"China" is a song by Red Rockers, released in 1983. It was a hit single, peaking at No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100[1] and No. 19 on the Mainstream Rock chart.[2]
| "China" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Red Rockers | ||||
| from the album Good as Gold | ||||
| Released | 1983 | |||
| Genre | New wave | |||
| Length | 3:57 | |||
| Label | Columbia/415 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Hill/Griffith/Singletary/Kahne | |||
| Producer(s) | David Kahne | |||
| Red Rockers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
History edit
"China" was originally one of the ten songs on Red Rockers' second full-length album, Good as Gold. The single was released on the joint label Columbia/415.[3] In the wake of 415's deal with Columbia, "Voice of America" was relegated to the B-side of the single, and "China" became the breakout single for the band.[4] Although the song did not reach the Billboard top 40, it has had an enduring lifespan. The song's popularity was enhanced by its colorful music video, which was a regular selection on MTV during its early years. The video was filmed in New Orleans, the band's hometown.[5]
Legacy edit
"China" was described by rock critic Ira Robbins as "a startlingly pretty pop song", and it represented a major change in the sound and style of Red Rockers: "Gone was the raging rhetoric, replaced by ... articulate, ringing guitars and John Griffith's newly smoothed-up vocals."[6]
"China" was included on Rhino Records' new wave compilation album series, Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80's.[7] In 2000, John Thomas Griffith re-recorded the song with his band Cowboy Mouth for their studio album Easy.
Track listings edit
7" track listing edit
- "China"
- "Voice of America"
12" track listing edit
- "China"
- "China" (Dance Mix)
- "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)"
References edit
- ^ "Red Rockers China Chart History". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2019.
- ^ "Red Rockers Mainstream Rock Chart History". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2019.
- ^ "AMG Good As Gold overview". Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- ^ "The Red Rockers – Voice of America". LittleHits.com. 2005. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- ^ "China - Music Video Database". Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- ^ Robbins, Ira, ed. (1985). The New Trouser Press Record Guide (3 ed.). New York: Collier/Macmillan. pp. 455–456. ISBN 0-02-036370-2.
- ^ Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 10 at AllMusic