Ian Hunter - Cleveland Rocks, London Astoria (2004)

[DRALEX113]

Cleveland, Ohio...."The Best Location in The Nation"......we have water, don't we Texas, Arizona, California? We rarely suffer an earthquake,, a mudslide, nor a hurricane. The winter lasts about three weeks too long. But it is worth the wait! Cleveland Rocks!

[adater]

How drunk was Ian here?

[livingonOpticRoad12]

Cleveland Rocks!!! Go Tribe!!!!!!

[SnugglySara]

Gorgeous!

[TommyPlane14]

20 people have never been to Cleveland, Ohio!! GREAT SONG!

[Tokopol]

Cleveland rocks.

It especially rocked during 'Ten Cent Beer Night' at Cleveland Municipal Stadium on June 4th, 1974.

[monkeeshead]

I think you'll find that the reason it became Cleveland Rocks is because he had signed up to Cleveland management.

[brabon1]

FUCK LEBRON

[SamusMaXximus]

Fuck everywhere else.... Cleveland does indeed rock!

[CziefWahoo]

It was originally Cleveland, then England, then Cleveland again, IIRC

[Babaziba]

His second version actually...it was originally "England Rocks" from his "Overnight Angels" album in the UK...changed for his next US album and hit. The original is worth checking out because of the over-the-top production by Roy Thomas Baker (Queen, The Cars). Great stuff.

[dnanidrefify]

IAN ROOOOOOOOOCKS!

[forumghost1]

R&R Hall of Fame. Cleveland OH. Ian Hunter belongs.

[upthcreek]

He wrote this way before the rock and roll museum, in Cleavland... Kudos Ian...

[upthcreek]

to tell the truth, it was about Cleavland going bankrupt, back in the late 70's...

[420TommyC]

Memories of days gone by...concerts at The Agora and The Coliseum, frisbee and fatties at Virginia Kendal, WMMS with Kid Leo, and Murray Saul. Glad I was there. Cleveland rocks.

[AudiophileTubes]

Cleveland rocks about as much as a paraplegic!!!

[rhimember72]

JDMMR333 I saw Ian Hunter in Brighton (Uk) a few weeks vback. Mick is sadly missed, he made that clear when he sang Michael Picasso, but Ian rocks on, he makes his own career, he is a f******ng legend, end of

[mick50651]

MMS,CLEVELAND

[louiebulldog]

saw them in a doulbe bill with the kinks.........most rocking

[superfly299]

Great song but The Presidents of The United States do it better.

[darthdaris]

that one guitar guy looks like donald trump

[cabendel]

Cleveland DOES ROCK!!!!!!!!!

Why do you think the Rock Hall Of Fame is there?

[Magicbrianwood]

Ian's Man Overboard album is filled with great stuff. Brilliant lyricist and not too serious. Great guy

[chefglensmith]

popped a string

[PyroNinja713]

does he say crimson lips or crimson tits? because i have heard lips in every version i can find but every lyrics site i try says its tits

[steadysteve54]

Allthe little chicks,with the crimson LIPS!"

[DejectedPanda]

It's got to be lips. Why would they have crimson tits?

[SouthernFriedFreak]

Maybe Cleveland folk like to beat their women around a bit?

:P

I kid, I kid. . .

[remotelyuniversal]

love this song, but this sounds horrible. Sorry Ian.

[tazzie03]

Maybe it doesn't come across in the video, but I was there that night and I call tell you the response to this song was insane.

[horneyrich]

I love the song but Ian is starting to show his age

[thepossessor]

this vocal performance is very weak

[topsailbeachnc]

Have to agree, great tune and good instrumentals - but this guy's vocal cords have seen better days. Still though, it's a great song.

[waystedkiss]

"NEITHER" IAN or MOTT.... sorry typo !

[waystedkiss]

Have nothing against Clevland, per say. But the hall of fames selection process SUCKS ! I'll have you know that Ian Hunter or Mott are in it ! Either is RUSH or KISS or YES to name a few ! Where as bands that have little or nothin' to do with R & R reside there ! Boycott R&RHO shame !

[visions0009]

Thats the real musik, whe has the world musik still in aoers artists, nao its no more deals djust musik coming aot. Mayby an new short of musik stail most come aot to stop masproduktion. The pop musik is al over os, let fru the new musik.

[visions0009]

About the new stiles, its more greater bands, then souner the pop ategori, thats singing behinde an computer, sound of electrik whit an same melody, has gon.Its alot greater whit creativ musik, something about in the songs, and that what it express and are about.

[visions0009]

Who hears the radio batrix copys that al they sing is same sound shake as, and an melody that sounds like an elektrik trums that is the same on the whole song. If i goes tho the citchen and take my spoon and trum on an castrul, and repet shake and stuf,

[Dropmurphy]

Wow visions0009, that was quite possibly the worst spelling I've ever seen on the internet. That's saying a lot. I can't even figure out what you're TRYING to spell half the time.

