{{Short description|1975 single by Amazing Rhythm Aces}} {{Infobox song | name = Third Rate Romance | cover = Third Rate Romance single cover.JPG | alt = | type = single | artist = Amazing Rhythm Aces | album = Stacked Deck | B-side = Mystery Train | released = June 23, 1975 | format = | recorded = | studio = Phillips Recording, Memphis, Tennessee | venue = | genre = Country rock<ref name="Breithaupt 1996">{{cite book|title= Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s|first1=Don|last1=Breithaupt|first2= Jeff|last2= Breithaupt|date= October 15, 1996|chapter= Carnal Knowledge: Sexual Revolution|page= 91|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|isbn=031214704X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RMPCAwAAQBAJ}}</ref> | length = 3:17 | label = ABC | writer = Russell Smith | producer = Barry Burton | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Amazing Grace (Used to Be Her Favorite Song) | next_year = 1975 }}
"'''Third Rate Romance'''" is a song written by Russell Smith, first recorded in Montreal in 1974 by Jesse Winchester and his band the Rhythm Aces, assisted by Smith. It became a hit the following year by the newly re-formed Amazing Rhythm Aces on its 1975 album ''Stacked Deck''. It was the band's debut single, reaching No.11 on the U.S. country singles chart and No.14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100,<ref name="whitburn">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc|date=2008|page=24|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}</ref> as well as No.1 on the Canadian ''RPM'' Country Tracks and Top Singles charts.
==Content== The third-person lyrics tell the story of a man and woman who meet at a restaurant and depart together for what presumably will prove to be a one-night stand at a motel (the "Family Inn"). At the door of the room, she nervously says, "I've never really done this kind of thing before—have you?" He admits that he has, "but only a time or two."
==Chart performance== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} ===Weekly charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable" !align="left"|Chart (1975) !align="center"|Peak<br />position |- {{singlechart|Canadaadultcontemporary|2|artist=The Amazing Rhythm Aces|chartid=6486}} |- {{singlechart|Canadacountry|1|artist=The Amazing Rhythm Aces|chartid=4038}} |- {{singlechart|Canadatopsingles|1|artist=The Amazing Rhythm Aces|chartid=6131a}} |- |New Zealand (RIANZ)<ref>[http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20rianz&qsongid=2059#n_view_location Flavour of New Zealand, 24 October 1975]</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|18 |- {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|11|artist=The Amazing Rhythm Aces}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|14|artist=The Amazing Rhythm Aces}} |- |US ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary<ref>{{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |authorlink= Joel Whitburn |year= 1993 |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 |publisher= Record Research |page=15}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|33 |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Chart (1975) ! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |- |Canada ''RPM'' Top Singles <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5173a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=enic7sdhqrbeuu9iiip880d0j4|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada|work=collectionscanada.gc.ca}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|27 |- |US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 <ref>[http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1975.htm Musicoutfitters.com]</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|97 |- |} {{col-end}}
==Sammy Kershaw version== {{Infobox song | name = Third Rate Romance | cover = | alt = | type = single | artist = Sammy Kershaw | album = Feelin' Good Train | B-side = Paradise from Nine to One | released = August 30, 1994 | format = | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = Country | length = 3:21 | label = Mercury Nashville | writer = Russell Smith | producer = Buddy Cannon, Norro Wilson | prev_title = National Working Woman's Holiday | prev_year = 1994 | next_title = Southbound | next_year = 1995 }} American country music artist Sammy Kershaw covered the song on his 1994 album ''Feelin' Good Train'', from which it was released as a single in 1994. It peaked at No.2 in the United States country charts<ref>Whitburn, p. 224</ref> and at No.10 in Canada. Russell Smith provided backing vocals on Kershaw's version.
===Music video=== The music video was directed by Michael Merriman, and premiered in late 1994. It features a woman luring an older man into going to a motel with her. She steals his money and watch and then drives off with another man, as the old man tries to chase them down.
===Chart performance=== {|class="wikitable sortable" !align="left"|Chart (1994) !align="center"|Peak<br />position |- {{singlechart|Canadacountry|10|chartid=2653|publishdate=November 14, 1994|accessdate=August 4, 2013}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardbubbling100|5|artist=Sammy Kershaw}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|2|artist=Sammy Kershaw}} |}
==Other versions== {{sources|1=section|date=March 2024}} *Jesse Winchester - on his 1974 album ''Learn to Love It''. *Ace Spectrum recorded a more funky take on their 1975 album ''Low Rent Rendezvous''. *Elvis Costello - as a demo in 1975 on the album known as the "Flip City Demos" *Tom Jones recorded it in 1976. *Rosanne Cash - on her 1982 album ''Somewhere in the Stars''. *Fabulous Poodles - on their 1978 album ''Unsuitable''. *Another version was performed on The Earl Scruggs Review Anniversary Special (1975).
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Sammy Kershaw}}
Category:1975 songs Category:Sammy Kershaw songs Category:1994 singles Category:The Amazing Rhythm Aces songs Category:1975 debut singles Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles Category:Songs written by Russell Smith (singer) Category:Song recordings produced by Buddy Cannon Category:Song recordings produced by Norro Wilson Category:ABC Records singles Category:Mercury Records singles