Track 5 - “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett (1981)

From the album Joan Jett (re-released in 1981 as Bad Reputation)

Music & Lyrics by Joan Jett, Ritchie Cordell, Kenny Laguna, & Marty Joe Kupersmith

Performed by:

Joan Jett – lead vocals, rhythm guitar

Lea Hart – lead guitar

Jeff Peters – bass

Kenny Laguna – keyboards

Paul Simmons - drums

VH1 Best Hard Rock Songs of All-Time - #29

And I don’t give a damn ‘bout my reputation

The world’s in trouble, there’s no communication

And everyone can say what they wanna say

It never gets better anyway

So why should I care about a bad reputation, anyway?

Oh no

Not me

If you were near a radio or had MTV in 1982, you probably heard “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts several times a day. It was the #1 song in the US for seven straight weeks in the first half of 1982, the #3 song for the year, and has sold 2 million copies. It made Joan Jett and her band a household name. And really, what’s not to like about it? A straightforward guitar riff, easy-to-remember lyrics and that anthemic chorus; it’s fist-pumping, crowd-pleasing stuff. Not bad for a cover song (the original was by a UK band called the Arrows, whom Joan Jett saw perform on British television). But back in 1982 in the pre-internet days, I had no way of diving into Joan Jett’s music catalog, and no idea that Joan Jett was in a band prior to the Blackhearts called the Runaways (more on that) and that she had released a solo album in 1980. That album, Joan Jett, would be re-released as Bad Reputation in 1981, and although extremely popular, I would not discover the title track, “Bad Reputation” for decades, when it appeared in an animated film that never seemed to leave my DVD player.

 Well...maybe I’m exaggerating a bit. I had heard “Bad Reputation” before, on the radio or maybe in a bar, but for whatever reason I never purchased the album, and there was no downloading or streaming back then. I probably just had other music on my radar and forgot about it. But in 2001, “Bad Reputation” appeared in Shrek, the animated film about an ogre voiced by Mike Meyers who just wants to be left alone in his swamp and ends up rescuing and marrying a princess. If you have kids, you know what it’s like to watch movies or shows over and over and over again. Even if you’re not watching with them, you hear it in the background, and certain songs or lines can become earworms, and you get them stuck in an endless loop in your head until you want to throw the TV onto the driveway. When my kids were little, there were some themes and songs that definitely fell into this category (cue the Spongebob Squarepants theme). However, “Bad Reputation” and its appearance in Shrek was NOT one of them. In fact, I might argue that Joan Jett’s hit about doing her own thing and not giving a s*** about what people thought set my boys on a path towards loving music and gave me an instant way to bond with them.

In 1975, Joan Jett and drummer Sandy West formed The Runaways, in Los Angeles. After bassist Micki Steele joined and left shortly thereafter, Jett and West were joined by guitarist Lita Ford, singer Cherie Currie and new bassist Jackie Fox. (Fun fact: Micki Steele would change her name to Michael Steele and later join the Bangles). The Runaways quickly became one of the most popular all-girl bands of the era, playing a combination of punk/glam and hard rock. They recorded two albums by 1977, and while never having huge commercial success in the U.S., they were extremely popular overseas. It was during a successful tour of Japan in 1977 that bassist Fox left the band, and after two more studio albums and a few more lineup changes, The Runaways broke up in 1979. Joan Jett immediately began pursuing a solo career, and unable to secure a record deal, her and producer Kenny Laguna used their own money to record and release Joan Jett, in 1980. Laguna also helped Jett form her band The Blackhearts, and they toured throughout 1980, often selling albums from the trunk of Laguna’s car. Finally, after depleting most of their savings pressing and distributing records, Laguna was able to get the band signed to Boardwalk Records and the album was re-mixed and released as Bad Reputation in 1981. The album sold well, and the track of the same name, while never released officially as a single, became sort of a theme song for Jett. The band released I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll in November of 1981, and as mentioned earlier, the title track became the biggest selling single of Jett’s career and ended up on several million turntables and cassette decks in 1982.

