Radar Love
Encyclopedia
"Radar Love" is a song by the Dutch
rock
band Golden Earring
. Music critic Bill Lamb rates this among his "top 10 driving songs" due to its lyrics about driving all night and its pulse-quickening, up-tempo beat. The single
version of "Radar Love" reached #13 in the US. It hit the top 10 in many countries and was also #1 in Germany and Spain.
of an automobile
driver who drives to his lover ("baby") and communes
with her without physical means like telephone
or letter
s. In his radio
, he hears "Coming on Strong" by Brenda Lee
.
, U2
, R.E.M.
, Ian Stuart Donaldson
, Sun City Girls
, White Lion
, Blue Man Group
, Def Leppard
, James Last
, The NWOBHM band Aragorn, Nine Pound Hammer
, and Carlos Santana
.
Goth
-pop band Ghost Dance
recorded a cover of the song on the b-side of their "Heart Full of Soul
" single, itself a cover of the Yardbirds
track.
The song was also covered by industrial metal band Ministry
on the 2008 album Cover Up
.
A pre-Mercyful Fate
band featuring King Diamond
on vocals recorded a cover of the song. It is featured on King Diamond & Black Rose 20 Years Ago
.
The song has also been used in at least one video game. It is featured as one of the background music tracks in the Sega Genesis version of the video game Rock N' Roll Racing
. However, the song was omitted from the SNES and GameBoy Advance ports of the game.
Other appearances:
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band Golden Earring
Golden Earring
Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings . They had international chart success with the songs "Radar Love" in 1973, "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. In their home country, they had over 40 hits and made over 30 gold and...
. Music critic Bill Lamb rates this among his "top 10 driving songs" due to its lyrics about driving all night and its pulse-quickening, up-tempo beat. The single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
version of "Radar Love" reached #13 in the US. It hit the top 10 in many countries and was also #1 in Germany and Spain.
Subject
The subject of the song is the Point of viewPoint of view (literature)
The narrative mode is the set of methods the author of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical story uses to convey the plot to the audience. Narration, the process of presenting the narrative, occurs because of the narrative mode...
of an automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
driver who drives to his lover ("baby") and communes
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
with her without physical means like telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
or letter
Letter
A letter is a written message from one party to another. The role of letters in communication has changed significantly since the nineteenth century...
s. In his radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, he hears "Coming on Strong" by Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
.
Cover versions
The song has been covered by OmenOmen
An omen is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, Ian Stuart Donaldson
Ian Stuart Donaldson
Ian Stuart Donaldson was a British Neo-Nazi singer, musician and songwriter, most known as the frontman of Skrewdriver, a British punk rock band that later became a white power rock band...
, Sun City Girls
Sun City Girls
The Sun City Girls were an American experimental rock band, formed in 1979 in Phoenix, Arizona. From 1981 the group consisted of Alan Bishop , his brother Richard Bishop , and the late Charles Gocher . Their name was inspired by Sun City, Arizona, an Arizona retirement community...
, White Lion
White Lion
White Lion is an American/Danish hard rock/heavy metal band that was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish vocalist Mike Tramp and American guitarist Vito Bratta. Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, the band achieved double platinum status with their #8 hit "Wait" and #3 hit "When the...
, Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
, Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
, James Last
James Last
James Last is a German composer and big band leader. His "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom. His composition, "Happy Heart", became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark...
, The NWOBHM band Aragorn, Nine Pound Hammer
Nine Pound Hammer
Nine Pound Hammer is an American cowpunk band formed in 1985 by vocalist Scott Luallen and guitarist Blaine Cartwright in their hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky...
, and Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos 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...
.
Goth
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
-pop band Ghost Dance
Ghost Dance (band)
Ghost Dance were a British gothic rock and post-punk band. formed in 1985 by Gary Marx and Anne-Marie Hurst as both were leaving their respective bands...
recorded a cover of the song on the b-side of their "Heart Full of Soul
Heart Full of Soul
"Heart Full of Soul" is a 1965 single by the English rock band The Yardbirds. It was written by Graham Gouldman, who later had a lengthy career as a member of 10cc. It charted in the United States at number nine and at number two in the United Kingdom. The song makes an early use of the fuzz box by...
" single, itself a cover of the Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
track.
The song was also covered by industrial metal band Ministry
Ministry (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...
on the 2008 album Cover Up
Cover 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...
.
A pre-Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate was a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen. Initially active from 1981 to 1985, they reunited in 1992. The band went on hiatus again in 2000, when frontman King Diamond decided to continue his solo career...
band featuring King Diamond
King Diamond
Kim Bendix Petersen , better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Grammy Award nominated Danish heavy metal musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his extensive vocal range, in particular his usage of falsetto. He is the lead vocalist for both Mercyful Fate and the eponymous King Diamond...
on vocals recorded a cover of the song. It is featured on King Diamond & Black Rose 20 Years Ago
Black Rose: 20 Years Ago
King Diamond & Black Rose 20 Years Ago is an album released as a King Diamond album. In fact it is a rehearsal tape of a pre-Mercyful Fate band featuring King Diamond on vocals, named Black Rose.-Track listing:...
.
Notable song appearances
The song has been used in the following media:- 1985: American FlyersAmerican FlyersAmerican Flyers is a 1985 film starring Kevin Costner, David Marshall Grant, Rae Dawn Chong, Alexandra Paul and Janice Rule about bicycle racing....
, film - 1993: "Radar Love" is included near the beginning of the film Wayne's World 2Wayne's World 2Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a Public-access television cable TV show from Aurora, Illinois. The film was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World....
. - 1994: Featured in the Ken Burns documentary "Baseball" during the 1970's Cincinnati Reds "Big Red Machine" story.
- 1995-1998: Portions of the song were used in Téa LeoniTéa LeoniElizabeth Téa Pantaleoni , better known by her stage name Téa Leoni, is an American actress. She has starred in a wide range of films including Jurassic Park III, The Family Man, Deep Impact, Fun with Dick and Jane, Spanglish, Bad Boys, and Ghost Town.-Early life:Leoni was born in New York City...
's sitcom The Naked TruthThe Naked Truth (TV series)The Naked Truth is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 1996, and on NBC from 1996 to 1998. The series stars Téa Leoni and co-starred Holland Taylor...
as the theme song. - In two episodes of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
:- 1996: "Bart on the RoadBart on the Road"Bart on the Road" is the twentieth episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 31, 1996. In the episode, Bart makes his own fake driver's license. He rents a car with it and takes Milhouse, Martin, and Nelson on a road trip to...
", where it is on the radio during the road trip. - 2002: "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge", where Fat TonyFat TonyMarion Anthony "Fat Tony" D'Amico is a recurring character in the animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Joe Mantegna and first appeared in the third season episode "Bart the Murderer"...
requests the song on the radio, and HomerHomer SimpsonHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
begins singing along (although he more or less makes up his own lyrics)
- 1996: "Bart on the Road
- 1999: In the film Detroit Rock CityDetroit Rock City (film)Detroit Rock City is a 1999 film about four teenagers in a Kiss cover band who try to see their idols in Detroit in 1978. Comparable to Rock 'n' Roll High School, Dazed and Confused, The Stöned Age, and I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Detroit Rock City tells a coming of age story through a filter of 1970s...
when Trip throws a slice of pizza out the passenger side window of a moving Volvo and onto the windshield of a car full of "Stellas" and "Guidos," causing a confrontation, "Radar Love" plays. - Also briefly featured in the 1999 film Pushing TinPushing TinPushing Tin is a 1999 comedy-drama film directed by Mike Newell. It centers on a cocky air traffic controller who quarrels over proving "who's more of a man" with fellow employee Bell...
. - 2000: In the Strangers with CandyStrangers with CandyStrangers with Candy is a television series produced by Comedy Central. It first aired on April 7, 1999, and concluded its third and final season on October 2, 2000. Its timeslot was Sundays at 10 p.m....
episode "Hit and Run". - 2002: Jeremy Clarkson Meets the NeighboursJeremy ClarksonJeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
Series 1 Episode 2 - "Belgium & Holland" - 2007: The song was featured heavily in the ReaperReaper (TV series)Reaper is an American television series that focuses on Sam Oliver, a "reaper" who works for the Devil by retrieving souls that have escaped from Hell.The series originally ran on the CW from September 25, 2007 to May 26, 2009....
episode "Love, Bullets & Blacktop". - 2010: In the Newfoundland TV series, Republic of DoyleRepublic of DoyleRepublic of Doyle is a Canadian comedy-drama television series, which debuted 6 January 2010 on CBC Television.The show stars Seán McGinley and Allan Hawco as Malachy and Jake Doyle, a father and son who partner as private investigators in St...
The song has also been used in at least one video game. It is featured as one of the background music tracks in the Sega Genesis version of the video game Rock N' Roll Racing
Rock N' Roll Racing
Rock N' Roll Racing is a battle-racing video game developed by Silicon & Synapse and published by Interplay for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993. The background music consists of instrumental versions of several heavy metal and rock n' roll songs,...
. However, the song was omitted from the SNES and GameBoy Advance ports of the game.
Other appearances:
- In 2004, as the name of an episode in the popular web series Red vs. BlueRed vs. BlueRed vs. Blue, often abbreviated as RvB, is a set of related comic science fiction video series created by Rooster Teeth Productions and distributed through the Internet and on DVD...
- The song is a regular part of the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching BandStanford BandThe Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band is the student marching band of Stanford University. Billing itself as "The World's Largest Rock and Roll Band", the Stanford Band performs at sporting events, student activities, and other functions...
's playlist. Unlike most college bands, the LSJUMB concentrates on rock and roll, especially from the '70s. - In a video of a training exercise with the Oregon Air National GuardOregon Air National GuardThe Oregon Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is, along with the Oregon Army National Guard, an element of the Oregon National Guard...
- As a part of the ambient soundtrack around Rita - Queen of SpeedRita - Queen of SpeedRita is an Intamin accelerator coaster located in the Dark Forest area of Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. It accelerates to 100 km/h in approximately 2.2 seconds . The ride is loosely based on drag racing...
at Alton TowersAlton TowersAlton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe... - As of July 2008, appears as the soundtrack to an on-line Jaguar promotion
- The White Lion version was included in the setlist in the PlayStation 2 exclusive Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80's
- As part of the setlist of Rock Band 3Rock Band 3Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
- In a VolcomVolcomVolcom, Inc. is a designer, marketer and distributor of young men's and young women's clothing, footwear, accessories and related products sold under the Volcom brand name. Volcom is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, United States...
United montage filmed exclusively at The BerricsThe BerricsThe Berrics is a privately owned, indoor skatepark owned by pro skateboarders Steve Berra and Eric Koston. It is also a website providing content filmed in the skatepark, as well other skateboard-related media...
skatepark. - Radar Love was voted as the 2nd greatest driving songDriving songA driving song, also referred to as a road trip song, is a song whose theme and tempo are considered ideal for accompaniment to driving. It is a music genre or style distinct from a car song.According to VH1, the Top 10 Driving Songs include the following:...
on the 6th series of Top GearTop Gear (current format)Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
, behind QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's "Don't Stop Me NowDon't Stop Me Now"Don't Stop Me Now" is a song by English rock group Queen, featured on their 1978 album Jazz. Written by vocalist Freddie Mercury, it was recorded in August/September 1978 at Super Bear Studios in Berre-les-Alpes , France, and is the twelfth track on the album.Musically, the song is based around...
". - The 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...
version is featured in the 2011 video game Test Drive Unlimited 2Test Drive Unlimited 2Test Drive Unlimited 2 is a racing video game developed by Eden Games and published by Atari. It is the sequel to Test Drive Unlimited and the tenth game in the series. The game was released on 8 February 2011 in North America and on 11 February in Europe.The game suffered from many bugs during...
. - The lyrics of the Devin TownsendDevin TownsendDevin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
song "Radial Highway" cite a passage of the first verse of "Radar Love".
External links
- Radar-Love.net lists more than 300 cover versions, by artists including U2, R.E.M., Blue Man Group, James Last, Bryan Adams, Def Leppard, White Lion, Crowded House.