# "Classic" version of Rock Me, Amadeus **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173 "2016-02-04T20:51:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/1 "2016-02-04T20:51:49Z")
I went to the iTunes[sup]1[/sup] store[sup]2[/sup] last night trying to get the version of _Rock Me, Amadeus_ I remember from the 80’s - the version of the song the MTV video played - the version of the song in English which included a short spoken biography of Mozart. The only versions I can find at the iTunes[sup]1[/sup] store[sup]2[/sup] are in German, and/or don’t have the bio of Mozart (there is a version which has a short bio of Falco). Anyone know where I can legally get that song in MP3 format for my iPod? I want Falco’s estate to get whatever portion of the $0.99 they’re entitled to. Because this is in Cafe Society, hey, how 'bout that _Rock Me, Amadeus_ song, huh? Great mix of silliness and infectious rhythm. A real standout of commercially successful 80’s pop. [sup]1[/sup]I fucking hate iTunes, which makes me hate Apple. [sup]2[/sup]I fucking hate the iTunes store even more. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/2 "2016-02-04T21:58:52Z")
You may have trouble finding this, as there are ton of different versions: > **[Rock Me Amadeus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Me_Amadeus)** > > "Rock Me Amadeus" is a song recorded by Austrian musician Falco for his third studio album, Falco 3 (1985). The single was made available for physical sale in 1985 in German-speaking Europe, through A&M. "Rock Me Amadeus" was written by Falco along with Dutch music producers Bolland & Bolland. To date, the single is the only German language song to peak at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, which it did on 29 March 1986. > It topped the singles charts on both sides of the Atlantic. It was Fal... > [@](#): > > Originally recorded in German, the song is about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, his popularity and his debts. A longer version (eight minutes), named the “Salieri Mix”, appeared on the initial US release of the album Falco 3. The song was inspired by the movie Amadeus. For the US release, the song was remixed with an English background overlay. There was never a full English version. > > Voiceover facts > > ``` > 1756: Salzburg, January 27, Wolfgang Amadeus is born. > 1761: At the age of 5 Amadeus begins composing. > 1773: He writes his first piano concerto. > 1782: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart marries Constanze Weber. > 1784: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart becomes a Freemason. > 1791: Mozart composes The Magic Flute. > > On December 5 of that same year, Mozart dies. (on some remixes, says "Mozart kicks the bucket") > > 1985: Austrian rock singer Falco records "Rock Me Amadeus" > > ``` > [@](#): > > The song was released in Europe in 1985 in its original, German-language version. For the international markets (USA, UK, Japan etc.), several different single and extended mixes were produced; none of them were solely an English-language version, but the international single versions reduced the German lyrics. However, the video, which featured the original European version, was used worldwide. > Original Version (a.k.a. The Gold Mix) (3:21) > Extended Version (7:07) > Salieri Version (8:21) (on the international versions of Falco 3 this mix is denoted wrongly as “Solieri Version”) > Short Salieri Version (4:50) > Special Salieri Version (3:59) > American Edit (3:10) > Canadian Edit (4:02) > Canadian/American Edit (3:59) > Extended American Edit (6:10) > Club Mix 1991 (6:47) > Radio Remix 1991 (4:30) > Instrumental Remix 1991 (1:29) > Live Version 1985 from the album Opus & Friends (4:20) > Live Version 1986 from the album Live Forever (6:04) > Symphonic Remix 2008 from the album Symphonic (4:52) > Live Symphonic Version 1994 from the DVD Symphonic (4:12) > Falco Biography Mix 2010 from the 25th Anniversary Edition of Falco 3 (download only) (8:48) Thanks for reminding me of this song. I loved it on MTV and it pops into my and my dad’s heads occasionally – I know 'cause we randomly start singing it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/3 "2016-02-04T22:29:06Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I went to the iTunes[sup]1[/sup] store[sup]2[/sup] last night trying to get the version of _Rock Me, Amadeus_ I remember from the 80’s - the version of the song the MTV video played - the version of the song in English which included a short spoken biography of Mozart. For some songs, the official music video is available on YouTube, through a company called VEVO. Have you checked to see if the MTV version you remember is on YouTube? ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/4 "2016-02-05T00:49:27Z")
