Jack & Diane

"Jack & Diane" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, then performing as "John Cougar." Described by critics as a "love ballad",[2][3][4][5] this song was released as the second single from Mellencamp's 1982 album American Fool, and was chosen by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as one of the Songs of the Century. It spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982 and is Mellencamp's most successful hit single.

This article is about the 1982 single. For the 2012 film, see Jack & Diane (film).

"Jack & Diane"
Single by John Cougar
from the album American Fool
B-side"Can You Take It"
ReleasedJuly 24, 1982
Recorded1982 at Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida[1]
GenreHeartland rock
Length4:16
LabelRiva
Songwriter(s)John Mellencamp
Producer(s)John Mellencamp, Don Gehman[1]
John Cougar singles chronology
"Hurts So Good"
(1982)		 "Jack & Diane"
(1982)		 "Hand to Hold On To"
(1982)
Music video
"Jack & Diane" on YouTube

Background and production

According to Mellencamp, "Jack & Diane" was based on the 1962 Tennessee Williams film Sweet Bird of Youth.[6] He said of recording the song: "'Jack & Diane' was a terrible record to make. When I play it on guitar by myself, it sounds great; but I could never get the band to play along with me. That's why the arrangement's so weird. Stopping and starting, it's not very musical." Mellencamp has also stated that the clapping was used only to help keep time and was supposed to be removed in the final mix. However, he chose to leave the clapping in once he realized that the song would not work without it.

In 2014 Mellencamp revealed that the song was originally about an interracial couple, where Jack was African American and not a football star, but he was persuaded by the record company to change it.[7]

The song was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, and was produced by Mellencamp and Don Gehman (with Gehman also engineering). Backing Mellencamp were guitarists/backing vocalists Mick Ronson, Mike Wanchic, Larry Crane, drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist/backing vocalist Robert Frank, and keyboardist Eric Rosser.[1]

In 1982, producer and guitarist Mick Ronson worked with Mellencamp on his American Fool album, and in particular on "Jack & Diane." In a 2008 interview with Classic Rock magazine, Mellencamp recalled:

Mick was very instrumental in helping me arrange that song, as I'd thrown it on the junk heap. Ronson came down and played on three or four tracks and worked on the American Fool record for four or five weeks. All of a sudden, for 'Jack & Diane,' Mick said, 'Johnny, you should put baby rattles on there.' I thought, 'What the fuck does put baby rattles on the record mean?' So he put the percussion on there and then he sang the part 'let it rock, let it roll' as a choir-ish-type thing, which had never occurred to me. And that is the part everybody remembers on the song. It was Ronson's idea.[8]

Charts

Weekly charts

See also
  • List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1982

References
  1. The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 (CD liner). John Mellencamp. US: Mercury Records. 1997. p. 10. 314 536 738-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. https://www.sydneyunleashed.com/kylie-minogue-at-the-movies/
  3. https://hooksandharmony.com/you-too-can-play-guitar-like-john-cougar-mellencamp/
  4. https://mountainx.com/arts/art-news/0706jackdiane-php/
  5. https://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20120831/NEWS/208310399?template=ampart
  6. "Mellencamp discusses Jack and Diane". Soundcloud.
  7. Buxton, Ryan (September 23, 2014). "John Mellencamp's 'Jack & Diane' Was Originally Written About An Interracial Couple". HuffPost. Archived from the original on November 2, 2019.
  8. John Mellencamp, Classic Rock, January 2008, p.61
  9. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  10. "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  11. Steffen Hung. "John Cougar – Jack & Diane". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  12. Brian Currin. "South African Rock Lists Website – SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Acts (M)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  13. "John Cougar – Jack and Diane". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  14. Jack & Diane at AllMusic
  15. "Cash Box Top Singles – 1982". Cash Box. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  16. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  17. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  18. "Talent in Action : Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 94 (51): TIA-20. December 25, 1982.
  19. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
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