 So, let’s fast forward two decades. I’m a relatively new dad, and still getting used to having an extra person in the house who is demanding a lot of attention. My son Dan was born in the summer of 2000, and if I’m being honest, that first year was a blur. If you’re reading this and you’re a parent you know exactly what I’m talking about, especially the first kid you have. It’s a lot of schedule adjustments, diapers, formula, and you learn you will not be traveling light for a while because you can’t leave the house without a bag the size of a steamer trunk containing every baby product ever made. However, all kidding aside, I was really enjoying being a dad and by the time he was a year old, Dan began to develop a personality and interact more with the world around him. When he wasn’t building with Duplos or banging away at his plastic workbench with a fake hammer, he’d be watching the animated heroes of that era: Dora the Explorer, Bob the Builder, and Oswald, a show about a purple octopus who lives with a dachshund (look it up, I’m serious). But it was after he was introduced to Pixar movies that the “Let’s Watch That Again” era truly began. The first two Toy Story movies and A Bug’s Life were on constant rotation in our house during that time. In fact, if me or his mom needed time to complete chores or other tasks, popping any of these movies in the DVD player guaranteed a 90-minute window to do just that, because Dan would be otherwise pre-occupied with Woody and Buzz, or angry grasshoppers. But amazing as these movies are, too much of anything can wear on your senses as an adult, so by the time DreamWorks’ Shrek arrived on DVD in late 2001, I was excited to introduce a new character to Dan’s animated arsenal. And to be honest, I was curious about the movie myself. I had seen trailers and read a lot about it, and knew it received great reviews, especially for the performances of Mike Myers (Shrek) and Eddie Murphy for Shrek’s sidekick, Donkey. I also knew it was sort of geared towards adults as well, so I was more than ready to see the movie, and more important, see if Dan would like it. As the movie began, I thought Dan might be scared by it; the Shrek character was ornery and barely smiled. He just wants to be left alone in his swamp, and for all the other fairy tale characters to leave. But the movie lightens somewhat with the arrival of Donkey, Eddie Murphy’s character. So, if you’ve seen the movie, you might know where Joan Jett and her song “Bad Reputation” fit into all this. When I first saw Shrek, I had no idea the song would make an appearance, and at this point I had not heard it in years. So, when Shrek and Donkey arrive at snivelly Lord Farquaad’s tournament and begin dispatching knights in a makeshift wrestling ring, and the song starts playing, my first thought was, “Wow I know this song, I haven’t heard it in ages.” Then I realized it was Joan Jett, and I thought it was cool they were using pop songs in the soundtrack. And then, I looked over at Dan on the floor, and he was literally bouncing up and down, waving his arms and laughing so hard it looked like he may fall over. I’m not sure if it was the energy of “Bad Reputation” playing or watching Shrek and Donkey tossing those knights all over the place, but he really loved it! From that moment on, he was hooked; everything was “Shrek, Shrek, Shrek.” We watched that movie repeatedly, and every time the scene with “Bad Reputation” played, he had the same reaction. Shrek deserved all the accolades it received; it’s funny, the performances are great, and there is definitely appeal for adults. This was a “kid’s” movie I was willing to watch multiple times (like I had a choice😊).  And I got to re-discover this Joan Jett song I had honestly forgotten about. It’s a song about Jett being rejected by all the record companies, but not compromising who she was to succeed, and the movie’s use of the song is effective. When Dan’s brother Dylan arrived in 2004, Dan was only too happy to introduce him to the arts scene in our house, so when he was old enough, we dug out the Shrek DVD and watched it together, and while it took a few viewings, eventually Dylan was also bouncing around to “Bad Reputation.” If I look back, this could have been the beginning of their love of music, but I don’t want to give too much credit to one movie or one song. They had other influences and developed their own tastes in music through the years. I will say though that music has been something that the three of us have bonded over and talked about, and I know the important role music has played in their lives. I’m glad they listen to a lot of the music I grew up with, and I’m relieved they don’t see it as “old”! Watching them grow up and appreciate music the way they do has been a wonderful experience for me. Do I miss when they were kids, watching their reactions to movies like Shrek? Of course! But as they’ve gotten older, I’ve been able to take Dan to his first concert, and listen to playlists that Dylan puts together, which include artists like Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Al Green and Rush; and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. 😊

Thanks for stopping by again! Five tracks down, we are crushing this!

