"Frankie" by Sister Sledge

Song#:  2362
Date:  06/15/1985
Debut:  88
Peak:  75
Weeks:  8
Genre:  R&B, Pop, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  The last time Sister Sledge was on the Pop chart was back in '82 when they got to #23 with their remake of "My Guy." After their next LP failed to produce any significant hits, the girls had to regroup and plot a new course. To do this they brought back producer Nile Rodgers, who had worked with the group during their "We Are Family" heydays. He would produce their eighth album When the Boys Meet the Girls. This first single was issued out and it didn't do all that well stopping at #32 R&B while not making it out of the bottom quarter of the Pop chart. However, AC took to the song a bit more and it peaked at #15 there. It would be the group's final song to reach the Pop chart. The tepid results of the single didn't lead to a lot of album sales and it disappeared rather quickly. When all was said and done, Sister Sledge was dropped by Atlantic and their recording career came to a halt. It would take more than a decade before they were able to release a new album.

ReduxReview:  This old-fashioned tune was a good fit for AC, but it wasn't anything that was going to light up the Pop chart. Besides not having a memorable chorus, the tune was a bit too cutsey for pop radio. It just wasn't going to compete against the hook-driven rock and synthpop that was loading up the chart. I'm not all that shocked it did well in the UK (see below). The Brits often liked quirky stuff like this and there had been a few retro-ish songs over the past few years that did well on the UK chart. I find it to be a pleasant song and kind of fun, but even after several listens, the song doesn't stay in my ears.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  While this tune floundered in the US, it did find an audience across the pond in the UK. The song was embraced and it eventually spent four weeks at #1. It also reached the Top 10's of a few other European countries. Both the single and album would reach gold-level sales in the UK. Unfortunately, despite their success in the UK, the group wasn't given the opportunity to record a follow-up album.

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