John Rocca

During the early 1980s, Rocca formed, played with, wrote for, produced and managed his first band, Freeez. After his entrepreneurial first self-funded and self-released effort, "Keep in Touch", became a No. 49 hit on the UK Singles Chart, his next effort, Southern Freeez, was a chart success in various countries in Europe and around the world, reaching No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart. Both singles were number one hits in the UK Blues and Soul charts.{{cite web|url=http://testpressing.org/2018/03/an-interview-with-john-rocca-freeze/|title=An Interview With John Rocca / Freeez & Pink Rhythm|date=7 Mar 2018|work=Testpressing.org}}{{cite web|url=https://banbantonton.com/2018/03/21/interview-john-rocca-freeez-pink-rhythm/|title=Interview / John Rocca|date=21 March 2018|work=Banbantonton.com}}

During 1983, one of the first records to use digital sampling, "IOU", featured Rocca's falsetto voice and became one of the major dance successes of the 1980s electro music style. It scored number one in dance charts in Europe and the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play and had popular music chart success across the world, spending three weeks at number 2 in the UK.{{cite web|title=FREEEZ - full Official Chart History|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/18528/freeez/|website=Official Charts Company|accessdate=24 September 2020}}

As a solo artist, Rocca scored number one again, this time with "I Want It to Be Real", on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart during 1984. Further hit records followed in 1985 such as "Once Upon a Time" and "Move" both being hits in the Billboard US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. As a producer, engineer and re-mixer John Rocca worked with bands as diverse as Bomb the Bass and General Public, also touring Europe and the Japan respectively with the bands

In the late 1980s after releasing a number of tracks under the Pseudonym Pink Rhythm such as "Melodies of Love" John began more experimental output. First as on his own Cobra, Chemical and Who'd She Coo Record labels, and then in the early 1990s Rocca resurfaced with his Midi Rain project. Several Midi Rain singles were popular in the UK dance charts including "Eyes", "Always", and "Shine" - the latter reaching No. 1 on the Billboard US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1993.

Rocca retired from the music business in late 1993 and after completing a 1st class honours degree at Middlesex University in 1995 he moved directly into IT and Telecommunications. In 1997 Rocca became one of the founding members of the technology start up Intec Telecom Systems.{{cite web|title=Intec secures $1 million deal with Maxis, Malaysia's leading GSM provider|work=ResponseSource Press Release Wire |url=https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/news/14776/intec-secures-million-deal-with-maxis-malaysia-s-leading-gsm/|access-date=26 March 2022|date=1 May 2002}} Intec Telecom Systems was successfully launched on the London Stock Exchange in 2001 (symbol: ITL.L).

{{For|the discography of Freeez|Freeez#Discography}}

• Unreleased album (Beggars Banquet, 1984)
• Extra Extra (Avenue Records, 1987)
• I.O.U. - The Best of John Rocca (Criminal Records, 1996)

• Freeez
• I.O.U.
• Southern Freeez

{{Reflist}}

• {{discogs artist|John+Rocca}}
• [https://www.discogs.com/artist/27935-Midi-Rain Midi Rain] discography at Discogs

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rocca, John}}

Category:English male singers

Category:English house musicians

Category:English electronic musicians

Category:English dance musicians

Category:English record producers

Category:1960 births

Category:Freeez

Category:Beggars Banquet Records artists

Category:Living people

Category:English boogie musicians

Category:British freestyle musicians