Saturday Night (Bay City Rollers song)

"Saturday Night"
File:Saturdaynightbaycityrollers.jpg
Single by Bay City Rollers
from the album Rollin'
B-side	"Marlina"
Released	29 September 1975
Format	7" single
Recorded	1973
Genre	Glam rock, pop rock
Length	2:56
Label	Arista
Writer(s)	Bill Martin, Phil Coulter
Producer(s)	Bill Martin, Phil Coulter
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Bay City Rollers singles chronology
"Love Me Like I Love You" (1975) "Saturday Night" (1975) "Money Honey" (1976)

"Saturday Night" is a song recorded by the Scottish pop rock band Bay City Rollers. It was written and produced by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. The tune is an upbeat pop rock number with a memorable hook: the word "Saturday" spelled out in a rhythmic chant.

The original version of the song was recorded and released in the UK in 1973, but did not hit the charts. The original version was sung by Nobby Clark. At the end of 1975, Saturday Night was released In America and it hit the no. 1 spot in January 1976. It was the first Billboard #1 of the US Bicentennial year. The song had been re-recorded for the Rollers' 1974 UK album Rollin' with lead vocals by Les McKeown, Nobby's replacement. The single also reached number one on the RPM Canadian Singles Chart listing on 10 January 1976.

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1975–1976)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	45
Canadian RPM Top Singles	1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	2
Germany (Official German Charts)	10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	7
US Billboard Hot 100	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1975)	Position
WLS survey (Chicago)	22

Chart (1976)	Position
Canada	33
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	25

Covers

Among the remakes of "Saturday Night" is a 1980 Medley version "Saturday Night / Breakout" by American disco group Arpeggio, and a 1993 hit version by Ned's Atomic Dustbin, featured in the Mike Myers movie So I Married an Axe Murderer, along with the Bay City Rollers' original. Japanese melodic hardcore band Hi Standard recorded a version on their 1995 album Growing Up. Japanese comedian Gorie released a cover of "Saturday Night" called "Pecori Night" which was the 48th best-selling single in Japan for 2005, according to Oricon charts. Although the melody is the same, the lyrics are completely different from the original. Also, the Japanese producer Yoichiro Ito - Akakage released a groove disco cover.

Japanese boyband Arashi borrows the chorus replacing the lyrics Saturday Night with Carnival Night, in their song Carnival Night Pt. 2. Japanese band JAM Project uses the Saturday Night chant rhythm in its song "March of Rescue Hero." Japanese band Tokio uses elements from Saturday Night in their song "Kanpai!!" It is commonly used during Saturday night Ottawa Senators games at Scotiabank Place.

A SID version of "Saturday Night" is the title music for the Commodore 64 game Peter Shilton's Handball Maradona.

The 'Hey Ho Let's Go' chant in "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones was according to Tommy Ramone inspired by "Saturday Night."

Michelle Creber released a cover of "Saturday Night" in collaboration with Israeli musician The Living Tombstone on her album Timeless: Songs of a Century (2012).

Credits

• Producer - Bill Martin & Phil Coulter (tracks: A), Phil Wainman (tracks: B)

External links

• "Saturday Night" at Discogs (list of releases)
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
• Ned's Atomic Dustbin cover

Preceded by "Let's Do It Again" by The Staple Singers	Billboard Hot 100 number-one single January 3, 1976	Succeeded by "Convoy" by C.W. McCall
Preceded by "That's The Way I Like It" by KC and the Sunshine Band	RPM Canadian Top Singles Survey number-one single January 10, 1976	Succeeded by "Fly, Robin, Fly" by Silver Convention