Blondes Have More Fun
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox album|
| name = Blondes Have More Fun
| type = studio
| artist = Rod Stewart
| cover = Rod Stewart - Blondes Have More Fun (album cover).jpg
| released = 24 November 1978{{cite web |title=British album certifications – Rod Stewart – Blondes Have More Fun |url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/953-1824-2 |website=British Phonographic Industry |access-date=24 November 2022}}
| recorded = 1978
| genre = Rock, rock and roll, disco
| length = 43:09
| label = Riva, Warner Bros.
| producer = Tom Dowd
| prev_title = Foot Loose & Fancy Free
| prev_year = 1977
| next_title = Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
| next_year = 1979
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Blondes Have More Fun
| type = studio
| single1 = Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
| single1date = November 1978
| single2 = Ain't Love a Bitch
| single2date = January 1979
| single3 = Blondes (Have More Fun)
| single3date = April 1979
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r19117|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]
|rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide
|rev2Score = B{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: S|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=S&bk=70|access-date=13 March 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}
|rev3 = Rolling Stone
|rev3score = (Unfavourable)[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/blondes-have-more-fun-19790208 Rolling Stone review]
|rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide
|rev4score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/rod-stewart/albumguide |title=Rolling Stone Album Guide |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=24 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105161110/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/rod-stewart/albumguide |archive-date=5 January 2013 |url-status=dead }}
}}
Blondes Have More Fun is British musician Rod Stewart's ninth studio album, released in November 1978. As was the popular musical trend at the time, it is Stewart's foray into disco music. The album was commercially successful, reaching number 3 in the UK and number 1 in the US, but was critically divisive. The lead single "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" became one of Stewart's biggest hits, peaking at No.1 in both the UK and US.
Overview
After carving a highly successful career throughout the 1970s as a rock singer, Stewart elected to follow the disco trend that was at its peak in 1978 for some tracks of this album. The first single was "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" which became a number one hit in the UK, US, Australia and a number of other countries.{{cite web |url= http://www.worldcharts.co.uk/chartfeatures/aus/aus70.htm |title= Australia n°1 Hits – 70's |publisher= Worldcharts.co.uk |access-date= 10 June 2013 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140424142031/http://www.worldcharts.co.uk/chartfeatures/aus/aus70.htm |archive-date= 24 April 2014}}{{cite web |url= https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19781126/7501/ |title= 1978 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive – 2 December 1978 |publisher= Official Charts Company |access-date= 1 June 2013}}{{cite web |url= http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-stewart-mn0000293896/awards |title= Rod Stewart awards on AllMusic |publisher= AllMusic |access-date= 1 June 2013}} Many critics panned the direction of song towards disco, but it nevertheless became one of his biggest hits. Stewart has since defended the song commenting that Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones had also dabbled with disco music by this time.Stewart, Rod. Rod: The Autobiography (2012): [https://archive.org/details/rodautobiography0000stew/page/225 225–226] The second single was "Ain't Love a Bitch", which became a No.11 hit in the UK and No.22 in the US.[http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/20537/rod-stewart/ Official UK Charts – Rod Stewart] The third and final single "Blondes (Have More Fun)" peaked at 63 in the UK, his lowest-charting single there at this time, but performed better in Ireland at No.23.{{cite web|title=The Irish Charts – All There Is To Know|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement?page=6|publisher=irishcharts.ie|access-date=2011-08-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721125434/http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement?page=6|archive-date=21 July 2011|url-status=dead}}
The album itself peaked at No.3 in the UK, being certified platinum by Christmas and was a No.1 hit in the US, where it went triple platinum.{{Cite web |url=http://www.rodstewartfanclub.com/about_rod/disco/album_detail.php?album_id=6 |title=Rod Stewart fanclub – Blondes Have More Fun |access-date=7 December 2016 |archive-date=20 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220103525/http://www.rodstewartfanclub.com/about_rod/disco/album_detail.php?album_id=6 |url-status=dead }} It also charted within the top ten in a host of other countries.
Track listing
Side one
{{ordered list|start=1
| "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (Rod Stewart, Carmine Appice, Duane Hitchings) – 5:31{{ref label|benjor|a|a}}
| "Dirty Weekend" (Stewart, Gary Grainger) – 2:36
| "Ain't Love a Bitch" (Stewart, Grainger) – 4:39
| "The Best Days of My Life" (Stewart, Jim Cregan) – 4:21
| "Is That the Thanks I Get?" (Stewart, Cregan) – 4:32
}}
Side two
{{ordered list|start=1
| "Attractive Female Wanted" (Stewart, Grainger) – 4:17
| "Blondes (Have More Fun)" (Stewart, Cregan) – 3:46
| "Last Summer" (Stewart, Philip Chen) – 4:05
| "Standin' in the Shadows of Love" (Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland, Brian Holland) – 4:28
| "Scarred and Scared" (Stewart, Grainger) – 4:54
}}
{{note label|benjor|a|a}} Stewart has acknowledged that the song inadvertently incorporates the melody from the song "Taj Mahal" by Jorge Ben Jor, although Ben Jor was not given a writing credit.
