Oh Sherrie

"Oh Sherrie"
Single by Steve Perry
from the album Street Talk
B-side "Don't Tell Me Why You Are Leaving"
Released 1984
Format 7"
Recorded Record One in Los Angeles, CA
Genre Pop rock
Length 3:45
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Steve Perry, Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf, Bill Cuomo
Producer Steve Perry
Steve Perry singles chronology
"Oh Sherrie"
(1984)		 "She's Mine"
(1984)
Music sample
"Oh Sherrie"

"Oh Sherrie" is a song written by American singer Steve Perry, Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf, and Bill Cuomo. It was recorded and released on Perry's Street Talk album in 1984, his first solo album which he released while still a member of Journey. The song is often regarded as an "honorary" Journey song, being credited to the band on several hit compilation albums and in other media, largely due to its resemblance to the band's trademark sound, as well as their performances of the song on the Raised on Radio Tour, which proved to be Perry's live swansong with the band.[1]

The song was Perry's biggest hit as a solo artist and written for his then-girlfriend Sherrie Swafford,[2] who also appeared in the music video. The song hit number three on the pop chart and number one on the rock chart in the United States,[3] partly aided in its success by a music video released to promote the song, which received heavy airplay on MTV.

One of the song's co-writers, Bill Cuomo, performed the keyboard riff on "Oh Sherrie," and was the musician that was also responsible for the keyboard riff on Kim Carnes' signature song, "Bette Davis Eyes," in 1981.[4] Cuomo, Krampf and Perry had started composing the song at approximately midnight with little more than the simple chorus of "Oh Sherrie" and "Hold on, hold on" plus a few simple sounds. Sherrie Swafford had been in the room with them initially, but had gone to sleep because of the late hour.[2]

Contents

Chart positions

Chart (1984) Peak
position
Canadian RPM 50 Singles[5] 1
US Billboard Hot 100 3
US Billboard Top Tracks 1

See also

References

  1. ^ "Solo Hits Credited to the Band Anyway...". New Book of Rock Lists. Sidgwick & Jackson. 1994.
  2. ^ a b Steve Perry talks about the recording of "Oh Sherrie" and Street Talk singles.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 487.
  4. ^ Blair Jackson (2003). "Classic Tracks: Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes"". Mix. http://mixonline.com/recording/interviews/audio_kim_carnes_bette/index.html. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
  5. ^ RPM - Library and Archives Canada - Top Singles - Volume 40, No. 18, July 07 1984. Retrieved December 17, 2010.

External links