Rock Me Gently (Erasure song)
"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. 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". 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". "Music Week" wrote, "Full choral backing and ambient textures provide the album's most adventurous moments, which feature the unique vocals of Diamanda Galas." 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". Darren Lee from "The Quietus" said it "remain [a] serviceable enough" ballad, "but lack the  pizzazz and charm of earlier releases." Troy J. Augusto from "Variety" deemed it "a sweet ballad". 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.