"Rockin' Roll Baby" is a song written by

Linda Creed Linda Diane Creed (December 6, 1948 – April 10, 1986), also known by her married name Linda Epstein, was an American songwriter, lyricist, background singer and record producer who teamed up with Thom Bell to produce some of the most successfu ...

and

Thom Bell Thomas Randolph Bell (January 26, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was an American record producer, arranger, and songwriter known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. Hailed as one of the most prolific R&B songwriters and prod ...

and performed by

The Stylistics The Stylistics are an American Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All ...

. It reached #3 on the U.S. R&B chart, #6 on the UK Singles Chart, #14 on the U.S. pop chart, #44 on the U.S. adult contemporary chart, and #57 on the Canadian pop chart in 1974. It was featured as the title song from their 1973 eponymous album. The song was arranged and produced by

. Lead vocals are by

Russell Thompkins Jr. Russell Allen Thompkins Jr. (born March 21, 1951) is an American soul singer, best known as the original lead singer of the vocal group The Stylistics and noted for his high tenor, countertenor, and falsetto vocals. With Russell as lead singer, ...

The song ranked #96 on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' magazine's Top 100 singles of 1974.

Lyrical content

The narrator, a hard-working touring musician, describes his infant son, a child prodigy, who was "born in a theater in

Bluefield, West Virginia Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 9,658 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Bluefield micropolitan area extending into Virginia, which had a populatio ...

". Although only a toddler, "Little Joey" has great singing talent and has a "funky walk in his little

orthopedic Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternative spelling orthopaedics) is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

shoes." The musician is successful and buys a house in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

, attributing his success to the child.

Other versions

The Fleshtones The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York. They are the only band that debuted at CBGB in 1976 that has not had an inactive year. History 1976–1979 The Fleshtones were formed in 1976 in Whitestone, New York, ...

released a version of the song on their 1999 album ''Hitsburg Revisited''.

References

1973 songs 1973 singles Songs written by Linda Creed Songs written by Thom Bell The Stylistics songs Avco Records singles Song recordings produced by Thom Bell Culture of Bluefield, West Virginia {{1970s-song-stub