Q&A What

What is rebel yell about

“In the midnight hour she cried more, more, more…” 

It’s considered one of the best songs of the 80s (and now), but did you know that Billy Idol’s ‘Rebel Yell’ was inspired by The Rolling Stones?

The legendary musician joined Jonesy & Amanda to chat about his upcoming Australian tour, as well as the inspiration behind the title track of his 1983 album, Rebel Yell.

Back in the early 80s, Idol was invited to a member of The Rolling Stones’ birthday party at Ronnie Wood’s brownstone house. It was here that the title ‘Rebel Yell’ came into fruition.

“At one point there was Mick Jagger, Ron Wood and Keith Richards all drinking a bottle of this [drink], and I couldn’t see what it was,” he explained.

“I was following the bottle going to their mouths and trying to look at the label.

“I could see an American civil war confederate officer on a horse charging away like a cavalier with a feather in his hair, and I could see the stuff was called ‘Rebel Yell'”.

Idol proceeded to ask Jagger, Wood and Richards whether the drink was “made up”, and whether they’d potentially use ‘Rebel Yell’ as a song title.

“They were kind of looking at each other and said: ‘No, I don’t think we would'”.

It was at that moment that Idol realised he had just scored the jackpot in the form of a song (and album) title.

“In a lot of ways, The Rolling Stones super influenced me to write that song, and it’s one of my best songs”.

Watch the interview above!

Want more? Listen to this best bit from Jonesy & Amanda!

billy idol j&a Jonesy & Amanda rebel yell the rolling stones

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Last night a little dancer came dancin' to my door Last night a little angel came pumpin' on my floor She said, "Come on baby I got a license for love And if it expires pray help from above" because In the midnight hour she cried, "More, more, more" With a rebel yell she cried, "More, more, more", oh In the midnight hour babe more, more, more With a rebel yell more, more, more More, more, more She don't like slavery, she won't sit and beg But when I'm tired and lonely she sees me to bed What set you free and brought you to me babe? What set you free? I need you here by me Because In the midnight hour she cried, "More, more, more" With a rebel yell she cried, "More, more, more", oh In the midnight hour babe more, more, more With a rebel yell more, more, more He lives in his own Heaven Collects it to go from the 7-11 Well he's out all night to collect a fare Just as long, just as long it don't mess up his hair Whoa, oh I walked the world with you, babe (babe) A thousand miles with you (with you) I dried your tears of pain (pain), babe (babe) A million times for you (for you) I'd sell my soul (soul) for you babe (babe) For money to burn (burn) with you (with you) I'd give you all, and have none, babe (babe) Justa, justa, justa, justa, to have you here by me (here by me) Because In the midnight hour she cried, "More, more, more" With a rebel yell she cried, "More, more, more", oh In the midnight hour babe more, more, more With a rebel yell, she cried, "More, more, more" More, more, more Ooh yeah little baby She want more More, more, more, more, more Ooh yeah little angel She want more More, more, more, more, more

Lyrics submitted by Boonechic_21, edited by jayellen10

Rebel Yell Lyrics as written by Steve Stevens Billy Idol

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Find sources: "Rebel Yell" song – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

"Rebel Yell" is a song by English rock musician Billy Idol. The title track of his 1983 album of the same name, it was first released as the album's lead single on 24 October 1983. It charted outside the UK Top 40, but a re-issue of the single in 1985 reached No. 6. In the US, it peaked at No. 46. The song was named the 79th best hard rock song of all time by VH1 based on a public voting in 2009,[1] although the song did not show up in a revised list from 2013.[2]

"Rebel Yell"Single by Billy Idolfrom the album Rebel YellReleased24 October 1983 (1983-10-24)Recorded1983StudioStudio A, Electric Lady Studios, New York CityGenre
  • Rock
  • hard rock[1]
  • heavy metal
  • new wave
Length
  • 4:47 (Album version)
  • 3:43 (7" version)
LabelChrysalisSongwriter(s)

  • Billy Idol
  • Steve Stevens

Producer(s)Keith ForseyBilly Idol singles chronology
"White Wedding"
(1982) 		"Rebel Yell"
(1983) 		"Eyes Without a Face"
(1984)
Audio sample

