Bang On The Drum All Day

1983

Todd Rundgren

This one, as they say, was just for fun. ...and that's pretty much the reason I included 'Bang On The Drum All Day as well...well, that and the fact that it's probably the most played, most heard Todd Rundgren single. Note I didn't say his biggest hit. It's just the one that the most people have heard. It's played at parties endlessly, and Afternoon Drive Time DJs have played it since time eternal...well, at least since mid-1983...on Friday Afternoon at quittin' time or thereabouts to kick off the weekend. It's also been used in more than a couple of TV commercials over the years, as well as appearing in the odd movie here and there. It's heard at sporting events throughout this great country of ours...The Green Bay Packers have it played after every home-game touchdown.

Todd Said that the idea for the song came to him over-night one night so he got up and knocked it out...music and lyrics...and then recorded it. It's the story of a guy whose goal in life, indeed his entire reason for being, the key to his very existence...is to 'Bang On The Drum All Day'. His label (Bearsville at the time) really didn't take it seriously, and I don't really think Todd did either...he just recorded it because it was, well, fun, You can sense that in the high energy, almost manic electric organ intro, And when you hear that intro, you know nothing serious can follow it.

It was recorded and released in the spring of 1983, debuted on The Hot 100 on the seventh of May, and peaked at #63 half way through it's five week stay on The Hot 100. SO it wasn't exactly a run-away. But it got everyone's attention. Probably 75 percent of the people who hear it have no idea who wrote or sang it or where it came from, and they probably wouldn't have bought the single, but they know it's still loads of fun to listen to. When ya hear it you're gonna move something to that manic, catchy beat. So I'll include Todd Rundgren's 3:48 worth of of head boppin' fun even if it's not a Seventies song!

It's possible that this one's played so much, in so many venues for so many reasons, that it may never gain actual 'Oldie' status. But it'll always be fun!

So enjoy! Bang The Drum All Day' By Todd Rundgren.