Personnel
Rod Stewart Band
- Rod Stewart – vocals
- Gary Grainger, Billy Peek – guitar
- Jim Cregan – guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Chen – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Carmine Appice – drums, backing vocals
Invited guests
- Fred Tackett – acoustic guitars
- Nicky Hopkins – piano
- Duane Hitchings – keyboards, synthesizer
- Roger Bethelmy – drums
- Paulinho Da Costa, Tommy Vig – percussion
- Gary Herbig – flute
- Phil Kenzie, Tom Scott – tenor saxophone
- Steve Madaio – trumpet
- Mike Finnigan – background vocals
- Max Carl Gronenthal – background vocals
- Linda Lewis – vocals
- Catherine Allison – piano, background vocals
- Del Newman – string arrangements
Production
- Tom Dowd – producer, mixing
- Andy Johns – engineer, mixing
- George Tutko, David Gerts – assistant engineers
- Mixed at Smoke Tree and Cherokee Studios.
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
scope="col" | Chart (1978–79)
! scope="col" | Peak |
---|
scope="row" | Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=295}}
| 1 |
{{album chart|Austria|10|artist=Rod Stewart|album=Blondes Have More Fun|rowheader=true|access-date=8 November 2021}} |
{{album chart|Canada|1|chartid=0113a|rowheader=true|access-date=11 December 2024}} |
{{album chart|Netherlands|3|artist=Rod Stewart|album=Blondes Have More Fun|rowheader=true|access-date=8 November 2021}} |
{{album chart|Germany4|id=9005|9|artist=Rod Stewart|album=Blondes Have More Fun|rowheader=true|access-date=9 August 2024}} |
{{album chart|New Zealand|1|artist=Rod Stewart|album=Blondes Have More Fun|rowheader=true|access-date=8 November 2021}} |
{{album chart|Norway|2|artist=Rod Stewart|album=Blondes Have More Fun|rowheader=true|access-date=8 November 2021}} |
{{album chart|Sweden|1|artist=Rod Stewart|album=Blondes Have More Fun|rowheader=true|access-date=8 November 2021}} |
{{album chart|UK2|3|date=19781203|rowheader=true|access-date=28 January 2022}} |
{{album chart|Billboard200|1|artist=Rod Stewart|rowheader=true|access-date=28 January 2022}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
{{col-end}}
Certifications and sales
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Australia|artist=Rod Stewart|title=Blondes Have More Fun|award=Platinum|number=2|certyear=1996|relyear=1978|access-date=14 July 2021}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=France|artist=Rod Stewart|title=Blondes Have More Fun|award=Gold|number=2|certyear=2001|relyear=1978|accessdate=17 October 2019}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Germany|artist=Rod Stewart|title=Blondes Have More Fun|award=Gold|certyear=2006|relyear=1978|accessdate=17 October 2019}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Hong Kong|artist=Rod Stewart|title=Blondes Have More Fun|award=Platinum|certyear=1981|relyear=1978|accessdate=17 October 2019}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=New Zealand|artist=Rod Stewart|title=Blondes Have More Fun|award=Platinum|id=1978-12-15|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|relyear=1978}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Sweden|artist=Rod Stewart|title=Blondes Have More Fun|nocert=true|salesamount=200,000|relyear=1978|salesref={{cite journal|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1980/Music-Weel-1980-04-19.pdf|journal=Music Week|title=WEA gets foothold with Metronome purchase|page=Supplement 9|date=19 April 1980|accessdate=23 December 2021}}}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Rod Stewart|title=Blondes Have More Fun|award=Platinum|certyear=1978|relyear=1978|salesamount=600,000|id=953-1824-2|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LSUEAAAAMBAJ&q=blondes+have+more+fun|magazine=Billboard|title=WEA U.K.'d Price Tag Jumps Irks Stewart|author=Peter Jones|via=Google Books|volume=91|issue=7|page=98|issn=0006-2510|date=17 February 1979|accessdate=8 December 2021}}}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Rod Stewart|title=Blondes Have More Fun|award=Platinum|number=3|certyear=1984|relyear=1978|accessdate=17 October 2019|salesamount=4,000,000|salesref={{cite newspaper|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3rxjAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA84&dq=million&article_id=5856,473441&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjU5tqqr5KNAxXFmrAFHfXcFUE4HhDoAXoECAgQAw#v=onepage&q=million&f=false|newspaper=The Phoenix|title=Stewart says voice ignored|date=16 June 1979|accessdate=7 May 2025|page=84|first=Colin |last=Dangaard}}}}
{{Certification Table Summary}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Worldwide|artist=Rod Stewart|title=Blondes Have More Fun|nocert=true|salesamount=10,000,000|salesref=|accessdate=8 December 2021}}
{{Certification Table Bottom}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Rod Stewart}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Albums produced by Tom Dowd