1984 single by Cheap Trick
"Up the Creek" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, released as a single in 1984 from the soundtrack of the 1984 film Up the Creek.[1] The song was written by Rick Nielsen and Randy Bishop, and produced by Spencer Proffer.[2]
Background
Years after its release, both Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos have been critical of the song. Nielsen told John Krewson of The A.V. Club in 1997: "Now that was a bad song! I co-wrote that... no, wait, let's see... I can't remember. Maybe I actually wrote that whole thing. Man! I must've been high. That was one of the worst songs - put it this way, it was one of the worst movies that's ever been out. Song-wise, it fit right in with the movie."[3] Carlos was once asked why the song had not appeared on a Cheap Trick compilation, to which he replied "'cause it sucks."[4]
Music video
A music video was filmed in Los Angeles to promote the single. It was directed by Dominic Orlando and achieved light rotation on MTV.[5][6] In his 1997 interview with The A.V. Club, Nielsen said: "[The] video was the worst we've ever done. We've done some bad, bad ones, but that took the cake."[3]
Critical reception
Upon release, Jim Bohen of Daily Record described the song as a "decent hard rocker".[7] Bob Andelman of St. Petersburg Times commented that the songs contributed by Cheap Trick, the Beach Boys and Heart "all have appealing hooks but are surrounded by prattle."[8] Lawrence Van Gelder of The News-Press wrote: "Neither the music by the likes of Cheap Trick and the Beach Boys can elevate this movie from the ranks of failed derivations."[9]
In a review of the film, The Morning Call described the song as "awful".[10] In a retrospective review of the film's soundtrack, Doug Stone of AllMusic described the song as "ridiculous" and added: "Even these distinguished junk dealers abandoned this piece."[4] In his 2017 book Still Competition: The Listener's Guide to Cheap Trick, Robert Lawson described the song as one with "all the hallmarks of a decent Cheap Trick tune - goofy lyrics, a catchy chorus, and a terrific vocal from Zander."[11]