[BradB219]

argueing on the internet, never. lol

Great song though.

[sophiegromit]

Typical Clevelander thinks he or she is 'heavily into rock' because they are fans of 'THE MICHAEL STANLEY BAND'! LOL

[striderVII]

mejor la version de cheap trick

[GORATPHUQ]

never mind that shit here comes Mongo

and Cleveland still rocks

[XtraTarTarSarce]

ummmm i think. maybe, um .... Cleveland rocks?

[sophiegromit]

Cleveland (and surrounding area) has spawned VERY FEW internationally known rock bands (the pathetic Michael Stanley Band does not count, asshats). Maybe Devo, Chrissie Hynde, and The Raspberries. Or Mushroomhead and Chimaira (they SUCK). Big effing deal! Cleveland/NE Ohio is not even a 'blip' on the rock map! The Rock Hall should be in New York City or Los Angeles where it truly belongs!!! CleveBLAND is NOTHING!!!

[dawillardo]

hmmm...interesting, back in the day it was typical for the following bands to all tour Cleveland in a single summer rock series (The World Series of Rock, for those you recall the day):

The Who

Fleetwood Mac

Pink Floyd

Rolling Stones

And those were just the headliners. When I went to WSOR in '80 I saw:

Def Leppard (USA debut tour) warm up for Eddie Money, who stepped aside for J Geils Band, who yielded to Bob Seager -- all in one night.

Cleveland Rocks -- fuck-tard. That's why.

[Boriskarloff31]

I find it sad you have made it your life's mission to trash Cleveland. I'm not going to go into how wrong your comments are here. You have absolutely no knowledge of Cleveland's music and art scene of the 70s...I feel bad for the Clevelander you must have married. You must berate him every day. Please move away from Cleveland and take your bad vibes to a bigger city. It's very easy to kick a city when it is down. You and your pathetic rudeness would fit much better in a bigger city.

[gfrkiss]

rk781 i'm sorry if i said something to offend... I only said i've got tickets etc..

[rk781]

no no not u gfrkiss its analthony he IS A BITCH CUSE HE SAID CLEVELAND SUCKS AND U KNOW WHAT I SHOULD SAY TO EM THAT HE SHOULD GO TO HIS RELITIVES AND SAY IM SRY FOR SAYING CLEVELAND SUCKS AND GO FUCK UR SELF U SHIT HEAD SON OF A BITCH CLEVEALND ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rk781]

U TO GO TO HELL

[analtony]

cleveland sucks, your "city" has no class and every single one of your sports clubs fucking blow...eat a hard one!

[gfrkiss]

iv'e got my Mott tickets for London...YEAH!!!!!!!!! I am happy!!

[colibriverde]

Ian rocks! Thanks for posting!

[rocky5554]

rock on ian

[sophiegromit]

NOTHING 'rocks' about Cleveland! Take it from me... I live in this shithole, bland, cookie-cutter city! Compared to Chicago, NYC, and L.A., Cleveland BLOWS!

[SpenceMakeSense]

um...what did he say?

[reefrunner9]

Cleveland rocks, Ian Hunter, Drew Carey...oof dah! All the industrial engineers escaped Wisconsin and moved to Cleveland, go figure....Lizards on the Table....for all the young dudes....survivor of the 70's

[itchymoche]

I was a fan of Ian Hunter back when he released his first Mott the Hoople LP.

Great tunes!

[meesalikeu]

i know what you mean, but detroit didn't take specifically to ian hunter like cleveland did. so there it is.

[siwens84]

Świetna piosenka!!!

Grate song!!!

[2superfan2]

He sounds old. I'll stick to listening to the song on The Drew Carey show :)

[jimmyb207]

I saw Ian Hunter with Mick Ronson at the Portland Me. Civic Center back in 1981. They were the backup for Heart. Well, they were just as good as Heart and it was one hell of a show!!

[ZanessaForever45]

I really love Cleveland and New York to death. When people askes Ian why Cleveland rocks? why not New York, Chicago, or London? He said because when he played gigs in Cleveland, they accepted him right away, and became famous by Cleveland's friendly acceptance. He said that Cleveland accepted him when he wasn't famous. Thats why he chose Cleveland.

[LBjim]

@ZanessaForever45 Also becouse the first big rock n roll show with Alan Freed was in Cleveland as well in the 50's. Cleveland did embrace Ian in his Mott days more than other cities.Great song and Great Tribute..

