Bassist Alan Longmuir, his younger brother Derek Longmuir, a drummer, along with school mate, lead singer Gordon "Nobby" Clark founded the group in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1967, as The Saxons. Shortly afterwards, seeking a less English-sounding moniker, they chose a new name allegedly by throwing a dart at a map of the United States. The dart landed on the map in the state of Arkansas, but since "Arkansas Rollers" did not sound quite right, and might also lead to problems with pronunciation, they tried again and this time the dart landed near the community of Bay City, Michigan.
The Bay City Rollers were managed from early on by the imposing and controversial Tam Paton, himself a former big band leader. Paton was notorious for his rigid control over all aspects of the band's career, including the shuffling in and out of group members at a very high rate. Short term members from this period include David Paton (member 1969-1970) and Billy Lyall (member 1969-1971), who went on to be founding members of another successful Edinburgh band, Pilot.
The Bay City Rollers received their first break when prominent record executive Dick Leahy caught their act by chance in an Edinburgh club. After signing with Leahy's Bell Records, the band's first hit was "Keep on Dancing" (UK #9, 1971), a cover of a 1965 Gentrys hit, recorded at the suggestion of pop impresario and producer Jonathan King. (Singer Nobby Clark was backed on vocals on "Keep on Dancing" by King himself.) Upon this release's success, they made guest appearances on BBC-TV's Top of the Pops. The group then won a Radio Luxembourg-sponsored song contest with the tune "Maรฑana", which was later popular in parts of Europe and in Israel.
Several non-charting singles were released over the following two years. This period did see the addition of long term members Eric Faulkner and Stuart "Woody" Wood.
In late 1973 they narrowly missed the UK chart with "Saturday Night", one of many singles written and produced for the band by the highly successful songwriting duo of Scotsman Bill Martin and Irishman Phil Coulter.
By the end of 1973, Nobby Clark had become disillusioned by the band's lack of success and decided to move on. He was replaced as lead singer by Leslie McKeown.
The five members at the very end of 1973 - the Longmuir brothers, Faulkner, Wood and McKeown - are generally referred to as the "classic line-up". In early 1974 McKeown hastily re-recorded lead vocals of the group's forthcoming single, "Remember (Sha La La La)", which became a sizable hit and a lead in to a series of UK chart hits.
Beginning with "Remember" (UK #6), the Rollers' popularity exploded, and they released a string of very successful hits on the British charts. Following in succession were "Shang-a-Lang" (UK #2), "Summerlove Sensation" (UK #3), and "All of Me Loves All of You" (UK #4).
By early 1975, they were one of the highest-selling acts in Britain. That year saw a successful UK tour (which prompted newspaper headlines about "Rollermania"), and a 20-week UK television series, Shang-a-Lang.
A cover of the Four Seasons' "Bye, Bye, Baby", stayed at #1 in the UK for six weeks in the spring of 1975, selling nearly a million copies to become the biggest seller of the year, and the subsequent single "Give a Little Love" topped the charts that summer, their second #1 hit. At the peak of their popularity in the UK, comparisons were even made to The Beatles.
By this time, BCR fans had a completely distinctive style of dress, the main elements of which were ankle length tartan trousers and tartan scarves which they had copied from another Tam Paton Band "Bilbo Baggins".
As the group's popularity swelled to superstardom in the UK, a concerted effort was made by Arista Records (the record company that evolved from Bell) to launch the Rollers in America. New Arista head Clive Davis was instrumental in grooming and overseeing the project. His work paid off as in early '76, the Rollers reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with "Saturday Night", the song which had missed the UK chart completely two years earlier. A second US hit came with "Money Honey" which hit #9, and finally reaching a lackluster 62 with a cover version of Dusty's love power. Prior to that, they made their American TV debut on Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell singing Saturday Night.
The dark side of the band's unending schedule of tours and appearances was the great amount of stress the band members felt. By early '76, the strain of success (and the discomfort of a mature man in a teen band) had taken its toll on bassist Alan Longmuir, who decided to leave the group. He was replaced for 7 months by 17 year old Ian Mitchell - the first band member born outside of Edinburgh, Scotland (he was from Northern Ireland). With Mitchell, the group released an album titled Dedication, and hit the charts with a cover version of the Dusty Springfield song "I Only Want To Be With You", which reached US #12, as well as "Yesterday's Hero" and "Dedication".
