| "French Kissin" | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Debbie Harry | ||||||||||||
| from the album Rockbird | ||||||||||||
| Released | November 1986 | |||||||||||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||||||||||
| Genre | Pop | |||||||||||
| Label | Geffen | |||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Chuck Lorre | |||||||||||
| Debbie Harry singles chronology | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
"French Kissin" a.k.a. "French Kissin' in the USA" is the second song from the 1986 album Rockbird by Debbie Harry. It was written by Chuck Lorre, who would later create the hit television sitcoms Dharma & Greg and Two and a Half Men among others.
Contents |
The song is a slow tempo ballad. It was released on Geffen Records as the album's first single on November 15, 1986 and struggled to find a US mainstream audience after Harry's first solo album and singles were minor hits compared to her band's previous releases. However, "French Kissin" became a moderate radio hit in the US, peaking at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also Harry's biggest success in the UK, where it reached number eight. The single has charted in the most territories for any solo Debbie Harry single to date and is generally considered her largest hit.
For promotion, Harry did a live performance of "French Kissin" and "In Love with Love" on Saturday Night Live, as well as a handful of television interviews in the UK and U.S. in late 1986. A colorful music video was also released and subsequently played on video stations.
Harry also recorded a French language version of the track which was released as the B-side of other Rockbird singles and was also included on the 1988 Blondie/Debbie Harry remix compilation Once More into the Bleach. Also, a cover of the song by Carol Chapman was also featured in the 1980s movie Troop Beverly Hills.
Besides the regular formats 7" and 12" the single was also released as a limited edition 12" picture disc in the UK.
US 7", UK 7" & UK Poster Sleeve 7"
US 12", UK 12" & UK 12" Picture Disc
| Chart (1986) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US | 57 |
| US Dance Maxi-Singles Sales | 44 |
| Ireland | 8 |
| UK | 8 |
| Australia | 4 |
| Belgium | 15 |
| Netherlands | 32 |
| Germany | 28 |
| Italy | 47 |
| South Africa Airplay | 8 |
|
||||||||||||||