Latest revision: Feb. 17, 2023
This pancocojams post is Part I of a two part series on the American R&B songs & children's cheerleader cheers that have the title "Rock Steady".
Part I features videos of Aretha Franklin's 1972 dance song "Rock Steady" and The Whispers' 1987 dance song "Rock Steady". Part I also includes my comments about the inspiration for the title of those two songs, the meaning of the term "rock steady" in those two songs, and information about a dance movement that was usually performed for those two songs.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/rock-steady-childrens-cheers-examples.html for Part II of this series.
Part II of this series features videos & transcriptions of five examples of the children's cheerleader cheer with the name "Rock Steady". Part II also includes my comments about the inspiration for the name of those cheers, the meaning of "rock steady" in those cheerleader cheers, and information about how those cheers might be performed.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE SONG TITLE "ROCK STEADY"
I believe that it's very likely that Aretha Franklin's 1972 R&B song "Rock Steady" was inspired by the name of the Jamaican "Rocksteady" music genre. However, the tune, beat, and lyrics of that R&B song are different from Jamaican "Rocksteady" music.
Furthermore, I believe that the the name of The Whispers' 1987 R&B song "Rock Steady" was probably inspired by Aretha Franklin's earlier song.
Most of the lyrics for the "Rock Steady" United States military cadences have their source in The Whispers' song entitled "Rock Steady". This conforms with the tradition that United military has of lifting lyrics from popular music and especially R&Bmusic to create cadences.
Also, I believe that it's very likely that the name of the children's "Rock Steady" children's cheerleader cheers* was inspired by the 1987 "Rock Steady" song by The Whispers instead of the 1972 "Rock Steady" song by Aretha Franklin. I believe this because I've yet to come across any examples of children's cheerleading cheers* with the phrase "rock steady" (and not just "rock"), or any remembrances of such cheers prior to 1987.
*By "children's cheerleader cheers", I mean cheerleader cheers & chants that are performed by children and teens in community cheerleader squads and/or in school cheerleader squads prior to colleges or universities.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/classic-jamaican-rocksteady-songs-sound.html for a pancocojams post on Rocksteady music.
****
From https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/rock-steady
[definition #2] moving in a controlled way
-snip-
rock= to move
steady= to move in a continuous manner
*****
WHAT "ROCK STEADY" MEANS IN UNITED STATES R&B SONGS & CHEERS WITH THAT TITLE
In United States R&B songs and children's cheerleader cheers with that title "rock steady" means to continue to do something in a continuous (fixed, balanced, regular) way.
When used in military cadences, "Rock steady" is a motivational (encouraging) expression that means "Continue moving along".
When used in children's cheerleader cheers "Rock Steady" means "Continue doing something very well i.e. Continue scoring so that the team wins the game that they are playing.
Depending on the type of children's cheerleading*, cheerleaders (particularly female cheerleaders) will swing their hips from side to side when they perform this cheer to imitate the movement of a boat rocking from side to side.
In dance terms "rock steady" means that women and men continuously move their hips from side to side to the record's beat.
*In mainstream cheerleading, cheerleaders don't shake their butts or rock their hips.
In stomp and shake cheerleading, female cheerleaders shake their butts and rock their hips.
In modified mainstream that includes some stomp and shake movements, to some greater or lesser degree, female cheerleaders shake their butts and rock their hips.
SHOWCASE VIDEOS OF THE R&B SONGS "ROCK STEADY"
Lockingknowledge, Uploaded on Nov 5, 2011
-snip-
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOj9lPbp1I4 for another sound file of Aretha Franklin singing "Rock Steady"
[embedding disabled by request]. The summary statement of that sound file notes that "Aretha Franklin performs Rock Steady live on Soul Train in 1973, episode 55."
Here's an excerpt about Aretha Franklin's song "Rock Steady" from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Steady_(Aretha_Franklin_song):
"Rock Steady" is a song written and performed by Aretha Franklin and released in 1971, from the album Young, Gifted and Black. The single reached the #9 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts that same year. It also peaked at #2 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart. The B-side, "Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)" peaked at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart."
-snip-
Click http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/arethafranklin/rocksteady.html for the lyrics to Aretha Franklin's song "Rock Steady".
****
Example #2: The Whispers - Rock Steady Official Video
UnidiscMusic, Uploaded on Feb 11, 2010
-snip-
Here's an excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Steady_(The_Whispers_song):
"Rock Steady" was a single released by American R&B group The Whispers, from their eighteenth studio album, Just Gets Better with Time (1987).
It was released on June 13, 1987[1] and was their highest charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number seven, and was their second and final number one on the Hot Black Singles Chart.[2]"
-snip-
Click http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858616242/for the lyrics to The Whispers' "Rock Steady" song.
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Aretha Franklin and The Whispers for their musical legacies. Thanks also to the YouTube publishers of these sound files and video.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Interesting post. Enjoyed it. & Who are the dancers in The Whispers - Rock Steady Video?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, anonymous.
DeleteThe dancers in the video are the members of the Whispers.
Here's some information about that group from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whispers
" The Whispers is a group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s. The Whispers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003,[1] and were winners of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award in 2008.[2] By popular vote, the group was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall Of Fame at SoulMusic.com in December 2012...
The Whispers formed in 1964 in Watts, California. The original members included twin brothers, Wallace "Scotty" and Walter Scott, along with Gordy Harmon, Marcus Hutson and Nicholas Caldwell. After Harmon injured his larynx in a driving accident in 1973, he was replaced by former Friends of Distinction member Leaveil Degree. Scotty Scott's fluid, melodic voice is featured on virtually all of their hits.
The group scored many hits on the R&B and Billboard Hot 100 charts throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and they hit #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1980 with "And the Beat Goes On / "Can You Do the Boogie" / "Out the Box". In 1987, they enjoyed a brief tenure in the Top 40 when "Rock Steady" became their first Top 10 success on the Hot 100, reaching #7, while also capturing the #1 spot on the R&B chart."...
Could it be, that some americanos are simply ignorants (against jamaican music)? 1964: Oh, the song from Millie (Oh my boy lollipop), is that a strange rock & roll, isn't?. It's SKA.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiuPND4W6KM
Mrs. Franklin should know, what Rocksteady (or: rock steady) is.
Hello, Bernhard Schülke.
DeleteThanks for your comment.
I agree that some Americans don't know what Rocksteady or Ska sounds like.
However, Aretha Franklin may know.
As I wrote in this post I believe that it's very likely that Aretha Franklin's dance song "Rock Steady" was inspired by the name of the Jamaican "Rocksteady" music genre. However, the tune, beat, and lyrics of that R&B song are different from Jamaican "Rocksteady" music.
Furthermore, I believe that the the name of The Whispers' dance song "Rock Steady" was probably inspired by Aretha Franklin's earlier song.
Also, I believe that it's very likely that the name of the children's "Rock Steady" cheerleader cheers was inspired by the 1987 "Rock Steady" song by The Whispers instead of the 1971 "Rock Steady" song by Aretha Franklin.
**
Here's the hyperlink to Millie's 2973 song "My Boy Lollipop": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiuPND4W6KM.