I’m pretty sure you’re looking for the [Salieri Mix](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrBGbyTEK44) version. It doesn’t appear that this version is on iTunes or Amazon as a digital download, maybe it’s available on Google Play? Here’s a link to a [CD](http://www.amazon.com/So80s-Presents-Falco/dp/B009P8LEF8) available for sale on Amazon for $20. 20 bucks for the one song you like… just like you’re in the 80s! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/5 "2016-02-05T03:10:46Z")
Hey, 2 songs: that album has [_Der Kommissar_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w4Xulsjo5I) on it as well! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/6 "2016-02-05T03:50:28Z")
One can’t forget the version in _Stop the Planet of the Apes, I Want to Get Off_: _Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius …oooohhh Dr. Zaius_ ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/7 "2016-02-05T06:43:32Z")
Then there is the “Rock me Jerry Lewis” version… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/aSzbbTPLUq8/hqdefault.jpg ""ROCK ME JERRY LEWIS" - Mike Elliot and Bud LaTour") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSzbbTPLUq8) ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/8 "2016-02-05T13:54:13Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Hey, 2 songs: that album has [_Der Kommissar_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w4Xulsjo5I) on it as well! This is Falco’s original version, but in the US [a much more popular & well known, rock-oriented cover of it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBfFDTPPlaM) was done by the band _After the Fire_. The music video is pretty stupid though. Classic 80s. Bunch of Euro-trash models looking stoned-out and vamping for the camera. Of course, [there’s always this too…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ukrCvhxP2g) ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@Troy\_McClure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/9 "2016-02-05T14:12:52Z")
> [@zbuzz](#): > > I’m pretty sure you’re looking for the [Salieri Mix](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrBGbyTEK44) version. > > It doesn’t appear that this version is on iTunes or Amazon as a digital download, maybe it’s available on Google Play? > > Here’s a link to a [CD](http://www.amazon.com/So80s-Presents-Falco/dp/B009P8LEF8) available for sale on Amazon for $20. > > 20 bucks for the one song you like… just like you’re in the 80s! The narrated version is also available on this CD which is quite a bit cheaper: [http://www.amazon.com/More-Pure-80s-Various-Artists/dp/B00004S5GO/ref=sr\_1\_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454681653&sr=8-1&keywords=more+pure+80s](http://www.amazon.com/More-Pure-80s-Various-Artists/dp/B00004S5GO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454681653&sr=8-1&keywords=more+pure+80s) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/10 "2016-02-05T18:51:04Z")
Thanks for all the responses. _Salieri Mix_ is the magic phrase I needed. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/11 "2016-02-05T23:09:41Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure](#): > > The narrated version is also available on this CD which is quite a bit cheaper: > > [http://www.amazon.com/More-Pure-80s-Various-Artists/dp/B00004S5GO/ref=sr\_1\_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454681653&sr=8-1&keywords=more+pure+80s](http://www.amazon.com/More-Pure-80s-Various-Artists/dp/B00004S5GO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454681653&sr=8-1&keywords=more+pure+80s) Yeah, but that doesn’t seem to include the Salieri Mix, which is, apparently, the one he is looking for. But who knows, maybe the Canadian Mix is actually the one he wants. Or it could be the Canadian/American Mix. THE NUMBER OF ROCK ME AMADEUS MIXES IS TOO DAMN HIGH ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@Troy\_McClure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-version-of-rock-me-amadeus/745173/12 "2016-02-06T00:30:21Z")
> [@zbuzz](#): > > Yeah, but that doesn’t seem to include the Salieri Mix, which is, apparently, the one he is looking for. But who knows, maybe the Canadian Mix is actually the one he wants. Or it could be the Canadian/American Mix. > > THE NUMBER OF ROCK ME AMADEUS MIXES IS TOO DAMN HIGH I guess. The version on that disk is this one, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMuDtfxAIKk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMuDtfxAIKk) which is definitely the one I remember on the radio in the American midwest during the 80s.