John Rocca
Encyclopedia
John Rocca became known first as a dance music
performer, remixer and record producer. During the early 1980s, John Rocca formed, played with, wrote for, produced and managed his first musical band, Freeez
, with success. After his first self-funded and self-released effort, Keep in Touch
, song number 1 in the UK Blues & Soul Magazine Dance Charts and 49 in the United Kingdom
Gallup
charts - partly by sales from the back of a van - his next effort, Southern Freeez
by Freeez
—- now considered a jazz funk c- lassic—was not only a UK Blues & Soul Dance Chart number 1 but a popular music chart success in various other countries in Europe, scoring the United Kingdom
Gallup
Charts at number 8.
During 1983 one of the first records to use digital sampling—- "IOU
" by Freeez
—- featured John’s falsetto voice and became one of the major dance successes of the 1980s electro music style. It scored number one in dance charts in Europe and the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play and had popular music chart success across the world spending 3 weeks at number 2 in the United Kingdom
Gallup
Charts. As a solo artist John Rocca scored number one yet again, this time with I Want It To Be Real
, number 1 on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart during 1984. After these and various other successes John engineered, produced and mixed for various other artists as well as recording by his own name and several other pseudo names. John Rocca retired from the music business during 1993. His last recording, by the pseudonym Midi Rain, John wrote, played all of the instruments, recorded, engineered, produced, and mixed all of the songs. Midi Rain scored the Billboard US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with the album Shine, which scored number one during 1993.
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
performer, remixer and record producer. During the early 1980s, John Rocca formed, played with, wrote for, produced and managed his first musical band, Freeez
Freeez
Freeez were a United Kingdom dance music group from London, known initially as one of the UK's main jazz-funk bands of the early 1980s. Initiated by John Rocca, Freeez consisted of various musicians, originally with Rocca and others such as Andy Stennet Freeez were a United Kingdom dance music...
, with success. After his first self-funded and self-released effort, Keep in Touch
Keep In Touch
"Keep in Touch" is the debut single and first song by British jazz-funk/dance band Freeez under the name "Pink Rhythm".After that, they signed to Beggars Banquet Records which at that time was a small, rising company.-Chart performance:...
, song number 1 in the UK Blues & Soul Magazine Dance Charts and 49 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Gallup
The Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
charts - partly by sales from the back of a van - his next effort, Southern Freeez
Southern Freeez (album)
Southern Freeez is debut album by the British jazz-funk band Freeez, released in 1981 by Beggars Banquet.-Track listing:All songs written by Freeez except where noted.#"Mariposa" - 5:40#"Carrabean Winter" - 5:15...
by Freeez
Freeez
Freeez were a United Kingdom dance music group from London, known initially as one of the UK's main jazz-funk bands of the early 1980s. Initiated by John Rocca, Freeez consisted of various musicians, originally with Rocca and others such as Andy Stennet Freeez were a United Kingdom dance music...
—- now considered a jazz funk c- lassic—was not only a UK Blues & Soul Dance Chart number 1 but a popular music chart success in various other countries in Europe, scoring the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Gallup
The Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
Charts at number 8.
During 1983 one of the first records to use digital sampling—- "IOU
I.O.U. (song)
"I.O.U." is a song from 1983 by British musical group Freeez, their most successful hit.The song scored #2 in the UK Singles Chart earlier in 1983 before reaching the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the U.S., giving them their only chart-topping single on any chart in America. It...
" by Freeez
Freeez
Freeez were a United Kingdom dance music group from London, known initially as one of the UK's main jazz-funk bands of the early 1980s. Initiated by John Rocca, Freeez consisted of various musicians, originally with Rocca and others such as Andy Stennet Freeez were a United Kingdom dance music...
—- featured John’s falsetto voice and became one of the major dance successes of the 1980s electro music style. It scored number one in dance charts in Europe and the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play and had popular music chart success across the world spending 3 weeks at number 2 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Gallup
The Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
Charts. As a solo artist John Rocca scored number one yet again, this time with I Want It To Be Real
I Want It to Be Real
I Want it to Be Real is a 1984, solo, dance single by John Rocca, lead vocalist and guitarist for the London, dance group, Freeez. It was the first of two singles by Rocca to make it to number one on the dance charts...
, number 1 on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart during 1984. After these and various other successes John engineered, produced and mixed for various other artists as well as recording by his own name and several other pseudo names. John Rocca retired from the music business during 1993. His last recording, by the pseudonym Midi Rain, John wrote, played all of the instruments, recorded, engineered, produced, and mixed all of the songs. Midi Rain scored the Billboard US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with the album Shine, which scored number one during 1993.
Singles
| Year | Song title / singles | 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 ... |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "I.O.U." (Freeez) (Streetwise, Beggars Banquet) | - |
| 1983 | "Pop Goes My Love" (Freeez) (Streetwise, Beggars Banquet) | - |
| 1984 | "My World Is Empty Without You" (Streetwise, Beggars Banquet) | - |
| 1984 | "Once Upon a Time" (Streetwise, Beggars Banquet) | - |
| 1986 | "I.O.U." (featuring Freeez) (Criminal Records) | - |
| 1987 | "I Want It To Be Real" (City Beat) | - |
| 1987 | "Extra Extra"/"Move" (City Beat) | - |
| 1987 | "Move" (Criminal Records) | - |
| 1985 | "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love" - Pink Rhythm Feat. John Rocca | - |
Albums
| Title | Release date |
Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
||
| Extra Extra | June 1987 | - | - | - |
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of number-one dance hits (UK)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart