Rock On

Rock On is the title of the debut album by British solo recording artist David Essex, released in November 1973. It was preceded by the title track, released as a single in August, which reached no.3 in the UK, while the album reached no.7 in December.

Rock On

 * rel. Aug 1973, UK chart peak N3

The song Rock On was written by Essex himself. The lyric pays homage to early rock-and-roll and its youth subculture, and namely to 1950s rebel James Dean. As a single it launched Essex' success as a star both in the UK and abroad, including the USA where it reached no.5 in March 1974, contending with the likes of Terry Jacks' Seasons in the Sun and Barbra Streisand's The Way We Were. In the UK it was a hit in the summer of 1973 and was kept of the top by Donny Osmond's Young Love and Angel Fingers by Wizzard.

Cover versions
A cover version by Michael Damian took the song to no.1 in the US in June 1989, ironically holding back Donny Osmond to no.2 with Soldier of Love. Damian failed to become a hit in the UK, as did a new re-recording by David Essex, released in the same year.

Lamplight
rel. Nov 1973, UK peak 7

The album's opening track was released as the follow-up to Rock On shortly after the album itself, and went on to reach no.7 in the UK in December.