Get It On (T. Rex song)
Encyclopedia
"Get It On" was covered by the Power Station
in 1985. Their version – titled "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" – was released as their second single from their debut album
. The track was a hit in both the UK, reaching number 22 on the UK Singles Chart
, and the U.S., where the song peaked at number nine (one place higher than the original) on the Billboard Hot 100
. When Robert Palmer heard that the other Power Station members had recorded demos for "Bang a Gong", he asked to try out vocals for it. Before long, the band had decided to record the entire album with Palmer. This single, along with "Some Like It Hot
", became the Power Station's signature songs.
The dancer in the video is Sara Carlson.
The song was performed live on the Miami Vice
episode "Whatever Works", with Michael Des Barres
on vocals, where all of the then-touring group had cameos.
(known in the U.S. as "London Bus Stop") sampled the vocals from the T. Rex original in their 2000 pseudo-cover of the song, which charted at #59 in the UK.
song "Cigarettes & Alcohol
". Joan Jett said, on her Sirius radio program, that this was one of the songs she learned to play guitar with. The opening and riff of the Rolling Stones' 1974 song "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" also bears a distinct similarity.
Power Station (band)
Power Station was a 1980s supergroup made up of singer Robert Palmer, former Chic drummer Tony Thompson, and Duran Duran members John Taylor and Andy Taylor . Bernard Edwards, also of Chic, was involved on the studio side as recording producer. For a short time he also functioned as Power...
in 1985. Their version – titled "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" – was released as their second single from their debut album
The Power Station (album)
The Power Station is the debut album by The Power Station. It was released in 1985 on EMI. The album peaked at no. 6 on U.S. Billboard 200 and no. 12 on the UK Albums Chart. All three singles released from the album were Top 40 hits in the United States...
. The track was a hit in both the UK, reaching number 22 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and the U.S., where the song peaked at number nine (one place higher than the original) on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. When Robert Palmer heard that the other Power Station members had recorded demos for "Bang a Gong", he asked to try out vocals for it. Before long, the band had decided to record the entire album with Palmer. This single, along with "Some Like It Hot
Some Like It Hot (song)
"Some Like It Hot" is a song recorded by Power Station. It was the first single released from the group's 1985 eponymous debut album. Released by Parlophone Records in 1985, the song features heavy drum beats from Tony Thompson and vocals from Robert Palmer. It was the band's biggest hit, peaking...
", became the Power Station's signature songs.
The dancer in the video is Sara Carlson.
The song was performed live on the Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
episode "Whatever Works", with Michael Des Barres
Michael Des Barres
Lord Michael Philip Des Barres is a British actor and rock singer. He is known for playing the recurring role of Murdoc on the television show MacGyver and for replacing the late Robert Palmer in the band Power Station, fronting the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert...
on vocals, where all of the then-touring group had cameos.
7" vinyl single
- U.S.: Capitol Records / B-5479
- UK: Parlophone / R 6096
- Australia: EMI / A1510
- Europe: EMI / 20 0632 7
12" vinyl single
- U.S.: Capitol Records / V8646
- UK: Parlophone / 12R 6096
- Europe: Parlophone / 1C K 060 20 0631 6
- Canada: Capitol Records / V 75107
Chart performance
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
9 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks | 19 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
47 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
12 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
22 |
Other cover versions
- In 1971, British band Top of the Poppers covered "Get It On" on their Top of the Pops, Volume 18Top of the Pops, Volume 18Top of the Pops, Volume 18 is an album released in 1971 of the Top of the Pops album series. This album reached No. 1 on the UK album charts, much to the shock of the British music press. The album consisted of sound-alike covers of popular hits of the day, and is now widely regarded as a "Classic"...
album. - The 2001 reissue of BlondieBlondie (band)Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
's classic 1978 album Parallel LinesParallel LinesParallel Lines is the third studio album by American New Wave band Blondie, released in 1978 by Chrysalis Records. Their most popular and best-selling effort, Parallel Lines was the first Blondie album to be produced by Mike Chapman. The album reached number one in the United Kingdom in February 1979...
included a live recording of the song (from 1977 or 1978) as a bonus trackBonus trackIn terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
. - In 1979, studio disco group, Witch Queen, had a disco version of the song, simply titled, "Bang A Gong". It peaked at number eight on the disco charts.
- AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
guitarist Joe PerryJoe Perry (musician)Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...
included a cover of "Bang a Gong" on Once a Rocker, Always a RockerOnce a Rocker, Always a RockerOnce a Rocker, Always a Rocker is an album by The Joe Perry Project, released in 1983 on MCA Records. Work on the album started in early 1982 with Aerosmith rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford. Demo versions of Black Velvet Pants, No Time For Women and the unreleased When Worlds Collide with Perry in...
