Rock Me Baby (album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Rock Me Baby

| type = Album

| artist = David Cassidy

| cover = Rockmebaby.jpg

| alt =

| released = October 1972

| recorded =

| studio = Western Recorders, Hollywood, California

| genre = Rock, R&B, blue-eyed soul

| length = 37:09

| label = Bell, re-released on Arista

| producer = Wes Farrell

| prev_title = Cherish

| prev_year = 1972

| next_title = Dreams Are Nuthin' More Than Wishes

| next_year = 1973

}}

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r3447|pure_url=yes}} allmusic review]

}}

Rock Me Baby is the second solo album release from David Cassidy. It was produced by Wes Farrell for Bell Records, and released in 1972. The album introduced some rock, soul and R&B flavors in a calculated move by Cassidy to expand beyond his teen idol image.{{cite book |title=Rock Stars Encyclopedia |editor1=Dafydd Rees |editor2=Luke Crampton |date=1999 |publisher=DK Pub |page=181 |isbn=9780789446138}} AllMusic's Al Campbell wrote that the blue-eyed soul album was officially produced by Farrell, but the song selections and styles showed that Cassidy was also making decisions.

Cassidy's cover of the Young Rascals song "How Can I Be Sure" was included in the album, having peaked at number 3 on the US Adult Contemporary chart in June 1972 and #25 on the US Billboard Hot 100.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/david-cassidy/chart-history/asi/|title=David Cassidy|magazine=Billboard}} It enjoyed greater success in the UK, holding number 1 status for two weeks in September.{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/how-can-i-be-sure/|title = How can i be sure | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website = OfficialCharts.com}}

The album's title track gained US airplay in early September 1972, rising to number 38 in mid-October.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/david-cassidy/chart-history/hsi/|title=David Cassidy|magazine=Billboard}} It was the album's high-energy opening track, a dip into brash glam rock. Following on "Rock Me Baby"{{'s}} heels, the album climbed to number 41 in the US through November–December,{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/david-cassidy/chart-history/tlp/|title=David Cassidy|magazine=Billboard}} and then it entered the UK album charts very strongly at number 2 in late February 1973, starting a 17-week run for a total of 20 weeks on the chart.{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/rock%20me%20baby/ |title = rock me baby {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company| website=Official Charts }}

The album contains one song written by Cassidy called "Two Time Loser", and a song he co-wrote with Kim Carnes titled "Song for a Rainy Day". The song "Rock Me Baby" was recorded around the same time by UK group Brotherhood of Man, but they shelved their release when Cassidy had a hit with it.{{cite web |url=http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/sunra/953/indexen.html |title=Biography - Release of "Rock Me Baby" pulled |author=Brotherhood of Man Dutch website |accessdate=12 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006094604/http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/sunra/953/indexen.html |archivedate=6 October 2008 }}

The album was reissued on Compact Disc by Arista Records in 2003.