Cheap Trick’s first Beatles-related year
Before they covered 'Sgt. Pepper' in 2007, they were connected to The Beatles in 1980
Rockford, Illinois’s greatest rock and roll export, Cheap Trick, were on a roll when they released their 1979 album “Dream Police” in September of 1979. The album reached number six on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and went on to sell over a million copies. With their 1978 live album, “Cheap Trick at Budokan” reaching number four on the chart, eventually selling over 3,000,000 copies, they saw their fortunes change after years of playing clubs and venues throughout the country, promoting their first three studio albums, “Cheap Trick” and “In Color” both from 1977, and “Heaven Tonight” from 1978.
The first Beatles-related aspect of Cheap Trick’s career can be found on the extended play (E.P.) they released in June 1980, “Found All the Parts.” Two of the e.p.’s songs are live recordings, and the first is The Beatles’ “Day Tripper.” The band’s drummer, Bun E. Carlos, relates in the liner notes to 2006’s “All Shook Up-Expanded Edition” compact disc that the planned version recorded at the International Amphitheater in Chicago, Illinois they were going to release sounded so bad that he, guitarist Rick Nielsen, and lead vocalist Robin Zander “re-cut” the track in the studio.
The other live track from the e.p., “Can’t Hold On,” was recorded at the Tokyo Budokan but did not make the live album in its initial version. Two studio tracks recorded in late 1979 with their first producer, Jack Douglas, “Such A Good Girl” and “Take Me I’m Yours,” complete the stop-gap release. With the success of their previous two long player (L.P.) releases, they were poised for the next big step in their careers. The next Beatles-related move for the band came in the form of teaming up with former Beatles producer George Martin at his AIR Studio in Montserrat and London, England to record their next album. Along with Martin came Geoff Emerick, the recording engineer responsible for The Beatles’ albums “Revolver” from 1966, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” from 1967, and 1969’s “Abbey Road.” This winning team suggested an incredible pairing with the Rockford rockers.
The resulting album from their union, “All Shook Up,” was released on October 24, 1980. Its cover art has elements of fine artist René Magritte’s “Time Transfixed.” The band continue their unique image of two rock stars and two oddballs. Nielsen in his baseball cap appears to open a door with a locomotive entering the room while bassist Tom Petersson and Carlos look on with detached expressions. Zander stands apart from them straddling a railroad track leading into a tunnel. In the background, a starlet’s face seems to be looking in on their room with heavy mascara and lipstick.
The album’s first track, “Stop This Game,” begins with the same droning note that ends The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” from “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” 28 seconds into the song, Zander’s muscular delivery breaks through.
“Well I can’t stop the music/I could stop it before/Now I don’t want to hear it/Don’t wanna hear it no more,” Zander sings, introducing the band accompanied by orchestration and layers of backing vocals. Still in rotation on the band’s tours, I last heard them perform the song at The Frederick Brown Amphitheater in Peachtree City, Georgia on September 23, 2023.
Carlos’s drums introduce second rocker “Just Got Back,” a Bo Diddley-reminiscent number that only builds in intensity as it goes. Nielsen’s guitars and Zander’s over-the-top vocals make this a standout track on the album, and it also continues to be played regularly by the band in concert.
“Baby Loves to Rock” sounds loose, but it has a demanding arrangement. Nielsen’s signature riffs on it would turn up again years later in “She’s Tight” among other hits. One of hardest and darkest songs on the record, “Can’t Stop It but I’m Gonna Try” is next, and it recalls earlier album tracks where Zander’s entire range is put to use. “World’s Greatest Lover” closes out side one of the album. Martin stated it is his favorite album track and that it reminded him of John Lennon.
The cacophonous sound and robotic vocals from Nielsen on “High Priest of Rhythmic Noise” open side two, leaving Zander to sing near the top of his range. “Love Comes A-Tumblin’ Down” is a straight-ahead rocker Nielsen claims is inspired by AC/DC’s late singer Bon Scott. “I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends” is a humorous track that Nielsen says resembles a Rod Stewart tune.
The oddest two tracks end the album. “Go For the Throat (Use Your Imagination)” has broad instrumentation and a desperate-sounding vocal from Zander. “Who D’King” is an exercise in drum overdubbing and Carlos’s attempt to create a universally understood percussive song.
Though the album only sold half the number of copies of its predecessor, the band maintained a high profile. The third Beatles-related factor for the band within weeks of finishing “All Shook Up” was getting a call from their initial producer, Jack Douglas, to come record with him on John Lennon’s upcoming album with his wife, Yoko Ono. Nielsen and Carlos backed Lennon on a version of his song “I’m Losing You.” Though their version did not make it to the final album, it further inspired the bandmates.
Shortly after “All Shook Up” was released, Petersson left the band. He cited their work and performance schedules as the reason. His replacement, Pete Comita, performed two of the new album’s songs with the band on Saturday Night Live. This lineup would record two songs for the soundtrack to adult animated film, “Heavy Metal” in 1981. Eventually, Jon Brant replaced Comita on bass, and the band would continue in the 80s first with Queen and Cars producer Roy Thomas Baker.
Cheap Trick will perform at the Oxford Performing Arts Center in Oxford, Alabama this Sunday, October 12 at 7:00 pm. Fans old and new will certainly enjoy hearing the band’s catalogue of classic rock songs in the excellent acoustics of this fantastic venue.
© 2025 Alex McGill