"Well, you know I can be found… sitting all alone… If you can’t come around, at least please telephone.
Hailing from Rockford, IL, and comprising of guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, vocalist Robin Zander, and drummer Bun E. Carlos, Cheap Trick didn’t really hit big in the U.S. until the band’s legendary 1978 "Cheap Trick at Budokan" live LP, which propelled the group into the higher reaches of the rock echelon. Hit tunes from this period like "Surrender" and "I Want You to Want Me" are still heard on classic hits stations to this day.
Though the Illinois boys had not logged time in the top 40 since 1979, when "Dream Police" and "Voices" peaked at US #26 and #32 respectively, 1988’s Lap of Luxury LP fueled a Cheap Trick comeback that was wholly unexpected, but greatly welcomed. The lead single was the chart topping ballad "The Flame", and to follow that up, this rockin’ cover tune was selected.
Originally a monster hit in 1956 for Elvis Presley, which topped the pop, country, and R&B charts, (can you imagine a song doing that today?) this classic tune also made it to US #11 pop in 1960 via an instrumental novelty cover by Bill Black’s Combo (affectionately referred to as the "percolator" version, seek it out to find out why), and in 1987 by mother-daughter duo The Judds, whose ballad style rendition reached #10 on the country singles charts in that year. Of note here, is that Naomi and Wynonna’s cover featured backing vocals by The Jordanaires, just as Elvis’ original did.
Cheap Trick’s amped up rendition rocketed to #4 pop and #8 rock, and successfully re-introduced the early rock and roll composition to teenagers more familiar with friendship bracelets and acid washed jeans than engineer boots and poodle skirts.
"Baby, if I made you mad… for something I might have said… please forget my past… the future looks bright ahead!"
Cheap Trick’s excellent video clip features an awesome black and white checkerboard pattern that carries over from the floor to Bun E.’s drum kit, Tom’s guitar, and Rick’s cool black & white skull shirt. In fact, only lead singer Robin is bucking this trend by wearing a colorful Mt. Rushmore themed coat.
There’s also a quartet of female backing vocalists playing the Jordanaires role… and a great closing scene in which Carlos invokes the King himself… "Bun E. Carlos has LEFT THE BUILDING!" (The guys do stop short of a line that ZZ Top would cross a few years later with the video for their 1992 cover of the King’s "Viva Las Vegas", in which the Texas blues rockers’ co-star with "Elvis’ ghost", whom is all decked out in a gold suit.)
"Don’t Be Cruel" came out at a time in which I was personally getting very interested in remakes and comparing current acts’ versions to the iconic classic tunes they were covering. I was well aware of Elvis’ original via oldies radio, not to mention my parents’ and grandparents’ vinyl record collections, so I was delighted to hear Cheap Trick tackle this classic rock n roll tune by bringing it into the contemporary sounds of the late 80s, while also expertly retaining the song’s pioneering rockabilly style.
"Let’s walk down to the preacher… let’s say ‘Hey, I do!’… and then I know you’ll want me, and you’ll know I want you too."
And here’s something else that’s pretty cool… at the same time that Cheap Trick’s tune was on the Billboard charts, so was a completely different tune with the exact same name. Ex-New Edition member Bobby Brown took his new jack swing jam "Don’t Be Cruel" (an original composition, penned by Babyface, L.A. Reid, and Daryl Simmons) to US #8 pop and R&B #1. Both Cheap Trick’s and Brown’s songs debuted on the Hot 100 on Aug 20, 1988, and both occupied space in the top 10 on October 15th, (Trick at #4, Brown at #8), and again the following week on October 22nd, when CT fell to #9, and Bobby held at #8. A special Radio Dial "shout out" goes to fellow musicologist and all around great guy Greg Free for researching those dates for me! Thanks, Greg!
So give it a spin below to hear this classic act tackle this timeless tune. It’s a shame this is never played on the radio anymore (at least I never hear it) as it is truly due for a rediscovery by terrestrial radio stations. I’d like to think that even The King himself would approve.
"Don’t be cruel, to a heart that’s true… I don’t want no other love… baby, it’s just you I’m thinking of!"
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