Montrose, ‘Rock Candy’ – Butch’s Way Back Wednesday

I know what you are thinking… Butch, bro, it’s not Wednesday! I am aware, but we are pretending it’s Wednesday all week in celebration of Sammy Hagar coming to the Budweiser Events Center this summer. Come inside, enjoy some Hagar, and find out how to win tickets to the show before they go on sale this Friday.

As a music fan there is always something new and great, but there really is something special about the songs you grew up listening to. For me, that was 70′s and 80′s classic rock. If I am in a shi**y mood, I throw in a little Zeppelin or Rush and take a trip back to rolling in my mom’s T-Bird. Now every Wednesday you get to take that trip with me. It’s Way Back Wednesday with Butch, and today’s feature for Hagar week is a song we rocked out to back in 1973!… “Rock Candy.”

The last song written and recorded for their 1973 debut. It was composed by all four members of the band. The song still gets performed on Sammy Hagar's solo tours and even had been re-recorded as the b-side to the Hagar single Little White Lie by the original band. It was also included on Hagar's live release, "Live: Hallelujah".

The song is well known for its distinctive drum intro played by Denny Carmassi. According to Ronnie Montrose in radio interviews, the song originated from Carmassi's experimentation with alternatives to Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham's intro to "When the Levee Breaks".

The song was featured in the 1994 movie The Stöned Age, and has appeared in the U.S. television series My Name is Earl.

Now take a trip back to 1973 with us...

Listen to Butch during the 5pm hour all week for your chance to win tickets to see Hagar at the Bud Center before you can buy them!