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Roller (April Wine song)

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"Roller"
Single by April Wine
from the album First Glance
B-side"Right Down to It"
ReleasedMarch 1979
Recorded1978
StudioLe Manoir, Oxfordshire, England
GenreRock
Length4:19
Label
Songwriter(s)Myles Goodwyn
Producer(s)
April Wine singles chronology
"Comin' Right Down on Top of Me"
(1978) 		"Roller"
(1979) 		"Get Ready for Love"
(1979)
Music video
"Roller" on YouTube

"Roller" is a song by the Canadian rock band April Wine. Released off the band's seventh studio album First Glance (1978).[1][2] The song peaked at number 25 on the RPM 100 Singles chart in Canada[citation needed] and number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 28, 1979 in the United States, becoming their first American hit since 1972.[3][4]

The song was instantly popular in North America, and helped April Wine regain international popularity, as it was their first hit song outside of Canada since 1972's "You Could Have Been a Lady", after a decade of success limited to Canada. "Roller" has remained a live staple and one of the band's most popular songs, and remains a staple of classic rock radio in both Canada and the United States.[5][6][7][8]

Background

Myles Goodwyn, main singer and songwriter for April Wine, penned the song in 1976, though it wasn't recorded until 1978, and was decided to be released as a single from the album, becoming the album's biggest hit.

Content

The term "roller" and "high-roller" in the song is referring to a woman, who is an upper class traveler and is wealthy, and the narrator talks about leaving for Los Angeles to meet up with her.

"Roller" also talks about the narrator's unrequited love for the unnamed woman, in an upbeat, hard rock form similar to many other April Wine songs.

Charts

Weekly Charts

Chart (1981) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 34
Canada RPM Top Singles 24

Year-End Charts

Chart (1981) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 97
Canada RPM Top Singles 30

"Roller" has been featured in several films, most notably Joe Dirt (2001),[9] Grown Ups 2 (2013),[10][11] and The Heat (2013).[12][13] It also has been in several television shows such as Freaks and Geeks season 1, episode 3, "Tricks and Treats"; the "Pilot" episode of The Americans in 2013, season 2, episode 6 "Take Me Away" of Being Erica in 2011; and the 2009 Canadian documentary The Beat Goes On: Canadian Pop in the 1970s, which also included several other April Wine songs.

References

  1. ^ "First Glance | April Wine - Official Website". Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  2. ^ April Wine – First Glance (1979, Vinyl), retrieved November 11, 2021
  3. ^ "April Wine - Songs". www.allbutforgottenoldies.net. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  4. ^ "Roller by April Wine | Billboard The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  5. ^ James, Scott. "The Q Counts Down Your 150 Best Canadian Rock Songs For Canada Deh: Liveblog". 100.3 The Q!. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  6. ^ Skip Anderson (February 1, 2019). "Top 10 April Wine Songs". ClassicRockHistory.com. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "April Wine Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  8. ^ "Top 10 Essential April Wine Songs Every Classic Rock Fan Should Hear". I Love Classic Rock. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  9. ^ Joe Dirt (2001) - IMDb, retrieved November 11, 2021
  10. ^ All 41 songs from the Grown Ups 2 (2013) Soundtrack, retrieved November 11, 2021
  11. ^ Grown Ups 2 (2013) - IMDb, retrieved November 11, 2021
  12. ^ InSoundtrack (May 1, 2017). "The Heat soundtrack and songs list". InSoundtrack. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  13. ^ The Heat (2013) - IMDb, retrieved November 11, 2021
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