"My Sharona" (Template:IPAc-en) is the debut single by the Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger, and released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks, and was number one on Billboard 's 1979 Top Pop Singles year-end chart.
It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing a million copies sold, and was Capitol Records' fastest gold status debut single since the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in 1964.
Inspiration[]
When Doug Fieger was 25 years old, he met 17-year-old Sharona Alperin, who inspired a two-month-long run of songwriting, as well as eventually becoming his girlfriend for the next four years. Fieger recounted that "It was like getting hit in the head with a baseball bat; I fell in love with her instantly. And when that happened, it sparked something and I started writing a lot of songs feverishly in a short amount of time." Fieger and Averre worked out the structure and melody of the song. Averre was originally averse to using Alperin's name in the song, but Fieger wanted it to be a direct expression of his feelings; Averre ultimately relented. Fieger claimed that "My Sharona" was written in 15 minutes.
Fieger and Alperin were engaged at one point, but never married. In a 2005 interview, Fieger said that they remained "great friends". Alperin went on to a successful career as a realtor in Los Angeles.
Music and lyrics[]
The music of the song echoes many elements of songs from the 1960s. According to a Trouser Press reviewer, the song's main melodic hook is "an inversion of the signature riff" from "Gimme Some Lovin'", a 1967 song by the Spencer Davis Group. Fieger acknowledged that the song's tom-tom drum rhythm is "just a rewrite" of "Going to a Go-Go", a song from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965. Drummer Bruce Gary has stated that although he did not particularly like the song when Fieger introduced it to the band, he came up with the stuttering beat for the song similar to a surf stomp, with just tom-tom and snare. He also decided to incorporate a flam, in which two drum strokes are staggered, creating a fuller sound, which Gary considered to be crucial to the song's success.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Fieger also noted that the song was written from the perspective of a 14-year-old boy.
The song's stuttering vocal effect of the repeated "muh muh muh my Sharona" phrase is reminiscent of Roger Daltrey's vocals in the 1965 song "My Generation" by the Who.
Music video[]
The music video features the band performing the song in a white room.
Artwork[]
In addition to being the inspiration for the song, Sharona Alperin posed for the single's picture sleeve holding a copy of the Knack's debut album Get the Knack.
Reception[]
Produced by Mike Chapman, the song's clean sound was also reminiscent of the sound of the 1960s British Invasion. Billboard Magazine described "My Sharona" as "an energetic raker with a subtle melody." Dick Nusser of Billboard remarked on the song's "catchy, deliberately awkward, stop-go drum and guitar breaks", its "quirky lyrics" and "suggestive tone", and that the song will "make you ready, willing and able to hum the refrain at the right moment." In the Pazz & Jop 1979 Critic's Poll "My Sharona" and Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" were tied for sixth place in the list of top singles of the year.
Chris Woodstra of AllMusic has subsequently referred to the song as an "unforgettable hit." The New Rolling Stone Album Guide claimed that the song "was a hit for a good reason. The beat is urgent, the chorus calls out for drunken shouting along and the guitar solo is a firecracker flash."
Legacy[]
The New York Times called the song "an emblem of the new wave era in rock and a prime example of the brevity of pop fame."
During the making of Michael Jackson's 1982 Thriller album, producer Quincy Jones aspired to include a rock and roll-inspired song, in the vein of "My Sharona." Jackson subsequently wrote "Beat It".
In 2008, "My Sharona" was ranked in two Billboard 50th anniversary charts. It ranked 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs and 16 on the Top Billboard Hot 100 Rock Songs.
In 1994, "My Sharona" re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at number 91,[1] when it was released as part of the Reality Bites soundtrack album.[2][3] In the film itself, the characters dance to the song at a convenience store.[4] This version was remixed by Dave Jerden and features, among other changes, a much more prominent drum sound.[5]
In 2005, the song gained some attention when it appeared on the playlist of U.S. President George W. Bush's iPod.[6]
"Girl U Want" by Devo, from the album Freedom of Choice, was allegedly inspired by "My Sharona", although Devo's Gerald Casale has denied this.[7]
During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic band bassist Prescott Niles released a guitar solo instruction video, in response to the many parodies of the song which had appeared during the pandemic.[8]
Use in other media[]
In video games, a cover of "My Sharona" is featured as downloadable content for the Rock Band series. This version was later updated for Rock Band 3 to support the Pro Guitar feature.[9] The original version of the song, along with its music video, is featured on Lips: Party Classics on Xbox 360.
In films, the song was heard in the 1994 film Reality Bites, the 1997 Disney film RocketMan,[10] the trailer for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle,[11] in J.J. Abrams' Super 8,[12] and in Richard Linklater's Everybody Wants Some!!.[13]
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ Editors Rolling Stone (8 November 2001). Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll: Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. Touchstone. p. 536. ISBN 978-0-7432-0120-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=uU9AAQA6kAMC&q=In+1994+the+Knack+began+touring+again+after+%22My+Sharona%22+found+a+new+audience+through+its+inclusion+in+the+Reality+Bites+soundtrack.&dq=In+1994+the+Knack+began+touring+again+after+%22My+Sharona%22+found+a+new+audience+through+its+inclusion+in+the+Reality+Bites+soundtrack.. "In 1994 the Knack began touring again after "My Sharona" found a new audience through its inclusion in the Reality Bites soundtrack."
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ Woo, Kelly (June 25, 2010). Scenes We Love: Reality Bites – The Moviefone Blog. News.moviefone.com.
- ↑ Reality Bites: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Retrieved on February 25, 2017.
- ↑ Wilkinson, Peter (April 13, 2005). "Bush bares soul with 'iPod One'". CNN.com (Cable News Network LP, LLLP.). Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081217040846/http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/12/bush.ipod/. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
- ↑ Ivan, DJ (July 2005). Interview with Gerald Casale of DEVO (6-12-05).
- ↑ The Knack 'My Sharona' = 'Bye, Corona,' by Berton Averre & Prescott Niles.
- ↑ Gaddo, Kyle (February 25, 2011). Eleven Legacy Rock Band Tracks Getting PRO Upgrades On Monday. The Gaming Vault. Archived from the original on May 25, 2013.
- ↑ Simanton, Keith (October 10, 1997). "Entertainment & the Arts – 'Rocketman' Is Hardly A Stellar Disney Movie". The Seattle Times. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19971010&slug=2565236. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
- ↑ Head, Steve (April 16, 2003). The New Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Trailer. Retrieved on September 20, 2013.
- ↑ Barker, Lynn (June 6, 2011). "Super8"'s New Star Joel Courtney. TeenHollywood.com. Retrieved on September 20, 2013.
- ↑ Brody, Richard (April 5, 2016). ""Everybody Wants Some!!" Is Richard Linklater's Personal Best". The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/richard-linklater-portrays-the-mentality-of-an-athlete-in-everybody-wants-some. Retrieved April 25, 2016.