Blondes (Have More Fun)
{{for|the Rod Stewart album of the same name|Blondes Have More Fun}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Blondes (Have More Fun)
| cover = Blondes (Have More Fun) label.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Rod Stewart
| album = Blondes Have More Fun
| B-side = Best Days of My Life
| released = 20 April 1979{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1979/Music-Week-1979-04-21.pdf|title=Music Week|page=48}}
| recorded = 1978
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Rock and roll
| length = 3:46
| label = Warner Bros.
| writer = Jim Cregan, Rod Stewart
| producer = Tom Dowd
| prev_title = Ain't Love a Bitch
| prev_year = 1979
| next_title = (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right
| next_year = 1980
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|5DfYpzHevkQ|"Blondes (Have More Fun)"}}}}
}}
"Blondes (Have More Fun)" is a song written by Rod Stewart and Jim Cregan that was originally released as the title track of Stewart's 1978 album Blondes Have More Fun. In some countries it was released as the third single off the album, following "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Ain't Love a Bitch". It only reached the Top 70 in the UK, topping out at #63 but reached #23 in Ireland.{{cite book|title=Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Seventies|author=Davis, S.|year=2012|publisher=Random House|isbn= 9781780574103 }}{{cite web|title=The Official Charts - Rod Stewart|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/rod%20stewart/|publisher=The Official Charts|accessdate=2011-08-22|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615132300/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/rod%20stewart/|archivedate=15 June 2011|df=dmy-all}}{{cite web|title=The Irish Charts - All There Is To Know|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement?page=6|publisher=irishcharts.ie|accessdate=2014-04-15|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721125434/http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement?page=6|archivedate=21 July 2011|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=The Irish Charts - All There Is To Know|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/facts/most_hits.htm|publisher=irishcharts.ie|accessdate=2015-10-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005062237/http://www.irishcharts.ie/facts/most_hits.htm|archive-date=5 October 2015|url-status=dead}} The song was covered by Vince Neil on the Japanese version of his album Exposed.{{cite web|title=Exposed: Japan Bonus Tracks|author=Erlewine, S.T.|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/exposed-japan-bonus-tracks-r556504|website=Allmusic|accessdate=2011-08-23}}
Music and lyrics
Stewart biographer Sean Egan described the music as a "slinky 1950s shuffle".{{cite book|title=Rod Stewart: The Classic Years|author=Egan, Sean|year=2023|page=178|publisher=Backbeat|isbn=9781493068227}} CD Review described the song as a "barrelhouse rocker."{{cite news|publisher=CD Review|page=xliii|volume=8|issue=1–6|year=1991}} The Beaver County Times described the song as "a rollicking Chuck Berry-style rocker, complete with honky-tonk piano."{{cite news|title=Culture Corner|newspaper=Beaver County Times|date=8 April 1979|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19790408&id=91EuAAAAIBAJ&pg=2708,2131206|accessdate=2014-04-15}} Henry McNulty of the Hartford Courant described it as a "straightforward rocker" on which Stewart seems to be having fun and particularly praised the way the "rich, warm horns" set off the screeching lead guitar and tinkling piano.{{cite news|title=Rod Lusts, Money Moans|author=McNulty, Henry|newspaper=Hartford Courant|date=January 21, 1979|page=5G|accessdate=2019-07-12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33795307/hartcour_21jan79_5g/|via=newspapers.com}}
Egan considered the lyrics to be among Stewart's most autobiographical, describing his preference for statuesque, blonde women and his interest is strictly on engaging in sexual intercourse. Egan notes signs of hubris in the song, where Stewart refers to himself "in the third person and via a pet name" in the line "God knows, Rodder just needs to ball."
Reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described the song as being a "winning track" in the same mold as "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Ain't Love a Bitch".{{cite web|title=Blondes Have More Fun|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/blondes-have-more-fun-r19117|author=Erlewine, S.T.|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|website=Allmusic|accessdate=2011-08-23}} Circus writer David Fricke suggested that the "stocky, swaggering sound" that Stewart's band achieves on the song "proves Stewart has not forgotten how to rock."{{cite news|title=This Blond Has More Fun|author=Fricke, David|pages=22–25|newspaper=Circus|date=January 23, 1979}} McNulty considered it to be "the most worthwhile song" on the album. The Albany Herald wrote that the "hardrocking" song is one of the highlights among the songs of "up and down love affairs" on the Blondes Have More Fun album.{{cite news|title=Rockers Modify Attitude Towards Disco|author=United Press International|date=31 January 1979|newspaper=The Albany Herald|page=11|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dmtEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1315,5577730&dq=blondes-have-more-fun&hl=en}} Rolling Stone critic Janet Maslin described it as one of the three "tolerable" songs on the album.{{cite magazine|title=Blondes Have More Fun|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/blondes-have-more-fun-19790208|author=Maslin, J.|author-link=Janet Maslin|date=February 8, 1979|accessdate=2017-03-10|magazine=Rolling Stone}} The Ottawa Journal similarly called it the best song on the album.{{cite news|title=Stagnant Talent|newspaper=Ottawa Journal|date=September 15, 1978|page=25|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9960984/ottawa_journal_blondes_have_more_fun/|accessdate=2017-03-31|via=Newspapers.com}} Author Sharon Davis described the song as Stewart's last hit before 1983's "Baby Jane."{{cite book|title=80s Chart-Toppers: Every Chart-Topper Tells a Story|author=Davis, Sharon|publisher=Random House|year=2012|isbn= 9781780574110}} Critic Dave Tianen rated the song as Stewart's 4th worst (two notches better than 2nd place "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy,") saying that it "would almost be beneath RuPaul."{{cite news|title=Stewart's Gems still Shine, But Legacy Is Unfilled Promise|author=Tianen, D.|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel|date=27 March 1996|page=6E|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1683&dat=19960327&id=BKQaAAAAIBAJ&pg=6603,915052|accessdate=2014-04-15}} But critic Mark Brown considered it to be "wonderful."{{cite news|title=Rod Stewart Still Wears It Well at 48|author=Brown, M.|page=23|newspaper=Spartanburg Herald-Journal|date=1 October 1993|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19931001&id=m0goAAAAIBAJ&pg=4468,194556|accessdate=2014-04-15}} Classic Rock History critic Tony Scavieli ranked it as Stewart's 8th greatest song of the 1970s, stating that it "certified that Rod Stewart’s foray into disco [on "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy"] was just a small moment in time and that the album was not all disco."{{cite web|title=Top 10 Rod Stewart Songs From The 1970's|author=Scavieli, Tony|date=27 July 2018 |publisher=Classic Rock History|accessdate=2023-01-24|url=https://www.classicrockhistory.com/top-10-rocking-rod-stewart-songs-from-the-1970s/}} Jason Anderson of Uncut called it a "decent blues boogie", praising the "greasy guitar licks, barrelhouse piano and Phil Kenzie's raunchy sax."{{cite magazine|magazine=Uncut|title=The Ultimate Music Guide: Rod Stewart & the Faces|page=87|author=Anderson, Jason|publisher=Kelsey Media|year=2024}}
Live version
"Blondes (Have More Fun)" was included on Rod Stewart's live video Live at the L.A. Forum.{{cite web|title=Live at the L.A. Forum|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-la-forum-r402718|website=Allmusic|accessdate=2011-08-23}} A live version was also included on the 2014 album Live 1976-1998: Tonight's the Night.{{cite web|title=Live 1976-1998: Tonight's the Night|author=Erlewine, S.T.|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-1976-1998-tonights-the-night-mw0002539660|website=Allmusic|accessdate=2014-04-15}} Graham Hicks of the Edmonton Journal felt the live version was preferable to the studio version, calling the live version a "rhythm and blues number" and stating that this proved that the "production" was responsible for the blandness of the studio version.{{cite news|title=Stewart Born to Rock|author=Hicks, Graham|newspaper=Edmonton Journal|date=April 14, 1979|accessdate=2019-07-12|page=B6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33794611/edmjour_14apr79_b6/|via=newspapers.com}}
Music video
The music video for the song was on MTV's first day.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Rod Stewart songs}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Rod Stewart
Category:Song recordings produced by Tom Dowd