As the Rollers' popularity waned, the shuffling of personnel continued: Mitchell quit the band, replaced by Pat McGlynn. The group's commercial success began to decline towards the end of the 1970s. In 1977, they covered an unsuccessful 1973 single by String Driven Thing, "It's a Game" to give them their final UK Top 20 hit (#16 in the spring), but "You Made Me Believe in Magic" could only make #34 in the summer. It managed to just crack the top ten in the United States, but this would be their final major success there too. Summer of 1977 saw the group release the It's a Game album and world tour as a four-piece group - McKeown, Wood, Faulkner and Derek Longmuir.
In 1978, Alan Longmuir reunited with the band for the recording of Strangers in the Wind. The release of this LP was timed to coincide with the debut of the Rollers' US television show "The Krofft Superstar Hour" later renamed "The Bay City Rollers Show" on the NBC network. The show was a poor match for the band. Their time in the teen-idol spotlight was slipping away and their music had matured and become more sophisticated compared to the bubblegum hits they had released in '75-'76. The show and album were each dismal failures.
Les McKeown left to pursue a solo career after an on-stage fight with Faulkner in Japan.The Rollers fired Tam Paton in 1979. South African-born Duncan Faure was hired to replace McKeown as lead vocalist and the band shortened its name to The Rollers. Three albums were issued under this name, including Voxx (1980) and 1981's Ricochet, before the group disbanded.
During the 1980s and 1990s, there were various short-lived revivals featuring some of the original members, including a New Year's Eve 1999 concert. Interest was rekindled in Britain by television documentaries about the group and a television-advertised compilation of greatest hits, which entered the UK charts on release in 2004 at its #11 peak.
Currently, there is one touring version using the group's name: Les McKeown's Legendary Bay City Rollers.
Alan Longmuir died on 2 July 2018 in an Edinburgh hospital after contracting an illness while on holiday in Mexico. He was 70.
Rock N' Roll Honeymoon
Bay City Rollers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So you better get your rockin' boots on
You better ask your daddy for the caddy
And we'll motor on
Drive on baby to an all-night diner
Jive on baby we're in Carolina
Baby we're rollin' on
Wonderin' where we're gone
On a rock and roll honeymoon
Rock and roll honeymoon
Better get a preacher
And I'll meet you when the school bell ring
We ain't got the money for a twenty carat diamond ring
But what do you think about a midnight rider
Comin' on strong with an all night liner
Baby it's me and you
You know we can do it too
Reelin' and a rockin'
On a rock and roll honeymoon
Rock and roll honeymoon
Rock it out, rock it out
Rock it out, rock it out
Baby we're rollin on
Wonderin' where we've gone
Reelin' and a rockin'
On a rock and roll honeymoon
Rock and roll honeymoon
Baby it's me and you
You know we can do it too
Reelin' and a rockin'
On a rock and roll honeymoon
Rock and roll honeymoon
The Bay City Rollers' song "Rock 'n' Roll Honeymoon" describes a couple on their honeymoon who are fully immersed in the rock and roll lifestyle. The lyrics suggest that the couple is on a road trip, driving to an all-night diner in Carolina, and having a wild and carefree time. The opening lines of the song set the tone, with the singer announcing that he's "a knockin'" and urging his partner to put on her "rockin' boots" and come along for the ride. The image of the couple driving a caddy and enjoying the freedom of the open road further reinforces the idea that they are living life to the fullest.
The second verse of the song moves on from the road-trip imagery to more romantic possibilities. The singer suggests that the couple should get a preacher and marry right away, even if they can't afford a lavish diamond ring. The idea of a "midnight rider" underscores the adventure and excitement of their existence, as they embrace their love and throw caution to the wind.
Overall, the song is an ode to youthful romance and the rock and roll lifestyle, celebrating the freedom and excitement of being young and in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby I'm a knockin'
I am trying to get your attention and come into your life to bring excitement and adventure.
So you better get your rockin' boots on
I am inviting you to join me on a wild and fun journey. Be prepared to let loose and have a good time.
