Frankie (Sister Sledge song) explained

Frankie
Cover:sistersledge2.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Sister Sledge
Album:When the Boys Meet the Girls
B-Side:Hold Out Poppy
Released:May 1985
Genre:Pop, R&B
Label:Atlantic
Producer:Nile Rodgers
Prev Title:We Are Family (Bernard Edwards Remix)
Prev Year:1984
Next Title:Dancing on the Jagged Edge
Next Year:1985

"Frankie" is a song by American vocal group Sister Sledge, released as a single in 1985. It is taken from their eighth studio album, When the Boys Meet the Girls (1985).

Overview

The song was written by Denise Rich (under the pseudonym "Joy Denny") after dreaming while on a flight from the United States to Switzerland. According to the Now 5 album (on which the song appears), the song was written about Frank Sinatra.

The song was produced by Chic's Nile Rodgers, who had co-produced the sisters' earlier hits such as "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family". The sisters suggested the song to him, but he hated it on first hearing. A week later, he went back to them saying he could not stop singing it, and so he insisted that the band recorded it.[1]

A marked contrast to the disco cuts which had made them internationally famous in the late 1970s, this girl-pop number became a hit in the UK Singles Chart, spending four weeks at number one in June and July 1985.[2] It fared much less well in the US where it peaked at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 32 R&B[3] and No. 15 Adult Contemporary.[4]

"Frankie" was fifth best selling single of 1985 with 698,000 sold copies in the United Kingdom.[5]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1985)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 10
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[7] 8
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 75
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[9] 15
US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[10] 32

Year-end charts

Chart (1985)Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] 81
Belgium (Ultratop)[12] 36
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 62
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 59

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Songfacts. Frankie by Sister Sledge - Songfacts. December 24, 2020. www.songfacts.com. en.
  2. Book: Roberts, David. 2006. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th. Guinness World Records Limited . London. 1-904994-10-5. 450–1.
  3. Web site: Alex Henderson . Sister Sledge | Awards . AllMusic . March 29, 2014.
  4. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn . 1993 . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 . Record Research . 221.
  5. Official Top 40 best-selling songs of 1985. Official Charts. Rob. Copsey. April 9, 2021. April 13, 2021.
  6. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 276.
  7. European Top 100 Singles. Eurotipsheet. 2. 31. 8. August 5, 1985.
  8. Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. July 13, 1985. July 21, 2023.
  9. Adult Contemporary. Billboard. July 27, 1985. subscription. July 21, 2023.
  10. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Billboard. July 20, 1985. subscription. July 21, 2023.
  11. Web site: Kent Music Report No 599 – 30 December 1985 > National Top 100 Singles for 1985. Kent Music Report. Imgur. January 23, 2023.
  12. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1985. Ultratop. nl. April 17, 2021.
  13. Web site: Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1985. Dutch Top 40. nl. April 17, 2021.
  14. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1985. MegaCharts. nl. April 17, 2021.