuring robot-like movable sculptures (by Jim Whiting) dancing, spinning, and even walking in time to the music in a "virtual house" in London, England, garnered five MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, including Best Concept Video and Best Special Effects. Hancock himself appears, and plays keyboard, only as an image on a television receiver, which is smashed on the pavement outside the front door of the house at the end of the video.

Performances

"Rockit" was performed at the 1985 Grammy Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles, California, in the famous synthesizer jam with other contemporaries Howard Jones, Thomas Dolby, and Stevie Wonder.[4]

Chart performance

See also

References

  1. ↑ Carr, Ian; Priestley, Brian; Fairweather, Digby (2004). The Rough Guide to Jazz. Rough Guides. p. 464. ISBN 1-84353-256-5.
  2. ↑ "Electronic » Techno » Electro". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  3. ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon (August 23, 2002). DMX? White Stripes? Which Breakthrough Will Stand The Test Of Time?. MTV. Viacom. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  4. ↑ Greene, Andy (January 22, 2014). "20 Awesome Moments in Retro Grammy History: 15. Synthesizer Showdown (1985)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Chart Positions Pre 1989 Part 4". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Herbie Hancock – Rockit" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Herbie Hancock – Rockit" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  8. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Herbie Hancock" from the artist drop-down menu. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Herbie Hancock – Rockit". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  10. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rockit". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Herbie Hancock - Rockit" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Herbie Hancock – Rockit" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Charts.nz – Herbie Hancock – Rockit". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Herbie Hancock – Rockit". Singles Top 100. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Herbie Hancock – Rockit". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  17. 1 2 3 "Future Shock – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  18. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending OCTOBER 29, 1983". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6742." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1983" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Top 100 Singles of 1984". RPM. Vol. 41 no. 17. Library and Archives Canada. 5 January 1985. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  23. ↑ "TOP – 1984" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
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