You better ask your daddy for the caddy
We need a car to go on this adventure, so ask your father if we can borrow his. It's important to have our own transportation.
And we'll motor on
We'll get in the car and drive away to wherever the road takes us. We're ready for anything and everything.
Drive on baby to an all-night diner
We'll go to a diner that's open all night long. We're hungry and need to refuel so we can continue our journey.
Jive on baby we're in Carolina
We're in the state of Carolina now, so let's enjoy the local culture and music. We're here to have a good time and create memories.
Baby we're rollin' on
We're moving forward and experiencing everything life has to offer. It's a new day and we're ready for it.
Wonderin' where we're gone
We don't know exactly where we're headed, but we're excited to find out. There's something magical about the unknown.
Reelin' and a rockin'
We're dancing and having a good time. Music is important to us and we're enjoying every beat.
On a rock and roll honeymoon
We're on an adventure together, exploring the world and experiencing new things. We're in love with each other and with life itself.
Better get a preacher
We're ready to take the next step and get married. We need a preacher to make it official.
And I'll meet you when the school bell ring
Let's get married right after school ends. We'll meet up and start our new life together.
We ain't got the money for a twenty carat diamond ring
We may not have a lot of money, but we have each other and that's all that matters. We don't need material possessions to be happy.
But what do you think about a midnight rider
Instead of a ring, let's get a motorcycle and ride off into the sunset together. We'll have an adventure every day of our lives.
Comin' on strong with an all night liner
We'll ride through the night and see where the road takes us. We're not afraid of the unknown and we're ready for anything.
Baby it's me and you
We're in this together. It's just you and me and nothing can stop us.
You know we can do it too
We're confident in our love and our ability to make it through anything. We're a strong team.
Rock it out, rock it out
Let's dance and enjoy the music. We're having a great time and the night is just getting started.
Baby it's me and you
We're still together and nothing has changed. We're committed to each other and to this adventure.
Reelin' and a rockin'
We're still dancing and having fun. The music is keeping us going and there's no end in sight.
On a rock and roll honeymoon
We're still on this adventure, exploring the world and experiencing new things. Life is an adventure and we're loving every minute of it.
Rock and roll honeymoon
Our love and our adventure are intertwined. We're having a great time and we're in it for the long haul.
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Firebrand55
RIP Alan Longmuir.....you and the BCR's brought pleasure to millions....this gem was my favourite!
@1970sGirl
The guys look so young and fresh here, and they are truly enjoying themselves out there. I hope with all my heart that the Rollers are downloading these YouTube videos of themselves and are seeing how much they were loved and how they have a generation of new fans. They were never really appreciated (except by us teens) back in the 70's.
@stuartgreenwood6428
yes totally agree with this. This is a SIZZLING performance and one of my favourites. I was a little too old for Rollermania! but I have got it now! These guys were under appreciated. They were all fabulous and should have lasted much longer but they were all so individually talented that they forgot that the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. Hard to think that a couple have left us when you see a video like this in all their youthful enthusiasm and fun: they really loved their fans and their STAGECRAFT was the best -- never seen anything like it. Watch the concert from the London Weekend Television show just before they went to the States -- totally sizzling and fabulous - I watch some of it every night!! Thank you Rollers for brightening up my life -- keep on rolling!!
@1970sGirl
@@stuartgreenwood6428 So cool that you saw my msg from 13 years ago !! Wow !! Yes - three of them are gone now. So sad. Alan, Ian, and Les. Breaks my heart !!
@stuartgreenwood6428
@@1970sGirl Sorry that was my Mum commenting accidentally on my profile , thanks for responding , The Rollers are her favorite band now
@cutekitten1955
R.I.P. Alan in Rock n Roller heaven.
@lorrainewilson7792
WE REALLY MISS OUR GREATEST ROCK AND ROLL SINGER ALAN LONGMUIR
@marcyallison5996
Alan sounds great.
@lisaosfan
Have always loved to hear Alan sing this song. He has a great voice. You rocked it Alan !!!!!!!
@inezengelhardt3948
Rest in Peace our beloved Alan. Heaven is tartan tonight.