Songfacts®:

• This song describes a trip to Devil Gate Drive, a fictional place where all the kids get their kicks. In a Songfacts interview with Suzi Quatro, she said: "It's the place where you go when you're a teenager, and your parents say, 'Where are you going?' 'I'm going out.' 'Don't you dare go to such-and-such.'
  
  That's 'Devil Gate Drive,' and that's where you go. Of course, as soon as your parents say, 'Don't go,' that's where you go."
• Quatro was born and raised in Detroit, but made her biggest impact in the UK, where she relocated in 1971 to join Mickie Most's RAK label. "Devil Gate Drive" was her second UK #1, following "Can The Can." In America, it was released only as a promotional single because she had no real fanbase there. In 1975, she made a push to break through in the States, but even after landing a Rolling Stone cover and touring with Alice Cooper, she still didn't catch on. She did land the role of Leather Tuscadero on the TV show Happy Days, playing the lead singer of the group Leather Tuscadero & the Suedes. When she finally had a US hit in 1979, it was a lite-rock duet with Chris Norman called "Stumblin' In."
• This was written and produced by the team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who also wrote and produced for Sweet. Youthful rebellion was Quatro's milieu, so the song suited her very well.
• In 1977, Quatro performed this on the popular TV series Happy Days in the 1977 episode "Fonzie, Rock Entrepreneur: Part 2" in character of Leather Tuscadero, a tough rocker chick who was the sister of Fonzie's love interest, Pinky. Happy Days was set in the 1950s, but most Americans were not familiar with the song or with Quatro, who made seven appearances on the show.
• Tommy James covered this on his 1976 Fantasy album In Touch, and used it as the B-side of his single of "I Love You, Love Me" (Fantasy #761). Olivia Newton-John recorded a techno version for the 2011 movie A Few Best Men. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Rick - Lafayette, NJ
• A techno version is included on the soundtrack of the 2011 Australian comedy A Few Best Men. Like the rest of the soundtrack, it was sung by Olivia Newton-John, who also appears in the film.