Thursday Throwback: Juke Box Hero by Foreigner
Well, hello there! I am Crashb648, and I’m helping out in trying to bring back the Thursday Throwback feature with a fresh perspective. I have had my PS3 for only a few months, and so I have been updating my Rock Band library with older DLC, so it seems like a good opportunity to start this feature again.
The song featured this week is the Wavegroup cover track of Foreigner’s “Juke Box Hero,” released in the first batch of DLC for the original Rock Band title. The song itself focuses on a boy unable to purchase a ticket to a sold-out rock concert. Listening from outside, he hears “one guitar” and has an epiphany, leading him to buy his own guitar from a second-hand store and begin to play without any lessons. He realizes that with the guitar he can become famous, and does. The song then goes on to describe the struggle he has to stay on top of the music charts, which makes him a “Juke Box Hero.” He eventually encounters another fan outside the stage door at one of his concerts, who reminds him of himself and how it all began.
Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones has said that the song was inspired by an actual fan who stood waiting outside an arena for about five hours in the rain. Jones, impressed by his dedication, decided to take him in and give him a glimpse of what happens backstage at a show.
Even though it is a cover, the song is a blast to play on all instruments. The guitar has simple yet fun charting, with great in your face sustains (similar to “Detroit Rock City”). Drums are exceptional due to the “Wanted Dead or Alive” style foot pedal intro. As with most songs, the bass is arguably the weakest, but it does stand out occasionally during several points in the song. The real treat here is the vocals, with a stellar sing-a-long section supported by great lyrics.
Below is a full band sample of the track. If you have any songs you would like to be selected as “Thursday Throwbacks,” let us know here.
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Oh hell yeah, I love this song so much. This is on my list of “must get upgraded in a Foreigner Greatest Hits pack” songs. Come on, HMX! We got Cold As Ice in RB3 and we got a pack of Foreigner masters, so we know you can get them! Give us an “original version” of this for RB3! That chorus would be incredible with harmonies.
Crashb648 Reply:
March 3rd, 2011 at 3:51 pm
I can’t believe i didn’t mention that. I’d love this to be updated, with rb3 features and possibly a master recording (we know it exists because GH3 got it as DLC). I would love a foreigner greatest hits pack too!
Game!Ov3r Reply:
March 3rd, 2011 at 3:54 pm
yeah but the GH one sounded off to me.
Crashb648 Reply:
March 3rd, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Maybe it’s because you were used to this cover version, that the proper version on GH3 threw you off a bit? I sometimes find that when listening to cover versions a lot, then switching to the offical track.
Game!Ov3r Reply:
March 3rd, 2011 at 4:53 pm
I thought I read somewhere that it was a re-recording for GH.
TojoReeves Reply:
March 3rd, 2011 at 6:39 pm
I do the same thing with The Beatles Anthologies and live versions of various Lynyrd Skynyrd tracks. I’m not a fan of covers which is why I never purchased this track. The only cover I can think of that is truly good is Green Grass and High Tides as featured in RB1 as it does not sound far off to me. With Rock Band DLC my troubles are with Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Band on the Run.” I’ve had the Live version for so long and played it so much, that I have difficulty singing the studio version when I choose to play guitar.
Dorkmaster Flek Reply:
March 4th, 2011 at 5:49 am
Interesting. The cover of Run to the Hills in RB1 was actually quite good I found, and I say that as a big Iron Maiden fan. Of course, getting the original version in that amazing Iron Maiden pack was still preferable, but the cover was excellent.
Id have to agree totally with Dorkmaster Flek
At first glance I saw Foreigner and thought we had an early announcement for next weeks dlc! Otherwise, back on topic. I am not a fan of covers, but this is one is pretty good. This one and Black Betty for GH are my two favorites when it comes to cover DLC.
Crashb648 Reply:
March 3rd, 2011 at 3:55 pm
I personally don’t mind covers, as they give an alternative version of a song we all know and love, but I find Juke Box Hero on the best covers, hence the article. I quite like Black Betty too (althrough i have heard its horrid on drums)
Croq Reply:
March 3rd, 2011 at 4:54 pm
My Sharona is another avesome cover version.
HundredDollarHeadache Reply:
March 3rd, 2011 at 8:28 pm
I’m possibly considering buying the My Sharona cover to get the Pro Guitar upgrade.
Dorkmaster Flek Reply:
March 4th, 2011 at 5:50 am
I assume the original master is unavailable since the cover is getting a pro guitar upgrade, but it’s totally worth it. The cover is excellent, one of the few that actually measures up.
Paul Reply:
March 4th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Fortunate Son was also a good cover, but it’s sort of irrelevant now that the original version is available too.
I remember back when I was 16, my sister, stepbrother, and I got the RockBand bundle as a Christmas present from my grandparents.
I added some MS points to my account, and bought this song along with “War Pigs,” and “My Sharona.” I’ve been playing these songs in RB2, Lego, and now RB3.
They never get old.
damn, i thought more foreginer was on the way when i saw that pic at the top.
the lyrical theme of JukeBox Hero is quite close to Bad Company’s Shooting Star. Kinda, sorta… Both great songs, but hardly video game gold unless you’re a singer
Az Reply:
March 3rd, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Really? Shooting Star was one of my fave plastic guitar tunes in RB2.
There are good covers in RB, but on a personal note: I don’t like the Juke Box Hero cover. The singer is just so different, and in the last part of the song, his voice is on auto tune … uuurghs, sounds terrible in my ears. Though I love the Original, i’d never buy a pro Update for that one. Haven’t played it since RB 1.
My Sharona ,on the other hand, is a brilliant cover.
Ah yes, the very first piece of DLC I bought for Rock Band. Wavegroup does a lot of good covers.
I really miss having two-color hair for our characters.
I’ve been planning on picking this up soon, actually. Lack of funds kind of…screw me on that. Looking forward to what else you suggest for the Thursday Throwback. Love the idea since I’m running out of songs I know and love.
In other news, if you want to play online with someone who has quite a bit of DLC (585), send Goldskarr an invite.
I really have to object to this Thursday throwback. I have no objection to covers when done well, but I find the Jukebox Hero cover absolutely terrible. The ” He’s got stars in his eyes!” bit is the absolute worst. Seriously needs to be updated for RB3 features because it’d be great and the theme absolutely goes with RockBand, but as it is right now… Ugh.
It’s not too clever to buy cover versions in 2011, we got master updates for Iron Maiden, CCR & Rush, so a Juke Box Hero could come any week theoratically.
Paul Reply:
March 4th, 2011 at 8:58 pm
Counterpoint: it’s two bucks.
I never really enjoyed this song before RB, and playing it plastic style didn’t change that.
Instead, I shall pretend this is about the best DLC cover: “Song With a Mission”.
I remember playing this waaaaay back when it was GH3 DLC, and I loved that so much I ALMOST bought this on sight, but then I listened to the preview…
Been waiting years now for the master version, because this is the one song I KNOW they will release a master version of, though the temptation to the get the original is pretty high now…
I have to say the backcatalogue is fairly useless to me now, unless it’s a song I love and can’t live without I won’t be buying it. Not with the current “upgrades” situation
Still yet to understand how the bass drum and overdrive sections coreography fit.