Turn Up the Radio (Autograph song)

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"Turn Up the Radio"
Autograph TUTR.jpg
Single by Autograph
from the album Sign In Please
B-side"Thrill of Love"
ReleasedDecember 22, 1984
GenreGlam metal[1][2][3]
Length4:38
LabelRCA Records
Songwriter(s)Steve Plunkett, Steve Isham, Randy Rand, Steve Lynch, Keni Richards
Producer(s)Neil Kernon
Autograph singles chronology
"Turn Up the Radio"
(1984) 		"Send Her to Me"
(1985)

"Turn Up the Radio" is a song by American glam metal band Autograph and the lead single from their 1984 debut album, Sign In Please. The song received significant MTV airplay, due to the song being their one big hit, Autograph are typically categorized as a one-hit wonder.[4][5][6] The success of the single boosted the sales for its parent album, with the album being certified gold by the RIAA on April 1, 1985.[7]

Background[]

Lead guitarist Steve Lynch described "Turn Up the Radio" as "a last minute song that RCA didn't even want on the album because they thought it had no commercial value." However, the band firmly insisted and were granted its inclusion. According to Lynch, Autograph didn't expect great commercial success for the song or the band in general because of their disillusionment with the music industry.[8] Lynch also reflected that, although the song was never a personal favorite, he always appreciated its strong hook, commercial appeal, and "lyrics that were right for the times."[9]

A demo version of the song appears on the band's "odds and ends" collection entitled Missing Pieces (and its reissue More Missing Pieces) wherein it has a slightly different chorus. The demo version, along with the song's "alternate electric" and "acoustic" versions, also appears on the band's "The Anthology" album which is a merge of the three albums Missing Pieces, More Missing Pieces, and Buzz.

Music video[]

The song's music video gained significant airplay in the early days of MTV.

Set in a 1980s technological future, the video opens with the band walking into a theater hall through an automated door. A RoboCop-like cyborg figure points, saying "sign in please", a direct reference to the album on which the song appears. In a blatant instance of product placement, a ray of light reveals a PaperMate Sharpwriter mechanical pencil, which had been released earlier that year. Using the pencil, the band members provide their signatures next to their names (listed along with their respective musical instruments) on a paper during which the pencil's name is prominently featured. Drummer Keni Richards writes an X, which sets off an error alarm; Keni then erases it, provides a proper signature (not shown), and proceeds to put the pencil in his hair. As the cyborg illuminates the stage lights and reflects them, the band is then seen performing the song to a crowd. In the final chorus, Autograph boards a limousine resembling a DMC DeLorean by its gull wing doors wherein lead vocalist Steve Plunkett throws the pencil to one of the female fans before leaving. As all the band members are aboard, the limousine's doors are closed by the cyborg, which then proceeds to drive them out of the venue. The video ends with a shot of the cyborg's head.

The product placement was the band's manager's idea: she thought that the band's name and the album title "Sign In Please" presented a natural opportunity for a promotional deal with a pen-and-pencil company.[10] In exchange for the prominent appearance of the pencil, the company helped fund the video — which was the band's first, and "a much more expensive video than the average new band" according to Plunkett — and also provided other financial support.[10]

Awards and accolades[]

The song was ranked No. 93 on VH1's Top 100 Hard Rock Songs[11] and was named an AMG Track Pick by Allmusic.

In 1985, Guitar Player magazine awarded Steve Lynch "Guitar Solo of the Year" for his work on "Turn Up the Radio."[8]

The song's video was placed on New York Times list of the 15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos.[12]

Charts[]

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Billboard Hot 100[13][14] 29
Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks[15] 17

Appearances[]

"Turn Up the Radio" was used in the Miami Vice episode "Little Prince" in 1984. It also played in the opening credits of the 2010 comedy film Hot Tub Time Machine which centers around 1980s pop culture.

The song was featured on the soundtrack of the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the fictional radio station VRock. "Turn Up the Radio" was also used in the role-playing video game Alpha Protocol as incidental music during a boss fight against a 1980s-obsessed Russian mafioso.

References[]

  1. ^ Sleazegrinder (December 4, 2015). "The 20 Best Hair Metal Anthems Of All Time Ever". loudersound. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  2. ^ VH1 Classic Presents: Metal Mania - Stripped, Vol. 3 - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved April 2, 2021
  3. ^ "Idle Cure, "Idle Cure" Review". www.jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  4. ^ McPadden 3/17/2015, Mike. "Riot On The Set: 20 Live Concert Movie Cameos By Hard Rock + Heavy Metal Bands". VH1 News. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  5. ^ "12 tubular one (and two) hit wonders from 1985". Me-TV Network. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  6. ^ Smith 10/26/2014, Benjamin. "Power Ballads, Cult Bands And The Greatest One-Hit Wonders In Heavy Metal And Hard Rock". VH1 News. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  7. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Autograph Guitarist / Guitar Teacher Steve Lynch FullinBloom.com. Retrieved on 7-01-11.
  9. ^ My Interview With Steve Lynch – Original Guitarist For Autograph GlamRock.com (2009). Retrieved on 7-01-11.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Hunt, Dennis (April 18, 1985). "A Tour-toughened Autograph Signs In With The Write Stuff". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  11. ^ "spreadit.org music". Retrieved February 4, 2009.
  12. ^ Edwards, Gavin (May 5, 2020). "15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  13. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 49.
  14. ^ "Autograph - Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  15. ^ "Autograph - Mainstream Rock". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2021.

External links[]

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