"Jack & Diane" is a 1982 hit song written and performed by American singer-songwriter, John Mellencamp, then performing as "John Cougar." It appears on Mellencamp's album American Fool. It was chosen by RIAA as one of the Songs of the Century. The single spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, and, to date, is the biggest hit single ever for Mellencamp.
Background and production[edit]
According to Mellencamp, "Jack & Diane" was written about a relationship he had with a girl that lived near his hometown of Seymour, Indiana named Diane. He said: "'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 wasn't supposed to be included in the finished song. It was recorded with the clapping in order to help keep tempo and then it was to be removed. However, he realized the song did not work without it.
The song was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, was produced by Mellencamp and Don Gehman(with Gehman also engineering), and backing Mellencamp were guitarists/backing vocalists Mick Ronson, Mike Wanchic, Larry Crane, drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist/backing vocalist Robert Frank, and keyboardist Eric Rosser.
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."
Music video[edit]
The "motorcycle scene" and, perhaps much of the outdoor portions of the music video appear to have been filmed just North of Lake Monroe, on Knightridge Rd.(IN 446) It is quite evident during this last scene when Mellencamp and companion ride off, they are traveling South on Knightridge Rd. (IN 446), across Lake Monroe. The terrain has not changed much since then, and can be verified with a Google flyover. This is not surprising, considering that this scene would have been filmed adjacent to Mellencamp's property on Lake Monroe.
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (RPM)[5] | 1 |
| Netherlands (Gfk)[6] | 32 |
| United Kingdom (UK Singles Chart)[7] | 25 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 1 |
| US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks[8] | 3 |
| US (Cash Box)[9] | 1 |
Derivatives[edit]
The opening guitar riff and drum beat of "Jack & Diane" were sampled as a hook on Jessica Simpson's single "I Think I'm In Love With You", released in the summer of 2000.
The song is parodied in The Simpsons episode "Three Gays of the Condo", when Alfred "Weird Al" Yankovic serenades Homer with a new version about Homer and Marge to convince him to move back home. A new version about TV credits plays during the credits.
The book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling makes reference to the song, with Kaling writing that the song's chorus irritates her, as it implies that high-school is when people experience "the thrill of living", when in reality it is a miserable time for most people, who come into their own afterwards.
Jack and Diane are the two Great Khans responsible for the Red Rocks Drug Lab in Fallout: New Vegas. All illegal "chems" in the game are said to originate with these two characters, either directly or indirectly, as Khans are the primary drug runners.
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