  • file
  • help

Music video"Rebel Yell" on YouTube

At a televised performance of VH1 Storytellers, Idol said that he had attended an event where Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones were taking swigs from a bottle of "Rebel Yell" bourbon whiskey. He was not familiar with the brand, but he liked the name and decided to write the song.[3]

The song was co-written by guitarist Steve Stevens. The instrumental introduction, which sounds like a combination of electric guitar and electronic keyboard, is performed by Stevens on guitar alone, who intended it to sound this way. Stevens states that he was inspired by acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke's style.[4]

In 1984, music magazine Cash Box wrote that the song "combines the tough swagger and high-powered drive of 'White Wedding' with the decadent dance focus of 'Dancing With Myself.'"[5]

  • UK 7" vinyl single
  1. "Rebel Yell"
  2. "Crank Call"
  • UK 12" vinyl single
  1. "Rebel Yell"
  2. "Crank Call"
  3. "White Wedding"
  • (1985 re-issue) UK 7" vinyl single
  1. "Rebel Yell"
  2. "(Do Not) Stand in the Shadows♱"

♱Recorded live at Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, California, March 1984.

  • (1985 re-issue) UK 12" vinyl single
  1. "Rebel Yell (Extended Version)"
  2. "(Do Not) Stand in the Shadows♱"
  3. "Blue Highway♱"

♱Recorded live at Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, California, March 1984.

Chart (1984) Peak
position Chart (1985) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 7
Canada Top 50 Singles (RPM) 10
New Zealand Singles Chart[7] 3
UK Singles Chart 62
US Billboard Hot 100 46
US Cashbox Top 100 29
US Billboard Top Rock Tracks 9
UK Singles Chart 62

Notes:

  • 1 – Original release in 1984
  • 2 – Re-release in 1985

In 1994 Idol released the single "Speed", a song from the box office hit movie of the same name, with a live acoustic version of "Rebel Yell" accompanying the lead song on the UK CD single release.

  • On the children's show Sesame Street in 1986, the song was also parodied as "Rebel L", sung by Billy Idle, a parody Muppet of Billy Idol, performed by Kevin Clash. The rebellious letter L, voiced by Christopher Cerf, makes a loud "luh-luh-luh" and protests outside of Billy Idle's house at night, until he is arrested by a policewoman, voiced by Ivy Austin.[8]
  • The song appears in the 1984 movie Sixteen Candles.[9]
  • The song appears in the 1985 movie The Legend of Billie Jean.
  • The song appears in the 1986 movie The Wraith.
  • The song was included in the video games Guitar Hero World Tour, WWE 2K16,[10] as a downloadable track for the Rock Band series.
  • The song appears in the documentary Warren Miller's Impact.
  • The song appears in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain as an in-game cassette tape.
  • Part of the song was used in a radio commercial for Blockbuster Video Australian and a TV commercial for Blockbuster in the United Statesin the mid-2000s. The line "more, more, more" appeared in the ad, with the voiceover boasting about Blockbuster having more copies of new release movies than the competition.
  • The song has been covered by many different bands such as Children of Bodom, HIM, Drowning Pool, Dope, Black Veil Brides, Adrenaline Mob, Bullets and Octane, Otherwise and Blue Stahli.
  • The song was used during a flashback scene, in the 4th episode of American Horror Story: 1984.
  • In the 1990s, the song was featured in an ad campaign for KP snacks. Following the final lyrics "more, more, more" a voice over added "why settle for less, less, less."
  • The song appears in the trailer for the Outbreak gamemode in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, as well as appearing in a collection of songs in a music pack in-game.
  • The music video of "Rebel Yell" can be seen on a TV in the 1988 film Big.,
  • It appears in a 2022 commercial for T Mobile.

Idol performed the track with Miley Cyrus at the 2016 iHeart Festival.

