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Rosanna (song)

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This article is about the song by Toto. For the song by Gordon Lightfoot, seeThe Way I Feel(Gordon Lightfoot album).

"Rosanna"
SinglebyToto
from the albumToto IV
B-side"It's a Feeling"
Released
  • March 31, 1982 (U.S.)[1]
  • April 16, 1982 (U.K.)[2]
Recorded1981
Studio
Genre
Length
  • 5:31(album and video version)
  • 3:59 (single version)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)David Paich
Producer(s)Toto
Totosingles chronology
"Live for Today"
(1981) 		"Rosanna"
(1982) 		"Make Believe"
(1982)
Music video
"Rosanna"onYouTube

"Rosanna"is a song written byDavid Paichand performed by the AmericanrockbandToto,the opening track and the first single from their 1982 albumToto IV.This song won theGrammy AwardforRecord of the Yearat the1983 ceremony."Rosanna" was also nominated for theSong of the Yearaward. It is regarded for the half-timeshufflewhich drummerJeff Porcarodeveloped for the song, and for its production, which is generally seen as being one of the best mastered songs of all time.[6][7]The groove has become an important staple of drum repertoire and is commonly known as the "Rosanna shuffle".

The song reached number two on theBillboardHot 100for five consecutive weeks, behind "Don't You Want Me"bythe Human Leagueand "Eye of the Tiger"bySurvivor.[8]It was also one of the band's most successful singles in the UK, peaking at No. 12 on theUK Singles Chartand remaining on the chart for eight weeks.[9]

Composition and lyrics

[edit]

The song was written by David Paich, who has said that the song is based on numerous girls he had known. As a joke, the band members initially played along with the common assumption that the song was based onRosanna Arquette,who was dating Toto keyboard playerSteve Porcaroat the time. Arquette herself played along with the joke, commenting in an interview that the song was about "my showing up at 4 a.m., bringing them juice and beer at their sessions".[10]

However, in Steve Lukather's book, "The Gospel According to Luke," Lukather states undeniably that the song was indeed about Arquette. Even going as far as to say that at one point Arquette finally relented and admitted the song was about her.

In the verses, the key is changed fromG majortoF major,accompanied on the original recording by the lead vocalist changing fromSteve LukathertoBobby Kimball.[11]

Thedrumpattern is known as a "half-timeshuffle",and shows" definite jazz influence ",[12]featuringghost notesand derived from the combination of thePurdie shuffle,Led ZeppelindrummerJohn Bonham's shuffle on "Fool in the Rain",and theBo Diddley beat.The Purdie shuffle can be prominently heard onSteely Dan's track "Home at Last" fromAja,which Jeff Porcaro cited as an influence.[13][14]

The overlapping keyboard solos in the middle were created by David Paich and Steve Porcaro recording a multitude of keyboard lines (some of which were cut from the final recording) using a Micro-Composer, aMinimoog,Yamaha CS-80s,Prophets,aHammond organ,and a GS1, among other instruments.[11]Paich credits Porcaro with both coming up with the concept for the segment and playing a majority of the parts.[11]The album version starts with the drum beat only then kicks into the rest of the melody, then ends with two renditions of the song's chorus and goes into a musical interlude and fades out from there. According to Lukather, this final instrumental section was a spontaneous jam during the recording session: "... the song was supposed to end but Jeff carried on and Dave started playing the honky-tonk piano and we all just followed on".[11]The single edit goes right into the melody at the beginning, then the song fades out during the first singing of the chorus at the end.

Steve Porcaro and Lukather describe it as "the ultimate Toto track".[15]Cash Boxsaid that it "is a varied palette of pleasing pop shades".[16]Billboardsaid "The arrangement is more complex than anything Toto's known for, mixing rock power chords with softer passages".[17]

Classic Rock Historycritic Brian Kachejian rated it as Toto's greatest song, saying that it was "Easily one of the 1980's best singles".[18]

Music video

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TheWest Side Story-inspired video was directed bySteve Barronand set in a stylized urban streetscape, with Rosanna represented by a dancer whose bright red dress contrasts with the gray surroundings. The band plays within a chain-link fence enclosure.Cynthia Rhodesis featured as the lead dancer Rosanna, which led to her being cast inStaying Alivethe following year.[19]Patrick Swayzewas also uncredited as a dancer in the music video and he and Rhodes would both star in the movieDirty Dancing.[20]

Despite not playing on the actual recording, new bassistMike Porcaro(brother of Jeff and Steve) appears in the video, as original Toto bass playerDavid Hungateleft before the video was made.Lenny Castrois also featured with the band as a percussionist.[21]

Personnel

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Adapted from album'sliner notes.[22]

Toto

Additional personnel

Charts

[edit]

