The most famous line-up consisted of prolific songwriters Ross Wilson (ex Daddy Cool) and guitarist Eric McCusker (who luckily pestered Wilson to let him join, doing three auditions, after the initial outing of Mondo Rock had lost momentum) as well as Paul Christie on bass (ex-Kevin Borich Express, who later formed The Party Boys), John James "J. J." Hackett, ex-Stars, on drums, and the versatile James Black (now leading the RocKwiz TV show house band on SBS) on keyboards and guitar. This line-up recorded the second LP Chemistry, out July 1981. The first LP was Primal Park (1979).
The group had numerous successes on the Australian charts. Early hits included Fugitive Kind, Chemistry, State Of The Heart, and Cool World - the latter three collected on their award-winning second album Chemistry. 1980s teen-idol Rick Springfield recorded a version of McCusker's State Of The Heart some years later, making the U.S Top 40.
Further success followed in 1982 with the release of their third LP Nuovo Mondo, spawning the Top 10 single No Time, as well as the Top 40 hits The Queen And Me and the haunting In Another Love. John Farnham recorded a version of A Touch Of Paradise contained on this album, which became a Top 20 single from his 1986 Whispering Jack album.
They had to wait until 1984's The Modern Bop LP for their biggest success however. It came from the McCusker penned "Come Said the Boy", a provocative tale about the loss of virginity , which was banned at the time of release by many radio stations including Sydney's then top-rated 2SM. This failed to stop the song's momentum though, and it went on to become the band's most successful single, peaking at number 2 on the Australian charts in 1984, and is still played on radio today. The album featured two more minor hits - Baby Wants To Rock, and the title track The Modern Bop. In the same year, Ross Wilson wrote the song Bop Girl which his wife Pat Wilson recorded. The song was a major hit in Australia, cracking the Top 5.
Things were cooling by 1986's new recording Boom Baby Boom, however the group still scored a further two hit singles - Rule Of Threes and Primitive Love Rites - the latter being a minor hit in the U.S.
1990 saw their last recording of new material as Mondo Rock, in the Why Fight It LP. The singles released were Things Are Hotting Up and I Had You In Mind, however the group seemed to be running out of steam.
They still play together from time to time, and more recently starred in the 2006 Countdown Spectacular concerts (which were seen by more than 100,000 people throughout Australia), performing a medley of Cool World and Summer Of '81, and a full version of Come Said The Boy.
Ross Wilson dabbled in a solo career and had success with the single Bed Of Nails. (from Wikipedia)
Baby Wants To Rock
Mondo Rock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About you and I
We were in a black room
Under a bright spot light
We were making love
Mouth to mouth
I looked deep in your eyes and in my
Dream this is what I heard you shout you said
Baby wants to rock
Roll with you all night long
Baby wants to rock
Give it to you long and strong yeah
Baby wants to rock
Make you a happy man
Baby wants to rock
Rock hard hard as you can
My head was spinning and my ears were ringing
All I could hear was baby singing
Daddy oh
Daddy oh
Oh oh oh daddy oh oh oh
She said Daddy oh
Daddy oh
Oh oh oh daddy oh oh oh yeah
Well ain′t it strange
Oh how dreams come true
Here tonight I find myself all alone with you
You said let's make love
Mouth to mouth
Hey baby ain′t love strange funny how it all works out
Now Baby wants to rock
Shake it with me all night long
My Baby wants to rock
She gives it to me long she gives it to me strong
She rocks it
Make me a happy man
My baby wants to rock
She rocks hard hard as she can
My head was spinning and my ears were ringing
All I could hear was baby singing
Daddy oh
Daddy oh
Oh oh oh daddy oh oh oh
She said Daddy oh Daddy oh
Oh oh oh daddy oh oh oh yeah
Daddy oh
Daddy oh
Oh oh oh daddy oh oh oh
She said Daddy oh
Daddy oh
Oh oh oh daddy oh oh oh yeah
Daddy oh
Daddy oh
Oh oh oh daddy oh oh oh
She said Daddy oh
Daddy oh
Oh oh oh daddy oh oh oh yeah
Now Baby wants to rock
Shake it with me all night long
My Baby wants to rock
She gives it to me long she gives it to me strong
She rocks it
She makes me a happy man
Baby wants to rock
Rock hard baby hard as you can
The lyrics of "Baby Wants To Rock" by Mondo Rock describe a dream in which the singer and his partner are in a black room under a spotlight, making love. The partner says "Baby wants to rock" and the singer responds by singing about how the baby wants to rock all night long, and how he wants to give it to them long and strong. The partner's chant of "Daddy oh" is repeated throughout the song. The singer expresses his amazement at how the dream has come true and how he finds himself alone with his lover.
The song has a sensual tone and suggests a desire for intimacy and excitement. The dream symbolizes the singer's deepest desires for connection and passion. The lyrics imply that the singer is ready and eager to fulfill his lover's desires, whatever they may be. The image of the black room under the spotlight is powerful and suggests a sense of isolation and focus on the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a dream last night
The singer had a dream about him and his partner.
About you and I
The dream portrayed the singer and his partner in a romantic relationship.
We were in a black room
The singer and his partner were in a dark room.
Under a bright spot light
There was a bright spotlight shining on them in the dark room.
We were making love
The singer and his partner were being intimate in the dream.
Mouth to mouth
The intimacy extended to kissing each other.
I looked deep in your eyes and in my
The singer saw a deep connect with his partner in his dream.
Dream this is what I heard you shout you said
In the dream, the partner said something important
Baby wants to rock
The partner wants to have some fun and enjoy some music.
Roll with you all night long
The partner wants to be with the singer throughout the night and enjoy together.
Give it to you long and strong yeah
The partner wants to have a good time and make the singer happy.
Make you a happy man
The partner wants to please the singer and make him feel happy.
Rock hard hard as you can
The partner wants to dance and rock hard to the music.
My head was spinning and my ears were ringing
The singer felt dizzy and overwhelmed with emotion in the dream.
All I could hear was baby singing
The only thing the singer could concentrate on was the partner's singing.
Daddy oh
The partner was calling the singer a term of endearment.
Oh oh oh daddy oh oh oh
The partner was calling the singer with love.
Well ain't it strange
The singer feels like the dream came true and it was strange.
Oh how dreams come true
The singer's dream became a reality.
Here tonight I find myself all alone with you
In the present situation, the singer finds himself alone with the partner.
You said let's make love
In the present, the partner is proposing to the singer for an intimate activity.
Hey baby ain't love strange funny how it all works out
The singer finds it funny how love works out in life.
Shake it with me all night long
The partner wants to dance and enjoy together all night long.
She gives it to me long she gives it to me strong
The partner is enjoyable and enthusiastic in their actions.
She rocks it
The partner is an expert in dancing and having fun.
She makes me a happy man
The partner makes the singer feel happy and contended.
Rock hard baby hard as you can
The partner wants to have a good time by enjoying and dancing hard to the music.
Writer(s): Ross Andrew Wilson, James Black
Contributed by William F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.