[83169]

@ZanessaForever45 I don't know if he still does this, but used to be, when he would come to Boston, he would sing "Boston Rocks"... :)

[pmoyer50]

@ZanessaForever45: That's all probably true. Years ago, if a rock band could make it in Cleveland they could make it anywhere. The music fan in Cleveland is discriminating in taste. It was fitting that it is the home to Rock and Roll's Hall of Fame. Ian Hunter is great. I saw him in Mott the Hoople in Philly in 1970. They opened for the Who. 

[somuchfabric]

God he writes great songs.

[davidbruening]

I live in Cleveland also, and this song does speak for itself, but i like the original verson better

[maxzen203]

that was funny they fucked up...

[prissboy91]

"we;re making a dvd tonight.....and i just fucked up" lol

[insubordinate12000]

Jesus H. Christ...that was pretty sweet.

Hunter *still* has it!

[Indacards]

New York is without a doubt the best city in the world. Clevelands nice, but theres really no comparing the two.

[icuwoot]

rock capital of the world? lol. The RRHOF does not make you the capital.

[riflelarose]

I'm from Cleveland too. This song pretty much speaks for itself.

[camperchik163]

Trans - Siberian Orchestra did it at their new years show in Cleveland(i was there). It was alot better than this. But this is still pretty darn good still.

[JetBeetle]

The great one himself - so may people copied him

[orkneyfellow]

Huge respect to this ageless man. He was 65 when this was recorded. Unbelievable.

[buzzbros2002]

Wisconson Rules!

[bunzo86]

grande il buon vecchio ian hunter

[Jacksamuelz]

Superman is from Cleveland!

[koolala344]

no realy

[Jacksamuelz]

yep, invented in cleveland look it up.

[koolala344]

fine i will

[cyberjar88]

You'd better apologize!

[koolala344]

nope

[thisismyeighthtry]

HAHAH!

INDIANS JUST WOOPED THOSE YANKS!

Cleveland Rocks!

[TarnicUS]

Why? Detroit sucks. GO OHIO!

[golfertk14]

CLEVELAND ROCKS!

[newman20072008]

cleveland ROCKS

[borisbulldog]

If you can't spell Cleveland, you deserve to live in Cali, retard.

Maybe they'll spell your name right on your McDonalds uniform!

[tocaracer06]

CLEVELAND ROCKS!!!!

[pollywolly77]

I never knew Cleveland would be this interesting. Got to go there sometime!

[themurph2000]

Presumably, Ian dedicated it to Alan Freed, the Cleveland DJ who first started playing (and coining the phrase) rock and roll back in 1951. This would also be the reason why the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland.

[meesalikeu]

yes, it's an ode to freed, but it's also a record of the early punk scene which started in blue collar cities like cleveland, not nyc or london. after all the song was written in 1978 & came out in 1979 & he was likely thinking about it long before that.

[mfc1212]

The original version is England Rocks, which was recorded before this newer version

[aarfeld]

Actually, Hunter himself has said in interviews that the Cleavland version came first and about a year later they reworked it as England Rocks while trying to come up with a single for the British market.

[HSMlover4456]

LOVE this song on the drew carey showw LOVE THE SOONNNG!!

[Jensenlover99]

awesome I'm so happy I got to see him. I'm only 15 and I'm afraid that he may go off tour vfor good. So glad I caught him! I even got within 3 feet of him. He was in a van but I was THAT close!

[travman102]

really? i always thot it was cleveland rocks becuz of that

[TarnicUS]

The Rock Hall is in Cleveland because that's where the term was coined. What term? ROCK AND ROLL! First stated in Cleveland.

[travman102]

the rock n roll hall of fame is in cleveland lol thats y the song is called cleveland rocks

[rere755]

:) i lived in cleaveland tell i wuz 10 and i allwase loved this song

[MottOne]

There are all kinds of myths on the net, but here's Ian (Horse's Mouth, Issue #44, Part 2 - July 17, 2004): "I originally wrote 'Cleveland Rocks' for Cleveland. I changed it later to 'England Rocks' because I thought it should be a single somewhere and Columbia wouldn't release it as a single in the U.S. (too regional). 'Cleveland Rocks' is Cleveland's song and that the truth." So much for "art".

[ianhunterfan08]

Awesome Ian ROCKS

[drknots]

I remember this in 79, the studio version really ROCKS, how can anyone even think to compare Drew to this?

[Delollis5]

They had him come to cleveland and play with

Trans Siberian Orchestra

[snackleforkofemir]

Isn't the "Drew Carey Version" actually by The Presidents of America?

[SweetTart12]

I live near Cleveland

[rocky5554]

i saw this concert live on another part of this same tour the show was awesome

[seekbww]

Ian Hunter is grossly underrated. He's got a lot of cool songs

[frontlobo]

Hi, do you know the story behind the song, "The Other Side of Life" that is on the Welcome to the Club album? Thanks

[jackdelamare]

lol my dad got me kinda into ian hunter and he rocks

[KarenCarpenter]

:| i like Drew Carey version better