"Rock Me Gently" is a 1996 song by British synthpop duo Erasure. It was written by group members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, and appears on their seventh studio album, Erasure (1995). Mute Records released it as a single in selected European countries, including Germany and Czech Republic. It was not released in the UK or the US.

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"Rock Me Gently"
Single by Erasure
from the album Erasure
B-side	"Chertsey Endlos"
Released	12 February 1996
Recorded	1996
Genre	Synthpop
Length	4:04 (single version) 10:02 (album version)
Label	Mute Records (Germany, Czech Republic)
Songwriter(s)	Vince Clarke, Andy Bell
Producer(s)	Thomas Fehlmann, Gareth Jones
Erasure singles chronology
"Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (1995) "Rock Me Gently" (1996) "In My Arms" (1997)
Music video
"Rock Me Gently" on YouTube

"Rock Me Gently"

A 23 second sample of "Rock Me Gently" where the Galás performs her free form vocals over the ambient soundscape of the breakdown.

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In its album form, the song is an extended, ten-plus minutes mid-tempo synth ballad with ambient elements and a free-form vocal performance by American singer Diamanda Galás, during the song's breakdown. Bell's lead vocals were accentuated by the London Community Gospel Choir, who sang background (as they did on previous Erasure single "Stay with Me"). "Rock Me Gently" was significantly altered for its single release, adding a radio-friendly drum track to the mix and editing out most of the Galás interlude. An extended version of this mix was included on the CD single, retaining the Galás section while keeping the new instrumentation.

Critical reception

Ned Raggett from AllMusic noted the "gentle shimmer" of the song, adding that Diamanda Galas "delivers haunting solo turns".[1] Chris Gerard from Metro Weekly stated, "It's a perfect ballad, performed with incredible sweetness by Bell over Vince Clarke's gorgeous keyboard lines. It's one of the duo's most sublime recordings".[2] Music Week wrote, "Full choral backing and ambient textures provide the album's most adventurous moments, which feature the unique vocals of Diamanda Galas."[3] A reviewer from People Magazine commented, "Thanks to an emphasis on gorgeous torch tunes like "Rock Me Gently" and "Stay with Me", lead singer Andy Bell's always operatic vocals take on a newfound luster".[4] Darren Lee from The Quietus said it "remain [a] serviceable enough" ballad, "but lack the pizzazz and charm of earlier releases."[5] Troy J. Augusto from Variety deemed it "a sweet ballad".[6]

Music video

A black-and-white music video was produced to accompany the song. It features Bell singing a duet with a Marilyn Monroe look-alike. The video was published on YouTube in September 2014, and as of November 2020, it has more than 234,000 views.[7]

Track listings

References