Dr Hook & the Medicine Show – Cover of the “Rolling Stone”

“The Cover of ‘Rolling Stone’” is one of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show’s most enduring songs, written by Shel Silverstein and produced by Ron Haffkine. Released on October 26, 1972 as part of the band’s second album Sloppy Seconds, it’s a tongue-in-cheek satire of fame and the music industry’s obsession with publicity.

The song became a self-fulfilling prophecy. On March 29, 1973, just three months after its release, Rolling Stone magazine put Dr. Hook on its cover. True to the humor of the song, the caption next to their caricature read: “What’s-Their-Names Make the Cover.” The exposure was valuable for Rolling Stone itself, which was only five years old and still building its readership.

For the magazine feature, reporter Jim Cahill followed the band on tour and portrayed them as a ragtag group of misfits, improvising their way through bawdy, raucous stage shows filled with humor and revelry. The band’s lead singer/guitarist Dennis Locorriere never took a stage name, which confused journalists in the pre-Google era — his name was even misspelled in the article.

The song also crossed into wider pop culture. It was featured in Cameron Crowe’s 2000 film Almost Famous, in which a fictional 1970s band sings it after learning they’ve landed on the cover of Rolling Stone. Crowe had once been a teenage reporter for the magazine, mirroring the film’s storyline.

Controversy followed the single overseas. The BBC refused to play it, citing its rule against naming trademarked products. (The Kinks faced a similar issue with “Lola,” forced to change “Coca-Cola” to “Cherry Cola.”) To counter the ban, CBS Records set up a phone hotline where fans could call in and hear the song — a clever workaround that built further buzz. Some BBC DJs edited themselves shouting “Radio Times” (the BBC’s own magazine) over the words “Rolling Stone” so they could air the track. Rumors spread that Dr. Hook had recorded a special “Radio Times” version, though they never did.

Commercially, the single reached No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in March 1973, No. 2 in Canada, and No. 3 in New Zealand, cementing the group’s international success.

Key Facts

• Song: “The Cover of ‘Rolling Stone’”

• Artist: Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show

• Writer: Shel Silverstein

• Producer: Ron Haffkine

• Album: Sloppy Seconds (1972)

• Release date: October 26, 1972

• Genre: Skiffle, Pop Rock, Country Rock, Comedy

• Length: ~2:53

• Chart peaks: US Billboard Hot 100 No. 6; Canada No. 2; New Zealand No. 3

• Cultural notes:
  • Appeared on Rolling Stone cover (March 29, 1973) captioned “What’s-Their-Names Make the Cover”
  • Article by Jim Cahill described the band’s chaotic, bawdy touring life
  • Dennis Locorriere’s name was misspelled in the piece
  • Featured in Cameron Crowe’s film Almost Famous (2000)
  • Banned by the BBC for trademark mention; workaround via CBS hotline and DJ edits with “Radio Times”