Weekly charts

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Chart (1982–1983) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[23] 16
Austrian Top 40[24] 11
BelgianRadio 2 Top 30 22
CanadianRPMAdult Contemporary Tracks 7
CanadianRPMTop Singles 4
Dutch Top 40 3
TROS Europarade 20
French Singles Chart 46
German Singles Chart[24] 24
Irish Singles Chart 11
Italian Singles Chart 12
New Zealand Singles Chart[24] 22
Norwegian Singles Chart[24] 2
South African Singles Chart 3
Spanish Radio Chart 31
Swiss Singles Chart[24] 3
U.K. Singles Chart[25] 12
U.S.BillboardHot 100 2
U.S.BillboardAdult Contemporary 17
U.S.BillboardTop Rock Tracks 8

Year-end charts

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Chart (1982) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[26] 74
CanadianRPMTop Singles 27
Dutch Top 40 31
Italian Singles Chart 30
South African Singles Chart 15
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[27] 14

Sales and certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[28] Gold 35,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[29] Gold 50,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[30] Gold 45,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[32] Platinum 1,000,000‡

^Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Weezer cover

[edit]

In 2018, American rock bandWeezerreleased a cover of the track to poke fun at an attempt by fans to get them to cover "Africa",another song by Toto.[33]Weezer went on to release a cover of "Africa" five days later.

[edit]

The song is featured in the season four episode ofThe Middletitled "The Hose".[citation needed]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"RIAA certifications".Recording Industry Association of America.
  2. ^"Rosanna discography".
  3. ^Schmitt, Al; Droney, Maureen (2018).Al Schmitt - On the Record: The Magic Behind the Music.Lanham, Maryland, USA: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 118.ISBN9781538137666.
  4. ^"VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs".Stereogum.SpinMedia.May 31, 2007.RetrievedJuly 31,2016.
  5. ^Molanphy, Chris (July 31, 2021)."What a Fool Believes Edition".Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia(Podcast).Slate.RetrievedFebruary 23,2024.
  6. ^Roberts, Becky (May 5, 2024)."12 of the best songs to test your speakers".What Hi-Fi.RetrievedJune 13,2024.
  7. ^Stone, Mary (December 19, 2022)."15 of the best-produced recordings of all time to test your hi-fi speakers".What Hi-Fi.RetrievedJune 13,2024.
  8. ^Whitburn, Joel(2004).The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits,8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  9. ^David RobertsBritish Hit Singles & Albums,Guinness World Records Limited
  10. ^Caldwell, Carol (June 9, 1983). "Baby, It's Her".Rolling Stone.No. 397. pp. 17, 19.
  11. ^abcd"Toto Encyclopedia: Rosanna".Toto99.com.RetrievedOctober 17,2016.
  12. ^Strong, Jeff (2006).Drums for Dummies,p.183.ISBN0-471-79411-2.
  13. ^"Jeff Porcaro: The Rosanna Shuffle",DrummerWorld.com.
  14. ^"The Rosanna Half Time Shuffle by Jeff Porcaro"Youtube.com
  15. ^Kaye, Ben (July 30, 2018)."Toto to release cover of Weezer's" Hash Pipe "".Consequence of Sound.RetrievedJuly 30,2018.
  16. ^"Reviews"(PDF).Cash Box.April 10, 1982. p. 8.RetrievedJuly 7,2022.
  17. ^"Top Single Picks".Billboard.April 10, 1982. p. 74.RetrievedJanuary 21,2023.
  18. ^Kachejian, Brian."Top 10 Toto songs".Classic Rock History.RetrievedJanuary 31,2023.
  19. ^"Cynthia Rhodes: Actress, Dancer, & Singer",nctc.net.
  20. ^""Dirty Dancing - Trivia" (1987) at IMDB ".IMDb.
  21. ^"Toto - Rosanna (Official HD Video)".YouTube.Toto. January 10, 2013.RetrievedDecember 15,2023.
  22. ^Toto IV(booklet).Columbia.1982.
  23. ^Kent, David(1993).Australian Chart Book 1970–1992.Australian Chart Book.ISBN0-646-11917-6.
  24. ^abcde"Rosanna" chart history,Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  25. ^"UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts".EveryHit.com.March 16, 2000.RetrievedNovember 14,2016.
  26. ^"National Top 100 Singles for 1982".Kent Music Report.January 3, 1983.RetrievedJanuary 22,2023– viaImgur.
  27. ^"Talent in Action: Top Pop Singles".Billboard.Vol. 94, no. 51. December 25, 1982. p. TIA-20.
  28. ^"ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2018 Singles"(PDF).Australian Recording Industry Association.
  29. ^"Canadian single certifications – Toto – Rosanna".Music Canada.
  30. ^"Danish single certifications – Toto – Rosanna".IFPI Danmark.RetrievedMay 16,2023.
  31. ^"British single certifications – Toto – Rosanna".British Phonographic Industry.RetrievedJanuary 18,2021.
  32. ^"American single certifications – Toto – Rosanna".Recording Industry Association of America.
  33. ^"Weezer Cover Toto's Cheeseball '80s Hit" Rosanna "-- Listen".Stereogum.May 24, 2018.RetrievedOctober 22,2019.
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