Krokus – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

In the early seventies, I noticed a single that my sister had. It was on Bell Records, a band called The Sweet, and the song was Little Willy. The more I heard their hits, the more I couldn’t believe it was the same band. This song is explosive, yes, but it’s also tight, controlled chaos.

It kicks off like a scene from a glam rock horror movie. “Are you ready, Steve?” Andy Scott answers, “Uh-huh,” and one by one, they check in like a gang about to knock over a ballroom. Then BOOM, you’re punched with that guitar riff, drums, and the Sweet launch into one of the most over-the-top rock singles ever recorded.

This song was inspired by a real onstage attack. The Sweet were playing at the Grand Hall in Kilmarnock, Scotland, when the crowd went into an almost riot and started hurling bottles at the band. Most acts might’ve run for cover or written a moody ballad. The Sweet? They wrote a glam rock anthem with more drama than a Saturday night punch-up at a neighborhood pub.

This band seemed to sound like a different band on many of their singles. They were rock, glam rock, pop, some disco, and bubblegum rock. This song has been covered by several different artists. I first heard the song by Krokus in the 1980s. The song peaked at #5 in the Billboard 100 and #2 in the UK in 1973. Their other well-known songs were Little Willy, Fox on the Run, and Love is Like Oxygen.

This was written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who wrote many glam songs. They also wrote Sweet’s Blockbuster, Suzi Quatro’s Devil Gate Drive, and Tony Basil’s Mickey.

The Ballroom Blitz

Are you ready, Steve? Uh-ha!

Andy? Yeah!

Mick? Okay.

All right, fellows, let’s go!Oh, it’s been getting so hard

Livin’ with the things you do to me, ah-ha

My dreams are getting so strange

I’d like to tell you everything I see, mmOh, I see a man at the back as a matter of fact

His eyes are red as the sun

And a girl in the corner, let no one ignore her

‘Cause she thinks she’s the passionate one

Oh yeah, it was like lightning
Everybody was frightening
And the music was soothing
And they all started grooving
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

And the man at the back said: “Everyone attack”
And it turned into a ballroom blitz
And the girl in the corner said: “Boy, I wanna warn ya”
It’ll turn into a ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz

Oh, I’m reaching out for something
Touching nothing’s all I ever do
Oh, I softly call you over
When you appear, there’s nothing left of you, ah-ha

Now the man at the back is ready to crack
As he raises his hands to the sky
And the girl in the corner is everyone’s mourner
She could kill you with a wink of her eye

Oh yeah, it was electric
So frantically hectic
And the band started leaving
‘Cause they all stopped breathing
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

And the man at the back said: “Everyone attack”
And it turned into a ballroom blitz
And the girl in the corner said: “Boy, I wanna warn ya”
It’ll turn into a ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz

Oh yeah, it was like lightning
Everybody was frightening
And the music was soothing
‘Cause they all started grooving
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

It’s, it’s a ballroom blitz
It’s, it’s a ballroom blitz
It’s, it’s a ballroom blitz
Yeah, it’s a ballroom blitz

Break out the spandex and striped pants because we are diving into the 1980s. It’s odd how some locations have songs that are played over and over and in other states or cities…hardly played at all. This was played in Nashville at the time like it was a top-ten hit so its chart placement surprised me…much lower than I thought it would be.

Growing up, I would go to my dad’s place in Nashville and hang out with my cousin Mark. He liked harder music and I learned a lot about the harder and heavy metal bands through him like Krokus. He loved this band and went to see them often, usually opening up for a bigger band. This song was played a lot here on our largest rock station and I went out and bought the single.

A funny story about Mark…he works as a cabinet maker and around 10 years ago or so he ended up working with the actual drummer (Jeff Klaven) of Krokus. He was the drummer they had at their peak and during this time. He had been out of the band for a long time but he would get Mark into concerts and take him backstage. Mark met the Scorpions on their tour bus through him. Krokus has released 18 studio albums so they have not been idle.

This song was released in 1984 along with another song off the album…a cover of The Sweet’s Ballroom Blitz. Midnite Maniac peaked at #71 on the Billboard Charts. The riff in this song is a winner. That is what attracted me to it because it keeps climbing and climbing and is incredibly catchy. The album peaked at #36 on the Billboard Album Charts and #83 in Canada.

Krokus was formed in 1974 in Switzerland and they started out as a progressive rock band but after seeing ACDC in the late seventies, they switched to more hard rock. Their breakthrough album was Headhunter released in 1983 which peaked at #25 on the Billboard Album Charts, #31 in Canada, and #35 in New Zealand.

Their name Krokus is German for crocus, a flower common throughout Europe.

One note about this album. Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance co-wrote “Boys Night Out” for The Blitz album (with lead singer Marc Storace and guitarist Fernando von Arb).

Midnite Maniac

Did you read it in the paper‘Bout the danger comin’ your wayShe’ll tear you up at midnightKiller on the loose get out of her way

Sex machine terrorizing’ dreamLock the door tonightShe’s got it all she can walk through a wallBetter run for your life

And in the light of dayIn hidin’ she will stayWatch out at midnightFeel her shadow on your face

Midnight maniac she’s a killer at largeMidnight maniac lock your doorA) Cause she can’t be farB) She knows where you are

Did you hear it on the radioCrimes of passion makin’ the newsIt happened after midnightIn your neighborhood could’ve been you

Tag: Krokus

Sweet – The Ballroom Blitz

Krokus – Midnite Maniac