Post by Lord Emsworth on May 17, 2020 6:40:53 GMT
Alan Merrill, who was born Allan Preston Sachs in New York, had a long and varied career as a musician. He signed his first record deal as lead singer of the band The Lead, who had a big hit in Japan with Aoi Bara (Blue Rose).
After releasing two successful solo albums and hosting TV shows and acting in soap operas, he left Japan for the UK in 1974 to form Arrows, who put a glam rock sheen on classic pop melodies.
The group scored hits with A Touch Too Much and My Last Night With You, and I Love Rock 'N' Roll was written by Merrill and guitarist Jake Hooker as "a knee-jerk response to the Rolling Stones' It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" in 1975.
Originally issued on the B-side of The Arrows' single Broken Down Heart, it became a hit after DJs started playing the flip side instead.
Its success led to the band getting a weekly ITV series, with musical guests including Marc Bolan, Slade and The Bay City Rollers - and that was where US singer Joan Jett first heard, and fell in love with, I Love Rock 'N' Roll.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52089768
After releasing two successful solo albums and hosting TV shows and acting in soap operas, he left Japan for the UK in 1974 to form Arrows, who put a glam rock sheen on classic pop melodies.
The group scored hits with A Touch Too Much and My Last Night With You, and I Love Rock 'N' Roll was written by Merrill and guitarist Jake Hooker as "a knee-jerk response to the Rolling Stones' It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" in 1975.
Originally issued on the B-side of The Arrows' single Broken Down Heart, it became a hit after DJs started playing the flip side instead.
Its success led to the band getting a weekly ITV series, with musical guests including Marc Bolan, Slade and The Bay City Rollers - and that was where US singer Joan Jett first heard, and fell in love with, I Love Rock 'N' Roll.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52089768