, a 1983 album by his side project, aptly named The Joe Perry ProjectThe Joe Perry ProjectThe Joe Perry Project is an American rock band formed by Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry. Perry started working on forming the band shortly before his departure from Aerosmith in 1979...
. - Canadian remixers The Boomtang BoysThe Boomtang BoysThe Boomtang Boys are a Canadian dance-remix trio. They are known for both their remix work and pop-dance music. Their debut album, Greatest Hits Volume One, was released in 1999, and produced the hit "Squeeze Toy" as well as "Pictures", both performed by Kim Esty. Greatest Hits did well in...
released a version in 1999 on their album "The Boomtang Boys Greatest Hits, Vol. 1" - Los BunkersLos BunkersLos Bunkers is an alternative rock from Concepción, Chile, formed in 1999 by brothers Álvaro and Gonzalo López, Mauricio Basualto, and brothers Francisco and Mauricio Durán....
a rock band from Chile included a studio version on their album Vida de Perros (2005). - MinistryMinistry (band)Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
covered "Bang a Gong" on their 2008 covers album Cover UpCover Up (Ministry album)Cover Up is an album of cover versions by Ministry & Co-Conspirators released on April 1, 2008. The album includes previously released covers "Roadhouse Blues", "Lay Lady Lay" and "Supernaut". Cover Up was supposedly Ministry's final release before their three year break up from 2008 to 2011...
. - GermanGermansThe Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
glam rock band Cinema BizarreCinema BizarreCinema Bizarre is a band from Berlin. They released their debut album in 2007. Their manager is Lacrimosa singer and songwriter Tilo Wolff. In January 2010, the band announced that they were taking a break and have since said that they will not reform....
covered "Bang A Gong" on their 2009 album ToyZToyZToyZ is the second studio album by German glam rock band Cinema Bizarre. After their debut album, Final Attraction was a moderate hit, they began working on their second studio album. The first single from the album is called "I Came 2 Party," featuring Space Cowboy...
. - Japanese rock band Porno GraffittiPorno Graffitti, also known as is a Japanese male rock band from Innoshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The band got their name from the album Pornograffitti by the band Extreme...
covered the song for a Pepsi commercial in 2010 - Carlos SantanaCarlos SantanaCarlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
covered the song on his 2010 covers album Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All TimeGuitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All TimeGuitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time, referred to as simply Guitar Heaven, is the 21st studio album by Santana, released on September 21, 2010...
. This version features Gavin RossdaleGavin RossdaleGavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush as well as an actor. Following Bush's separation in 2002, which lasted for eight years, he was the lead singer and guitarist for Institute, and later began a solo career. He...
of BushBush (band)Bush are an alternative rock band formed in London in 1992 shortly after vocalist/guitarist Gavin Rossdale and guitarist Nigel Pulsford met in a London nightclub. Realising they shared a love for such diverse artists as the Pixies, Bob Marley, The Jesus Lizard, MC5, Nirvana, Hüsker Dü, and Big...
on lead vocals. - In 2000, Bus StopBus Stop (band)Bus Stop were a British dance act best known for their single "Kung Fu Fighting", which reached #8 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1998. The song sampled the original vocals by Carl Douglas, the original being a UK #1 hit in 1974, with added rap verses. The group then released three further...
, credited as "London Bus Stop," recorded a cover version that was featured in the movie G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Live cover performances
- During the late seventies and early eighties, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based New WaveNew Wave musicNew Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band BlondieBlondie (band)Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
played it at many of their concerts. - The 1980s British "sophisti-popSophisti-popSophisti-pop was a sub-genre of pop that flourished in the UK between the mid-1980s and early 1990s, incorporating elements of soft rock, jazz, and blue-eyed soul. The genre made extensive use of electronic keyboards, synthesizers, and polished arrangements, particularly horn sections. Acts were...
" band The Blow MonkeysThe Blow MonkeysThe Blow Monkeys are a British new wave band that formed in 1981 as a new wave-oriented act. The first single, "Live Today Love Tomorrow" was released in 1982. They subsequently recorded more commercial pop rock hit makers, and finally became a dance group, shortly before splitting up at the...
performed the song live; two such performances are documented on the DVDs Animal Magic and Live in London. - The song was covered by Howard Stern'sHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
band The LosersThe Losers (Howard Stern)The Losers were a band made up of staff members of The Howard Stern Show. The group was formed in 1997 when the show staff started playing with instruments that Green Day had brought to the studio prior to their own performance. The band was named after their original drummer Scott the Engineer,...
on his radio show. - The song was performed by X-factor competitor Jamie Archer on Week 1, series 6 of the British television music talent show The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
.
