A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)

"A Rockin' Good Way"
"A Rockin' Good Way"
Single by Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler
from the album The Bop Won't Stop
B-side	"Why Do You Treat Me This Way?"
Released	30 December 1983
Recorded	1983
Studio	Eden Studios, London
Genre	Rock and roll; pop rock;
Length	2:55
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Brook Benton; Clyde Otis; Luchi DeJesus;
Producer(s)	Christopher Neil
Shakin' Stevens singles chronology
Bonnie Tyler singles chronology
Official video
	"A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around And Fall In Love)" on YouTube

"A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)"
"A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)"
Single by Dinah Washington and Brook Benton
from the album The Two of Us
B-side	"I Believe"
Released	May 1960
Recorded	March 1960
Genre	Soul
Length	2:25
Label	Mercury Records: 671629
Songwriter(s)	Brook Benton, Clyde Otis; Luchi de Jesus
Producer(s)	Clyde Otis
Dinah Washington and Brook Benton singles chronology
Official audio
	"A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around And Fall In Love)" on YouTube

"A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)" is a song first recorded in 1958 by Priscilla Bowman, on the Abner Records label (ABNER DJ 1018).^[1] Bowman was given vocal backing by The Spaniels.^[2]

Dinah Washington and Brook Benton version

In 1960 the song was recorded as a pop and R&B duet by Dinah Washington and Brook Benton. The single was the second pairing for the singers and, like their first single together, it went to number 1 on the R&B chart and was a top ten pop single as well.^[3]

The song was written by Benton, Clyde Otis and Luchi de Jesus.^[4] The single, with the song title styled "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around And Fall I Love)", included orchestra arranged and conducted by Belford Hendricks.^[5]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1960)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[6]	28
Canada (CHUM)^[7]	17
US Billboard Hot 100^[8]	7
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[9]	1
US Cash Box Top 100^[10]	5

Year-end charts

Chart (1960)	Position
US Billboard Top 100^[11]	75
US Cash Box Top 100^[11]	44

Shakin' Stevens and Bonnie Tyler version

A duet by Welsh singers Shakin' Stevens and Bonnie Tyler was released on 30 December 1983 and made number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in Ireland.^[12]^[13] It was included on Stevens' 1984 album The Bop Won't Stop. The B-side was a live recording by Stevens' of "Why Do You Treat Me This Way?" at the Birmingham Odeon.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "A Rockin' Good Way"
Charts (1984)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[14]	21
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[15]	9
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[16]	5
Ireland (IRMA)^[13]	1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[17]	8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[18]	8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[19]	8
Norway (VG-lista)^[20]	4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[21]	11
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[22]	10
UK Singles (OCC)^[12]	5
West Germany (GfK)^[23]	22

Year-end charts

1984 year-end chart performance for "A Rockin' Good Way"
Chart (1984)	Position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)^[24]	60
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[25]	33

References

^ Cohodas, Nadine (18 December 2007). Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 341. ISBN 978-0307427380.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 54.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 612.
^ "BMI entry for the song". Archive.today. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
^ Warren, Stanley (2004). "Belford C. "Sinky" Hendricks: A Musician's Musician". Indiana Magazine of History. 100 (2): 193. Retrieved Jun 26, 2025.
^ "Every AMR Top 100 Single in 1960". Top100singles.net.
^ "CHUM Hit Parade, week of June 13, 1960" (JPG). Chumtribute.com. 13 June 1960. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
^ "Dinah Washington Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
^ "Dinah Washington Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending July 9, 1960". Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
^ ^a ^b "Song artist 615 - Dina Washington". Tsort.info. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Shakin Stevens: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
^ ^a ^b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – A Rockin' Good Way". Irish Singles Chart.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
^ "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
^ "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
^ "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way". Top 40 Singles.
^ "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way". VG-lista.
^ "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way". Singles Top 100.
^ "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way". Swiss Singles Chart.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
^ "Jaaroverzichten 1984". Ultratop. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
^ "Top Selling Singles of 1984". Official NZ Music Charts.com. Recorded Music New Zealand Limited. Retrieved 4 November 2020.

External links

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[1] Cohodas, Nadine (18 December 2007). Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 341. ISBN 978-0307427380.

[2] Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 54.

[3] Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 612.

[4] "BMI entry for the song". Archive.today. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2025.

[5] Warren, Stanley (2004). "Belford C. "Sinky" Hendricks: A Musician's Musician". Indiana Magazine of History. 100 (2): 193. Retrieved Jun 26, 2025.

[6] "Every AMR Top 100 Single in 1960". Top100singles.net.

[7] "CHUM Hit Parade, week of June 13, 1960" (JPG). Chumtribute.com. 13 June 1960. Retrieved 4 November 2020.

[sc_Billboardhot100_Dinah_Washington-8] "Dinah Washington Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.

[sc_Billboardrandbhiphop_Dinah_Washington-9] "Dinah Washington Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.

[10] "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending July 9, 1960". Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 2020-11-04.

