🔘 Passion – Single: Oct. 1980

Label: Riva Records

Catalogue Number: RIVA 26

Format: 7" Vinyl Single

Released: October 31, 1980 (UK)

A pulsing, Latin‑tinged dance‑rock groove — backed with the sharp, swaggering Better Off Dead.

Issued on Riva, the single launched Stewart’s Foolish Behaviour era with a bold, rhythmic shift into early ’80s pop.

🔘 Overview

Passion was released on October 31, 1980 as a UK 7" single on Riva Records (RIVA 26). Serving as the lead single from Rod Stewart’s album Foolish Behaviour, the track showcased his embrace of dance‑pop influences, driven by a tight, percussive groove and Stewart’s trademark raspy vocal attack.

The B‑side, Better Off Dead, written by Stewart, Chen, Grainger, Savigar, and Cregan, offered a tougher, guitar‑edged counterpoint. Produced by Jim Cregan, the single appeared in both red‑label and yellow‑label UK variants.

🔘 Track List (Common Configurations)

7" Vinyl — RIVA 26

A. Passion

B. Better Off Dead

Written by: Rod Stewart (A) / Stewart, Chen, Grainger, Savigar, Cregan (B)

Produced by: Jim Cregan

🔘 Release Details

Label: Riva Records

Formats: 7" Vinyl

Country: UK

Year: 1980

Notes:

- Lead single from Foolish Behaviour

- Released in red‑label and yellow‑label variants

- Dance‑pop‑leaning A‑side

- Standard Riva sleeve

🔘 Variants (Discogs‑Verified)

Variant 1

UK – Riva – RIVA 26 (1980)

Format: 7" Vinyl (Red Label)

Variant 2

UK – Riva – RIVA 26 (1980)

Format: 7" Vinyl (Yellow Label)

Variant 3

UK – Riva – RIVA 26 (1980)

Format: 7" Vinyl (Injection‑moulded label)

🔘 Chart Data (BBC / Official Charts Company)

Peak Position: UK — No. 17

Weeks on Chart: 10

Chart Run (Official Charts):

Entered late Oct. 1980; remained in Top 75 for ten weeks.

International

Moderate success in several European markets; strong US performance on Billboard Hot 100.

🔘 Context & Notes

Recording Notes

A slick, rhythmic production — Latin‑infused percussion, choppy guitars, and Stewart’s gritty vocal delivery signalling his early‑’80s stylistic pivot.

Collector Notes

Red‑label RIVA 26 copies are the most visually distinctive; yellow‑label variants are slightly less common.

Legacy

A defining early‑’80s Rod Stewart single — energetic, modern, and a key moment in his transition into dance‑pop territory.

🔘 Related Material

Previous Single

I Don’t Want to Talk About It (1977 reissue)

Next Single

My Girl (1980)

🔘 Discography (Selected, Chronological)

Passion — 1980

Better Off Dead — 1980

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

Oct. 31, 1980 — UK single released

Nov.–Dec. 1980 — Peaks at UK No. 17

🔘 Glam Flashback

Rod Stewart hits the dancefloor — raspy swagger meets early‑’80s pop pulse.

🔘 Tags

#RodStewart #Passion #1980 #RivaRecords #FoolishBehaviour #DanceRock #VinylArchive #SingleChronicle

🔘 Sources

Riva Records

Official Charts Company

Discogs

Contemporary music‑press documentation

Rod Stewart archival references