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Rebel Yell (song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Rebel Yell
| cover = Rebel Yell.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Billy Idol
| album = Rebel Yell
| released =
| recorded = 1983
| studio = Studio A, Electric Lady Studios, New York City
| genre =
*Rock
*hard rock
*heavy metal
*new wave
| length = * 4:47 (Album version)
* 3:43 (7" version)
| label = Chrysalis
| writer =
| producer = Keith Forsey
| prev_title = White Wedding
| prev_year = 1982
| next_title = Eyes Without a Face
| next_year = 1984
| misc =
}}
"'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, although the song did not show up in a revised list from 2013.
Composition and lyrics
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.
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.
Reception
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.'"
Formats and track listings
*'UK 7" vinyl single'
#"Rebel Yell"
#"Crank Call"
*'UK 12" vinyl single'
#"Rebel Yell"
#"Crank Call"
#"White Wedding"
*'(1985 re-issue) UK 7" vinyl single'
#"Rebel Yell"
#"(Do Not) Stand in the Shadows"
Recorded live at Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, California, March 1984.
*'(1985 re-issue) UK 12" vinyl single'
#"Rebel Yell (Extended Version)"
#"(Do Not) Stand in the Shadows"
#"Blue Highway"
Recorded live at Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, California, March 1984.
Charts
'Notes':
*1 Original release in 1984
*2 Re-release in 1985
Acoustic version
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.
In popular culture
* 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.
*The song appears in the 1984 movie 'Sixteen Candles'.
* 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', 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.
*It appears in the first season of 'Doom Patrol'.
Live versions
Idol performed the track with Miley Cyrus at the 2016 iHeart Festival.
Scooter cover
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[http://www.discogs.com/release/220892 Scooter Rebel Yell] Discogs.com# "Rebel Yell" (Radio Edit) (3:40)
# "Rebel Yell" (Extended Mix) (4:44)
# "Euphoria" (3:57)
; 12-inch-maxi Germany[http://www.discogs.com/release/161347 Scooter Rebel Yell] Discogs.com
# "Rebel Yell" (Extended Mix) (4:44)
# "Stuttgart (4:52)
# "Euphoria" (3:57)
;Cassette single - Germany
# "Rebel Yell" (Radio Edit) (3:40)
# "Euphoria" (3:57)
; CD-single France[http://www.discogs.com/release/457047 Scooter Rebel Yell] Discogs.com
# "Rebel Yell" (Radio Edit) (3:40)
# "Euphoria" (3:57)
;12-maxi France[http://www.scootertechno.ru/big/new/cd/cd/yellfr2.jpg Rebel Yell] ScooterTechno.ru
# "Rebel Yell" (Extended Mix) (4:44)
# "Rebel Yell" (Radio Edit) (3:40)
# "Euphoria" (3:57)
;CD-maxi Australia[http://www.discogs.com/release/457053 Scooter Rebel Yell & Let Me Be Your Valentine] Discogs.com
# "Rebel Yell" (Radio Edit) (3:40)
# "Let Me Be Your Valentine" (Edit) (3:47)
# "Rebel Yell" (Extended mix) (4:44)
# "Euphoria" (3:57)
# "Let Me Be Your Valentine" (The Complete Work) (5:42)
# "Eternity" (5:19)
# "Silence of T.1210 MKII" (1:31)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
See also
* Rebel yell
References
Category:1983 songs
Category:1984 singles
Category:1996 singles
Category:Billy Idol songs
Category:Chrysalis Records singles
Category:British heavy metal songs
Category:Scooter (band) songs
Category:Songs written by Billy Idol
Category:Songs written by Steve Stevens
Category:Song recordings produced by Keith Forsey
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