"Rebel Yell" Single by Scooterfrom the album Our Happy HardcoreB-side"Euphoria"Released9 May 1996[11]Recorded1996GenreHappy hardcoreLength3:40Label
  • Club Tools
  • Scorpio Music
Songwriter(s)
  • Billy Idol
  • Steve Stevens
Producer(s)
  • H. P. Baxxter
  • Rick J. Jordan
  • Jens Thele
  • Ferris Bueller
Scooter singles chronology
"Let Me Be Your Valentine"
(1996) 		"Rebel Yell"
(1996) 		"I'm Raving"
(1996)

In 1996, the song was covered by German dance band Scooter. It was released in May 1996 as the third single of their second album, Our Happy Hardcore.

Track listings

CD-maxi – Germany[12]
  1. "Rebel Yell" (Radio Edit) (3:40)
  2. "Rebel Yell" (Extended Mix) (4:44)
  3. "Euphoria" (3:57)
12-inch-maxi – Germany[13]
  1. "Rebel Yell" (Extended Mix) (4:44)
  2. "Stuttgart (4:52)
  3. "Euphoria" (3:57)
Cassette single - Germany
  1. "Rebel Yell" (Radio Edit) (3:40)
  2. "Euphoria" (3:57)
CD-single – France[14]
  1. "Rebel Yell" (Radio Edit) (3:40)
  2. "Euphoria" (3:57)
12-maxi – France[15]
  1. "Rebel Yell" (Extended Mix) (4:44)
  2. "Rebel Yell" (Radio Edit) (3:40)
  3. "Euphoria" (3:57)
CD-maxi – Australia[16]
  1. "Rebel Yell" (Radio Edit) (3:40)
  2. "Let Me Be Your Valentine" (Edit) (3:47)
  3. "Rebel Yell" (Extended mix) (4:44)
  4. "Euphoria" (3:57)
  5. "Let Me Be Your Valentine" (The Complete Work) (5:42)
  6. "Eternity" (5:19)
  7. "Silence of T.1210 MKII" (1:31)

Charts

Chart (1996) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[17] 7
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[18] 10
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[19] 8
Germany (Official German Charts)[20] 8
Ireland (IRMA)[21] 23
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[22] 17
Netherlands (Dutch Single Tip)[23] 10
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 42
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 17
UK Singles (OCC)[26] 30
Chart (1996) Position
Germany (Official German Charts)[27] 83

  • Rebel yell

  1. ^ a b "VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs". 5 January 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Revisiting America's Hard 100". Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. ^ Warren, Craig A. (7 September 2014). The Rebel Yell: A Cultural History. University Alabama Press. p. 141. ISBN 978-0817318482. ... Idol explained that he came to use the title 'Rebel Yell' ... not because of any knowledge of the Confederacy but because of his enthusiasm for Rebel Yell bourbon.
  4. ^ Reesman, Bryan (1 June 2006). "Classic Tracks: Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell"". Mix Magazine. Penton Media, inc. Archived from the original on 20 September 2006. Retrieved 15 March 2007.
  5. ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 21 January 1984. p. 7. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 Singles 1984". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  7. ^ Steffen Hung. "New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  8. ^ "Classic Sesame Street - Rebel L". 28 April 2007. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2019 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Sixteen Candles (1984) - IMDb, retrieved 11 June 2021
  10. ^ Pereira, Chris (14 August 2015). "WWE 2K16's Soundtrack Features Marilyn Manson, MGK, Run DMC, No John Cena". GameSpot. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  11. ^ Scooter Discography – Rebel Yell Archived 8 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine ScooterTechno.com
  12. ^ Scooter – Rebel Yell Discogs.com
  13. ^ Scooter – Rebel Yell Discogs.com
  14. ^ Scooter – Rebel Yell Discogs.com
  15. ^ Rebel Yell ScooterTechno.ru
  16. ^ Scooter – Rebel Yell & Let Me Be Your Valentine Discogs.com
  17. ^ "Scooter – Rebel Yell" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  18. ^ "Scooter Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  19. ^ "Scooter: Rebel Yell" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  20. ^ "Scooter – Rebel Yell" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  21. ^ Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Group. "The Irish Charts". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  22. ^ "Scooter – Rebel Yell" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  23. ^ "SCOOTER - REBEL YELL" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  24. ^ "Scooter – Rebel Yell". Singles Top 100.
  25. ^ "Scooter – Rebel Yell". Swiss Singles Chart.
  26. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  27. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 7 August 2015.

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