Working for the Weekend

"Working for the Weekend"
Single by Loverboy
from the album Get Lucky
Released October 1981
Recorded 1980–81, Mushroom Studios
(Vancouver, British Columbia)
Genre
Length 3:40
Label Columbia
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Loverboy singles chronology
"The Kid is Hot Tonight"
(1981)		 "Working for the Weekend"
(1981)		 "When It's Over"
(1981)

"Working for the Weekend" is a song by Canadian rock band Loverboy from their second studio album Get Lucky (1981). It was written by guitarist Paul Dean, vocalist Mike Reno, and drummer Matt Frenette, and produced by Dean and Bruce Fairbairn, and released as the lead single from the album in October 1981. The song contains more of a pop feel than the other songs that the band produced, but this new sound proved to generate success, as the song reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 2 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart in the United States in January 1982.[1]

"Working for the Weekend" is ranked No. 100 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s.[2]

Background

The song originated when guitarist Paul Dean was out walking one Wednesday afternoon, looking for inspiration in his songwriting. He noticed that much of the area was deserted, as most people were at work. "So I'm out on the beach and wondering, 'Where is everybody? Well, I guess they're all waiting for the weekend,'" he later said.[3] Mike Reno, the band's vocalist, suggested they change the title to "Working for the Weekend". According to Dean, he first began writing the song in a hotel room following a Montreal concert. At the time, the band were still playing bars to little response from patrons. After completing the song, they used it to open one set, and Dean recalled that "the dance floor was packed."[3]

Cover versions

The song was covered by former American Idol contestant and country music artist Josh Gracin on the 2005 soundtrack to the film Herbie: Fully Loaded.

The song was also featured in the 2006 film Click, featuring Adam Sandler; it was sung by Terry Crews while he sat in a traffic jam.

American virtuoso guitarist Paul Gilbert included an instrumental cover of this song as the first track on his 2014 album Stone Pushing Uphill Man

Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) performed the song on Conan on November 20, 2013 suggesting he had been asked to cover the song by Rob Ford as Ford's campaign song for re-election as Mayor of Toronto, the lyrics parodying Ford's ongoing substance abuse scandal.[4]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1981–82) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[5] 16
Canada 50 Singles (RPM)[6] 10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7] 11
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 29
US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[9] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (1982) Peak
position
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[10] 96

References

  1. ↑ allmusic ((( Get Lucky > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))
  2. ↑
  3. 1 2 Dan MacIntosh (May 2, 2012). "Paul Dean of Loverboy: Interview". SongFacts.com. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  4. ↑ Ron Burgundy Sings Mayor Rob Ford's Campaign Song - CONAN on TBS on YouTube
  5. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Loverboy – Working for the Weekend". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  6. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles" (PDF). RPM. Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada. 35 (21). December 19, 1981. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Loverboy – Working for the Weekend". Top 40 Singles.
  8. ↑ "Loverboy – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Loverboy. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Loverboy - Chart history". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Talent in Action – Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 94 (51): TIA-20. December 25, 1982. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved March 20, 2016.

External links

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