"Up the Creek" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, released as a single in 1984 from the soundtrack of the 1984 film Up the Creek.[1] The song was written by Rick Nielsen and Randy Bishop, and produced by Spencer Proffer.[2]
| "Up the Creek" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Cheap Trick | ||||
| from the album Up the Creek soundtrack | ||||
| B-side | "Up the Creek (Acappella Intro)" | |||
| Released | 1984 | |||
| Genre | Rock Power Pop | |||
| Length | 3:03 (single) 3:58 (album) | |||
| Label | Epic Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Rick Nielsen Randy Bishop | |||
| Producer(s) | Spencer Proffer | |||
| Cheap Trick singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editYears after its release, both Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos have been critical of the song. Nielsen told John Krewson of The A.V. Club in 1997: "Now that was a bad song! I co-wrote that... no, wait, let's see... I can't remember. Maybe I actually wrote that whole thing. Man! I must've been high. That was one of the worst songs - put it this way, it was one of the worst movies that's ever been out. Song-wise, it fit right in with the movie."[3] Carlos was once asked why the song had not appeared on a Cheap Trick compilation, to which he replied "'cause it sucks."[4]
Music video
editA music video was filmed in Los Angeles to promote the single. It was directed by Dominic Orlando and achieved light rotation on MTV.[5][6] In his 1997 interview with The A.V. Club, Nielsen said: "[The] video was the worst we've ever done. We've done some bad, bad ones, but that took the cake."[3]
Critical reception
editUpon release, Jim Bohen of Daily Record described the song as a "decent hard rocker".[7] Bob Andelman of St. Petersburg Times commented that the songs contributed by Cheap Trick, the Beach Boys and Heart "all have appealing hooks but are surrounded by prattle."[8] Lawrence Van Gelder of The News-Press wrote: "Neither the music by the likes of Cheap Trick and the Beach Boys can elevate this movie from the ranks of failed derivations."[9]
In a review of the film, The Morning Call described the song as "awful".[10] In a retrospective review of the film's soundtrack, Doug Stone of AllMusic described the song as "ridiculous" and added: "Even these distinguished junk dealers abandoned this piece."[4] In his 2017 book Still Competition: The Listener's Guide to Cheap Trick, Robert Lawson described the song as one with "all the hallmarks of a decent Cheap Trick tune - goofy lyrics, a catchy chorus, and a terrific vocal from Zander."[11]
Track listing
edit- 7" single
- "Up the Creek" - 3:03
- "Up the Creek (Acappella Intro)" - 3:48
- 12" single
- "Up the Creek" - 3:03
- "Up the Creek (Acappella Intro)" - 3:48
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Top Rock Tracks[12] | 36 |
Personnel
edit- Robin Zander - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, arranger
- Rick Nielsen - lead guitar, backing vocals, arranger
- Jon Brant - bass, backing vocals, arranger
- Bun E. Carlos - drums, percussion, arranger
Additional personnel
- Spencer Proffer - producer, arranger
References
edit- ^ "Various - Up The Creek - Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ "Up the Creek (1984) - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ a b Krewson, John (1997-03-12). "Cheap Trick". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 18, 2009. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ a b Stone, Doug. "Up the Creek - Original Soundtrack". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ "Robin Zander From Cheap Trick Filming A Video To The Song… News Photo | Getty Images Ireland | 90418977". Gettyimages.ie. 1984-01-01. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
- ^ Billboard magazine - Video Music Programming - MTV Adds & Rotation - April 21, 1984 - page 20
- ^ Daily Record - Music notes - Jim Bohen - July 6, 1984 - page 24
- ^ St. Petersburg Times - Records - Bob Andelman - June 3, 1984 - page 2E
- ^ Fort Myer News-Press - This time it's 'Up the Creek' without a reason - Lawrence Van Gelder - April 15, 1984 - page 10E
- ^ Paul willistein (1984-05-19). "Up The Creek' Without A Cinematic Paddle Movie Review". Morning Call. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
- ^ Lawson, Robert (2017-11-13). Still Competition: The Listener's Guide to Cheap Trick. FriesenPress. ISBN 9781525512261.
- ^ "Cheap Trick". Billboard.