[Tsort-11] "Song artist 615 - Dina Washington". Tsort.info. Retrieved 4 November 2020.

[UK-12] "Shakin Stevens: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.

[Ireland-13] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – A Rockin' Good Way". Irish Singles Chart.

[14] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[sc_Austria_Shakin'_Stevens_&_Bonnie_Tyler-15] "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.

[sc_Flanders_Shakin'_Stevens_&_Bonnie_Tyler-16] "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.

[sc_Dutch40_Shakin'_Stevens_&_Bonnie_Tyler-17] "Nederlandse Top 40 – Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.

[sc_Dutch100_Shakin'_Stevens_&_Bonnie_Tyler-18] "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.

[sc_New_Zealand_Shakin'_Stevens_&_Bonnie_Tyler-19] "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way". Top 40 Singles.

[sc_Norway_Shakin'_Stevens_&_Bonnie_Tyler-20] "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way". VG-lista.

[sc_Sweden_Shakin'_Stevens_&_Bonnie_Tyler-21] "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way". Singles Top 100.

[sc_Switzerland_Shakin'_Stevens_&_Bonnie_Tyler-22] "Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way". Swiss Singles Chart.

[sc_West_Germany_Shakin'_Stevens_&_Bonnie_Tyler-23] "Offiziellecharts.de – Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – A Rockin' Good Way" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.

[24] "Jaaroverzichten 1984". Ultratop. Retrieved 4 November 2020.

[25] "Top Selling Singles of 1984". Official NZ Music Charts.com. Recorded Music New Zealand Limited. Retrieved 4 November 2020.

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v t e Bonnie Tyler songs
Discography
The World Starts Tonight	"Lost in France" "More Than a Lover"
Natural Force	"It's a Heartache" "Living for the City" "Heaven" "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" "Here Am I"
Diamond Cut	"My Guns Are Loaded"
Goodbye to the Island	"Sometimes When We Touch" "A Whiter Shade of Pale" "I Believe in Your Sweet Love"
Faster Than the Speed of Night	"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" "Faster Than the Speed of Night" "Total Eclipse of the Heart" "Straight from the Heart"
Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire	"If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)" "Loving You's a Dirty Job but Somebody's Gotta Do It" "Band of Gold" "Holding Out for a Hero"
Hide Your Heart	"Hide Your Heart" "Don't Turn Around" "Save Up All Your Tears" "To Love Somebody" "The Best"
Bitterblue	"Against the Wind" "Bitterblue"
Angel Heart	"Fools Lullaby"
Silhouette in Red	"You Are So Beautiful"
Free Spirit	"You're the One" "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" "Bridge over Troubled Water" "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad"
All in One Voice	"Angel of the Morning" "I Put a Spell on You" "The Rose" "He's the King" "Silent Night"
Heart Strings	"Human Touch" "Everybody Hurts" "Amazed" "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" "Lean on Me" "In My Life" "Learning to Fly" "Right Here Waiting" "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" "I Can't Make You Love Me" "Need Your Love So Bad" "It's Over"
Simply Believe	"Si demain... (Turn Around)" "Si tout s'arrête (It's a Heartache) "Darlin'"
Rocks and Honey	"Believe in Me" "What You Need from Me" "Mom"
Collaborations	"A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)" "Sem Limites pra Sonhar (Reaching for the Infinite Heart)" "Islands" "Vergiß Es (Forget It)" "Amour Éternel (Eternal Flame)"
Other songs	"Married Men" "Here She Comes" "I Don't Know How to Love Him" "Yes I Can"

v t e Dinah Washington
Studio albums	Blazing Ballads After Hours with Miss "D" For Those in Love Dinah! In the Land of Hi-Fi The Swingin' Miss "D" Dinah Washington Sings Fats Waller Music for a First Love Dinah Sings Bessie Smith What a Diff'rence a Day Makes! September in the Rain Unforgettable Drinking Again Back to the Blues Dinah '63 This Is My Story A Stranger on Earth
Live albums	Dinah Jams Newport '58
Associated albums	Jam Session
Tribute albums	Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington For Dinah
Singles	"Evil Gal Blues" "I'll Never Be Free" "Ain't Misbehavin'" "It's Too Soon to Know" "Baby Get Lost" "I Wanna Be Loved" "Harbor Lights" "My Heart Cries for You" "Cold, Cold Heart" "Trouble in Mind" "I Don't Hurt Anymore" "Dream" "Teach Me Tonight" "I Concentrate on You" "That's All I Want from You" "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" "Unforgettable" "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" "A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)" "This Bitter Earth" "Love Walked In" "It Could Happen to You" "September in the Rain" "Where Are You?" "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You"
Associated acts	Lionel Hampton Clifford Brown Brook Benton
Associated people	Eddie Chamblee Dick Lane
Related topics	Discography Dinah Washington Park

A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)

A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)

A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)

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A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)

Dinah Washington and Brook Benton version

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Shakin' Stevens and Bonnie Tyler version

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links