Sampling
British dance act Bus StopBus Stop (band)
Bus Stop were a British dance act best known for their single "Kung Fu Fighting", which reached #8 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1998. The song sampled the original vocals by Carl Douglas, the original being a UK #1 hit in 1974, with added rap verses. The group then released three further...
(known in the U.S. as "London Bus Stop") sampled the vocals from the T. Rex original in their 2000 pseudo-cover of the song, which charted at #59 in the UK.
Appearances in other media
- The song was featured in many films, including The Stoned AgeThe Stoned AgeThe Stöned Age is a 1994 American comedy film directed by James Melkonian, set during the 1970s about two long haired stoners named Michael Hubbs and Joe Connolly and one night cruising Southern California looking for alcohol, parties, and chicks.-Plot summary:The story takes place in Torrance,...
(1994), Blue JuiceBlue JuiceBlue Juice is a 1995 British film directed by Carl Prechezer and starring Sean Pertwee, Catherine Zeta Jones, Ewan McGregor and Steven Mackintosh. It follows JC as he attempts to reconcile his surfer lifestyle and loser friends with the pressure to grow up from his girlfriend...
(1995), Billy ElliotBilly ElliotBilly Elliot is a 2000 British drama film written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry. Set in the fictional town of "Everington" in the real County Durham, UK, it stars Jamie Bell as 11-year-old Billy, an aspiring dancer, Gary Lewis as his coal miner father, Jamie Draven as Billy's older...
(2000), The TripThe Trip (2002 film)The Trip is a 2002 epic gay romance that traces the relationship between two men from their initial meeting in 1973 until 1984.-Plot synopsis:...
(2002), Meet the FockersMeet the FockersMeet the Fockers is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Jay Roach and the sequel to Meet the Parents. The film stars Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner and Teri Polo. It was followed up by a sequel, Little Fockers, in 2010.-Plot:Nurse Gaylord "Greg"...
(2004), Flying BoysFlying BoysFlying Boys is a 2004 South Korean film, written and directed by Byeon Yeong-joo, and starring Yoon Kye-sang and Kim Min-jeong.- Plot summary :Min-jae is a high school senior who lives with his father, an airline pilot, and is struggling with his studies...
(2004), JarheadJarhead (film)Jarhead is a 2005 biographical drama war film based on U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford's 1991 Gulf War memoir of the same name, directed by Sam Mendes, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Swofford with co-stars Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, and Chris Cooper. The title comes from the slang term used to refer to...
(2005), The Bank JobThe Bank JobThe Bank Job is a 2008 British crime film written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, directed by Roger Donaldson, and starring Jason Statham, based on the 1971 Baker Street robbery in central London, from which the money and valuables stolen were never recovered...
(2008) and Barney's VersionBarney's Version (film)Barney's Version is a 2010 Canadian comedy-drama film directed by Richard J. Lewis, based on the novel of the same name by Mordecai Richler...
(2010). - A cover of the song is available as a downloadable content for the music video gameMusic video gameA music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
series Rock BandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
. - In the mid-1990s, the channel Sony Entertainment TelevisionSony Entertainment TelevisionSony Entertainment Television is a series of general entertainment television channels, owned by Sony Pictures Television. At least 9 International versions of this channel exist:*Sony Entertainment Television Asia...
showed promo videos that followed this song's tune; the lyrics, however, were changed to "Turn It On." - The song is featured in the opening scene of the season two premiere of Friday Night LightsFriday Night Lights (TV series)Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
, "Last Days of Summer." - The song was used in the 2008 ABC series Life on MarsLife on Mars (U.S. TV series)Life on Mars was a science fiction crime drama television series which originally aired on ABC from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series of the same name produced by the BBC...
and the 2006 BBC version, Life on Mars. - The song was used for a promo for the Australian show Talkin' 'Bout Your GenerationTalkin' 'bout your GenerationTalkin' 'Bout Your Generation is an Australian game show produced by Granada Productions which premiered on Network Ten on 5 May 2009. It is hosted by Shaun Micallef....
in 2011.
Influence on other music
The opening and riff of the song are similar to that of the OasisOasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
song "Cigarettes & Alcohol
Cigarettes & Alcohol
"Cigarettes & Alcohol" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by Noel Gallagher. It was released as the fourth single from their debut album Definitely Maybe, and their second to enter the UK top ten in the United Kingdom, peaking at #7 , eventually spending 35 weeks on the charts,...
". Joan Jett said, on her Sirius radio program, that this was one of the songs she learned to play guitar with. The opening and riff of the Rolling Stones' 1974 song "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" also bears a distinct similarity.