And here’s Joan Jett and her signature song providing the soundtrack for Shrek and Donkey crushing Lord Farquaad’s knights….

Next time, two sisters from Seattle help your host with the “Big Move.”

P.S.

 Joan Jett and the Blackhearts have released nine albums since I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll in 1981. While none approached the sales volume of the 1981 release, they’ve all been well received, and they’re still a concert draw when they tour. I especially remember Up Your Alley, released in 1988, as being a great album, and the song “I Hate Myself for Loving You” being played a lot on the radio during that time and ending up on my personal playlists throughout the years. They also contributed songs to the Days of Thunder and Tank Girl soundtracks in the 90s, and Jett also starred with Michael J. Fox in the 1987 film Light of Day, earning critical acclaim for her performance. In 2014, she joined Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic onstage when Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the following year, she was inducted along with The Blackhearts. This summer she’ll join Def Leppard and Motley Crue on The Stadium Tour as the opening act along with Poison.

Popular music being used in movies has been around for decades. Since Simon and Garfunkel had their music featured in The Graduate in 1967, using rock or pop songs often makes a particular scene or performance in a film more iconic and memorable. I’m not talking about songs specifically written for movies, like “My Heart Will Go On” or “Let it Go.” They’re iconic in their own right, but I’m talking about a director taking a song we all know already and using it in such a way that it truly punctuates a scene. Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino are masters at this. They’ve used music so effectively in their films that the movie gets associated with the song, instead of the other way around: I’m thinking of John Travolta and Uma Thurman twisting to “You Never Can Tell” in Pulp Fiction, or all the whacked mobsters turning up to the tune of “Layla” in Goodfellas. But other directors have also used music that’s been perfect and memorable as well; Paul Thomas Anderson having Alfred Molina throw firecrackers in Boogie Nights to Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian” and Gus Van Sant playing “Baker Street” in Good Will Hunting while the boys get into a playground fight come to mind. Using “Bad Reputation” in Shrek was genius; I now can’t hear that song without thinking of Shrek and Donkey romping in that medieval wrestling ring. Here's a Spotify playlist with some of my favorite songs used in iconic movie moments; if you know what movie they’re from leave it in the comments or tell me some of your own! Also…should probably mention if you download the actual Shrek soundtrack, the band Halfcocked perform “Bad Reputation”; Joan Jett’s version is featured in the film. The soundtrack also features “All Star” by Smash Mouth, a beautiful version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” performed by Rufus Wainwright, and Eddie Murphy as Donkey covering the Monkees’ “I’m a Believer.” You need to buy the entire album on Apple Music to hear every song, but I think it’s worth it. 😊

You should also check out the 2010 movie The Runaways, starring Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie. It’s available on Amazon Prime Video.

And lastly…of course, Shrek became a film franchise and a brand, and there was Shrek stuff everywhere for many years after the first film’s release. There have been four films (with talk of a fifth), spinoff films, film shorts, TV specials…just a lot of Shrek. I have seen the 2nd movie once or twice, but seriously had no interest in any of the other releases. The first Shrek movie will always be special to me, for a lot of reasons, and I’m sure the boys feel the same way. We haven’t watched it together in several years; if I can tear them away from the Marvel movies and The Mandalorian maybe they’ll watch it with me. Now if I can only remember where I put that DVD….

See you next time…

 JS

4/3/2022